tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-892679132888821152024-03-19T02:50:49.957-07:00Ragman - DC's Tatterdemalion of Justice!Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-60630055122144492932023-08-26T20:07:00.000-07:002023-08-26T20:07:17.991-07:00Everything We Know About the Earth-13 RAGMAN - PART TWO of TWO!<p>Did the first entry into this short series pique your curiosity at all? Well good because we're back ALREADY with the most significant info dump yet on the Ragman from the 'League of Shadows' of Earth-13!</p><p>Oddly enough the information comes from a blink-and-you-miss-it holiday special released in 2021. Holiday specials are interesting publications in comics. They're almost always oversized anthology issues that garner varying degrees of interest from the comics community. We get them around Valentines Day, Halloween, Christmas, etc and the sales can vary wildly. Sometimes they sell based on cover art, sometimes on creative teams, and sometimes simply based on the characters chosen to be featured. Especially if one of the stories launches a new series or features a beloved character with a devoted fanbase that hasn't had the spotlight in awhile.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56IBgY6fc-W_4k1fCLcVMkLW0yC6JqD1sH68FpkaIq8VHjCjSJgybQI1JcOrbJzKynKVMOafSZHGWqjvbIEO2swU-YkzwEQv6OyXYf5Nv2q3BcGNQh4s6NqRrjH6abjM6-3FQSjBukbAxqQIU_fCc9VcE2PJuUphR9LvqRKGSZy1MtFAWCq0lKxGYkg/s3056/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1987" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56IBgY6fc-W_4k1fCLcVMkLW0yC6JqD1sH68FpkaIq8VHjCjSJgybQI1JcOrbJzKynKVMOafSZHGWqjvbIEO2swU-YkzwEQv6OyXYf5Nv2q3BcGNQh4s6NqRrjH6abjM6-3FQSjBukbAxqQIU_fCc9VcE2PJuUphR9LvqRKGSZy1MtFAWCq0lKxGYkg/s320/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-000.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>The 2021 '<i>DC's Very Merry Multiverse Special</i>' was most definitely an assortment of characters that could have escaped the notice of many regular comic buyers. There were the usual bait characters: a Harley story and a Batman story. But then we had Teen Justice, President Superman, Batman Beyond, The Injustice League of Unamerica, Booster Gold, Prez, and Lobo (and of course the League of Shadows story we're recapping here today).<p></p><p>Creator wise the rabid fan appeal wasn't all there, at least for those who primarily only follow trending creators. The Lobo story was written by DC powerhouse Tom King with art by Scott Koblish, which most certainly would have attracted some, but the rest hadn't yet attracted the same attention (though most of them certainly should). That being said our story of the League of Shadows featured a name not unfamiliar for Ragman fans, writer Sholly Fisch.</p><p>If you're paying attention, Sholly wrote the only other Ragman holiday story ever told in '<i>Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14</i>' which is based on the popular animated series of the same name (<a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2015/12/batman-brave-and-bold-14-small-miracles.html" target="_blank">I reviewed that issue back in 2015 here if you wish to read that</a>). Sholly is actually a huge Ragman fan himself as he told me when <a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2015/12/an-exclusive-interview-with-sholly-fisch.html" target="_blank">I had the pleasure of interviewing him awhile back</a>. So it's perhaps kismet that Sholly was tapped to give us the origin of the latest individual to wear rags in the multiverse in yet another holiday story, this time with art by Vanesa Del Rey, colors by Tamra Bonvillain, and lettered by Ferran Delgado.</p><p>Our story, titled <i><b>NIGHT OF THE MAGI</b></i> opens on the holiday of Saturnalia in progress on Earth-13. Ragman and the League of Shadows are engaged in what seems to be an annual bought of ritualistic combat against one another, fueled by the Lord of Misrule and Mother Destruction. The League is pitted against one another, seemingly as aware of the strings pulling them as they are of their puppeteers, and are none too happy with this tiresome tradition, though seemingly unable to do anything overtly to prevent it. While engaged in unwilling combat with his peers, Ragman's mind drifts back to ancient Egypt.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2MurVNN45pR4POsGkrX0bnY4varKR2_IxgaeHEdijMHoFN2n_7MKu5g4vUAKmPyWtF7Rl4CvEcvJkldzvxm7PGw3a30DQmrKw8W4ZYxgZ5oL67XkkvfkQB7zTSNBqRiFW0S8Hu8IxrVde9Rr3Zj8SD22ze3yeEzcEk_g5tgywrFq-9JcjmF57KNOYg/s3056/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1987" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2MurVNN45pR4POsGkrX0bnY4varKR2_IxgaeHEdijMHoFN2n_7MKu5g4vUAKmPyWtF7Rl4CvEcvJkldzvxm7PGw3a30DQmrKw8W4ZYxgZ5oL67XkkvfkQB7zTSNBqRiFW0S8Hu8IxrVde9Rr3Zj8SD22ze3yeEzcEk_g5tgywrFq-9JcjmF57KNOYg/w416-h640/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-043.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>There we've met a Hebrew slave named Ya'akov who slips away from servitude as well as family to become another man entirely, passing himself off as an Egyptian named Amun. Time passes and Amun is now among his former persecuters, passing as one of them in Egyptian clothing, forcing the Hebrew slaves to toil beneath him to maintain his new identity. A slave recognizes him and in Hebrew calls out to him...the man he recognizes as his own son.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRn_N111QypcMEoa90reiMWbJQkftnuCPC5xFgWZPLeajFV6JLi2Yb9mBwDLyxb2NNsyxF1AZRM0LLdIfNOu5krHU46bjGkY_heAQ6I-aC7VMVWpToaz__s1srvQ414v4PDvGKJcoS8SMz06E_ASGriViLRpxrv2uX_9qq1xBO5k58pBc7pMkD9bppg/s3056/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1987" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRn_N111QypcMEoa90reiMWbJQkftnuCPC5xFgWZPLeajFV6JLi2Yb9mBwDLyxb2NNsyxF1AZRM0LLdIfNOu5krHU46bjGkY_heAQ6I-aC7VMVWpToaz__s1srvQ414v4PDvGKJcoS8SMz06E_ASGriViLRpxrv2uX_9qq1xBO5k58pBc7pMkD9bppg/w416-h640/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-046.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><p>Back in the "present" the League struggles to stay alive as they unwillingly fight one another. But the Lord of Misrules spell cannot be broken as all must obey during Saturnalia. However Ragman claims he his Jewish and therefore under no such rules as he makes his move toward the Lord of Misrule. When suddenly Mother Destruction strikes at him claiming that he is now "also dead!" To which he retorts, "<i><span data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="--darkreader-inline-color: #ffad1a; color: #ffa400;">Yes, I am. For LONGER than you know.</span></i>" And we get another flashback...</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs4gbvSYPvNFj81aW4WXq9SQXtQDO3tACd_G4oZyFJTqaTDGmFa-YkSr-20gpU3wb8_Z88Fukwx_2h8PozlD0q7NPnTyQkAnuu5Li4r8uuaIlzWS4_2ylQ6JA5JSbco5VrunVjmgEdciTDqH4octD6mfoWXWw7kDB0iDYplBaLNtyw4B80QB6HUZoFw/s3056/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1987" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs4gbvSYPvNFj81aW4WXq9SQXtQDO3tACd_G4oZyFJTqaTDGmFa-YkSr-20gpU3wb8_Z88Fukwx_2h8PozlD0q7NPnTyQkAnuu5Li4r8uuaIlzWS4_2ylQ6JA5JSbco5VrunVjmgEdciTDqH4octD6mfoWXWw7kDB0iDYplBaLNtyw4B80QB6HUZoFw/s320/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-048.jpg" width="208" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Zzom3knXi_jlTPeuJ7L59ngpRJq4mjwyNgyWHpG_tHI-2ch8ol-ObiZVVMIZ-r2-YJvByxCKVDAxft-K2uwdFDnEV295nMqXHEK2rFQCa_4RzErd5NBb1PRCGyp-Gbbfx-k8KDjs7b4u2hOcMSK1SrdbtFr5FUR588tW-D8p9plQbqIGn9mb7U7IvA/s3056/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1987" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Zzom3knXi_jlTPeuJ7L59ngpRJq4mjwyNgyWHpG_tHI-2ch8ol-ObiZVVMIZ-r2-YJvByxCKVDAxft-K2uwdFDnEV295nMqXHEK2rFQCa_4RzErd5NBb1PRCGyp-Gbbfx-k8KDjs7b4u2hOcMSK1SrdbtFr5FUR588tW-D8p9plQbqIGn9mb7U7IvA/s320/DC's%20Very%20Merry%20Multiverse%20(2020-)%20001-049.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><p></p><br />Amun/Ya'akov gets to serve the Pharaoh as he so desperately wanted, but in the vein of "be careful what you wish for" as he was killed and mummified to accompany the decently deceased Pharaoh into the afterlife. But coming face to face with the Egyptian Gods of Osiris and Anubis he finds himself turned away from a holy afterlife. Instead punished to walk the Earth, abandoned by Heaven, forced to serve others. "<i><span data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="--darkreader-inline-color: #ffad1a; color: #ffa400;">You shall walk the Earth for eons, bearing the weight of your transgressions in the wrappings you wear. Defending those who have no defenders. Delivering retribution to the unholy, until the day your merits outweigh your sins and you earn your final reward.</span></i>"<br /><p>Back in the present a portal to hell looses fire and tentacles onto the Lord of Misrule and Mother Destruction as the League now stands victorious. As they leave the embers of the fire remaining once the portal is closed, Enchantress asks after the wellbeing of Ragman whom replys, "<i><span data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="--darkreader-inline-color: #ffad1a; color: #ffa400;">It is said that saving a single life is akin to saving an entire world. In my youthful indifference, how many worlds did I destroy so long ago? With the lives I saved tonight another bandage dissolves and with it the burden of the sin it represents. Yet so many more remain. Perhaps the New Year that beckons on the horizon will be the one that strikes the balance and brings my journey to its end.</span></i>" And there our story ends.</p><p>And so we have learned MUCH more about the Ragman of Earth-13 than we have in any other appearance. Ragman is not modern Rory Regan, descendant of a family of Jewish lineage, protector of the downtrodden wearing a family relic of a suit of Rags cast into being by Rabbi capable of absorbing the souls of evildoers. But instead Ragman is one of the original Hebrew slaves out of Egypt, Ya'akov Ben Shimon who abandoned his people and his family in his own self interest, content with ruling over them instead. Murdered and buried beside a dead pharaoh and judged not by his own God but by the gods of Egypt to walk the Earth until he makes up for the misery he caused. The Rags he wears are the wraps he was mummified in, each now a sin to "work off" as we see flashbacks of him saving slaves from their captors all the way to taking on Nazi's.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcCXZlYIRatMBGAbLuTpauoZ-ejk7gckAPHjdb7qB5dvh3lJv1KFMJmB7r3y_eC4gdwZ5lGMFb90KU_LGrAxco9be9B5HCFizu9FHIOXBncp30WiI0kHZYbjHUpaCS5OPZWodND44c9BPL6LpNWlaXLeXFOvy0ozIJZs5dkIW1xAWyAqFfJoVKZ_fDA/s1024/Phantom%20Stranger%20Judas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcCXZlYIRatMBGAbLuTpauoZ-ejk7gckAPHjdb7qB5dvh3lJv1KFMJmB7r3y_eC4gdwZ5lGMFb90KU_LGrAxco9be9B5HCFizu9FHIOXBncp30WiI0kHZYbjHUpaCS5OPZWodND44c9BPL6LpNWlaXLeXFOvy0ozIJZs5dkIW1xAWyAqFfJoVKZ_fDA/s320/Phantom%20Stranger%20Judas.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div>Oddly enough his story mirrors more of that of the Phantom Stranger in the New 52 than it does Ragman of Earth-1. The Phantom Stranger in the New 52, as written by Dan DiDio, was revealed not to be a nameless stranger but instead Judas Iscariot, former disciple of Jesus Christ, who betrayed Jesus to the Romans for 30 pieces of silver. Standing in judgement before the council of wizards, Judas becomes the Phantom Stranger, his thirty pieces of silver now wrapped around him in a necklace, only to fall off one by one as he wanders in service to a higher calling. Given my fondness of the Phantom Stranger, I found it comforting to see some of his more recent core concepts adapted into the alternate version of another favorite character, Ragman.<p></p><p>So there you have it everyone! Everything we know of Ya'akov Ben Shimon, the Ragman of Earth-13! For now...</p><p>What do you think?! Let me know in the comments below!</p><p><br /></p>Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-53119944695298464922023-08-08T17:33:00.001-07:002023-08-08T17:55:31.695-07:00Everything We Know About the Earth-13 RAGMAN - PART ONE of TWO!<p>The year is 2015. NCIS is the most popular TV show on air, avocado toast reigns supreme, "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars is everywhere, and Grant Morrison decides to drag comic readers waist deep into the frothing insanity of their storytelling via the continuing experiment from the prior year, '<i>The Multiversity'</i>.</p><p>I'm going to be honest, I don't remember much from '<i>The Multiversity</i>' or its collective of one-shots. There's good/tolerable Grant Morrison and there's "what the ever loving fuck did I just read" Grant Morrison. '<i>The Multiversity</i>' fell into the latter for me, and as a result, I've wiped its memory and its plot from my brain.</p><p>That said, Morrisons bizarre fever dream births unto us a "definitive" (as much as something can be in the ever changing landscape of comics) Map of the Multiverse. A spherical rendering of the Earths in the DC multiverse, floating through the Bleed is the Orrery of Worlds. Bordered by the Speed Force, further bordered by the Sphere of the Gods (containing Heaven, Hell, New Genesis, etc), even further bounded by the Monitor Sphere, with the entire collective protected from the Source by the Source Wall itself.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoOQVeBYKvW_VooByVPVgX-CT4r0yqNh-rBn3rsWwzq4lY1wxn7kxEip1G1pMkbU_4nFCd8v0CLQlbCOvDn4QI5mnFtxwXaWjNOZW3b5h0LkpVJ1PFQRRtp6uF9-ntoU0v3VspCVaa553cNQ7yJil3n5E4U4liJAdWuwW7pg_1mY6HJE4KRg8DE21SQ/s1400/01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1400" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoOQVeBYKvW_VooByVPVgX-CT4r0yqNh-rBn3rsWwzq4lY1wxn7kxEip1G1pMkbU_4nFCd8v0CLQlbCOvDn4QI5mnFtxwXaWjNOZW3b5h0LkpVJ1PFQRRtp6uF9-ntoU0v3VspCVaa553cNQ7yJil3n5E4U4liJAdWuwW7pg_1mY6HJE4KRg8DE21SQ/w400-h306/01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Within the Orrery of Worlds we find a designation for Earth-13 and its DC "proper" counterparts. Here the 'League of Shadows' protects the Earth in its "<i>permanent magical twilight</i>". Comprising the team are some names you recognize, some you don't, including: Hellblazer, Annataz, Witchboy, Swamp-Man, Fate, Deadman, Enchantress, RAGMAN, and Superdemon. Superdemon of course being the Demon Etrigan rocketed to Earth from the doomed planet of Kamelot. Because why not?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmy4lDcwz0LpHjNziRJDNyI78tAZ8P8Ms4ggrurY3RMTs8b5E5EVq94fwvBB4oqSK3kUT0OxkPu5gJCW77vMNWTru-psRqDbv2E8Q_L_ZM6-ibLe3Dnpk16k04YalmHY8dYyYtcXzM-uZj6wdtb9XV3OfQG7OylpEZz46Bp5fx2pg1xDYgYZXAHeg1Q/s3056/02.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmy4lDcwz0LpHjNziRJDNyI78tAZ8P8Ms4ggrurY3RMTs8b5E5EVq94fwvBB4oqSK3kUT0OxkPu5gJCW77vMNWTru-psRqDbv2E8Q_L_ZM6-ibLe3Dnpk16k04YalmHY8dYyYtcXzM-uZj6wdtb9XV3OfQG7OylpEZz46Bp5fx2pg1xDYgYZXAHeg1Q/s320/02.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Among the artistic rendering of Earth-13's League of Shadows within '<i>The Multiversity Guidebook</i>' we see Ragman. As yet without a civilian identification, Ragman appears more mummy than anything we traditionally recognize as "Earth-1 Ragman". His wraps spiral off of him loosely in places, curling upward and away from him, as if drifting in some invisible etherial energies. His facial features are covered in the shadows of the only opening in his suit, red eyes bearing out at the reader.<p></p><p>Though some online resources note other issues from within '<i>The Multiversity</i>' event as appearances of this new Ragman, the only one that is easily identified is from issue 2 of the main series (which serves as the end of the story proper). The issue actually opens with the League of Shadows on Earth-13 magically bound and guarded by what appear to be vampires. Superdemons human form says his rhyme to become his powered demon form and the League escapes. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8vj1LMsLP8ng0w-Dkcf3LXlSboVuSoNEWEaztTMIPv55pmbYM1xapN9Uf359HVAmX41ozx_Ues1gCkkLoZH0FsSfMLIWMaV3SEyhur4-td56_A5NABsRPR3S5jJs-5SPxbl9o0-u5qxv3KkQjPHHRqygj0z592-teHxaItCdfvzdU4hvgb6zwDDPYA/s3056/03.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8vj1LMsLP8ng0w-Dkcf3LXlSboVuSoNEWEaztTMIPv55pmbYM1xapN9Uf359HVAmX41ozx_Ues1gCkkLoZH0FsSfMLIWMaV3SEyhur4-td56_A5NABsRPR3S5jJs-5SPxbl9o0-u5qxv3KkQjPHHRqygj0z592-teHxaItCdfvzdU4hvgb6zwDDPYA/s320/03.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>There we go. Our first words from our new Ragman. "<i>Now something wicked this way comes</i>." Given the magical nature of the entirety of Earth-13, it's unclear based on language alone if Ragman is merely uttering a poetic phrase that simply would mean "I got a bad feeling about this" to anyone else, or if we're seeing our first glimpse of power from Ragman in the form of some sort of extrasensory perception for evil/ill intent. Maybe Rags has a magical spider sense on Earth-13? Who knows?<p></p><p><br /></p><p>But the team goes through to face on Dark Sivana and his enthralled vampiric Justice League of Earth 43, the Blood League. True to his Earth-1 Gotham based counterpart, Ragman comes briefly face to face with the vampiric Batman before a spell from one of his teammates renders the vampires craving coffee instead of blood.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuWo5y3rZtHbEKKzHoNIYk_Uc6xkrIQBtaN2Lzyv60_rVzE6Jq4p4bpoIyHeIiaFgxCSjsZ7d5MNC0yCPeBZ_3TSA_WdvLsx2oN_941EoqiSAWujQtYmqVpqIVUj0aurEgtB-ONbSYQ1bv-SJfsXpUMBZr8jWo-KEFDURzp8zV4ef-thFlP5AhsisBg/s3056/04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1988" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuWo5y3rZtHbEKKzHoNIYk_Uc6xkrIQBtaN2Lzyv60_rVzE6Jq4p4bpoIyHeIiaFgxCSjsZ7d5MNC0yCPeBZ_3TSA_WdvLsx2oN_941EoqiSAWujQtYmqVpqIVUj0aurEgtB-ONbSYQ1bv-SJfsXpUMBZr8jWo-KEFDURzp8zV4ef-thFlP5AhsisBg/w416-h640/04.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><p>...annnnddddd that's the last we see of Ragman in '<i>The Multiversit</i>y' until a group shot on the final double page splash at the end of the issue. He's right up there in the upper righthand corner. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0FEo08d9mkLko2L-P1oE27xtu7d5eA6JV-sYHaE6sgT6P8mfv0v4jObUPwCgqvIr67EpRZIvFLiHldTF_B8VXjHb-aKK2y52IiaHfWtr__VMqXeS6uktWLXsKKsrbuwwy8-Br7vFPZquQ0J_B3AbuHwHGU_qFm_XsAD28fLIx5mnZ-_ogSKX5IXrTw/s3975/05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3975" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0FEo08d9mkLko2L-P1oE27xtu7d5eA6JV-sYHaE6sgT6P8mfv0v4jObUPwCgqvIr67EpRZIvFLiHldTF_B8VXjHb-aKK2y52IiaHfWtr__VMqXeS6uktWLXsKKsrbuwwy8-Br7vFPZquQ0J_B3AbuHwHGU_qFm_XsAD28fLIx5mnZ-_ogSKX5IXrTw/w400-h308/05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>We don't see the Ragman of Earth-13 again for two years until 2017's issue of <i>Superman</i> #15. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason are telling the '<i>Multiplicity</i>' arc of their Superman run. Superman is introduced (re-introduced? Who the hell knows anymore) to the Justice League Incarnate and goes on a recruiting mission to take on...whatever the big bad for the '<i>Multiplicity</i>' arc is. Don't ask me, this is everything we know about Earth-13 Ragman, not everything we know about the events tangentially involving him. </p><p>But of course as with any super hero meetup, the inevitable misunderstanding face-off happens on Earth-13 when Superman tries to recruit Superdemon. And the League of Shadows is there to assist their leader.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDePXXtfBzdm_4eYKBV1kr4-dSFRjfAHjJVbYrxFpyU-LWpFQFsEVHzSecCUxQSdbFkBw7DJnpi_EspYzB_LMgqteNcn3ttFfGcWb8igDBY31UOK9vENFWlJbRfahd-hjnYaDY6iVgnGF79vK4kZKbw40F9XgsdpE2018I_RHllWswm2oVjgW4lV_A0g/s3975/06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3975" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDePXXtfBzdm_4eYKBV1kr4-dSFRjfAHjJVbYrxFpyU-LWpFQFsEVHzSecCUxQSdbFkBw7DJnpi_EspYzB_LMgqteNcn3ttFfGcWb8igDBY31UOK9vENFWlJbRfahd-hjnYaDY6iVgnGF79vK4kZKbw40F9XgsdpE2018I_RHllWswm2oVjgW4lV_A0g/w400-h308/06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMv60IIwDyI5Dv9uwFJpPr-0suAgFbfV3of2CXqvr7hIQWVUZ2RZDOeSQI-RDxtlLfkClkdMfryKRUMO3X1EgEIU0New_qy1Ekt_8BDunRSVB_RMS_nPgEP-SslDfcdlSF1XjPa0zPhz7Xz5MZ-nbD20p2VLi2XA4UOxv9vq9u3T5I15dbEvOJJLVR-A/s3056/07.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMv60IIwDyI5Dv9uwFJpPr-0suAgFbfV3of2CXqvr7hIQWVUZ2RZDOeSQI-RDxtlLfkClkdMfryKRUMO3X1EgEIU0New_qy1Ekt_8BDunRSVB_RMS_nPgEP-SslDfcdlSF1XjPa0zPhz7Xz5MZ-nbD20p2VLi2XA4UOxv9vq9u3T5I15dbEvOJJLVR-A/s320/07.jpg" width="208" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqTvIjQa-HX_bcCf_A8Qrm5z6b4MtGcU7zE636l-j1wlSXkAohkF6iDD_ro_HALqusqqeYjq9Ga7CyW_VJ-J27ljivgRl_IX_LYjvzHw22YDbF_A7DbpQDLeI1ITrPfB8VFoEMgLjNlxp8oEl4OBNbc4VtFp0PAsbQoKhodInkQ-yZ2Or6c905cvlAQ/s3056/08.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="1988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqTvIjQa-HX_bcCf_A8Qrm5z6b4MtGcU7zE636l-j1wlSXkAohkF6iDD_ro_HALqusqqeYjq9Ga7CyW_VJ-J27ljivgRl_IX_LYjvzHw22YDbF_A7DbpQDLeI1ITrPfB8VFoEMgLjNlxp8oEl4OBNbc4VtFp0PAsbQoKhodInkQ-yZ2Or6c905cvlAQ/s320/08.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /></div>Here we get another glimpse into what the actual potential powerset of this Ragman is as he uses his rags to fully envelop and restrain Superman so that Superdemon can breathe hellfire at him. This is extremely interesting for several reasons. The first being that the rags extend off of him to fully encase another but he himself still remains covered in the rags, which you can see when Superman breaks free. Second, that he is powerful enough to restrain Superman, at least temporarily. And last but CERTAINLY not least, THIS Ragman seems to not have a weakness to fire! The Ragman we know and love has been documented as being weak to fire, but Earth-13 Ragman takes a FULL blast of hellfire from the mouth of not just a Demon, but SUPERDEMON, and comes out unscathed. <br /><p>THAT is most definitely important to note.</p><p>It's another three years until we see Ragman of Earth-13 again, this time in the pages of the '<i>Flash Forward</i>' mini-series, issue number 4 in 2020. For the sake of brevity (and my own personal sanity) I'm again not going to bother recapping the plot of '<i>Flash Forward</i>', let alone this specific issue. Ragman appears along with the rest of the League of Shadows as they face down other characters. He says nothing, and he exhibits no specific unique powers. But he's facing another powerhouse character which is an amalgam of Cheetah and the Creeper. So we can safely confirm that the strength we see exhibited in the Superman issue, holds true if he's able to handle someone of that power level.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghym1xVb61xJ-I2k32V9UNJGI53mQbfOGckEpO7zkoC_VwYIBXpOgFWAfbBtFC86SqdEn9B4WrrWjd136dKeSsOfzZxUpPi4tnfirWAUYUbkVP5skox91N-i4cvEMXIXJ-h5aUPAWLL0BKH5bIrY7EApq1ShkmLasvEjf54RCzPaUnVoDC5-844dVTCw/s3975/09.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3975" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghym1xVb61xJ-I2k32V9UNJGI53mQbfOGckEpO7zkoC_VwYIBXpOgFWAfbBtFC86SqdEn9B4WrrWjd136dKeSsOfzZxUpPi4tnfirWAUYUbkVP5skox91N-i4cvEMXIXJ-h5aUPAWLL0BKH5bIrY7EApq1ShkmLasvEjf54RCzPaUnVoDC5-844dVTCw/w400-h308/09.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZkHwRx1pGbIGVYsSrf7ly6VNosT6s6qwtoMivzzN_WagUMg636Skd9W8GxEA1uP50UyFWwVghaJIdRVuwJE5Lja6vERztAGWQNf6_7M99e-CGLiDcKv5QKreBggrXCkNmwyPDdy9NEqPaBeZ9zUf0wyWfuD4Il3dYwS5uLs7BPvfsYcJH_cmwuB_bg/s3975/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3975" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZkHwRx1pGbIGVYsSrf7ly6VNosT6s6qwtoMivzzN_WagUMg636Skd9W8GxEA1uP50UyFWwVghaJIdRVuwJE5Lja6vERztAGWQNf6_7M99e-CGLiDcKv5QKreBggrXCkNmwyPDdy9NEqPaBeZ9zUf0wyWfuD4Il3dYwS5uLs7BPvfsYcJH_cmwuB_bg/w400-h308/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>It's in the following years Christmas Special where we REALLY get to know our new Ragman...but I'm not going to talk about that until Part Two, because this is ALREADY getting very long.</p><p>So let's fast forward another year to the '<i>Justice League Incarnate</i>' series, issue number TWO! Here the Justice League Incarnate finds themselves on Earth-13 where they meet up with a contact for their current mission (again, go read it if you're curious. It's not important for our purposes). But here we find another parallel between the main DCU and Earth-13...a hidden bar for magicians and those connected to magic. In our world you'd know it as the OBLIVION BAR! But on Earth-13 we know it instead as THE TAVERN OF MYSTERY! Its name suggests that it COULD be part Oblivion Bar, part House of Mystery, but that's speculation for another time. Because here we see Ragman again in various shots around the bar.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYz9Mzcp9_ukIy40XjKUA53IWM74--m1CCWmWzq9xp4gUhvmx_4OIK0ytMm-4b9_uaFTJXz_Uks8_LepQE-QsJVNQiZEnMwGMDudVa2h31BUom9T5vAYfSwZXTq82DfybP0d7MIHhZg91qh2AniVxAXRDuuCJ43NFzPVJS8NjbbHDYlTIIfo6rvuqUw/s3976/Justice%20League%20Incarnate%20(2021-)%20002-006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3057" data-original-width="3976" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYz9Mzcp9_ukIy40XjKUA53IWM74--m1CCWmWzq9xp4gUhvmx_4OIK0ytMm-4b9_uaFTJXz_Uks8_LepQE-QsJVNQiZEnMwGMDudVa2h31BUom9T5vAYfSwZXTq82DfybP0d7MIHhZg91qh2AniVxAXRDuuCJ43NFzPVJS8NjbbHDYlTIIfo6rvuqUw/w400-h308/Justice%20League%20Incarnate%20(2021-)%20002-006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_YJwLbO4dHPhku__Zj6b2CzD5aI_NbuR8jsJLpWrZW9xS99U9ysNHQO1iJnmdVQc1PYQkerMfj0kb3lBG_xuDQhu8gOqArmICrAe1xn4CqKtNPXyybfDd0vthYPrUkIBSNhl21b4PjKbiT_F7BK5DElQpOgEveOsBeT9hAvatf9Rham0AxawZs1V1g/s3057/Justice%20League%20Incarnate%20(2021-)%20002-009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3057" data-original-width="1988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_YJwLbO4dHPhku__Zj6b2CzD5aI_NbuR8jsJLpWrZW9xS99U9ysNHQO1iJnmdVQc1PYQkerMfj0kb3lBG_xuDQhu8gOqArmICrAe1xn4CqKtNPXyybfDd0vthYPrUkIBSNhl21b4PjKbiT_F7BK5DElQpOgEveOsBeT9hAvatf9Rham0AxawZs1V1g/s320/Justice%20League%20Incarnate%20(2021-)%20002-009.jpg" width="208" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEWviYSHiHGB3LhpZ84NrJarVOvgJCLKxbhOTzoCISQxkztEw3MZ5E13GsmTrIPUOUGVUeHxx8Xi-w-aCt68JiexNy8LHGZWPqMB-AneQSfx9KLPoQcfBeNunfyo2VF9bRauDwsUMLGG8hThO5YNweNuRPQ9YGuKF6JbuzNTDDwVRtrV_VRpW6IGI-Q/s3057/Justice%20League%20Incarnate%20(2021-)%20002-008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3057" data-original-width="1988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEWviYSHiHGB3LhpZ84NrJarVOvgJCLKxbhOTzoCISQxkztEw3MZ5E13GsmTrIPUOUGVUeHxx8Xi-w-aCt68JiexNy8LHGZWPqMB-AneQSfx9KLPoQcfBeNunfyo2VF9bRauDwsUMLGG8hThO5YNweNuRPQ9YGuKF6JbuzNTDDwVRtrV_VRpW6IGI-Q/s320/Justice%20League%20Incarnate%20(2021-)%20002-008.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><p>And there you have it. Everything we know so far about the Earth-13 Ragman, except of course the plethora of details found in the 2021 '<i>Very Merry Multiverse</i>' one-shot, which we'll be covering next!</p><p>So let's recap what we know, or rather THINK we know!</p><p>1) Ragman is a part of the Earth-13 Justice League known as the 'League of Shadows'.</p><p>2) Ragman MIGHT have some sort of extrasensory perception for danger/evil.</p><p>3) Ragman can extend his rags to envelop another and restrain them.</p><p>4) Ragman and/or his rags are strong enough to restrain Superman (of Earth-1) and a multiversal amalgam character who includes the strength of the Cheetah.</p><p>5) This Ragman is NOT weak to fire as his Earth-1 counterpart is.</p><p>So what's next? Well I already told you...so are you ready to be introduced to YA'AKOV BEN SHIMON?! Come back next time for PART TWO!</p>Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-51550942463745341492020-08-23T20:14:00.000-07:002020-08-23T20:14:27.903-07:00Legends of the Dark Knight #51 - Snitch!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1073" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6cqIahfitGVJIAnBG1QGwy78bjwG88dAgQK9cqnSus-1uyQIUp4dzPRmpoR8bBwHMVTTgmiUiDPDiFeYDonYs0e1F_vsVOwdzGwUZGlVRsoRjc8Pp8tHO0qk5M22BIJgeRd7GLWbyfU/w170-h262/Legends+of+the+Dark+Knight+51+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="170" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Welcome BACK Tatters! (You know, it's coming so easily to me now I figure that's definitively your name now as fellow fans of the Tatterdemalion) It's been a LONG hiatus for an infinitude of reasons (diverticulitis, unemployment, employment, promotions, etc) but NOBODY want's to spend the first several paragraphs of a long awaited new post with me recapping my life since late 2017 do they? Didn't think so.</div><p></p><p>This time around the rags we're covering 'Legends of the Dark Knight' #51 written by Robert Loren Fleming (who better sound familiar to you at this point), art by David G. Klein, lettered by Michael Heisler, colorist was Digital Chameleon,edited by Goodwin & Kaplan! The story is entitled "SNITCH" and yet somehow I always referred to it as "Stitch" because it had to do with, well you know, RAGman. </p><p>But BEFORE we get into it, why oh why are we not covering 'Cry of the Dead' #1 first? After all, this issue was cover dated September of 1993, yet 'Cry of the Dead' started with a cover date of August 1993. Well look at you astute reader! That is absolutely correct. However Bill Kaplan, editor on both issues, notes in the letters column for CotD #1 (yes, I'm going to get sick of constantly using the name of the series so there's an acronym to keep track of) that this issue of 'Legends of the Dark Knight' actually takes place before the events of CotD #1! And who am I to shirk the sacred nature of canon from a DC editor in the 1990's?</p><p>Our story opens with a scene familiar in Gotham, especially by the late 90's, a chase between the Dark Knight Detective and a suspected baddy...on horseback? Our quarry astride a steed is dressed in Gotham PD gear toting a loaded pistol as Batman grapples through the streets to give chase. When a batarang fails to stop him in his tracks, yet succeeds in throwing him off just enough to injure his arm against a passing truck, the horseback rider takes aim and cleanly severs the grapple line mid swing causing Batman to hit the pavement. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEUALvrrtm05_6DdJuqhW17Fs0p7lVfmCkQQBqiclKELlh9dgUuUF530YPGeLTQ0H4FFD8QtKnhF0ZGqoqF0cN7kMGrJ6KEg5entWbeGxCVVI07rqfpgcVZT8CIng4rSJGvgkAzrSTFc/s1260/LOTDK+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="1260" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEUALvrrtm05_6DdJuqhW17Fs0p7lVfmCkQQBqiclKELlh9dgUuUF530YPGeLTQ0H4FFD8QtKnhF0ZGqoqF0cN7kMGrJ6KEg5entWbeGxCVVI07rqfpgcVZT8CIng4rSJGvgkAzrSTFc/w512-h466/LOTDK+1.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>Later at Gotham General, Batman meets up with Gordon to discuss the victim of the foe who made a clean getaway: Dominic Jenko. And just in case there was any doubt as to his guilt Gordon starts his info dump on Jenko with, "If anyone deserved a violent death it was this man" before launching into a history of Jenko's associates.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGiE7WnV_rfwo24zXglTPVSIGl5W9VUHoix899PIEM42xJ55TqTTvVseynzrSZTQY6kkHC2-GvHHgjzqUCEerNlPOS4oJjIAauOcqBJWVXfwij9wKilTQBEwoI3bJuQWhnMxmiRzC9gk/s1249/LOTDK+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="1147" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGiE7WnV_rfwo24zXglTPVSIGl5W9VUHoix899PIEM42xJ55TqTTvVseynzrSZTQY6kkHC2-GvHHgjzqUCEerNlPOS4oJjIAauOcqBJWVXfwij9wKilTQBEwoI3bJuQWhnMxmiRzC9gk/w470-h512/LOTDK+3.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><p>After Batman passes the bullet that severed his line to Gordon as evidence, we see Bruce next in mid fencing lesson with one former Olympic athlete Victor Singleton and losing. Bruce stops to admire the canvas decor on the wall before returning to his less to be knocked on his hindquarters yet again</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3VgokcnsNeODZFptAmoF3XKXuKLkBUbbC-AuLiiHtzyPxqp4myP6z48D7xf_JAlhXT2-5QGhEeZB7vMpiLYQsiA886M02ZTYD96wWFCThChaW6eZjor56N_EmzynEaWB-fgIhjgfdjM/s1038/LOTDK+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="1038" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3VgokcnsNeODZFptAmoF3XKXuKLkBUbbC-AuLiiHtzyPxqp4myP6z48D7xf_JAlhXT2-5QGhEeZB7vMpiLYQsiA886M02ZTYD96wWFCThChaW6eZjor56N_EmzynEaWB-fgIhjgfdjM/w512-h290/LOTDK+4.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>Back at Gotham General Batman arrives to get an update from Gordon who informs Batman that the hit ordered on Jenko was ordered by someone who used a middleman to complete the order for them...AUNT MILDRED!</p><p>Readers will remember Aunt Mildred from the previous Ragman series as one of the individuals who took over Rags 'N' Tatters and used it as a drug front. Our Rory absorbed her soul into the suit before he left Gotham. As Batman heads to Rags 'N' Tatters for a lead, the orderly in Aunt Mildred pulls the plug, killing her as Victor Singleton reveals himself to the reader in the darkness of the hospital room as Mildred flatlines. </p><p>Over at Rory's former home and family business Batman is greeted by Betty from the pervious series who has been minding the shop. As she pours him a cup of coffee Betty recaps exactly what happened to Aunt Mildred last series.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPiwqZv-Hjjr7l4v3M0wQ-iqQ2B8yKvEhdMgJ8mUCrnYagG-Ml3ZTNvvTBz4w9_gT-xUiwUEygoucfQ9jzB7chakjibWILzNZ-IQroRBlWxK1p3rEmUhF8itv4ZaH518xNbbbjyJ6wrk/s1815/LOTDK+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1815" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPiwqZv-Hjjr7l4v3M0wQ-iqQ2B8yKvEhdMgJ8mUCrnYagG-Ml3ZTNvvTBz4w9_gT-xUiwUEygoucfQ9jzB7chakjibWILzNZ-IQroRBlWxK1p3rEmUhF8itv4ZaH518xNbbbjyJ6wrk/w512-h298/LOTDK+5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>She tells Batman that Rory is staying in New Orleans in the Latin Quarter and that Rory can help Batman get in touch with Ragman. Batman leaves abruptly and before Betty can put the photo from the Latin Quarter back in a drawer, another knock follows at the door. She opens it still holding the photo to Singleton who notices the photo, thanks her for her time and leaves.</p><p>Bats is now in New Orleans where he quickly finds criminal activity in the form of a woman being mugged, or perhaps nearly murdered, by a group of blade wielding individuals. One takes her hostage but before his blade can end her life a gust of wind envelops them...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="702" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT6yR2bBk_DILNe_4iMSeqWQwP5rjuSLTFlNYje1j6dReXZSWH2aA4TsicS1mHTFh7mehyphenhyphenNOJVNoLS_o01vW-KKczIkApMXoFz2c8kIf35DsbhT1Dfc2lEgq7NnnjyVlUf3UY7CP8bWs/w404-h640/LOTDK+6.png" style="text-align: left;" width="404" /><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1335" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxMUyZGl3rRKGdBJ84SDUfTkrTEWDpZZXnmnAvlxw2at1phRYAz9pKnpJeqlj-0qKZNERKbp6YYJYsIfZ7NaxS_OcZqPoxu1PniEPGV5uqStaoJflufatZbT-91K2bYX9958qJ8QrMxc/w418-h640/LOTDK+7.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="418" /></div><p>Ragman has started protecting the Big Easy! Rory later awakens to his suit on the floor of his room, screaming at it for the predicament he finds himself in having to confront The Batman for the second time (third if you count the Brave and the Bold issue, fourth is you count Batman Family 20...I mean that was all pre-crisis so does it really count?) As a firetruck goes speeding by, Rory dons the rags again</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSq6KpJeaqLLKqfpZhHyV8gPsBPsSdMD4Hgyj4z2hTaWpiLa8HkGYR9necPYMPSs7UeV6nt49LiPgcy1sKRmOvZ4OKC37DpcGBDLU6tBNuGg7JeitSbyHyoQaoffGC7RgyFkRu46-FqU/s1113/LOTDK+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="704" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSq6KpJeaqLLKqfpZhHyV8gPsBPsSdMD4Hgyj4z2hTaWpiLa8HkGYR9necPYMPSs7UeV6nt49LiPgcy1sKRmOvZ4OKC37DpcGBDLU6tBNuGg7JeitSbyHyoQaoffGC7RgyFkRu46-FqU/s640/LOTDK+8.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRse7s63CPd9dO7VMVwUZFYd6TMTsvdtwwmOmJ4JdXv1CtQwlFrCtO8msXpNa8Mulpbb68FH5pJWyA7GI7HxDga0LhRDH8pCHi3PQPJDGbqlXANia70dvNItQkn_bfwZdo9bdTdsRahLg/s912/LOTDK+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="912" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRse7s63CPd9dO7VMVwUZFYd6TMTsvdtwwmOmJ4JdXv1CtQwlFrCtO8msXpNa8Mulpbb68FH5pJWyA7GI7HxDga0LhRDH8pCHi3PQPJDGbqlXANia70dvNItQkn_bfwZdo9bdTdsRahLg/w410-h296/LOTDK+9.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><p>Seeming fearful of the flames, or rather overcome briefly by <a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2014/09/ragman-3-folktale.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">the fear of the souls within his suit who are weak to flame</span></a>, Batman is left to evacuate the building and face down the arsonist who started the blaze, Victor Singleton! Failing to deter Singleton physically and mentally, Rags arrives on the scene to wrap his mystic material around Victor. Singleton gets off a few frantic shots before slumping, literally lifelessly, to the floor. Before the building can go up in flames completely Ragman grabs Batman and flies him out the roof.</p><p>Not one to be deterred, Batman refuses to let go of Ragman and demands that they go back for Singleton when suddenly the visage appears of Victors face in a whisp, absorbed into a patch on Ragmans suit and sealed with the Hebrew word for truth, <span style="background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">אמת</span>, or rather "Emet".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODirvahkAa8eVvXZyeLZLihmdthk93xEMJ_ABDGggw1Ax8LU_XRRCSgT73sGij5n2VHDIWRQw5dfcsrBg2bUvssQUgF3W5qXGHcu6KfF1ErJykziitb3ck6RPrlSaWr4dIz96OgwNOBo/s2048/LOTDK+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1332" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODirvahkAa8eVvXZyeLZLihmdthk93xEMJ_ABDGggw1Ax8LU_XRRCSgT73sGij5n2VHDIWRQw5dfcsrBg2bUvssQUgF3W5qXGHcu6KfF1ErJykziitb3ck6RPrlSaWr4dIz96OgwNOBo/s640/LOTDK+10.jpg" /></a></div><p>And that is that.</p><p>What a wonderful story. It moved at a fast pace and the identity of Victor was revealed just as quickly, as was the travel to New Orleans by all parties involved. But forgiving that the art was wonderfully well done by David G. Klein and you really couldn't have asked for a better one and done single issue with Ragman. Well, at least not one specifically ONLY featuring him...in this Post-Crisis reality. Pre-Crisis I'd say the <a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-brave-and-bold-196-two-faces-of.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">'Brave and the Bold' #196</span></a> is wonderful.</p><p>I'd absolutely recommend this to someone unfamiliar with Ragman who maybe doesn't want to read a story ONLY featuring him but gives them a side step into his world by way of another familiar DCU face. There's really nothing here that leaps out as a change in continuity as a matter of fact, shout outs to the previous series by way of Aunt Mildred and Betty were a VERY welcome sight and I can ABSOLUTELY see how this is a perfect middle ground issue between the two 1990's Ragman series, especially with Robert Loren Fleming being the writer and continuing that feel of the previous series. If one day Ragman adventures are migrated to a collected edition, DC Comics would be remiss to not include this entry!</p><p>Quick shout out to Tom Grimm who goes by the handle <a href="https://twitter.com/nomadicjaguar64?lang=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">@NomadicJaguar64 over on twitter</span></a>. Tom helped me ascertain and confirm the precise meaning behind the symbol on Rory's shoulder as Singleton was absorbed into the suit. Before now we've seen the word "Emet" in the previous series but it was written in English lettering. Now we see the true Hebrew symbols! </p><p>I never read the 'Legends of the Dark Knight' series. This is the only issue I've ever consumed. I'm not entirely certain the issue brought me any sort of curiosity for the series as a whole, but if the quality of the stories told remains the same, I'm very happy for the Batman fans who got the chance to read this as it came out!</p><p>Now for some ads!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLXHmgxBAa8JhIPgw9QIBMUeIwbphKXwuqdiZUdl3Vl9zlNdtQD812dFPJDXbjLky5zqK0jtV1VQ1M4CzhKMTcfyp2yj9WBhea9KChzDoeFIW5sZpE1vDTY_qaSSxYwtznipKOspxeCA/s1501/Bloodlines+Ad+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1501" data-original-width="959" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLXHmgxBAa8JhIPgw9QIBMUeIwbphKXwuqdiZUdl3Vl9zlNdtQD812dFPJDXbjLky5zqK0jtV1VQ1M4CzhKMTcfyp2yj9WBhea9KChzDoeFIW5sZpE1vDTY_qaSSxYwtznipKOspxeCA/w210-h328/Bloodlines+Ad+2.jpg" width="210" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb7ks_EhRpiljhJRA1WSEcZroWj30YfM4vwr650O5jctlS70UWy2BBZ9YgdkNdlXqcjiRxMdp2OZzWV22v4PJxTDjJvdaVkXti2HRocGBUZ7YRhB1vkjpKoF5kvr4_o2Rai3goM1DZr8/s2048/DC+Universe+Guys+Guy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1297" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb7ks_EhRpiljhJRA1WSEcZroWj30YfM4vwr650O5jctlS70UWy2BBZ9YgdkNdlXqcjiRxMdp2OZzWV22v4PJxTDjJvdaVkXti2HRocGBUZ7YRhB1vkjpKoF5kvr4_o2Rai3goM1DZr8/w207-h328/DC+Universe+Guys+Guy.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81ESC5zuEkioMnQ9VVMWDZpcW8q80AWTlwA5g7aUert0NQC-56FlkJjkgy2wMRSyNAzeBaX92CoIO-c5COdF0OUlDMbwf10FLCF4IA6xnSjQc_zHqk3QHk6XHMum0RkaJOXgRl0JqaLU/s2048/Lobos+Back+TPB+Ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1327" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81ESC5zuEkioMnQ9VVMWDZpcW8q80AWTlwA5g7aUert0NQC-56FlkJjkgy2wMRSyNAzeBaX92CoIO-c5COdF0OUlDMbwf10FLCF4IA6xnSjQc_zHqk3QHk6XHMum0RkaJOXgRl0JqaLU/w213-h328/Lobos+Back+TPB+Ad.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2eOGp3BcHOx2_khrvYyL9Uy6swa3bNw-YmDfhlzEbMMoNHwKA26I_E1O0ZSZ_nY5s9wpamLxt4hyPVYwdNG6XyFo8y6i2mH6xOxYX5jeptkJAzcc1bmW442yptGm1brQD3DHpAj87aI/s2048/Six+Flags+Ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1329" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2eOGp3BcHOx2_khrvYyL9Uy6swa3bNw-YmDfhlzEbMMoNHwKA26I_E1O0ZSZ_nY5s9wpamLxt4hyPVYwdNG6XyFo8y6i2mH6xOxYX5jeptkJAzcc1bmW442yptGm1brQD3DHpAj87aI/w213-h328/Six+Flags+Ad.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOX_br8VmZ_2-w-bcOMKKmk1wVGy4w0zkaMtNRoBWSbA6WrDvoL4f6zAZ11TpVXRvxcqC2eSoaGWLtfhpWNuCvddnATWx6am_1TZg5lnPbWR1v3T_Ni2iUnlVWmMmbcI2Ihd5D_jDmECs/s1189/Star+Trek+GameBoy+Ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="900" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOX_br8VmZ_2-w-bcOMKKmk1wVGy4w0zkaMtNRoBWSbA6WrDvoL4f6zAZ11TpVXRvxcqC2eSoaGWLtfhpWNuCvddnATWx6am_1TZg5lnPbWR1v3T_Ni2iUnlVWmMmbcI2Ihd5D_jDmECs/w248-h328/Star+Trek+GameBoy+Ad.jpg" width="248" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5lfFaX7tMkVqhLCfGkX5Mr4b2X0uudV4X5PJrUPQl_AeGa8CsSaSnJkerm032_37Hvz81SsIOF_b5rsV6rXAHSC0BI5LbXMFIycUlikR9VVXW66Fb2spG2Qk7GU0v0pGB_3GhxbwlEQ/s2048/The+Golden+Age+Ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1296" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5lfFaX7tMkVqhLCfGkX5Mr4b2X0uudV4X5PJrUPQl_AeGa8CsSaSnJkerm032_37Hvz81SsIOF_b5rsV6rXAHSC0BI5LbXMFIycUlikR9VVXW66Fb2spG2Qk7GU0v0pGB_3GhxbwlEQ/w207-h328/The+Golden+Age+Ad.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><p>There's NO WAY Six Flags is bigger than Disneyland right? At least not anymore. And of course I had to throw in some decidedly 90's content like the Lobo ad and the Bloodlines ad, because nothing says 90's like Bloodlines...except Knightfall and Reign of the Superman which also had ads in here. And you KNOW I couldn't avoid including that Guy Gardner quiz as a Green Lantern fan!</p><p>As you might have been able to tell, 'Cry of the Dead' coverage is coming next so keep your eyes peeled fellow Tatters and don't forget to follow the blog here or over on <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkingRagman" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Twitter @TalkingRagman</span></a>! Oh and if you don't do any of those AT LEAST leave a comment on the post! Those are the best to see! The adventures will continue next time in the Big Easy!</p>Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-69703751261220119042017-10-11T05:59:00.000-07:002017-10-11T05:59:14.983-07:00[SPOILERS] Ragman #1 - Return Fire!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMXcIn-qyCVadEeVOgO6AVhj7yjaPZPFuF91b58LEleAagUm1104TOitT3OHIkrfT-vHVKBYS6084e_vNyAJ7uYvuGea3B0YBxXoCsVZgaaWiU80QRkr3T8WtrsP4HmyNlkXEXQ35zdg/s1600/22221532_10155826061763980_3676793044170737036_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMXcIn-qyCVadEeVOgO6AVhj7yjaPZPFuF91b58LEleAagUm1104TOitT3OHIkrfT-vHVKBYS6084e_vNyAJ7uYvuGea3B0YBxXoCsVZgaaWiU80QRkr3T8WtrsP4HmyNlkXEXQ35zdg/s320/22221532_10155826061763980_3676793044170737036_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Ragman artist Inaki Miranda)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tatters! This is a day we've been waiting for since the 2010 Ragman Suit of Souls one-shot. DC Comics has published a new Ragman title! 'Ragman #1' is officially available for purchase today! And your's truly was graciously provided with an advance copy so I can tell all the Tatters out there whether this new 2017 take on the classic 1976 character is worth the cover price of admission!<br />
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The answer?<br />
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YES.<br />
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Now let's disqualify any notions of outside influence on this review. DC Comics did NOT tell me they'd provide me with an interview and an advance copy for this series, so long as I make sure to sing nothing but it's praises. Nor am I taking a biased approach due to my clearly well documented Ragman fandom. So, that being said, here are my unbiased, unbought opinions on the new series.<br />
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[SPOILERS]<br />
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Ragman #1 is a good start for the character. Right away we open with Rory's military unit in the Israeli desert setting up his close knit brotherhood with his unit. We see him coping with civilian life in a therapy group. We see his father worried about him getting back into the world. We see his slight detachment from those around him.<br />
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Enter the Suit of Souls.<br />
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In all I feel that it's a story of purpose and reconnecting. Rory is a man torn from his brotherhood in a violent way. A way which he cannot comprehend. The horrors of his time overseas and the relative confusion he finds himself end leave him in his own head, going through the motions. Home, eat, group therapy, home, out. Nothing seems to have a sense of intent to it. But this thing he cannot explain has somehow followed him back to Gotham. Things he's seeing that he shouldn't.<br />
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So when the Suit attaches itself to him he's reunited with his unit, given a purpose. Thrust into a mission and a world which he's only caught a glimpse of previously. Hunting and dispatching this dark supernatural underbelly infecting Gotham. But when the stakes are raised to a more personal level at the end of the issue, the reader feels a sense of foggy confusion on Rory's part lifted. It doesn't matter what's happening to him now, he has a purpose.<br />
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Now let's talk about the art. Inaki Miranda KILLS it. Forget the demonic imagery or Ragman's new suit. Just the mundane looks stunning. And I have to give credit here in part to colorist Eva de la Cruz. The colors make this thing pop. From the darkened artificially lit chambers in the Israeli desert, to the fluorescent light in a largely empty group therapy room, to the multicolored light sources in Gotham itself, and the fires in the end of the issue...wow. Seriously, if you've already read the issue while reading this, go back and check out those colors again.<br />
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Back to Inaki's artwork, everything pops. I can't deny this mans talents. That being said, let's talk about the new suit. THIS is what every current Ragman fan is going to hyper focus on anyways so we need to have this conversation.<br />
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The patchwork rags are gone. The hooded cloak is gone. We're left with something vaguely reminiscent of a mummy that moves like Spawn or (for those who read it) Haunt from Image Comics. For those that miss the patchwork, calm yourself a tad and think a bit. Given how ancient this suit likely is, given the part of the world it's from, wouldn't it make MORE sense to have a suit made of strips of cloth as opposed to patchwork? Remember this is a Ragman suit which is most likely no longer made in close connection to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem#The_classic_narrative:_The_Golem_of_Prague" target="_blank">Golem of Prague</a> from the 16th century or in connection with a war like portrayed in the Keith Giffen/Par Broderick series. It's OLDER than that now (and not the great collector artifact history revealed in ShadowPact #8). I like the addition of the glyph on Ragman's chest. What I'm NOT sure I like yet is the loss of the hooded cloak. Do NOT get me wrong, there were times Ragman was drawn in the past with it and I DID NOT LIKE IT. I really wasn't a fan of the sort of "tail" aspect it was drawn with on occasion. (see below)<br />
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That being said, this is only issue one. It's possible the design for the suit will evolve. Or, failing that, it's possible this is what we get and it'll just grow on me! That's entirely possible and has happened numerous times before in the past.</div>
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The bottom line? This comic is FAITHFUL. We live in a world where DC did the New 52 and Rebirth. Where things are recycled and retconned and ripped to pieces and put back together again. Where entire portions of a characters identity or personality are erased or reused and updated in a way sometimes unrecognizable to fans. And that's not just from DC! We're fortunate that this comic retains SO MUCH of what makes Ragman a fantastic character.<br />
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Ragman is a story about a veteran. A likable but subtly broken man raised in Gotham in a crappy part of a crappy town, by a pawn shop owner just trying to make the community around him better. He finds a sense of purpose in an odd suit with newfound powers and sets about making the community around him better on a larger scale. Sometimes that scale is local and personal (1976 debut series, 1992 post-Crisis series) and sometimes it's on a grander more supernatural scale (Shadowpact).<br />
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Take that pitch and break it down. It applies to the debut series, it applies to the Post-Crisis reboot, it applies to this modern re-imagining. And honestly? Can you ask for ANYTHING more?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J58-WfXXyXImRL2jsBFsVCtVC4ujGM_NptdgH0RLdt2BOHbtz0wtvySN-kF5dSyGAUzQyMkwjqB9HvvVsHCTYp4LLR9s8zF0mFckwMnDV2gPqQ75FU9B5VOH0NQOPGeKCcS7dluxEis/s1600/RAGMAN-01-cover-flat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J58-WfXXyXImRL2jsBFsVCtVC4ujGM_NptdgH0RLdt2BOHbtz0wtvySN-kF5dSyGAUzQyMkwjqB9HvvVsHCTYp4LLR9s8zF0mFckwMnDV2gPqQ75FU9B5VOH0NQOPGeKCcS7dluxEis/s320/RAGMAN-01-cover-flat.jpg" width="210" /></a><i>Ragman #1 is available NOW from DC Comics at your <a href="https://www.comicshoplocator.com/Home/1/1/57/575" target="_blank">local comic shop</a>. Written by Ray Fawkes, art by Inaki Miranda, colors by Eva De La Cruz, lettered by Josh Reed, covers by Guillem March. Edited by Diego Lopez and Marie Javins.</i><br />
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<br />Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-91667553481387463952017-09-27T00:30:00.000-07:002017-10-06T14:03:09.537-07:00An Exclusive Interview with Ray Fawkes & Inaki Miranda!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hey Tatters! (If you're new here, that's what I call fans of Ragman.) Welcome back! When last we spoke, I was <a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2017/07/breaking-news-breakdown-ragman-to.html" target="_blank">excitedly breaking down all I could about the upcoming Ragman series</a> from DC Comics. The series was announced, the first issue solicit was out, and some interior pages and cover art were available for us to whet our appetites with. So why so long between posts? Well, l</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ife happens, series wrap up posts take a bit to coherently write up (since we wrapped coverage of the 1991 Giffen & Broderick run), and I've been working behind the scenes to bring you something very, VERY special. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have been given the opportunity to speak with the creative team behind the new, upcoming 'Ragman' series from DC Comics...OFFICIALLY. That is correct. This interview is OFFICIALLY sanctioned by the powers that be at DC Comics. Now I've been extremely fortunate to interview both <a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2015/09/an-exclusive-interview-with-pat.html" target="_blank">Pat Broderick</a> and <a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2015/12/an-exclusive-interview-with-sholly-fisch.html" target="_blank">Sholly Fisch</a> here on the blog before. Today we add to that esteemed interview line-up with the writer and artist behind the new 'Ragman' series, Ray Fawkes and Inaki Miranda, asking the questions that we the fans truly want to know the answers to!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>(Cover Art for 'Ragman' issue #1 by <a href="https://twitter.com/GuillemMarch" target="_blank">Guillem March</a>)</b></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: cyan;"><u>THE SUIT OF SOULS</u>: Despite an on again, off again publication history, Ragman has endured since his creation in 1976. Some attribute this to his Judaic roots, others attribute it to the post-crisis supernatural power set. So Ray, I have to start by asking, what was it like taking on this obscure but beloved character?</span></b><br />
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<b style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>RAY FAWKES</u>:</b><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><i style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s a pure pleasure, start to finish. I’m a fan of Ragman - both the grounded street-level early stories and the more supernatural version that followed, so I wanted to make sure that we could pay tribute to both while moving forward with a new take. His cultural heritage is also very important to me, and I think that it definitely plays a part in his appeal as a hero!</i></div>
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<b style="color: cyan; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;"><u>TSoS</u>: Inaki, i</b><b style="color: cyan; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;">n the series, we see Ragman with a new suit! What was that process like and what inspired you to make the changes you did?</b></div>
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<b style="color: white; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;"><u>INAKI MIRANDA</u>:</b><i style="color: white; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;"> I love Ray's new premise for Ragman. I was instantly hooked by this new representation and its possibilities. However, my first reaction to the design was that I wasn’t too keen on the “patchwork” vibe of it. The mythology that Ray has come up with gives the suit a new fantastic dimension which I think was asking for a new visual look. The patches and stiches wouldn’t quite fit either the new story or the background of this new Suit of Souls.</i></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">So, I asked if I could try a new design and luckily DC said “yes”. I wanted to make him look more like a first row superhero, one that could totally stand next to Batman and look as tough and cool as him (I know, no one is as cool as the Batman, but still…) and at the same time have his own rough distinctive aura. Of course, it was very important not to drive away from or corrupt what Ragman is at his core and all of the central elements that make him special to the fans. One of the things that Ray asked me from the start was that he wanted the rags to behave wild, showing how Rory isn’t totally controlling them.<u></u><u></u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Basically I took inspiration from all those creations that I have enjoyed, and that are part of my fan life, that play with the concept of dark hero (Batman, Soul Reaver, Darkness, Spawn.. and I even gave him a bit of a Spider-Man feel to his body language… the long bandages were just asking for that). Ragman is a powerful hero just learning how to control the suit, which has its own life and interacts with Rory through the souls it absorbs (did I mention how much I love the concept?). So, the idea behind his new look was to play with the Suit of Souls as a live armor made from bandages. I imagine the rags being as rough as sand paper if needed, and impenetrable, he’s wearing no fabric, it’s a suit made in hell. The new suit is tactical, it’s functional. Also, I didn’t want him to look like a mummy, so the rags don’t just wrap around his body, they create an exoskeleton, they follow the logic of the human muscles (not quite but close).<u></u><u></u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">I love how Ray took the design and enhanced it with logic and properties (which I won’t spoil here). I also felt Ragman deserved his own chest symbol, so I gave him one, which is really a glyph from a demonic secret alphabet. If the future is kind, it would be so cool to deepen into the story of the origin of the Suit of Souls and explain the mythological powers of this alphabet.<u></u><u></u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">I’m extremely happy with what Ray and I have re-imagined together. And I’m extremely thankful to DC for the creative freedom they gave us. There’s a lot of love from all the parts involved. I hope it shows and is ultimately in benefit of the final product's enjoyment and the fans.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Interior Pages by Inaki Miranda, CLICK TO ENLARGE)</td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: cyan;"><u>TSoS</u>: One of the core elements of Rory Regan's past has always been his status as a veteran. While it influenced his personality, it wasn't part and parcel with his origin. What inspired you to bring the two elements closer together into lockstep with one another?</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>RF</u>:</b> <i>It just seems like a feature that would be very powerful in his life- a real defining factor. I also wanted to write a story about heroism in the face of trauma, and Rory’s veteran status gave us a perfect route to address that. Rory is selfless at heart - that’s why he served in the military, that’s why he’s a hero even before he gets his hands on the Cloak of Rags, and that’s why he becomes a superhero.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: cyan;"><u>TSoS</u>: Between the Israeli desert and all of the symbolism in the book, the Rags N' Tatter shop, the demonic creatures, and Gotham City itself Inaki, you have a TON of artistic setting to play around with! What's it like for you working on this title when you're playing in all of these various sandboxes?</span></b><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>IM</u>:</b> <i>Gotham is the first reason I wanted to start working on the book as soon as possible. It must be my favorite fictional place of all time. I could spend my whole career drawing stories in Gotham. I think the dark atmosphere is perfect for Ragman. There are a lot of settings in the book, but what’s even cooler is that they all feel very integrated, it’s Gotham, but more importantly, it’s Ragman’s world. A demonic dimension is invading Gotham…Ragman is able to see things that aren’t there for a normal human being. I think that’s really cool. This is something that readers will have to figure out by themselves. “What is there only for Rory’s eyes?”, there’s an open interpretation there, and we play with this concept a little. Then there’s the color green, Eva did a wonderful job by giving the book (and the character) a personality, tying Rory’s past scenes to the present Ragman through the use of greens. And the neon signs on Gotham are just too cool.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: cyan;"><u>TSoS</u>: What we've seen so far echoes faithfully so many elements of the Ragman everyone knows and loves! So before we wrap up, what can fans look forward to going forward into the series?</span></b><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>RF</u>:</b> <i>Fans can look forward to an action-packed battle against great evil spirits, with our Rory right at the centre, helped by some other DC favourites! As Ragman, he's going to show them all what true heroism really means!</i><br /><br /><b><u>IM</u>:</b> <i>This is an origin story, so readers will follow Ragman through his own “path of the hero”, which will mean discovering new powers and possibilities regarding the suit. And also, a couple of cool DC characters will join the show and will make everything even cooler. Oh, and they can also expect Ragman to rock and be fighting for his life in every issue. It’s relentless. Ultimately, I hope they can experience the same fun we had creating the book.</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: black;">And that, as they say, is that! </span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you so very much to Ray Fawkes, Inaki Miranda, and DC Comics! It's extremely flattering to be given this opportunity. There is so much to unpack here in this inteview but I really don't want to clutter up this post with my own thoughts.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the meantime, let's hear YOUR thoughts! Be sure to leave a comment below and tell me what YOU think about the upcoming series and what you're excited for! Ragman is a fantastic character and if you like the series, be sure to tell everyone to pick it up! And let DC Comics know, "We want more Ragman!!" That's all for now Tatters!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Ragman #1 is available starting on October 11th, 2017 from DC Comics, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Inaki Miranda and covers by Guillem March! </i></span></div>
Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-26034140941435630752017-07-12T12:07:00.000-07:002017-07-14T06:55:44.168-07:00BREAKING NEWS BREAKDOWN - 'Ragman' to Return to the Pages of DC Comics this October 2017!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTVkdZYHMJUbrUkQ-P_JhA376yzsOP9Nun8Xrxq5bR8ztpkdY1CUjA0svTA65TS9xyS0oPtq65Fqys_eHlPCuzhl8GILay1g4vklzetptjHagQM_FwxtDBKsqE6hyphenhyphenpM8OEY99q4FAECs/s1600/RAGMAN-01-cover-flat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTVkdZYHMJUbrUkQ-P_JhA376yzsOP9Nun8Xrxq5bR8ztpkdY1CUjA0svTA65TS9xyS0oPtq65Fqys_eHlPCuzhl8GILay1g4vklzetptjHagQM_FwxtDBKsqE6hyphenhyphenpM8OEY99q4FAECs/s320/RAGMAN-01-cover-flat.jpg" width="210" /></a><span class="s1">Good day Tatters!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">As you’ve probably already heard, DC Comics will be bringing their live action star and Tatterdemalion of justice back to the comic page in a six issue mini-series due out this October! The series will be written by Ray Fawkes with pencils by Inaki Miranda, colors by Eva de la Cruz, and covers by Guillem March. (You can see the first cover here on this post!)</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The press release, initially shown <a href="http://www.cbr.com/ragman-gotham-city-new-dc-comics-miniseries/" target="_blank">HERE by Comic Book Resources</a>, provided the following description:</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“<i><span style="color: red;">War vet Rory Regan is plagued by the death of his time after a failed mission to find a hidden treasure in the Israeli desert. While battling survivor’s guilt back home in Gotham City, Regan discovers that he actually bought the treasure back home with him, in the form of the Suit of Souls. The Suit of Souls has the ability to trap and collect the souls of others, including those of his dead partners.</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><span style="color: red;">With the aid of his dead teammates, Rory begins to learn more about the abilities of the suit, when something evil begins to brew in Gotham. An evil demon from hell wants the Suit of Souls, and is sending his minions to retrieve it for him. Now Rory must learn how to use the suit and its powers to stop these evil forces from invading Gotham City before it’s too late.</span></i>”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Since this is THE spot on the net for all things Ragman, it would be my duty to dissect that for us! Let’s start with the first four words. Yep, it’s going to be like that.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“<span style="color: red;"><i>War vet Rory Regan</i></span>” - Perfect. We know we’re sticking with our usual guy Rory! This isn’t his father Gerry or anyone else from the Regan family nor is it anyone new. Additionally, Rory is still a veteran. Based on what we hear later on in the description, we know it’s not Vietnam as has been portrayed before, but when you’re updating the Ragman character for the modern generation, the specific war isn’t necessarily as important as the fact that he’s a soldier.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“<i><span style="color: red;">…is plagued by the death of his time </span>(I assume they mean ‘team’, is the whole world running low on editors BTW?)<span style="color: red;"> after a failed mission to find a hidden treasure in the Israeli desert.</span></i>” Some good information here. In the first post-crisis Ragman series, Rory was struggling with some PTSD issues. They weren’t a huge part of the story, but Pat Broderick and Keith Giffen took up some panels to make sure it was a part of his character. Additionally, we get the “<i><span style="color: red;">hidden treasure in the Israeli desert</span></i>”. Keep that in mind.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“<i><span style="color: red;">While battling survivor’s guilt back in Gotham City, Regan discovers that he actually brought the treasure back home with him, in the form of the Suit of Souls.</span></i>” We’re back in Gotham! Fantastic! I’ve always loved the idea that Ragman is a Gotham based hero. Batman started out protecting Gotham but let’s admit it, Batmans focus is now much more big picture these days. Having Rory start out in a little slum corner of Gotham grounds him in a very realistic way. I’m glad that is staying a part of his origins. So the “<i><span style="color: red;">treasure in the Israeli deser</span><span style="color: red;">t</span></i>” is the Suit of Souls! This means two things. The first being that the Ragman suit is no longer a part of Rory’s family history. In the comics before this, Rorys father Gerry wore the suit before Rory ever knew it existed. The second thing it means is that it’s still very likely that the suit maintains it’s mythological Judaic origins in relation to it’s creation following the legendary Golem. Even if the sequence of events of the suits origin may be tweaked, I know a lot of Ragman fans enjoy the Judaic ties the character has.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“<i><span style="color: red;">The Suit of Souls has the ability to trap and collect the souls of others, including those of his dead partners.</span></i>” Hmm, ok here we run across something I’m not entirely sure I’m going to like. The suit can trap and collect the souls of MORE than just evil doers now. It can trap ANY soul it sounds like. Now on the one hand, that opens up some story telling potential in a significant way without changing the core powers of the character. On the other, it makes the suit of souls dangerous and malignant in a way I’m not sure I’ll enjoy. But here’s what I will keep in mind going forward (and you should too) it’s a suit worn by an individual. I’m going to take solace in the idea that Rory can then influence who it traps going forward.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“<span style="color: red;"><i>With the aid of his dead teammates, Rory begins to learn more about the abilities of the suit, when something evil begins to brew in Gotham.</i></span>” Nice. So it looks like Rory can still communicate with the souls in the suit. That was always a fun aspect of the story to have Rory able to gain insight from the souls. Additionally, Rory was able to call on their strengths and abilities too in the past. It remains to be seen if that will remain true.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“<span style="color: red;"><i>An evil demon from hell wants the Suit of Souls, and is sending his minions to retrieve it for him.</i></span>” Interesting. Certainly the encounters with the purely supernatural went through the roof for Ragman during his ties to the Shadowpact. So it’s definitely not out of left field for him to deal with a problem like this. I’m curious to see how it affects the tone of the story. Will it maintain a purely supernatural tone? Or will the inclusion of demons from hell give it a horror bent?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“<span style="color: red;"><i>Now Rory must learn how to use the suit and its powers to stop these evil forces from invading Gotham City before it’s too late.</i></span>” Nice. That’s our hero line. Origin story plus heroic mission. I wonder also at the involvement any other DC character will play in the story. While cameos like Batman or someone from the Bat family are cool (and DC can’t seem to not mention Gotham without them these days) I would still like an opportunity for Ragman’s story to stand on it’s own without the added push from “<i>Oh! Batman shows up this issue guys! Make sure to get it!</i>”. But again, that hasn’t been announced so let’s judge it on it’s own merits.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Speaking of the story itself, DC released some interior pages (sans lettering) for us to take in, so let’s take a look at those! (Click images to enlarge!)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Excellent! Rags N’ Tatters guys! It’s still there! And that definitely looks like Hebrew on the box they find the Suit of Souls in!</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">All in all, based solely on this description, it sounds like Rory Regan/Ragman are in good and faithful hands. The adaptations being made are not being made at the sacrifice of an important character aspect or history. I cannot be happier with what we’re seeing so far!</span><span class="s1"></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">So head on over to Twitter and follow the creative team <a href="https://twitter.com/rayfawkes?lang=en" target="_blank">@rayfawkes</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/InakiMiranda?lang=en" target="_blank">@InakiMiranda</a> and give them some much needed support! And don’t forget to buy the series everywhere you can in October! Tell DC how much you love their Tatterdemalion and vote with your dollars! Don't forget to comment here DIRECTLY on the post! The more traction we get, the more likely we can get Ray Fawkes and Inaki Miranda here for an interview when the series wraps! (Or before if we're lucky!) So share the post far and wide too!</span><span class="s1"></span></div>
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</style>Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-54217036252010633662017-02-15T11:33:00.000-08:002017-02-15T11:33:08.199-08:00Ragman #8 - Winds of Change!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back into the fray Tatters! Today's post is a bittersweet one as we are wrapping up the coverage of the 1991/1992 Ragman series by Keith Giffen, Robert Loren Fleming, and Pat Broderick. Which, of course, means we're talking issue #8 entitled 'Who Protects Gotham?' (or 'Winds of Change' to be more accurate)<br />
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We open on the cliffhanger of a confrontation we left behind last issue, Batman VS Ragman. The two heroes stare one another down up on the snowy rooftops of Gotham. Utter silence envelops them as Ragman turns to leave. However Batman remains determined as his hand clamps down on the shoulder of the Ragman, inciting a fight. Instead of dissipating into the air, Rory instead plans to let Batman hunt him deeper into the neighborhood.<br />
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Meanwhile, on a flight to Tel Aviv, the Rabbi is looking out at the clouds and thinking of home. After turning down a friendly offer of a pillow from the stewardess, the Rabbi slowly closes his eyes reflecting upon his long journey. A fellow passenger approaches the Rabbi asking if he can sit next to him to avoid a teething baby...when he suddenly notices that the Rabbi is dead. Passed away in his sleep.<br />
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While the fight continues, back at Rags N' Tatters Bette feels a strange urge to head outside and look up at the rooftops when she comes across a man with a similar compulsion. She shakes it off and heads back inside.<br />
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As the fight makes its way across the neighborhood, Ragman thinks to himself of all the individuals he's helped in the various locations of the community. That time he stopped an armed robber. The time he caught a little girl who fell from an upstairs window. The alley where he saved an old man from dying from exposure. The tenement fire where he pulled the remaining families out of the building, despite his suits weakness to the flame. He reflects on all of these moments, desperately hoping they remember all he as done for them. Across the neighborhood, each and every person who has benefited from the Ragman's presence feels the pull outside. The call to help. And heads towards the pull, all including Betty.<br />
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Across the rooftops nearby, Ragman settles in one final spot where he stopped a rumble between two rival gangs, letting them take their anger out on him instead of each other, so all could go home alive. "I know this place. It is called poverty."<br />
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Ragman leaps off the rooftops toward the gathered neighbors below as they begin to surround him blocking him from the Batman. "They either love me or not. It is all up to them. I put myself in their good hands. I, who am The Protector..."<br />
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The neighbors chide Batman, telling him to leave Ragman alone. That's he's their friend. That he saved their children, their families, their tenants. "Where were YOU when we needed help? We don't see you very often...in this neighborhood." Meanwhile, Bette tells Rory that the Rabbi has left town and that he loved him and knew the feeling was mutual. At this point, Ragman dissipates into the rags on the wind. The neighborhood leaves Batman to stand in silence, all except Bette who says, "Don't let it getcha down pal. It's not dat we dont t'ink yer a hero, but da Ragman taught us dat kin all be heroes! It's like my old boss used ta say: 'Ask not whatcher country kin do fer you...'<br />
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And that is that. The end.<br />
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Wow. So some great things about this issue. First and foremost the silence of Batman. There's a panel when it's mentioned that Batman is trying to speak to Ragman, but it's dismissed by the internal narrative as something Ragman just isn't focusing on. And the fact that not ONE WORD comes from Batmans mouth definitely amps this story up a bit. And speaking of the internal narrative, the sheer amount of focus on Rory/Ragmans thoughts really helps steer your mind in a specific direction. The compulsion of the neighborhood to help Ragman, while odd, wasn't odd enough to be off putting. It actually lent itself to the supernatural nature of the character while not being so out of left field you could no longer suspend disbelief. Lastly of course, Pat nails the art, proving that despite Keith Giffens propensity for the nine panel grid, a good artist is a good artist.<br />
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As for the series as a whole? Well, I feel each run of the character in his own series deserves it's own wrap up post. So we'll have to save those thoughts for next time.<br />
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ON TO THE ADS!<br />
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Wow. So where to start? Cool World? How about that Guy Gardner ad? You know as a Green Lantern guy I definitely thrilled at seeing that particular ad. Those DC Cosmic cards are AWESOME aren't they? I got some not too long ago, and hey, there's a Ragman card in that collection somewhere!<br />
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Now into the letters page!<br />
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Seems everyone loves the Ragman and want's his story to continue, though I'm not sure about that suggestion of putting him in the Justice League. With all of that support, I wonder if Ragman will continue?<br />
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OF COURSE he will! Keep an eye peeled for the next review series to be featured on this blog, RAGMAN: CRY OF THE DEAD!!!! And as always, PLEASE don't forget to leave your comments here DIRECTLY on the blog post telling me what you think! Til next time!<br />
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Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-49011308173902879242016-11-04T13:43:00.000-07:002016-11-04T13:43:07.659-07:00Ragman #7 - The Summit!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyudBNzJHjnEqtxNnkzIA85iYncs3dJqUP9mQFMD7Bzj-RJVsGUiAnq2OyrSaVWmHdT1_Xkrf5ZJ2s8bSb4xpBk0FjeEfu0sD1_8Un5go5EmJ99DEmFfKuO7hd5MMMwwmHX_R2OhKwod0/s1600/Ragman+7+Cover+1991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyudBNzJHjnEqtxNnkzIA85iYncs3dJqUP9mQFMD7Bzj-RJVsGUiAnq2OyrSaVWmHdT1_Xkrf5ZJ2s8bSb4xpBk0FjeEfu0sD1_8Un5go5EmJ99DEmFfKuO7hd5MMMwwmHX_R2OhKwod0/s320/Ragman+7+Cover+1991.jpg" width="202" /></a>Welcome back Tatters to another REVIEW post! That's right! I've caught the bug yet again and I just HAD to come back with the next review! This time around we're talking Ragman #7 from the 1991 series, the penultimate issue of the series. Just one more issue to go and we wrap coverage of the first Ragman series Post-Crisis.<br />
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Where've I been? Well, if you've been keeping up, you know I've been revealing information as we go about Ragman as he appears in Season 5 of The CW series 'Arrow' and comparing it to the comics. Thus far they're pretty darn similar! So I can't wait to learn more as the season progresses! As for why I haven't been posting other reviews, well, I do The LanternCast AND my new show The Action Comics Weekly Podcast. Both of which are very dear to me. I encourage you to check them out! But that's enough personal project posturing! You stopped in for some Ragman content and I'm here to give it to you!<br />
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Ragman #7 features plots and breakdowns by Keith Giffen, script by Robert Loren Fleming, art by Pat Broderick and Romeo Tanghal, colors by Anthony Tollin, lettered by Albert DeGuzman, and edited by Kevin Dooley and Andrew Helfer!<br />
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We open in the high rise office of our "big boss" from the past several issues as he learns his operatives in the streets are either dead or unaccounted for. As he hangs up the phone, he looks outside his window to the streets below, thinking to himself that he cannot be clean until he wipes out his past.<br />
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Meanwhile, back at Rags N' Tatters, Rory is busy asking Betty if she can handle running a store front as she will be in charge of the shop for awhile. She answer in the affirmative as the Rabbi attempts to trouble Rory for one final word of advice. Rory declines, sarcastically stating that he's, "still digesting the seven other final words of advice you gave me" before slamming the door on his way out. The Rabbi asks Betty if there's anything he can do to help and Betty asks him if he can cook. He says he can't and her response is that she hopes he likes SPAM.<br />
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Elsewhere in the city, at one of the hideouts for the Nats, the combined members of the Nats and the Mimes gangs beats information out of one of the "big bosses" operatives. They take his wallet and learn that he works for Spratt Industries. It's then revealed that billionaire Howard Spratt (our "big boss") has been the root cause of all of the trouble the gangs have encountered over the past several issues. They resolve to take the fight directly to Spratt...by attacking him in his skyscraper!<br />
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Back over at Rags N' Tatters, Betty chases away a thief while the Rabbi prepares dinner, restating that he's not much of a cook but hey, "as the saying goes, beggars cannot be choosers!" To which Betty retorts with a silent, angry, sidelong look. But across town, over at the offices that house Spratt Industries...<br />
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...and Ragman strolls in. </div>
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Bodies already litter the floor of the building, riddled with bullets. The gangs have already arrived. Ragman runs into two of the gang members as they shoot bullets into him. They thing they've killed him, and he deserves it too because, in their mind, Ragman works for Spratt. But their glee at this victory is short lived as Ragman gets back up and knocks one of the men out. The other cowers in front of Ragman, saying he better get back upstairs to his "boss" Spratt as the rest of the gang is up there dealing with him. Ragman doesn't move, which prompts the Mime to ask, "Don't you have any feelings?" Ragman responds by tossing him through the front doors and into the snow before heading towards the elevators. But Rags hesitates for a moment...</div>
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The gangs upstairs are already in Spratts office, threatening him, when Spratt reveals he grew up where they're from. It doesn't matter though as he's quickly shot through the head right as the fire alarm sounds. They head out of Spratts office and are about to head towards the stairs as the elevators don't operate in the event of a fire when suddenly *ding* and the elevators opens revealing Ragman. The gang unloads their bullets into him and it is quickly shown to them that the bullets passed straight through him. Ragman then goes to work, quickly dispatching the gangs. Their leader notices that Ragman is keeping them from the stairwell, and guesses, correctly, that it's because there are people in the stairwell he can use as hostages. But he doesn't make it to open the door as Ragman hurls him by the head into the door and he slumps bloodied to the floor. The rest of the gang promptly gives up...</div>
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Back over at Rags N' Tatters Betty is looking for the Rabbi only to find that he's left and taken all of his things without a word or a note. </div>
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Back at Spratt Industries, the Gotham PD have arrived to round up the gangs. One of the officers in charge (whom I assume is at least a Detective given his lack of police blues) comments that something must've softened the gang up because they're active very docile. We see the Rabbi just outside the police tape watching the scene before turning to walk off into the night...</div>
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Back upstairs in Spratts penthouse office, Ragman searches desperately for something. Finally he tosses aside Spratts tabletop model of the city to reveal a safe, which he rips off it's hinges...</div>
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Back at Rags N' Tatters, Betty looks at a picture of Gerry Regan and wonders aloud, what if? What if she had gotten her act together before he died? What could've been? It's silly to have regrets, but it sure would've been nice...</div>
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And that does it for this issue!</div>
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Overall, I liked it. It may feel a tad anticlimactic if you've been following the series thus far, but the seeming lack of payoff in terms of Ragman facing down Spratt actually serves the story. Ragman doesn't get his hands on Spratt and we see Rory shine through. His sense of morality and justice. How he REALLY handles the situation. And it's a payoff I find just as worthwhile. And, as far as cliffhangers go, it doesn't get much better than, "Uh oh...Batman is PISSED..." The art also looks great. Perspective seems off in places, especially during the indoors scenes in Spratt Industries, but that's really a minor nitpick.</div>
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Now, ONTO THE ADS!</div>
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Ahhhh Green Lantern Mosaic. Such an INSANITY FILLED WEB you weave. BTW, if you're curious if the LanternCast ever got around to Mosaic, we DID! Well, when I say we, I mean Dan Kutzke did several years back. But those episodes are still available for you to listen to just by <a href="http://www.lanterncast.com/category/lanterncast-2/mosaic/" target="_blank">CLICKING RIGHT HERE</a>!!</div>
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Now for the letters page!<br />
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Looks like there's LOTS of praise for Ragman! I can't blame them though as the feedback here comes from readers of issue number 3, <a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2014/09/ragman-3-folktale.html" target="_blank">which is a phenomenal issue</a>. Interesting so many people take issue with the portrayal of Judaism in Ragmans history as it relates to WWII. I saw very clearly that the story was from a very specific viewpoint, why criticize it for not showcasing the entire history of WWII?</div>
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Well, that's it for this time readers! Be sure to leave a comment RIGHT HERE on the blog post itself so I know you're out there reading AND what you're thinking! I'd love to hear back from you! Till next time Tatters!</div>
Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-48357308837772271472016-10-27T07:28:00.000-07:002016-10-27T10:34:39.227-07:00Ragman on 'Arrow', Season 5 Episode 4 'Penance': A Comprehensive Review!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx02Q8gYyADa-Z3hv5skyyyyP2alB02j4jmIGftzvYZGSnT3RvGsf0XwGezGxYrlY8uXqUdMrhiDxmsKzgKNMRQrbKAN2-SITJNQAvCee6yNxUgHJ1Ey0XIjbuRBplTa5nEhbBBewAC4/s1600/Ragman+Arrow+Penance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx02Q8gYyADa-Z3hv5skyyyyP2alB02j4jmIGftzvYZGSnT3RvGsf0XwGezGxYrlY8uXqUdMrhiDxmsKzgKNMRQrbKAN2-SITJNQAvCee6yNxUgHJ1Ey0XIjbuRBplTa5nEhbBBewAC4/s320/Ragman+Arrow+Penance.jpg" width="320" /></a>On October 26th, 2016 The CW Network aired the fourth episode of the shows fifth season in an episode titled 'Penance'. The episode largely focused on Oliver and Lyla breaking Diggle out of a military prison. The other plot focused on the new team (consisting of Mister Terrific, Artemis, and Wild Dog) going up against Tobias Church and his schemes. Ragman rejoins the team (after quitting in the beginning of the episode) for the fight and Wild Dog is captured.<br />
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That's about as far as I'm going into general episode specifics, you're on a Ragman blog. You know already what my focus will be! So first off, why did I not post a review/recap for episode 3? Well, because we learned nothing about Rory/Ragman in that episode. Well, not true, we got ONE bit of information. Rory confirmed, in episode using his dialogue, that his "hometown" was Havenrock. I'm personally still of the opinion that he COULD be from Gotham (at least born there) but, at this point, I kind of doubt it. So until they give us information to the contrary, let's just stick with what we've been told. Rory is, in fact, from Havenrock.<br />
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As for THIS episode, what happened that warranted another post to the blog?<br />
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At the end of episode 3, Felicity comes clean to Rory about her involvement in the destruction of Havenrock. Rory, shocked, walks off without a word. This episode we see Rory during a conversation with Oliver wherein he quits the team. Being reminded daily of all the people he lost when he looks at Felicity, is just too much for Rory. Later in the episode, when it becomes evident how much they need Rory/Ragman, Felicity pays a visit to Rory. We see him welding sculptures out of junk (which Felicity remarks is amazing though we don't ourselves see the full artwork). Rory responds to her by saying, "<span style="color: red;"><i>When you spend enough time with other peoples cast offs you find ways to make something useful out of them. My father always used to say that. He owned a pawn shop...</i></span>"<br />
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There you have it. Rorys father ran a pawn shop. Why is this significant? Well, in the comics, Rory's father ran a junk shop known as...."Rags N Tatters". Of course this shop was located in Gotham, so the presence of a junk shop in a particularly impoverished and ghettoized section of a city like Gotham has an ENTIRELY different feel than a junk shop in a town like Havenrock...<br />
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...but credit where credit is due! Rory's father ran a pawn shop! And that's just one more thing our live action Ragman has in common with his comic panel counterpart!<br />
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But we're not done yet! Right after Rory mentions his father ran a pawn shop, Felicity says the exact road the pawn shop was located on. She goes into some expositionary dialogue wherein she reveals her personal research into Rory's history. "<span style="color: red;"><i>Your father was a Gulf War veteran. 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. But that's not what made him a hero was it? He wore your rags. Like his father before him, whose name was also Rory. That's a big legacy to live up to.</i></span>"<br />
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And boom. We have some more comic book similarities to play with. The first is the Regan family's history with military service. Now, to my remembrance, Rory was the one with a military service record. In both Pre and Post Crisis continuity, Rory was a veteran of Vietnam. His father was active as the Ragman during World War II in the Warsaw ghetto. To my knowledge, it's unclear if Gerry (Rory's fathers name, at least in the comics) was an actual serviceman himself. I honestly wouldn't put it past him and if the comics of the future say he was in active service, I wouldn't fight it. There's not enough there to say he WASN'T. Obviously given Rory's age in this Arrowverse, the timing of what conflict Rory's father served in has to be realistic time wise. But it still makes the Regan family a family obsessed with doing the right thing at all costs. And the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines have a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Battalion_1st_Marines" target="_blank">long history</a> with both World War II and Vietnam, so there's tenuous ties there as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv0MQRaWC3bzNOXE_1weglxBivn1X91_jLaWFNe_Ls1-I2zV3Afwk-VjQP1i7NDS7bY0gcCsjoGymsAdpZmIY3ZmAaMHqu4ovJhMKNWn7AUhYngKCOHr3UA_zFr1VSl_oeaA1D1yEsdc/s1600/Ragman+Arrow+Penance+Wild+Dog+Mister+Terrific+Artemis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv0MQRaWC3bzNOXE_1weglxBivn1X91_jLaWFNe_Ls1-I2zV3Afwk-VjQP1i7NDS7bY0gcCsjoGymsAdpZmIY3ZmAaMHqu4ovJhMKNWn7AUhYngKCOHr3UA_zFr1VSl_oeaA1D1yEsdc/s400/Ragman+Arrow+Penance+Wild+Dog+Mister+Terrific+Artemis.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As for the fact that Rory's father and his grandfather wore the Ragman suit. This is RIGHT in line with the comics. Ragman is a mantle passed down over the generations and given that things of such importance usually stay within a family, it's not surprising that we'd have the added information that Rory's grandfather also wore the rags. In the comics, we know <a href="http://thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2014/09/ragman-3-folktale.html" target="_blank">FOR SURE that Rory's father wore them during World War II and the events of the Warsaw ghetto</a>. So chalk some more up for comic accuracy!<br />
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We also get a few...demonstrations of the Ragman suits abilities. The first is when Rory uses the suit to protect officers from an explosion meant to breach a wall...<br />
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And the second is when Rory uses the suit to cover team Arrow as Wild Dog fires back at the Tobias Church crew. I'm ASSUMING here that the tendrils from Ragmans suit are blocking bullets...</div>
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Again, I'm loving everything so far that we've learned about the live action version of Rory. The suit looks great for a television budget and the level of comic accuracy is, thus far, pretty concise. The only complaint that remains for me is Rory's voice when he's in the suit. </div>
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We're now three episodes into the appearances of Ragman, and there are times when Rory's voice is damn near unintelligible. There's a moment before Rory sets off the charge that blows the wall open where he tells the D.A. to trust him. He then says two other words (or whatever) before the wall blows. I've watched that scene at least ten times now. I still have zero idea what he says after he says, "Trust me."</div>
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But otherwise the show is great! Thanks for reading! PLEASE don't forget to leave a comment here directly on this post! It's the only way I know you're out there reading!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">PS: TODAY is the 4th anniversary of The Suit of Souls blog! Wow! I can't believe this things been around THAT long! Just look where we are. We've gone from ZERO comics featuring the character, to a live action recurring role in a hit network show in prime time! WHAT?! One can only hope Rags will be popping up in comics again soon! His most recent appearance was in the New 52 series 'Batwoman' before it ended. Hopefully we'll see a Ragman mini-series and an Arrow Ragman action figure (at LEAST) before all is said and done!</span></b></div>
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<br />Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-9486925072149886232016-10-14T09:58:00.000-07:002016-10-14T09:58:08.551-07:00Ragman on 'Arrow', Season 5 Episode 2 'The Recruits': A Comprehensive Review!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On October 12th, 2016 the CW Network aired the second episode of 'Arrow', now in it's fifth season. The episode, entitled 'The Recruits', featured the debut of Ragman to the general public. Prior to this episode, Ragman had never appeared in multimedia outside of comic books. No film, television, animation, or video game platform appearances. But 40 years, 4 months, and 29 days since Ragmans first appearance hit stands on May 13th, 1976 (thanks <a href="http://www.dcindexes.com/features/comic.php?comicid=22187" target="_blank">Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics</a>) DC's Tatterdemalion of Justice appeared in live action.<br />
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The episode, largely focused on the building of Green Arrow's new team (consisting of Wild Dog, Mister Terrific, and what I can only assume will be the new Black canary) was well received on Twitter (at least from the #Ragman tweets I saw) and various other social media platforms.<br />
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But let's scrap the official sound of this post and get into the specifics shall we? What did I think of it? How is this Ragman, so far, different from the Ragman of the comic books? How is he the same? And will I EVER get back to semi-regular posting on this blog?<br />
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Let me tackle those one by one:<br />
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<b>1) What did I think of it?</b><br />
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Overall? I liked it. Ragmans suit translated well to live action, though I believe the mask itself could be a little more...form fitting. His suit had almost Spawn-like tendrils that reached out and ensnared anyone in his vicinity. Though it's unclear exactly what effect they have on those they made contact with. Is it just physically tossing people about? Is this how he absorbs souls? I suppose those questions will have to be left to be answered in later episodes. His voice was altered in such a way that it evoked a "creepy/mystical" vibe but it bordered on unintelligible at times. The effects team of 'Arrow' have always been good at tweaking as they go though so I don't see this as something that will remain an issue for very long.<br />
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As for Rory himself? Well, we didn't get much of him. And what we DID get will lead me into answering the other questions. So let's move on then.<br />
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<b>2) How is this Ragman, so far, different from the Ragman of the comic books?</b><br />
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Let's take his looks off the table for now (though, let's be honest, aside from the lack of a cape and the addition of a hooded trench-coat, he's pretty much right off the page). Firstly, this Ragman is NOT from Gotham. It's POSSIBLE that he was born in and lived (for a time) in Gotham, but if this is true, it has yet to be revealed. This version of Rory hails from Havenrock, the city/town that was obliterated after the nuclear missile hit it towards the end of Season 4. A missile Felicity redirected away from Star City midair. So there will be some tension there I suppose. As such, the suit has a radioactive signature, which Felicity herself states in the episode. It's worth noting that, APPARENTLY, the radiation did NOT give the suit it's abilities. So far it merely gives the Arrow team a convenient means of tracking Ragman. How do I know this? Well, other than the express statements MADE in the episode itself by Felicity and Oliver, Rory himself hints at it later. Which leads me to how this Ragman is the same. So let me move on.<br />
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<b>3) How is he the same?</b><br />
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In order to get a grasp on this, I need to directly quote Rory from the episode. After their meeting, Green Arrow and Ragman meet on a rooftop where Rory demasks and has a brief exchange with Green Arrow on his history and motivation. "<i><span style="color: red;">I think it's what my father would've wanted me to do. He saved my life. On Genesis Day he wrapped me in these rags. He said they were ancient, from the time of Devarim, that they would protect me from the fire.</span></i>" Ok first, let me say that we have another difference from the comic book version stated here we need to tally up. In the comics, the Post-Crisis Ragman (who we CLEARLY are dealing with in this iteration) was weak to fire. Fire was the only thing capable of destroying the suit. Ok. moving on. Similarities. Rory calls the rags "ancient, from the time of Devarim". It took me FOREVER to figure out what that word was because it SOUNDED like "dave eyereem". Luckily I figured it out. Add to this the fact that earlier in the episode Felicity says a piece of the suit she had analyzed was, "over 2,000 years old" and we have our similarity. This suit, and presumably it's powers, are CLEARLY linked to Judaic mythology/folklore. Now the ORIGINAL story had Ragman be the creation of Rabbi's following the Legend of the Golem. According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem" target="_blank">wikipedia</a> (hey, I'm not an expert in Judaism) "the most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late-16th-century rabbi of Prague." The late 16th century puts us around the 1500's AD. Devarim is MUCH older than that as it takes place JUST before the death of Moses. Yeah, THAT Moses. Which, depending on where you look, is estimated to be around 1201 BC to 1273 BC (though I did find one account presuming his death around 1407 BC). Either way, that places the origins of the Ragman suit WAY before the Legend of the Golem, which WOULD be a difference, but the fact that it's still being rooted so heavily in Judaic legend leads me to count it as a similarity. The Legend of the Golem, at least the famous one, was from 500+ years ago, nowhere close to Felicity's stated, "over 2,000 years". Though 3,000 years is, technically, "over 2,000 years" I'm still counting it.<br />
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So what's Devarim and how does it related to Ragman? Well, in short? It doesn't. Not directly. In the comics, Ragman is known as the Tatterdemalion of Justice (see the header to this very blog). Davarim is a reference to a section of what Christians call Deuteronomy from the Holy Bible. Paraphrased from Deuteronomy Chapter 1, verses 3 and 5: "It came to pass...that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had commanded him regarding them...on that side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses commenced and explained this Law."<br />
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Devarim is, if I'm reading these various sources right, a reference to the explanation of God's Law to his people via Moses. Law. JUSTICE.<br />
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According to <a href="http://www.rabbisacks.org/devarim-tzedek-justice-and-compassion/" target="_blank">another source</a>, "Tzedek, “justice”, is a key word in the book of Devarim – most famously in the verse: Justice, justice you shall pursue, so that you may thrive and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you. (Deut. 16:20)"<br />
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Justice is obviously a heavy theme for Ragman. As is, according to his origins when tied to the Golem, "emet" meaning "Truth". It can be said that Justice and Truth are one and the same at times. So...similarity.<br />
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Whew, I've exhausted my knowledge of Devarim. I hope all of that made sense.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">So there you go. My breakdown of what we know, so far, about the Ragman appearing on 'Arrow' VS the Ragman that appeared Post-Crisis in DC Comics. But wait...don't I have another question to answer? Oh yeah...</span><br />
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<b>4) Will I EVER get back to semi-regular posting on this blog?</b><br />
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Without over explaining? Yes. I can't give you a time table. Nor can I tell you it'll happen every two weeks or something. But suffice it to say that between <a href="http://www.lanterncast.com/" target="_blank">The LanternCast</a>, my new podcast <a href="https://actionweeklypodcast.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Action Comics Weekly Podcast</a>, and my real life responsibilities...I'm pretty taxed. But I DO miss blogging. And if there's ONE blog I want to keep going, it's this one.<br />
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Alright folks, thank you for reading! Please don't forget to comment below! It's the only way I know you're out there reading!<br />
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PS: Everyone out there posting images of 'Arrow's new Ragman? THIS is not Ragman...<br />
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THIS is Prometheus. Someone ENTIRELY different. Thank you for reading!</div>
<br />Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-14592615380486720382016-07-25T08:05:00.001-07:002016-07-25T08:07:15.837-07:00NEWS: Ragman to Appear on Season 5 of Hit CW Show 'Arrow'!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yeah. It would take a massive announcement like this to shock me back into posting. Actually, shock is a great choice of words.<br />
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On Saturday July 23rd, 2016 during San Diego Comic Con the powers the be at The CW, DC Comics, and Arrow announced that actor Joe Dinicol will be cast in the role of Rory Regan aka Ragman for the shows fifth season.<br />
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Yep. RAGMAN is coming to live action.<br />
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Take a few moments to absorb that. Because you better BELIEVE I did.<br />
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*whew* We good? Ok. Let's proceed. Because I'm IMMEDIATELY going to overlook the age/look of Joe here for the role. Why? Because anytime I've had criticism for the way an actor set to portray a DC character on the CW looked, I've been proved wrong in thrilling ways. Grant Gustin as Barry Allen and Robbie Amell as Ronnie Raymond for starters. So, at this point, I'm just going to have faith in DCTV casting until they give me an on screen reason to dislike the choice.<br />
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The first question we need to as is, "Which version of Ragman will we get in Arrow Season 5?"<br />
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Pre-Crisis standard superhero origin? Or Post-Crisis "Suit of Souls" mystical stuff?<br />
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It's been widely reported and hinted at that Arrow Season 5 will take a step back towards the feel the show had during it's 2nd season. Which many are interpreting as less super-powered and magical beings and more street level stuff. I don't know if that's true (click bait comics media likes to run with things if it means a new article) but IF so, it would seem that introducing a post-crisis Ragman to Arrow would counter that directional course correction for the show.<br />
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HOWEVER we DID get Constantine, Vixen, & Damien Darhk in Season 4 and, while the magical aspects of the show were criticized at times by a few, there were aspects of it that seemed to draw a chorus of cheers from fans.<br />
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Keep in mind though, it's entirely possible that the Ragman/Rory we get could just be another vigilante operating in Star City. As in, just a guy in a suit with a cause personal to him. IF that's the case, I'll obviously be disappointed. But if it IS, I hope it's just a means to an end much the same way Arrow introduced Barry Allen before ever giving him powers. Set up the character and his motivations and THEN introduce his powerset.<br />
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Regardless, we've already been given our first look at Ragman in action for Arrow Season 5! (Click each image to enlarge)<br />
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Now, keep in mind, these are screenshots from a moving scene in a clip from the Arrow Season 5 trailer. I'm slightly disappointed there is no cape in this version of the suit, but I have to admit that this looks pretty amazing for what it is. There ARE patches, there IS a hood, and it LOOKS like there is a full face mask/covering. It looks dirty and messy and....JUNKY. It works. And if we can't get a cape, at least we get a trench-coat flopping around as he moves.</div>
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One other question I would ask: "Will Rory Regan be portrayed as a Jew?"</div>
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The character is highly steeped in Jewish mythology/folklore (particularly Post-Crisis) so will that remain? Rory himself never claimed much active belief in the religion of his father (though he always seemed more of a traditional Jew as opposed to a practicing one). I'd be curious, in an era of equality and representation to see if the CW gives equal representation to someone of faith. Or if they downplay it (or ignore it entirely) in order to avoid criticism. </div>
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No matter WHAT they do with the character, I'm not ready to pass judgement until I have something concrete to act upon. Right now the only thing we have that's concrete are the stills and the name of the actor.</div>
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But hey, RAGMAN WILL BE IN LIVE ACTION!!!!!!</div>
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I guess I better start pumping out the posts again... ;)</div>
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(Check out my LIVE video after the announcement!)</div>
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Be sure to LEAVE A COMMENT on this post! Tell me what YOU'RE thinking! I'd love to hear back from you!Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-23879746559223320642015-12-17T16:01:00.000-08:002015-12-17T16:01:18.271-08:00Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 - Small Miracles!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizef2Iff8qccmxAMKHdEjQFd4lniucDotFXJpPxWBdvVoNLxH7Y1txTfDFdk_r1U7eE4FLlhL7z9R9ZLy4JJW_wyAbHQJBwaPbwEPl90YLGh4Axysyd0PSa3JI6PY8eHIjW5yzDg92f3s/s1600/Batman+The+Brave+and+the+Bold+14+page+00+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizef2Iff8qccmxAMKHdEjQFd4lniucDotFXJpPxWBdvVoNLxH7Y1txTfDFdk_r1U7eE4FLlhL7z9R9ZLy4JJW_wyAbHQJBwaPbwEPl90YLGh4Axysyd0PSa3JI6PY8eHIjW5yzDg92f3s/s320/Batman+The+Brave+and+the+Bold+14+page+00+cover.jpg" width="210" /></a>TATTERS! I apologize profusely for the lateness of this post. As I stated last time, I was planning on getting this post up just in time to bookend Chanuka with posts by December 14th. I had the post written up and scheduled to post but evidently there was an issue with the Blogger "schedule" option and we didn't release when I scheduled it. (<a href="http://dorknesstolight.blogspot.com/2015/12/another-hanukkah-story.html" target="_blank">Thanks to Professor Alan for pointing it out to me on his blog!</a>) Here follows the post I promised you!<br />
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Previously I presented you with a <a href="http://www.thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2015/12/an-exclusive-interview-with-sholly-fisch.html" target="_blank">FANTASTIC interview with Sholly Fisch</a> (a word I ascribe to the way I felt DOING the interview and interacting with Sholly, not assigning to my skills as an interviewer). Well, HERE I give you my thoughts on the main focus of the interview, the issue from 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' #14 featuring a special Holiday story with Ragman! Sholly Fisch was the writer, Rick Burchett was the penciler, Dan Davis was the inker, Guy Major was the colorist, and Dezi Sienty was the letterer. Here we go!<br />
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We open, as is typical in a Batman the Brave and the Bold story, with a completely unrelated moment. Batman and the Blue Beetle are attempting to stop a sinister plot by Crazy Quilt, Doctor Spectro, and the Rainbow Raider to...change the color of all the snow in Gotham City...<br />
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Yeah.<br />
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Well, with one batarang, Batman knocks them all out. Leaving Beetle to whine that Bats left nobody for him to take on.<br />
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Meanwhile, elsewhere in Gotham...<br />
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Suddenly a call for help echos from the street and, as the Rabbi goes out to see what's happening, he asks Rory to help by calling 911. Rory of course, darts out into the back alley for his own special brand of helping, not picking up the phone but answering the call for help by becoming <i><u>RAGMAN</u></i>.<br />
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Out in the street, Ragman stops a thief confidently stealing an older woman's shopping basket full of scavenged bottles and cans for the recycling center. After Ragman returns Lucy's (the old woman) basket, he hears from behind him, "Not exactly an armored car robbery but well done." It's Batman, perched on the hood of a car. Rags retorts with, "Oh, it's you."<br />
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While Batman is left momentarily to ponder the harsh reality put forth to him by Rags, the two hear a gunshot in the distance. At the Synagogue the Rabbi is being threatened by two thugs trying to scare him into leaving the place to them because, "This neighborhood is ours."<br />
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Quickly they're confronted with a crowd of locals, complete with Batman and Ragman, claiming just the opposite, "No it's <u>OURS</u>!" The thugs begin firing at the crowd as Ragman uses his suit to absorb the bullets and Batman takes care of one thug and Ragman then leaps to punch out the other. Batman asks what happened and the Rabbi retorts that he doesn't know as they have nothing of value in the Synagogue. Ragman expresses the senselessness of staying, not understanding why it doesn't phase the Rabbi. The Rabbi respond by saying that people need places like the synagogue and they need people like him. He says his people (the Jews) have been through much worse before and turns to Ragman as he asks, "Tell me, do you know the story of Chanukah?"<br />
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Throughout all of this, Batman is busy messing with the cell phone of the thug. He comes across his call history and discovers that the thug received multiple calls from the MacGuffin Group, the real estate group buying up the neighborhood and forcing people out with higher rents and cost of living. The rabbi confirms this by saying that the MacGuffin Group recently approached him about buying the synagogue. Ragman gets understandably upset and heads off to confront him but, before he can, Batman stops him and says Rags has plenty of take care of where he is, quipping as Ragman did before that, "Uptown is MY responsibility remember?"<br />
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Batman quickly pays a visit to the MacGuffin Group and they're promptly turned over to the authorities. A little while later...<br />
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And that's that!<br />
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Wow.<br />
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I LOVE this story. It's VERY straight forward and obviously meant to be consumed by readers younger than myself. But it manages to be an EXCELLENT Ragman themed story without being overly dark or preachy. A holiday comic surrounding themes like Hanukkah could quickly be dismissed as overly religious or preachy, but Sholly manages to write it in such a way to tie into the story-line and express more "average person" views such as being a miracle to those around you. Of course themes like "God gives you what you need" are in there, but it's not presented as (and here's that word again) preachy, It's more general good natured and positive vibes instead. A sort of "magic of the holiday season" story set with a Hanukkah backdrop. Not merely a story dedicated to a Judaic "agenda".<br />
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And in a KIDS comic to boot.<br />
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I love it.<br />
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As for Rory/Rags himself? I don't see anything inconsistent here. Rory was never really particularly religious in his prior story's. He was more of a "traditional Jew" in that he was a Jew by family history/tradition and opposed to a practicing member of the faith. And this captures that quite well. He still has feelings of helplessness and a crisis of faith moments from time to time, which, personally, jibes with my own history with religion.<br />
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I was raised Christian (Lutheran specifically) and, without going into specifics, left the weekly church services due to the questions they wouldn't answer and the hypocrisy. I still consider myself a Christian, but the DOCTRINE and the SPECIFICS are no longer things I'm confident in standing by. But I was RAISED in the Church. So, no matter what, there are moments I feel guilty or "off" about certain things that I no longer ascribe to but have a built in concern about because of how I was raised. I wonder if the same is true for Rory?<br />
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Though, side bar, isn't it interesting that a man whose power comes directly from a Judaic myth would still be a relative non-believer?<br />
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As for the rest? Rory helping the community through Rags n' Tatters was a breath of consistency that I especially appreciated. And the theme of the locals being forced out via a shady real estate developer has a very "<i>Pat Broderick/Keith Giffen 1990's Ragman</i>" feel to it.<br />
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All in all, this is a fabulously flawless story (well, so long as you discount the ridiculousness of the opening acts villainous plan).<br />
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As always, don't forget to COMMENT on this post directly and let me know what you think! Don't forget to share the blog with your friends! See you around Tatters and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!<br />
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<br />Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-51936494808050051602015-12-07T09:07:00.000-08:002015-12-07T09:17:41.845-08:00An Exclusive Interview with Sholly Fisch!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPd1eMvaC0-zaSBY0Wc9MBnu6f2KTEwq1arPoJMTm3X21Tdj4JIcQNYl0rQQUmHc40n4zSJTVjzzscp5irgmQd3qCdxzeExcAHkVRffNijA-Zvj8ZxrrUiG3nb9mQnE4FJBZVssiu3jJA/s1600/Sholly_Fisch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPd1eMvaC0-zaSBY0Wc9MBnu6f2KTEwq1arPoJMTm3X21Tdj4JIcQNYl0rQQUmHc40n4zSJTVjzzscp5irgmQd3qCdxzeExcAHkVRffNijA-Zvj8ZxrrUiG3nb9mQnE4FJBZVssiu3jJA/s320/Sholly_Fisch.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Chag Urim Sameach Tatters! That's, "Happy Festival of Lights" in Hebrew for those who don't know. Nope, I don't speak Hebrew, in this case, Google was my friend. So why a traditional Hebrew salutation associated with Hanukkah/Chanuka? Well, yesterday (December 6th, 2015) at sunset marked the first day of Chanuka! As we all know the character of Rory Regan/Ragman is heavily involved in Judaism in post Crisis continuity. So, I felt it was necessary to celebrate the beginning of the Festival of Lights here on the blog with a very special entry! </b><br />
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<b>The other day I finally snagged myself a copy of 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' #14. This story, though not YET reviewed on this blog, features a very touching story wherein Ragman (with some assistance from Batman and Bruce Wayne) helps save his neighborhood from being overtaken by a real-estate company intent on buying up the property in the neighborhood and forcing the residents out (sound familiar?) via expensive rent and, it turns out, cheap thuggery.</b><br />
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<b>It's actually an extremely well done comic and is often touted by myself and several other friends in the comics world as one of the better holiday themed stories out there featuring the DC characters.</b><br />
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<b>So why not simply review that comic? Well, as you may know, Chanuka lasts eight days. So I figured I'd round out Chanuka at both ends with two very special posts! The first will be THIS very entry featuring an interview with the writer of 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' #14, Sholly Fisch! The second post (out on December 14th) will be my review of that very issue!</b><br />
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<b>So let's get to it! Sholly took some time out to speak with me about comics, Ragman, this story, and more so without further adieu...here we go!</b><br />
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<span style="color: cyan;"><b>First and foremost, how did you get into the comics industry? What's your background?</b></span><br />
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<b><i>Well, those are really two different questions, but the answers to both are basically “right place at the right time.”</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />Comics-wise, I’d been a huge comics fan since I was five years old. I finished college a semester early, so I had about six months free before starting grad school, and I got myself a job at a tiny publishing company in New York City. (They were about to publish their third book. That’s how small it was.) A couple of months after I started, a friend of mine was about to graduate college and got himself a job at the Wall Street Journal, so he was leaving his menial file clerk job at Marvel Comics, and I said, “Wait! Wait! Tell them you know somebody!”I did the file clerk job at Marvel until I started grad school (at which point, my sister took over the job and wound up turning it into a real job in international licensing). While I was there, I met a guy named Sandy Hausler, who was the assistant editor on Marvel’s in-house promotional magazine, Marvel Age. Sandy introduced me to the editor, Jim Salicrup, and I started writing articles for Marvel Age. (Incidentally, Sandy and I also wound up sharing an apartment for the next few years, so it’s been a very profitable friendship.) Through Marvel Age, I got to know the various Marvel editors, and found out when people were looking for stories. I started writing comics, and the rest is not-quite history.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />As for my background, that has more to do with my day job. I have a Ph.D. in developmental psychology, and I’ve spent the past thirty years helping to make educational media for kids. The first fifteen of those years were at Sesame Workshop (also known as Children’s Television Workshop, depending on what year it was), where they make Sesame Street and things like that. By the time I left, I was a VP in charge of the educational side of things for all sorts of projects – TV shows, digital games, magazines, hands-on materials, and so on – and testing stuff out with kids to make sure they’d understand and enjoy them. Since then, I’ve continued to do the same kinds of work, but now I do it for lots of different clients through my own consulting business. At this point, I’ve been involved in projects on every continent but Antarctica, and sometimes, I still do some work for the Workshop too.</i></b><br />
<b><br /><span style="color: cyan;">Were you a fan of specific characters or titles as a kid?</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEqTYMqbd_A_GPTSc5i6Nyjw6jj3_AlgTEj8WC9KxFfjdOw7tcy3Mkl4H76INyagPUShCGb6rKI0QnyH6918_fbfaELrm4GX4-nXCzXm1vC8CY91_nLsVvpTzEq3wnLlcYgu8Uwb__HY/s1600/Not_Brand_Echh_Vol_1_1_UK_Variant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEqTYMqbd_A_GPTSc5i6Nyjw6jj3_AlgTEj8WC9KxFfjdOw7tcy3Mkl4H76INyagPUShCGb6rKI0QnyH6918_fbfaELrm4GX4-nXCzXm1vC8CY91_nLsVvpTzEq3wnLlcYgu8Uwb__HY/s200/Not_Brand_Echh_Vol_1_1_UK_Variant.jpg" width="133" /></a><b><br /><i>Oh, sure. As a young kid in the 1960s, I was just the right age to get caught up in the Batmania that was sweeping the country, and I read Batman comics, collected Batman trading cards, wore Batman pajamas... In fact, I still have the plastic Batman mask that I used to play with back then. I’d wear a blue towel around my neck when I played Batman – that is, when I wasn’t wearing a red towel to play Superman. At Marvel, I was a fan of things like Spider-Man, but my favorite was their parody comic, Not Brand Echh, which was the pinnacle of humor to me when I was six years old – and, actually, I still find those comics really funny. I even have a page of original art from Not Brand Echh hanging on the wall of my office.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />As I got older, I still loved Batman, but I also discovered the vast array of other characters out there, and my number-one favorites shifted to Plastic Man and the original Captain Marvel. Not to mention that, in my opinion, no one has ever done comics better than Will Eisner, especially his Spirit. Over the years, I also developed a deep and abiding love for obscure, offbeat, or downright goofy characters, like Bat-Mite, Metamorpho, or Sugar and Spike. And “offbeat” certainly includes Ragman.</i></b><br />
<b><br /><span style="color: cyan;">How did you happen upon the (for lack of a better term) DC kids line gig?</span></b><br />
<b><br /><i>Heh. Well, I “happened” upon it through two years of repeatedly badgering DC editors. DC started doing comics based on Warner Brothers and Cartoon Network cartoons during a period of a couple of years when I had pretty much fallen out of the comics industry. Basically, since I was working full-time at the Workshop, I wasn’t able to stop in at the Marvel offices anymore, and I was doing all of my work by fax. (This was in those ancient days before e-mail.) That was fine, but because I was never in the office, I didn’t get to meet new editors in Marvel. And the natural turnover of staff meant that, eventually, I didn’t really know anyone there anymore, and my work opportunities dried up.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />So, since I’d been writing comics for about a dozen years at that point, had worked in kids’ television, and had actually written a few scripts for a preschool show on Cartoon Network, I figured I was a pretty good candidate to write some of the Cartoon Network comics – not to mention that, as a lifelong Bugs Bunny fan, I would have killed to write Looney Tunes. But, of course, editors are paid to get their comics out on time, not to read unsolicited submissions. So I kept checking in every few months, and it took two years and four editors before Joan Hilty took over the kids’ line and gave me a shot. With my background in kids and media, it was a natural fit.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />Actually, though, I like keeping a foot in both “kid” and “regular” comics. I strongly suspect I’m the only writer whose past credits include both Looney Tunes and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. The kids’ comics give me opportunities to just have fun, not worry about continuity, and even bring back all of those offbeat and goofy characters whom I loved over the years. The regular comics give me the opportunity to write stories that “count” in continuity and make my own little contributions to the mythos, like <a href="http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/11/05/dc-comics-and-neil-degrasse-tyson-put-krypton-on-the-map-with-historic-superman" target="_blank">the time when I worked with astronomer Neil DeGrasse Tyson to establish a real-life location for Krypton.</a> By doing both kinds of comics, I get the best of both worlds.</i></b><br />
<b><br /><span style="color: cyan;">What inspired you to bring a character like Ragman into the title? Were you a fan of Ragman prior to the issue?</span></b><br />
<b><br /><i>Yup, I’ve been a fan of Ragman since the ‘70s. In fact, I have a full set of his original series, and it was always a nice surprise when <a href="http://www.thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-brave-and-bold-196-two-faces-of.html" target="_blank">he’d pop up in Brave and Bold</a> or something. </i></b><br />
<b><i><br />To be honest, I found his ‘90s ret-con a little odd, since “Rory Regan” doesn’t exactly sound like a Jewish name, and despite the claims of his revised origin, the golem legend doesn’t really have anything to do with clothes. But, as a Modern Orthodox Jew, I grew up in a world where there weren’t any Jewish super-heroes at all, and even today, there aren’t a whole lot of them. So I’m always happy to find a new Jewish hero – especially when it’s a character whom I’ve enjoyed for years.</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH_sZt5U3A55V2Ub6lX1S5e1QrgKz4c3R-eH194rE77iU-JMZT0WGzDZtMHIVWCb-jOR2UJNDbQl2R5IQH6OpH1SrpHUwckkR2BN3hgS9GF5IeNaNqLRo0ovLZm4Zl8eZUdp24vQ2G64/s1600/Batman+The+Brave+and+the+Bold+14+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH_sZt5U3A55V2Ub6lX1S5e1QrgKz4c3R-eH194rE77iU-JMZT0WGzDZtMHIVWCb-jOR2UJNDbQl2R5IQH6OpH1SrpHUwckkR2BN3hgS9GF5IeNaNqLRo0ovLZm4Zl8eZUdp24vQ2G64/s320/Batman+The+Brave+and+the+Bold+14+cover.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<b><i>By the way, I was having lunch with my pal and former editor, Rachel Gluckstern, the other day, and I mentioned we were doing this interview. She reminded me of another bit of behind-the-scenes involvement I had with Ragman: When Rachel was editing Batwoman, she did an issue or two in which Ragman guest starred. The cover of one of those issues had some golem-inspired imagery, including the Hebrew word emet (“truth,” which brings a golem to life) transformed into met (“die,” which kills a golem). So she asked me to take a look at the cover art, to make sure the Hebrew was accurate and they hadn’t accidentally done anything offensive. Seeing Hebrew words and Jewish mythology on a Bat-cover is a far cry from “no Jewish characters” when I was a kid.</i></b><br />
<b><br /><span style="color: cyan;">Did bringing a character like Ragman, with such seemingly "dark" themes, present an issue when translating the character into your story?</span></b><br />
<b><br /><i>Not so much. Bear in mind, I recently put the Spectre into Scooby-Doo Team-Up, and in my House of Mystery issue of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, I had Cain chasing Abel with a shovel. Whenever I incorporate any DC character – dark or otherwise -- into the kid comics, I always try to home in on the essence of the character, and translate it into kid-appropriate terms. Actually, the bizarre juxtaposition of the dark characters in the kids’ comics often makes those moments the most fun and some of my favorite things to do.</i></b><br />
<b><br /><span style="color: cyan;">How did the idea to use Ragman specifically in a Hanukkah story come about? DC isn't necessarily known for a wide breadth of Jewish characters, so why Ragman?</span></b><br />
<b><br /><i>When I write a team-up series like Brave and Bold, sometimes the guest star comes first and I figure out a story that works for the character, and sometimes the story idea comes first and I think about what character would fit. In this case, it started with the idea of doing a Chanuka story. As I said, when I was growing up, there weren’t really any Jewish characters in comics, and there certainly weren’t any stories built around Jewish content. With that said, though, I always enjoyed Christmas stories in comics – and still do -- because they were generally change-of-pace sorts of stories with positive messages. Once I started writing comics, I wrote a few of them myself. And, every once in a while, I got to write a Chanuka-themed story, generally in unexpected places like Marvel’s parody comic What The--?! or even Scooby-Doo. It’s always a treat for me when I get to write the sorts of stories that never existed when I was a kid.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />So, once I decided to write a Chanuka story, it made sense to make the guest star a Jewish hero. Since Ragman was an old favorite of mine, he was at the top of a very short list.</i></b><br />
<b><br /><span style="color: cyan;">What inspired you to give Rory a "crisis of faith" for this story? Is it something you gleaned from prior Ragman stories?</span></b><br />
<b><br /><i>Sort of. It was a combination of a couple of things. One was that, even though Rory has been established as Jewish, he’s never been shown to be particularly religious. So, if I was going to build a story around a Jewish holiday, that gave me some interesting character possibilities to play with.</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSOQ9tG6vqxN0FXWnst4Dio9IHljfN8y4m9J-S2J9YSNXBVp0NHGIfG85iaRn9dm5lXsU2a0A9DDrGx2-kG4Zun40VpsX9zvR5s6NmUoTXIUxW-4N9VjDaLvsyi9HVYNUVrNdQiWgdoY/s1600/Ragman+Batman+Brave+and+the+Bold+14+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSOQ9tG6vqxN0FXWnst4Dio9IHljfN8y4m9J-S2J9YSNXBVp0NHGIfG85iaRn9dm5lXsU2a0A9DDrGx2-kG4Zun40VpsX9zvR5s6NmUoTXIUxW-4N9VjDaLvsyi9HVYNUVrNdQiWgdoY/s320/Ragman+Batman+Brave+and+the+Bold+14+page.jpg" width="204" /></a><b><i>Also, when I wrote the story, the whole “Occupy Wall Street”/“Occupy-fill-in-the-name-of-the-place” movement was going on. So the issue of poverty was on everyone’s mind, including mine. Ragman had always been based in slum neighborhoods, helping people on a very down to earth, grass-roots level; he wasn’t a “fly out into space and fight Darkseid” sort of hero. So that was a pretty natural fit. And I liked the opportunity for some role reversal with Batman, where another hero could berate Batman for being too “uptown” instead of Batman saying it to Superman or someone.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />Mushing all of that together made for some nice parallels, where the pressure of larger social issues could wear Ragman down, and he could simultaneously reconnect with his heritage and also rediscover his faith in himself. Actually, one of the things that made me feel pretty good was that, around the time the issue came out, I gave a talk at my daughter’s elementary school about how comics are made, and since it was Chanuka time, I used that issue as an example. Then, a week or two later, my daughter came home from school and told me that her assistant principal used the story in a school assembly that day, when he spoke to the students about Chanuka. Not bad for a comic book...</i></b><br />
<b><br /><span style="color: cyan;">In your mind, who is Rory Regan/Ragman? How would you define him?</span></b><br />
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<b><i>To a large extent, I think it depends on who’s writing him, and what sort of series he’s in. For </i></b><b><i>example, Ragman in Shadowpact was pretty different than Ragman in the original </i></b><b><i>Kanigher/Kubert series.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />To me, though – and I think this is true of most of his various incarnations – Rory Regan is a regular guy who’s trying to do some good. Growing up in a slum neighborhood with a father who ran a pawn shop, he’s been surrounded by poverty all his life, so he knows all of the challenges that brings, but he’s seen people overcome those challenges to enjoy life and help each other through the bad times, too. Given the choice, I don’t think Rory would take a Green Lantern ring and fly off into space to defend the galaxy. He knows he’s needed right where he is.</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8i-_KzbzCHldl5ZXnc56IVZMbSazqq9__hBqgmiBBuIpxAEUhLp9-k1jxkexxutaGqkMF_HlUorEet4FCtuNL4UTWJiuDfQX7UX6uOnBBrx38Jemgzmpf3BkPAYuSE3FDAEToqA8i64/s1600/Scooby+Doo+Team-Up+13+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8i-_KzbzCHldl5ZXnc56IVZMbSazqq9__hBqgmiBBuIpxAEUhLp9-k1jxkexxutaGqkMF_HlUorEet4FCtuNL4UTWJiuDfQX7UX6uOnBBrx38Jemgzmpf3BkPAYuSE3FDAEToqA8i64/s320/Scooby+Doo+Team-Up+13+cover.jpg" width="208" /></a><b><span style="color: cyan;">Before we wrap up, I wanted to tell you that (though I don't normally read these sorts of titles) I saw and picked up "Scooby Doo Team Up" #13 with the Scooby gang and the Spectre, Phantom Stranger and Deadman. Phantom Stranger and Deadman are some of my FAVORITE characters in the DC universe. So I HAVE to ask, what was the inspiration/what can you tell me about that story?</span></b><br />
<b><br /><i>Yeah, that’s one of my favorite issues of Scooby Team-Up too. The inspiration was pretty simple – what could be more natural than Scooby and his gang of ghost-hunters meeting DC’s most prominent ghosts? Once I realized that the thirteenth issue would come out just after Halloween, it was a pretty obvious choice to do the story in that issue.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t read it, so I’ll say this fairly obliquely. But, as you could probably tell from reading the issue, there’s a Scooby/Spectre panel that popped into my head fairly early on, it made me laugh out loud, and I pretty much wrote the entire issue around it. Actually, when the proofs of the issues were making the standard rounds of internal review at DC, my Scooby Team-Up editor, Kristy Quinn, forwarded me a couple of e-mails saying that even the DC proofreader and legal guy found that scene hysterical. If you can make a lawyer laugh while he’s searching for anything that could get the company sued, you know it must be pretty funny.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />Beyond that, add in the chance to do some fun moments with the Phantom Stranger and Deadman, and cram in just about every DC ghost character I could think of (including Kid Eternity, Captain Triumph, and the Grim Ghost – or “Gay Ghost,” depending on what year it was – all of whom are among my favorites), and it was a whole lot of fun to write.</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyAgJWGf_84IytsTWFLenXOb2J0g-nCX68sh3V1rWAe32JbKyuEpB5HhQl8VEt6hm7-o3pGiGIaWWGbhIS8tjGjkb2nKDe251w1bScZU_9c17LR25Rcy_s6IrmUPjWb2Ir-AiXUsap_8/s1600/Scooby+Doo+Team-Up+13+ghosts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyAgJWGf_84IytsTWFLenXOb2J0g-nCX68sh3V1rWAe32JbKyuEpB5HhQl8VEt6hm7-o3pGiGIaWWGbhIS8tjGjkb2nKDe251w1bScZU_9c17LR25Rcy_s6IrmUPjWb2Ir-AiXUsap_8/s400/Scooby+Doo+Team-Up+13+ghosts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">Is there anything you'd like to promote?</span></b><br />
<b><br /><i>Let’s see… I should probably mention that, for anyone who hasn’t read the Ragman story, you can find it reprinted in the third All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold trade paperback, which is subtitled “Small Miracles.” The book also includes the issue that teamed up every Robin ever (yes, including Carrie Kelly from Dark Knight), a completely insane story about Bat-Mite’s crush on Batgirl, and even a few pages of a time-traveling Batman teaming up with Super-Hip and Brother Power, the Geek in the 1960s. So it’s a pretty fun book.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />Other than that, I guess I should plug my current series. These days, I’m writing Scooby-Doo Team-Up and half of just about every issue of Teen Titans Go!, as well as periodic stories for Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Outside the kid stuff, I also have a backup story coming up in this year’s Superman/Wonder Woman Annual. Oh, and every once in a while, I’ve been writing an occasional story for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles magazine in the UK. When you take into account that all of this is just the stuff I do late at night, after I finish my day job, have dinner with my family, and put them to bed, it’s pretty busy around here. I’m not getting a whole lot of sleep, but I’m having enormous fun.</i></b><br />
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<b>And that is that! For those who are familiar with my usual interviews, you may notice a slight difference in "conversational" language. Well, this is one of the few instances where I conducted the interview via email as opposed to audio-transcribed-to-text. Hence the difference. Regardless it was ALOT of fun getting to speak with Sholly about Ragman and his work in the industry. I highly recommend you check out his works mentioned above and if you're missing the "fun" in the DC Universe, I promise you it's within the pages of the titles he's writing!</b><br />
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<b>So thanks to Sholly once more for taking the time to speak with me, despite the crushing deadline of Chanuka upon us! I also wanted to thank <a href="http://fireandwaterpodcast.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">fellow podcaster</a> and <a href="http://www.aquamanshrine.net/" target="_blank">blogger</a> Rob Kelly for introducing us. Maybe in the near future I can look forward to a Green Lantern featured appearance in Scooby Doo Team-Up so I have an excuse to talk to him again for <a href="http://www.lanterncast.com/" target="_blank">the podcast</a>! Other personal character suggestions include; Firestorm, the JSA, Firebrand, Starfire, Infinity INC, etc. Though, if I'm being honest, a team up featuring the Golden Age Alan Scott, his wife the Harlequin, and his kids Jade and Obsidian is my personal favorite idea...</b><br />
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<b>That's it for this time Tatters! See you on the 14th for a review of 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' #14! As always, please, Please, PLEASE do not hesitate to leave a comment on the blog directly and let me know what you think! And don't forget to share these entries with your friends!</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATH87RFVvxLSEun_Yyl-bm-Y-gXW26wQIUWghPAAiV9jtMBMnr39qSTg0_9ZeDFjtD00pVQx5x7EDa0_WHpsKl7k8lQftQlbAjUmE_0pldAJPS6psFMyMqtCKc-q95p4UtJK9_TYppNU/s1600/seventh_night_of_hanukkah_by_nexusdx-d5o5s59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATH87RFVvxLSEun_Yyl-bm-Y-gXW26wQIUWghPAAiV9jtMBMnr39qSTg0_9ZeDFjtD00pVQx5x7EDa0_WHpsKl7k8lQftQlbAjUmE_0pldAJPS6psFMyMqtCKc-q95p4UtJK9_TYppNU/s640/seventh_night_of_hanukkah_by_nexusdx-d5o5s59.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-31339276792709412622015-10-16T16:31:00.000-07:002015-10-16T16:31:10.591-07:00Ragman Merchandise - 1991 Ragman Series Promotional Poster!Normally I'd post a review (or try to) by today. But my mother is in town from Washington so my free time is booked with more important things until next week. But FEAR NOT loyal Tatters! I have something to stave off your Ragman hunger pangs!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkxgg5POVM3jgvFq9JF5OS3MpxUVBcUbGlJmwLq20KIQ5gDgVCtDB4OilC6QNjy1m3Wzk-ZS3eZAv6ixlcpD52XBeffoKfkwnH8LVokMjV-oBb4cJ24XtJAWgyUWUXWzLbubIlj75lR8/s1600/140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkxgg5POVM3jgvFq9JF5OS3MpxUVBcUbGlJmwLq20KIQ5gDgVCtDB4OilC6QNjy1m3Wzk-ZS3eZAv6ixlcpD52XBeffoKfkwnH8LVokMjV-oBb4cJ24XtJAWgyUWUXWzLbubIlj75lR8/s1600/140.jpg" /></a>An image NEVER BEFORE SEEN on the interwebs! That's right! I searched high and I searched low across the internet using several search engines and multiple combinations of various relevant search terms and I could find NOTHING but this extremely low-res, tiny little picture for you...<br />
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But I resorted to ebay, where I found a helpful little seller of comic related merchandise (and other items) that was SELLING the very poster I was seeking out! (Shout out to eBay seller <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/scsenterprise/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=">scsenterprise</a>!) And I found and purchased the poster for all of $0.99! The benefit of being an AVID Ragman fan is that there aren't many of us. So, while it's HORRIBLE for sharing your fandom, it's EXCELLENT for eBay bidding!<br />
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I received the poster a few days ago and today managed to scan and combine the various images into a single large, hi-res image! (forgive the lines, the pitfalls of scanning and assembling multiple images into one large one when you're inexperienced)<br />
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So, for your viewing pleasure, here is the OFFICIAL 1991 Ragman Series Promotional Poster as it was shipped to comic stores from DC Comics! (Click the image for all it's glory!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TGaO-YidmDHXcJ5N1Nz8lJpj1_TRzSmOcf13446ZTkGojaTLjgQtF9mTWh9WD9YRmC1-dok4jUMK0HC8XKl_Fs39H20F4nwOse0XOey6Ph8_mm10_Ai96kJbxakY1Wuev1XuETXYh_8/s1600/Ragman+1991+Promotional+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TGaO-YidmDHXcJ5N1Nz8lJpj1_TRzSmOcf13446ZTkGojaTLjgQtF9mTWh9WD9YRmC1-dok4jUMK0HC8XKl_Fs39H20F4nwOse0XOey6Ph8_mm10_Ai96kJbxakY1Wuev1XuETXYh_8/s640/Ragman+1991+Promotional+Poster.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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Needless to say, this poster features work by the incomparable Pat Broderick. Assembled behind Ragman are the cover images from all eight issues of the mini-series and the figure of Ragman himself seems to come from the final page of the first issue of the series...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixj6w_kLh1EoJB3N_L45veRYxWmM71DNEuazsfIQHke-LGNVhlGopaSCK1WpT9RoebLhyphenhyphenZy2jIWx6KGhe8sprRmP1CTQIxlz-2O4fABRBFBss6aAJ3XzDDwQTF-WwfGexaFdcoCFCL4o8/s1600/Bones+of+the+Defenseless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixj6w_kLh1EoJB3N_L45veRYxWmM71DNEuazsfIQHke-LGNVhlGopaSCK1WpT9RoebLhyphenhyphenZy2jIWx6KGhe8sprRmP1CTQIxlz-2O4fABRBFBss6aAJ3XzDDwQTF-WwfGexaFdcoCFCL4o8/s640/Bones+of+the+Defenseless.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
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Amazing! And I'm super stoked to have it in my collection. I plan on having it framed fairly soon and I'll definitely update you guys with the finished framed image when it's ready!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9jDYz1t6yJr47-q-sZ4SBvDYa9T9mOYWIgQTRR6OvKMVexDWTloMlR6Mn2D2V3Yj_iNwit0OjdGoA7RI4MWlbXWzXNsQr6RbLCMe03e8pEUuK5ei3gpLDx0f-iNNFULQn0HL9lXFj3g/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9jDYz1t6yJr47-q-sZ4SBvDYa9T9mOYWIgQTRR6OvKMVexDWTloMlR6Mn2D2V3Yj_iNwit0OjdGoA7RI4MWlbXWzXNsQr6RbLCMe03e8pEUuK5ei3gpLDx0f-iNNFULQn0HL9lXFj3g/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As always, thanks for reading the blog and please, Please, PLEASE don't forget to comment and let me know what you're thinking! See you next week for the issue #7 review!Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-58410684182617512032015-10-09T11:49:00.002-07:002015-10-09T11:59:35.208-07:00Ragman #6 - Shreds!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYf087D6NrPddAvgrAf6IY0rNferVBJc3d2r4DCIKVndQwTSPwBi3j-YP_2ViRP-bg2Hq-bxmdXDQWokoygdTIohly6X4TS9LUJpJaVSzo-FMDnuJaEIeGDSZfWOzDcCPhLhxZ4KBePuc/s1600/Ragman+6+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYf087D6NrPddAvgrAf6IY0rNferVBJc3d2r4DCIKVndQwTSPwBi3j-YP_2ViRP-bg2Hq-bxmdXDQWokoygdTIohly6X4TS9LUJpJaVSzo-FMDnuJaEIeGDSZfWOzDcCPhLhxZ4KBePuc/s320/Ragman+6+Cover.jpg" width="208" /></a>Welcome back Tatters! We return once more to the 1991 eight issue Ragman mini-series! This time around we're moving forward with issue number six. Plot and breakdowns by Keith Giffen, script by Robert Loren Fleming, art by Pat Broderick, colors by Anthony Tollin, letters by Albert DeGuzman, and edited by the team of Dooley and Helfer.<br />
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We open at Rags 'N' Tatters where we left off last issue with Bette confronting the Rabbi. After proclaiming that Rory is in danger, the Rabbi shakes it off. Bette reveals that she knows Rory is "dat rag guy" and that she seems to be the only one willing to help him. The Rabbi says that she shouldn't because "we who are merely human cannot interfere!" Bette retorts that there is nothing mere about being human and leaves Rags 'N' Tatters. The Rabbi thinks to himself, "She is a good woman, but she has never known the horrors of Treblinka!" as Bette thinks to herself, "He's an okay guy, but he never lived on da streets!"<br />
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Cut back to the showdown of the century between the Golem and Rory!<br />
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Meanwhile, one of the big bosses henchmen from issue #4 (let's call him Sneezy) is approached by the leader of the Nats. Confused, Sneezy asks whats going on and is introduced by the Nat to the leader of the Mimes who guns him down. The two drag the body off into the snow to search him for an ID. Finding none, the two set off in search of the other henchman "the fat guy". The two gangs have teamed up in order to seek out who has been pitting them against one another.<br />
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Elsewhere, Bette stumbles across the wreckage left in the wake of the confrontation between the Golem and the Ragman. Noticing clay on the wreckage, Bette reveals (via internal monologue) that she knew "bud" was falling apart. She senses it's a battle to the death and that, "Rory's bein' tested an' he's failin' bad!"<br />
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Then we rejoin the fight between the two Jewish folklore combatants...<br />
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...suddenly Ragman leaps from the bay and tugs the Golem down into the inky black water. Both resurface as the Golem realizes that it's up to him to help restore Rory's control of the suit no matter the cost. Rory, or rather the suit itself at this point it seems, sneaks off into the shadows to confront the Golem because "no tactic is too dirty. Survival is everything. May the best monster win."<br />
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Back at Rags 'N' Tatters the Rabbi laments to himself that he should have warned Rory about the danger involved in the final test. That "in fighting the Golem, you fight yourself. Perceive him as a monster and the monster will be you!" The Rabbi then cries to himself silently.<br />
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As we switch back over to the fight...<br />
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And as the Golem's head goes bouncing into the darkness, Rory gains control long enough to realize that he must erase the 'Emet' (the Hebrew word for truth) from the Golem's head to defeat him. This proves to not be as easy as he thinks though as the Golem's decapitated body continues to fight the Ragman. It's at this point Bette stumbles across the fight and collects the head of the Golem into her hands. She speaks softly to his head that the fight is over and that Rory NEEDS the good within the Golem to overcome and fight the Rags off once and for all. Tears in her eyes she erases the word 'Emet' from his face and the Golem collapses into dust and clay, uttering his first and final words, "Betty, I love youuuuu." Rory has finally come to his senses and leaps off into the night as Bette says that he shouldn't forget that someone gave up everything for him tonight because she never will.<br />
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And as Rory takes off into the night...<br />
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The next morning at Rags 'N' Tatters the Rabbi awakens worried for Rory. Slowly he approaches Rory's room and sees, thankfully, that Rory is alive and asleep. Later that day Rory awakens to night falling. He gives the Rabbi a hard time saying that he has a store to run and he should have woken him up earlier. Bette, seated at the dinner table with the Rabbi states that she ran the store while he slept. When Rory is dressed, he steps out to confront Bette about her knowledge of him being the Ragman and her expressed desire to run Rags 'N' Tatters while Rory does his thing as a hero. Rory is concerned about this being no kind of life as a 'nocturnal creature'. The Rabbi retorts that he's finished his final test and that he is welcome to do as he wants now.<br />
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But across town, in the spot where the Golem finally fell...<br />
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And with that, issue 6 ends.<br />
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Heckuva issue.<br />
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As you notice, I probably provided more pages than I normally do. It seemed necessary for this confrontation. So many panels featuring great Broderick Ragman art, I just had to showcase it.<br />
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I like that the Rags took Rory over. That, with the Golem, the Rags are a curse and a burden that's extremely hard to contain. As the Golem developed a consciousness and a morality, it gave the power a benevolent presence that Rory needed to be passed on to him to fully become the hero he needs to be.<br />
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It was confusing at times whether the Golem was fighting for himself or for the sanity and goodness of Rory himself. It seems the idea is that he was fighting for BOTH. That his sense of morality couldn't deny the soul of the man within the Rags. Made for a kind of, as I said last post, a poetry to this fight. Not a climactic final confrontation between good and evil, but a passing of the torch instead. One that had to be EARNED by Rory.<br />
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I'm glad we're nearing the end. Rory being given the full power and control of the suit will make for interesting moral questions when he is confronted by Batman later on.<br />
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Now onto the ads!<br />
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Ah Wayne's World, how we love thee. And that Monarch ad is like the third or fourth I've come across. Unfortunately for the back issue bins, I still have no interest. On the other hand, 'Panic in the Sky' looks pretty interesting actually. For more information on it, I recommend checking out fellow blogger and podcaster Michael Bailey's post over on the <a href="http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/collected-editions-superman-panic-in-the-sky/">'Fortress of Baileytude' by CLICKING HERE!</a> Bailey is my go-to Superman expert so I defer to him on matters related to the Man of Steel and the Maiden of Might. Seems like a fun story-line though!<br />
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Finally, the LETTERS PAGE!<br />
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It seems the question of who is in control of the suit is being picked up on by the readers real time. That's good. I was actually a tad concerned that some people might think RORY is the one doing the killing while in the suit. And the concern over the status of Ragman from hero to killer in this re-imagining brought about a valid concern when it comes to Batman's knowledge of him operating in his city. An inevitable confrontation that we'll see come to a head towards the end of the series.<br />
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Well that's all for now! See you guys next time! In the meantime, PLEASE don't forget to comment on these posts as we go! I love getting feedback from you guys. There's not alot of us out there, so the more I hear from you the better!Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-91237123119613363622015-10-02T15:58:00.000-07:002015-10-02T16:09:00.913-07:00Ragman #5 - Feet of Clay!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IO3kYmzB-aCUP-XDzF3BbH3Temy453nXzEkKuYS-GKgIG0ScU8LnsS2u6G8Hae4MXuq_BfjUNz6LZ1oZikDZKL-KbeKcDGI15EPF-LTNF8kfgoXeRV_FVfxYTccra-6L42P3TDz8gVk/s1600/Ragman+5+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IO3kYmzB-aCUP-XDzF3BbH3Temy453nXzEkKuYS-GKgIG0ScU8LnsS2u6G8Hae4MXuq_BfjUNz6LZ1oZikDZKL-KbeKcDGI15EPF-LTNF8kfgoXeRV_FVfxYTccra-6L42P3TDz8gVk/s320/Ragman+5+cover.jpg" width="211" /></a>...And we're back Tatters! How about that? More consistency and content with the posting! Must've been that <a href="http://www.thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2015/09/an-exclusive-interview-with-pat.html">ego boost Pat Broderick gave me</a> recently. Anywho, ON WITH THE REVIEW!<br />
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This time around we're talking about issue #5 in the 1991 series. Plots and breakdowns by Keith Giffen, script by Robert Loren Fleming, art by Pat Broderick, colors by Anthony Tollin, letters by Albert DeGuzman and edited by the team of Dooley and Helfer. Ragman #5 was cover dated February of 1992 but actually hit stands on December 10th, 1991. (Thanks to Mikes Amazing World for this info)<br />
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We open with Bette (an shockingly non-disappointing fact) taking the Golem out for coffee. Of course the Golem doesn't drink any and off the pair go into the streets and alleys of Gotham. Bette speculates that the reason the Golem didn't drink any coffee is because he doesn't actually have a mouth. They pass by the alley where Rory's father died and Bette excuses herself to say a quick prayer and pay her respects as the Golem senses the Ragman in this place. A quick jump up to the rooftops and...<br />
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Meanwhile, Bette is busy expanding on her "no mouth" theory and the Golem senses the Ragman using his powers. The Golem thinks to himself, "The young one is becoming more experienced. And as his power grows, mine ebbs!" Bette notices his weakened demeanor and suggests they visit her friend the doctor. Cut to Ragman taking on a street thug robbing (perhaps more) a woman in a back alleyway. Rory thinks to himself that the last time he confronted an "evil doer" he had to force himself to back away. But this time is different...<br />
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Down at the local police precinct, the cops are talking about the latest rash of "demon" reportings in the area. The desk sergeant shrugs it off when "CRASH!" the street thug comes crashing through the window onto his desk as Ragman looks on from a nearby rooftop. Over at the doctors office, the doctor informs Bette that he thinks her friend is dead! He's walking around but he has no pulse or vital signs. Informing the Golem that the doctor is, "a great guy but I think he drinks" off the pair go once more into the snowy streets.<br />
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Back at Rags 'n' Tatters, Rory overhears the Rabbi giving the Ragman suit a talking to, telling it that the suit is being tamed by Rory. In the alleys, the Golem is busy contemplating his current situation, "The Rags, I must find them and destroy them! It is the only way to preserve my own life! And that is my mission...preserving life! The Rags are composed of evil souls. So I am justified in destroying them! Even if it feels wrong."<br />
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Up in a Gotham high rise, the big boss reads a headline from the Gotham Times "Infant Killed In Deadly Street Gang Crossfire". He thinks to himself that the kid is better off given that he himself grew up in those same streets. But he has other concerns and is off to a billionaires ball for the evening. But little does he know that this same headline is being read across town...<br />
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In an alleyway the Golem is taking on a couple of Mime gang street punks quite mercilessly and it takes Bette to calm him down as she calls an ambulance for the kids. At Rags'n' Tatters Rory and the Rabbi are discussing his recent efforts as the Ragman and Rory resolves to disarm the local gangs and doesn't wish to be deterred. Back in the alleys, the Golem is thinking how awful it is that an "old woman must sleep in a cardboard box" when he feels the suit activate. As a finger falls off, signaling the loss of further power, the Golem gets up and walks out of the alley and into the snow, seeking out the Ragman.<br />
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As Ragman leaps off into the night, a rag drifts down into the palm of the Golem as he thinks to himself, "A hero. He's killing me! I was almost human before he came. For over forty years I fought the good fight! In just another year or two, I would have been completely human! I would have been able to speak! I will NOT return to clay! One way or another, I'll have the last word!" With a silent farewell to the sleeping Bette, the Golem leaves it all behind. Prepared for the final battle. The Rabbi senses this and thinks, "My two children...what have I done to you?"<br />
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And as the two wielders of the same power face one another, the Rabbi silently blames himself until there is a knock at the door. It's Bette warning him that Rory is in trouble. And that ends the issue.<br />
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You know, this wasn't as bad as I remembered. LOTS of Ragman in action this issue. The focus on the Golem I had initially thought to be pretty boring. However, on this read through I appreciate it more. Getting this focus on the Golems inner thoughts gives him character and tragedy. If we weren't given this inside glimpse into the Golem we'd have assumed Ragman would be going up against a soulless, mindless hulk. By giving him a soul, you almost feel bad for him. The fight to come becomes not a "win or lose" but a transition. There's some sense of poetry to that inevitability factor.<br />
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As for Rory himself, I worry sometimes if his inner dialogue when he's in the Rags is being portrayed as TOO "flourished". As in, it's just different enough that you could be excused for wondering if Rory and the Ragman are two separate entities/identities.<br />
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Lastly, I'm starting to think this "big boss" dude is utterly unnecessary. You could have had Rory confront the issue of the rival Gangs (and the Golem) without him. No mysterious benefactor supplying guns. Just a group of rival gangs with access to weapons. But we'll see as we continue how that works out.<br />
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Now onto the ADS!!!!<br />
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No experience with any of that. Including that "Last Boy Scout" movie. Despite the presence of Bruce Willis, this looks god awful. No desire to see it.<br />
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As for the rest, Warlord's origin was recently covered on the <a href="https://secretoriginspodcast.wordpress.com/">Secret Origins podcast</a> hosted by Ryan Daly. Though the ORIGIN from the Secret Origins series was supposedly lackluster, I've heard nothing but rave reviews from fellow comic fans regarding the Warlord series as a whole. If you're curious, I highly recommend you <a href="https://secretoriginspodcast.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/secret-origins-16-warlord-mazing-man-and-hourman/">check out episode #16</a> of Ryans AMAZING podcast.<br />
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Now onto the letters page to send us off!<br />
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Wow. That last letter from Jon Lydon sure packs a wallop. Regardless, it's good to see so many people so positive about Ragman! And as for that Ragman collection...how about it DC? It's been YEARS now. Surely you've got enough material for an omnibus!<br />
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As ever fellow Tatters, thanks for reading the blog. Be sure to COMMENT on these posts and let me know YOUR thoughts! I love hearing from you all! Til next time!Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-403407588752622172015-09-18T16:28:00.001-07:002015-09-18T16:30:51.296-07:00Featured Fan Art - Katie Cook!On September 11th-13th, 2015 myself and my future brother-in-law Gary went down to <a href="http://alamocitycomiccon.com/" target="_blank">Alamo City Comic Con</a> in San Antonio, TX. Avid readers of this blog already know the story if you <a href="http://www.thesuitofsouls.blogspot.com/2015/09/an-exclusive-interview-with-pat.html" target="_blank">read the EPIC last post</a>. But there aren't any comments on it, so I've got know idea who read what (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).<br />
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Anywho. Whilst there I noticed artist extraordinaire Katie Cook was coming to town. As you may or may not be aware, Katie does (among other typically Star Wars or My Little Pony based comic things) the <a href="http://www.gronkcomic.com/" target="_blank">amazeballs webcomic known the world over as GRONK</a>! Well I hadn't seen Katie since the Comic Geek Speak Supershow in 2011 so I decided I at LEAST had to get a mini-painting and an updated picture with her (she's one of my few CGS community touchstones at Cons).<br />
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Being the big Ragman fan I am (just look around, duh) I asked for the main man himself! (No not Lobo). So here we go, mini-Ragman by Katie Cook!<br />
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So the story behind the quote? Well, as true Ragman fans know, the suit allows Rory to access the abilities and memories of the souls trapped within his suit. IE: If someone is trapped under a car and it takes about 12 people to lift a car off the ground, Rory can call on the strength of 12 souls trapped in the suit and add it to his own strength in order to lift the car. </div>
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Well I'm explaining all of this to Gary as he'd never heard of Ragman (FOR SHAME!) right there in front of Katie. Katie, (I'm assuming) hears all of this (though I believe I used a sniper example at the time) and, being Katie, added the little blurb up top. Thus was born mini-Ragman with a twist!<br />
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This brings my Katie Cook mini-painting collection up to a sad-but-better-than-nothing count of THREE including my Deadman and Firestorm.<br />
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Next up, I'm thinking Phantom Stranger...and given how often I see Katie I guess I'll get that from you in 2019!<br />
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Oh, and updated picture for posterity (click to enlarge)! Now, while cutesy art is on your mind, GO READ <a href="http://www.gronkcomic.com/" target="_blank">GRONK</a> and swing over to Barnes & Noble and pick up her ever popular <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/f-you-box-katie-cook/1121677350?ean=9781454917199" target="_blank">'F YOU BOX'</a> book!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>(CGS Supershow 2011)</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>(Alamo City Comic Con 2015)</i></b></td></tr>
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Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-57841489648858738872015-09-16T14:01:00.000-07:002015-09-16T14:07:12.930-07:00An Exclusive Interview with Pat Broderick!<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhO8Ho1o8jaWROfWzdizEagXQ0AkH-0Ao64oeV5GCrjNOq5gNJqknyTB3d5DF6QWo8bhOvCI78DF8si1V4cedIKufNcswRHXJR2h35TslWKMGbjsk2uqsBJ_MzUYec6o3kepMchYg_eQ/s1600/IMG_2077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhO8Ho1o8jaWROfWzdizEagXQ0AkH-0Ao64oeV5GCrjNOq5gNJqknyTB3d5DF6QWo8bhOvCI78DF8si1V4cedIKufNcswRHXJR2h35TslWKMGbjsk2uqsBJ_MzUYec6o3kepMchYg_eQ/s320/IMG_2077.JPG" width="320" /></a>This past weekend (September 11th - 13th) my future brother-in-law (Gary) and I headed down to <a href="http://alamocitycomiccon.com/" target="_blank">Alamo City Comic Con</a> in San Antonio, TX. We were granted two press passes so I could interview creators for the <a href="http://www.lanterncast.com/" target="_blank">LanternCast</a> and Gary could snap pictures of the event. While there, I had an opportunity to speak with artist Pat Broderick regarding his work on Green Lantern. Since I had his ear, he was gracious enough to spend some time with me talking about Ragman for this very blog! And, surprise surprise, Pat knew of my blog and has even read it from time to time! Let me tell you, that made me feel pretty awesome. So without further adeu, here follows the transcribed interview from Alamo City Comic Con 2015! Enjoy!</div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;">When Ragman was created by Kubert and
Kanigher, he had a very subtle supernatural element to him. Mostly in
the way that the electrical shock transferred his abilities to him,
supposedly. But when you came on, it was post Crisis, and they had a
whole new bent to it. What was it like throwing in this much more
direct supernatural element?</span></b></div>
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<i>Well it was Keith Giffen and Robert
Loren Fleming. But what I liked about it was how they tied it into
the Judaic folklore, to the Golem, and to the Judaic mysticism. The
ability of the rags to capture the souls of the villains. I thought
that was a very unique twist to the character. And we were exploring
the powers of the suit which Keith was revealing further and further
into the series you know? So on my part, as an artist to draw Ragman,
I've always been an incredible Joe Kubert fan and I love his war
stuff. But when he got out of his war stuff and did things like the
Viking Prince, Hawkman, Ragman, and Tarzan it was refreshing to see
something that wasn't World War II. I loved Kubert's work and his
design was incredible, it was always dead on. So I was a huge fan of
Ragman when it came out because I was just a boy. I wasn't in the
industry at the time. And the development of it with Rory and the
characters that Joe and Kanigher had developed, that Keith and Robert
had brought over. It brought a freshness to them. The Batman one
where Batman became aware of Ragman and what he was doing, I thought
that was a wonderful tie-in to the DC Universe. And it was a
situation where I was brought on to work with Keith Giffens style
which was why it was in the nine panel format...not my personal
favorite selection.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">Mine either and I know you've read the
blog so you know it's not.
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<i>You know, it's a grind when one has to
do nine panels everyday, everyday, everyday. But I respect Giffens
work. I've read so much of his stuff where he did the nine panel
layout and enjoyed it. But for me and my form of storytelling I like
to pace things in that, when you hit the peak of say scene two, you
expand that peak for the dramatic effect of it. Much the way Kirby
structured his books in the early years. The chapter one, chapter
two, chapter three and then a little prologue which led into the next
story. It seems to me that all writing is based off of theatrical
screenplay/Shakespearean format. The introductions, part one, part
two and then a conclusion which works well in ANY format. But in the
beginning it was a wonderful opportunity to work on the character
that connected me back to my childhood. It's like an elixir, it's
like a drug when you can feel like a kid again especially when you're
62 years old.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">You brought up Kubert's War stuff. Rory
was a Vietnam veteran so there are some Vietnam flashbacks. But it's
also tied into the tale of the Golem so there’s some World War II
stuff. And I remember a very specific page featuring a full page
splash of a concentration camp. What what it like to draw, not just a
character you grew up with, but really emotionally intense scenes?</span></b></div>
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<i>Well there was one splash where the
Jewish prisoners are behind the barbed wire and I centered on the
gaunt, lost look on their faces. I was trying to capture the emotion
of what they had to feel at the time. The separation, the barbed
wire, the boot and the dog prints in the snow from the German guards
and their dogs. I'm a big history fan, I love history so I enjoyed
that part of it. Some of the splash pages like the montage page of
the Golem battling everything. I'll tell you a little secret on that
page. I had no layout, the plot was just, "multiple scenes. we
want the Golem doing five different things and combine them into a
montage". I turned in nine versions of that page to them.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">Wow. Speaking of multiple versions,
I've heard tell that artists used to charge more for certain
characters such as Jack of Hearts. I know your art style has a lot of
lines and details, but was Ragman a little more of a challenge
because of the amount of work you had to put into his suit in every
panel?</span></b></div>
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<i>It was far easier than it would have
been to do Jack of Hearts. (laughs) I only had to be concerned about
cloth patterns. It had the Kubert/Ditko feel, the Spider-Man style
mask, the almost magically flowing cape, and I was able to do a lot
with that.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">Was making the cape it's own almost
living element your choice?</span></b></div>
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<i>No, everything I drew I drew over
Giffens layouts. Because Keith would lay a story out as his form of
writing. So he had introduced the cape aspect of it and I picked up
on what he was doing and I basically ran with that game.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">Now, the evolution of Rory from
unwilling accomplice in his fathers legacy to becoming a bonafide
hero and being protected by the inhabitants of that Gotham slum. You
drew a lot of Ragman and developed a lot of that. But there had to be
a different side to developing Rory himself. What was that like?</span></b></div>
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<i>Remember when the Rabbi entered the
story? Rory’s development kinda took off from that point. The
previous issues were when the mob took over the pawn shop, killed his
father, sliced him to ribbons...that was sort of a prologue. The
introduction of the suit, the realization of the crime and the harm
and the loss that he felt, placing the little stone on his fathers
grave as the Jewish tradition goes, and what he was going to be doing
from that point on. Because he never expected to be doing that. He
never expected to become the Ragman. He knew that the pawnshop was a
losing financial proposition for him because he kept helping out all
of the people in the neighborhood when they'd bring this junk jewelry
but he knew them and felt for them. They'd say, "These are
family heirlooms" and he'd know they're costume jewelry but he'd
give them $50 for it or $100 for it.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">And say, “I'll hold on to it for
you.”</span></b></div>
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<i>Right. And that compared to the thugs
coming in and bringing in broken gold chains and broken watches which
clearly identified it as stolen merchandise and then throw them out.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">I don't know if you remember this when
you were reading the Ragman comics that Joe was doing, and excuse my
language, but Bette Berg was kind of a bitch to Rory. You just read
her dialogue and knew she wasn't a legitimate love interest because
she was such a bitch. It was almost like the Crisis Gods in the DC
Universe, "Well she's awful. Let's make her homeless." Now
Bette in your series was the biggest complete character 180 from what
she once was.</span></b></div>
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<i>It was a surprise for me too but I
liked the way they developed her. It left open that there was an
in-between story where she fell from her position to become a person
of the streets and the alleys. Like you said, her total personality
change where she was a bit of a bitch in the first incarnation now
she felt a lot of empathy for other people in the alley and other
people that had fallen on hard times. I'm assuming since she had
experienced it herself it was a wake-up call for her perhaps in how
she had treated other people and how shes now in the position where
people are treating her with the same disdain.
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">You said you read Ragman as a child.
One of the things I love so much about Ragman, and especially those
Kubert issues, is the heart. Rory doesn't understand why his father
does what he does in the pawn shop but he respects it and he does it
himself anyways. There's a lot of heart in that. Like the way he
protects that deaf and blind kid. Is that something that also
resonated with you as you read those comics? Because Ragman to other
people is such an obscure character, but is that what drew you in?</span></b></div>
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<i>Yeah. It was a total change of plot
structure and characterization. DC started to experiment at that time
with Steve Ditko's Hawk and Dove, and a few other series that were
going into more human type stories. That, to me, was showing a nice
direction to go into the human tragedy instead of just superheroes
and super-villains and eventually beating the super-villains and all
is well. Which seemed to be the basic structure of the story.
Compared to the Marvel structure of the stories where they had heroes
and legends but they all had major problems in their lives and it
made it more humanistic and you could relate to it more. Especially
like Peter Parker going to high school and being bullied by Flash and
knowing he could mop up the floor with him but, first of all, Peter
wouldn't do that even with his powers because he wouldn't do that
before he had his powers. His concern and admiration for Aunt May was
the same as Rory's concern and admiration for his father. He'd say,
"Dad why are you paying money out for this junk jewelry? You're
giving the business away. I don't understand." And his father
would reply, "Rory this is our neighborhood and these are our
people and they've fallen on hard times" Rory never went through
Auschwitz. His father was relating to those hard times. And there
were still hard times. The Jewish community was still suffering
prejudice towards them and I liked the fact that they were tackling
those issues because they were prevalent then and they're extremely
prevalent today. It makes that storyline timeless.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: cyan;">You know I'm a big Green Lantern fan
and that's also one of the things I love about the Green
Lantern/Green Arrow series also. The human issues. I understand with
DC and the industries history why series like Ragman and the first
Firestorm got canceled. But those series, more than those other
series that remained after the DC implosion, those stories wore more
worthy of being kept around rather than those that didn't have as
much heart.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Some things survived the implosion. I
mean, clearly it was all a financial decision because of the market
at the time and the expansion and the expected return on sales vs
what the reality was. For the administration they sometimes make
decisions based on the projections for what they think should be and
if it doesn't even hit that then it's not worth pursuing. Instead of
considering building up the market because Ragman had a core
following. I felt in the first incarnation it could have gone much
further. In the second incarnation it certainly could have gone much
further but, I'll tell you the honest truth, the sales didn't project
it. The sales on the series started out very high but then with each
issue would drop substantially. Which led to a telephone meeting
where they decided that they wanted to do Ragman on a monthly basis
but the decision was based off the sales of the first issue. I had to
point out to Kevin Dooley that the sales had dropped faster than a
comet striking the earth and they had lost 20,000 each month. By the
time we get to the 8th issue you might only be selling 20,000 copies.
You're basing a decision based on how strong it was at the beginning
yet you weren't willing to change the format.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: cyan;">Do you think the sales were dropping
because of the nine panel layout or the change to Ragman or they just
didn't like the direction? Did you have any idea what it was?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>I don't know. At the time it was coming
out so many things are happening in the industry that, in my personal
opinion, it was pulling a lot of attention towards elsewhere. Jim
Lee's stellar success on X-Men, and the things that Marvel was doing
based off of that. In my opinion, in this industry there’s a huge
fan-base following, but it shifts to where the interest is. At the
time I felt it was controlled more by the potential collectibility.
Where in the beginning issues number one and two sold really high
because they were banking on the value of those issues. But three,
four and five...by four that's where, historically, your sales level
out and once you hit that you know what you're going to do every
month. But the other factors involved with the projected return on
investment I think it created a whirlwind of massive buying. If they
renumber any series back to issue number one it pulls the attention
from all the market because they all think, "Well it's a number
one. It's going to be worth a lot more." And these are decisions
that are controlled by vice presidents of marketing. They're not very
creative.
</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: cyan;">With the way the big two are doing
things these days, let's just say I agree with you. One last
question. There were a lot of quiet moments in the series. No more so
than towards the end when Ragman faces off against Batman and there
weren't a whole lot of words exchanged. I know you've been in the
industry awhile, but what are those quiet moment like for you as an
artist, getting to showcase YOUR storytelling talents?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>A good comic is derived from a great
story but the pictures have to be able to tell the story by
themselves. For me, that particular section, you'll recall I did
Batman previously. I did Detective, I did Batman Annual, I did Batman
Year Three so I was very familiar with the Batman character and very
comfortable with the Batman character. The standoff and the face-down
between the two, Keith and Robert did not supply any dialogue for it
and I knew that they wanted the emotion to carry and I was able to
fill the order for them.
</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: cyan;">Well I wanted to thank you personally
for what you've done with Ragman and all the other characters I love
that you've been involved with such as Firestorm and Green Lantern. I
definitely wanted to let you know, as one Ragman fan to another since
there's not a lot of us out there, I appreciate your work and all the
efforts you threw into it. Thank you so much for taking the time to
talk with me.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>It was a pleasure. Thank you very much.
I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about it.
</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: cyan;">Is there anything you'd like to
promote? How can people get in touch with you?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>I have a website
<a href="http://www.patbroderickart.com/">www.patbroderickart.com</a> and you can contact me through there. I'm on
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pat.broderick.75?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and I'm accepting friend requests every day so you can find
me there. I also get a lot of commission work through Facebook. I
also have a page up on <a href="http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerydetail.asp?gcat=35711" target="_blank">www.comicartfans.com</a> but that seems to have
slowed down for a lot of people but I still have a page there. People
are welcome to contact me through any of those three venues.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And that, as they say, is that! I highly recommend you check out Pat's work! Thanks to both Pat and his wife for being so accommodating over the weekend and to Alamo City Comic Con for letting us attend. Keep an eye on the <a href="https://twitter.com/lanterncast" target="_blank">LanternCast twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheLanternCast" target="_blank">Facebook</a> for pictures from the event and the LanternCast main page for more coverage in an upcoming special episode!</div>
Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-47582594305062449402015-08-28T15:55:00.000-07:002015-08-28T15:55:03.533-07:00Ragman #4 - Above the Fray!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">Welcome back beloved Tatters! This time around we're talking, obviously, about 'Ragman' #4 with plots and breakdowns by Keith Giffen, scripts by Robert Loren Fleming, art by Pat Broderick, colors by Anthony Tollin, letters by Albert De Guzman, and edited by the team of Dolley & Helfer.</span><br />
<br />
We open as we normally do in this series, with Ragman standing in a dark and snowy alley in Gotham. Rags stands over a low level dealer who is begging for his life, offering to cut Ragman in on the cut of his "small fortune".<br />
<br />
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<br />
"I find myself surrounded by sin." Such a simple line but oh how I LOVE it for Ragman. Anywho, moving on...<br />
<br />
Back at 'Rags N Tatters', the Rabbi is worrying about Rory's efforts as Ragman this evening over a cup of coffee (tea?). Rory comes in and is asked how the night went. Evidently not killing (or absorbing the soul of) the man he confronted in the alley was a test put forth by the Rabbi to test Rory's skill as the Ragman. A test to see how well, one can only assume, Rory can resist the call of the suit.<br />
<br />
Back in a Gotham high-rise, the big boss-man behind all the latest goings ons talks with his henchmen about the trouble that Rory (not known as Ragman at this point) has been giving them. Things now cleared up, the boss believes Rory is now a known element and thus has lost his surprise factor. He then asks, "Who's in a position to take over that neighborhood?" His thugs respond that some gangs have risen up to fill the power vacuum...<br />
<br />
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<br />
Back at 'Rags N Tatters', the Rabbi is continually pestering Rory about his efforts as the Ragman (even while Rory showers, which drives him nuts). Rory states that he needs time to process everything he's experienced. The Rabbi goes to sleep and Rory opens up the shop for the day. His first customer? A member of the Shamrocks, a local gang. The Shamrock asks Rory to buy some gold and jewels off him and asks what his best price is. Rory responds by telling him to take a hike or he'll call the cops as he's not a fence for stolen goods.<br />
<br />
Down at the doctors clinic, Bette is informed that a young man she brought in the night before has passed away...<br />
<br />
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<br />
Meanwhile, the henchmen are setting about their task of setting up the Nats and the Mimes for a fall by luring them both to the same place later that evening for a weapons drop. In the midst of all of this, the Rabbi visits the grave of Rory's father to tell him he's looking out for Rory but he's afraid...to lose another.<br />
<br />
Back at 'Rags N Tatters', Rory and the Rabbi are arguing about Rory going out as Ragman as Rory says it's snowing. Rory relents and says he'll go change, but the Rabbi says not to put on the suit, but to merely call it and it will come to him...<br />
<br />
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<br />
...and Bette has now seen Ragman for the first time. A shadowy wraith flying over the rooftops of Gotham.<br />
<br />
Now, at a local construction site, the Nats and the Mimes ambush one another in a brutal flash of gunfire. Members on both sides are going down. The death is viewed from above by Ragman as he thinks to himself, "The utter banality of what I am witnessing is the very essence of evil. Blind hatred. In the absence of reason, chaos prevails..."<br />
<br />
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<br />
And with that, Ragman stands revealed not just to a scant few, but to the remaining members of two entire gangs.<br />
<br />
Nats and Mimes alike being firing into the form of Ragman, but the bullets do nothing to harm the man in Rags before them. With the option of killing them put out of his mind, Rory opts for the one final "instinct" left for him to follow and he leaps atop a nearby crane...from the ground.<br />
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<br />
Back at 'Rags N Tatters' again, the Rabbi senses Rory's personal triumph and silently congratulates him for passing this test...a test that Rory's father...failed...<br />
<br />
Back at big boss-man headquarters (come ON let's give him a name already!) the henchmen inform the boss of the arrival of the Ragman. Fully informed once again the boss orders another edict, "Find out what it is, where it operates from, and what it's objectives are! Then wipe it out!"<br />
<br />
Finally, back in the alleys of Gotham...<br />
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<br />
...and we end with Rory finally getting some much needed sleep, only interrupted briefly to tell the Rabbi to buzz off, with the Rabbi muttering dejectedly into the night.<br />
<br />
And that's that!<br />
<br />
Whew, ok. So, as I've said before, the 9 panel layout of this series has always been a sore point with me. But Brodericks art really shines in this issue, especially with the title character. Despite having a face devoid of distinguishing features, Pat manages to put true expression on the "face" of Ragman with very few adjustments. And the splash page where Ragman drops in on the middle of the fight was gorgeous (though the colorization of the eyes bothers me a bit in this otherwise flawless panel).<br />
<br />
Story-wise I DO feel as if the plot is dragging just a TAD slower than I'd like. I agree that the drama and suspense is being built up, but I'd rather see more action, less set-up. But hey, I know where this is going so I suppose these types of critiques aren't valid when the issue has been out for years and you're just anxious to get to the parts you REALLY loved.<br />
<br />
Now onto the ADS!!!!!!<br />
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Hmm, never read Batman/Predator. Not much of a Predator guy though so I suppose it's no big loss. Did any of these 90's Alien, Predator, etc. crossovers ever actually become crowning moments in comics? Let me know in the comments below.<br />
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As for the games, I've never played any of them, though the 'Return of the Joker' one looks like fun...<br />
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Now, lastly, THE LETTERS COLUMN!!!!<br />
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As eluded to by one of the fans, it seems I'm not the only one with a distaste for the 9 panel layout. But again, such a minor quibble as it's not a fault of the artist, but of the times. The distaste for Pat Broderick as an artist mentioned by one of the fans caught me off guard though. I mean, Broderick isn't my NUMBER ONE favorite artist and he was far from flawless, but I'd never refer to it as abysmal. But hey, art is subjective I suppose. For my money, Broderick is an acquired taste that is only helped by my penchant for characters like Firestorm, Green Lantern and (of course) Ragman.<br />
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But that's it for this issue folks! See you back soon for issue #5!!! In the meantime, be CERTAIN to leave a comment with YOUR thoughts on the issue, the series, the character as a whole and more BELOW!!!Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-61018226868553233172015-07-23T14:19:00.001-07:002015-07-23T14:19:19.966-07:00Featured Fan Art - Luke Daab!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkRudLtpiDos8j06bZaGnHXTlrxKtyoQ5kCKt86tSdWD1jKBCmo_ok3a5XpP-Mo8nxbas-C5eFSPvPM7few2GlmmXkx1bGhsFF4mYr-8O0q1pS3yrhm6mYvMLZdG-l5VUb-A4YLXB3_4/s1600/kCxZNeXU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkRudLtpiDos8j06bZaGnHXTlrxKtyoQ5kCKt86tSdWD1jKBCmo_ok3a5XpP-Mo8nxbas-C5eFSPvPM7few2GlmmXkx1bGhsFF4mYr-8O0q1pS3yrhm6mYvMLZdG-l5VUb-A4YLXB3_4/s200/kCxZNeXU.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
So quite some time ago I became aware of the talents of Luke Daab via the <a href="http://fireandwaterpodcast.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">'Fire and Water Podcast.'</a> His cartoonish and beautifully simplistic art style immediately captured my attention. Unfortunately, like so many of my favorite artists (many of whom I know personally), I can often not afford to commission the art I desire from them. Not because they're overly expensive, but because I just don't always have the extra cash, and if I do...well, there's always something slightly more important to purchase with that money. And I REFUSE to ask for free work (Seriously guys, ALWAYS pay artists. ALWAYS.)<br />
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Cue the entrance of Pete into my life. Pete is a HUGE fan of Ragman as, CLEARLY, am I. As Pete was establishing the AWESOME new Facebook page for Ragman (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/RagmanDC" target="_blank">Ragman - DC Comics</a> go like it!) he contacted me and made me an admin. Evidently dedicating a blog to the character earns me some respect around here! Well, Pete told me some of his plans. Including a Featured Art Friday where he'd feature the Ragman-centric art of various artists across the internet, perhaps even commission them to work on a Ragman piece for himself. Ever the crafty selfish asshole, I dropped Luke's name and suggested Pete check out his style and commission a Ragman piece from him if he liked what he saw. It turns out Pete took the bait and BAM!!!! I got to see Luke draw Ragman, get paid for it, and I didn't have to spend a dime!<br />
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But enough nefarious origin story, here now as featured on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RagmanDC" target="_blank">Ragman Facebook page</a> (seriously, go like it) is Luke's perspective of these events, Ragman as a whole...and the AMAZING artwork!</div>
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<i>"Let me set the scene… Pete Maxfield, Administrator of the Ragman Facebook Page stands over his kitchen stove. A juicy steak sizzles and pops in the pan over the flame. Pete wafts the scent of rare meat to his waiting nostrils. His eyes close in ecstasy as he lets the aroma engage with his senses. He doesn't see the bottle of Merlot quietly disappear from the counter. Pete smiles to himself as unbeknownst to him, the bottle raises in the air behind him. Suddenly and without warning… THONK! The bottle crashes across Pete's head, spattering red Merlot across the kitchen. Pete collapses into an unconscious heap on the floor. His kitty laps the wine from the tile, then hobbles away like a bum drunk on hooch.</i></div>
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<i>That's how I managed to take over the Ragman Fan Page! That's right… I've stolen the keys! Accessed the secret access codes! Stolen the Death Star plans! But who am I, you ask?</i></div>
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<i>My name is Luke Daab. I am an artist that was commissioned by Pete to create an original Ragman illustration for the blog! Why would I repay Pete's kindness by bashing him on the head with a 2010 California Merlot, you ask? Allow me to admit something… that whole story was a lie. I made it up. I just needed a good opener.</i></div>
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<i>I was introduced to the character Ragman by Chad Bokelman during his guest appearance on my favorite comic book-based podcast, The Fire and Water podcast hosted by Shag Matthews from firestormfan.com and Rob Kelly from the aquamanshrine.net! I had never heard of Ragman before the podcast, and to be honest, I haven't thought much about the character since. As the episode aired, I searched Google Images to give myself a visual reference. "What an bizarre-looking character," I thought. That's pretty-much where I left Ragman.</i></div>
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<i>Fast-forward to many many months later. Pete Maxfield contacts me to create a Ragman commission. I think to myself "This is Chad Bokelman's doing," and I was right! Suffice it to say, I was intrigued by the opportunity to draw this strange hero I had Google-image-searched so long ago. Rather than diving straight into creating the artwork, I decided to get to know Ragman first. I went to my local comic shop where I purchased issues 1-5 of the original series, and the first two issues of his 8-part and 6-part miniseries. Here's what I have to say about them: I loved them.</i></div>
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<i>Of everything I've read so-far, the original run of Ragman is by far my favorite. Why? For so many reasons. Ragman's story is a very human story, and like most of our lives, it's filled with hardship and tragedy. As someone who's closed a small business, who's marriage has seen its share of strife, and as someone who's looked at the cupboard and said "let's see if we can stretch this out for a month," I resonated with the melancholy tone of the book and the hardships of the characters therein. Ragman is a hero to the hurting and a servant to the lowest of low. He is hope for the hopeless and a voice for the voiceless. This truth becomes quite literal when Rory befriends a street orphan who suffers from being both blind and mute.</i></div>
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<i>Ragman opens by giving the reader a glimpse into Rory's world—a pawn shop in an urban neighborhood. We meet people in at the bottom rungs of society, selling their prized possessions in order to survive. In this environment, Rory Reagan shines. He is compassionate, and restores honor to the disgraced who enter his shop. Even before donning his tattered cape and cowl, Rory is a servant to the downcast. I liked that a lot about Ragman too.</i></div>
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<i>In each incarnation I read, Ragman's comics felt poetic, melancholy, mysterious, supernatural, but ultimately human.</i></div>
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<i>I knew my piece had to capture that.</i></div>
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<i>To capture the poetry of Ragman's story and the author's writing, I drew Ragman in an elegant pose, almost dance-like. The colors of the piece are muted and a little dirty to represent the humble environment for the hero. Finally, I drew Rory Reagan's portrait behind the costumed figure to remind the viewer that Ragman is ultimately human—a man with his own struggles, dreams, fears, hopes and failures. He is one-and-the-same with those for whom he seeks justice.</i></div>
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<i>I'm sure I've failed at communicating everything that captured me while reading Ragman. There's simply too much to convey. But I DID enjoy working on the piece. You know what? I don't think Ragman's costume is ever drawn the same way twice—across any two panels of his comics. Talk about a moving target!</i></div>
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<i>Ragman is a great character with a lot left to explore! I hope DC take's advantage of his heritage and writes more Ragman stories. As DC Comics explores the mini-series format more-and-more, I hope to see Ragman return! I would leap at the chance to rejoin the character!</i></div>
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<i>Well… it looks like Pete is finally coming to. I better get out of his kitchen! Thanks for letting me spill Merlot all over your fan page, guys. Enjoy the piece!</i></div>
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<i>Your friend,</i></div>
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<i>Luke"</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDQ878mYUd5JJji69bEzVagC3RwT4eiCJ7roSgls1Qq2mXT37sJb_7U6JEV9UgK8_axnEturQEbLzlvLxgoN_ievtpphgdRiLlfuWZ1-1jDYew5j4QJk0JYPPup-y5yXR11xljyVDStc/s1600/11752355_1602250880063826_795461876762347824_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDQ878mYUd5JJji69bEzVagC3RwT4eiCJ7roSgls1Qq2mXT37sJb_7U6JEV9UgK8_axnEturQEbLzlvLxgoN_ievtpphgdRiLlfuWZ1-1jDYew5j4QJk0JYPPup-y5yXR11xljyVDStc/s640/11752355_1602250880063826_795461876762347824_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtegTmHsT04A5hsIjV3UnrOuhJYujLUBthrexID_cwb9d36nBt4C-t4EAbcGZulFLRxZ_GnwDqxHdCGlo5JI37sWyBBumBPPFhGlQx-3io_FPmyeoeaeH2WPlxLSC1eVSyZxo2FG6V18c/s1600/11754698_1602249606730620_2573181014360993842_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtegTmHsT04A5hsIjV3UnrOuhJYujLUBthrexID_cwb9d36nBt4C-t4EAbcGZulFLRxZ_GnwDqxHdCGlo5JI37sWyBBumBPPFhGlQx-3io_FPmyeoeaeH2WPlxLSC1eVSyZxo2FG6V18c/s640/11754698_1602249606730620_2573181014360993842_o.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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It's pretty safe to say at this point that my (and Pete's) faith in Luke to pull this off was WELL founded. If you want to contact Luke to commission a piece from him, and I HIGHLY recommend you do so, please <a href="http://daabcreative.com/contact.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO CONTACT HIM!</a></div>
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Thanks guys for swinging by to read the blog! Don't forget to follow and, most importantly, COMMENT on the posts! See you soon!</div>
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<br />Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-49837238486350931652015-04-30T12:09:00.000-07:002015-04-30T12:09:21.690-07:00Image Mock Up - Ragman TV Show Logo!Hello friends of the Suit of Souls! Tatters? Is that what I last called you? Oh well, Tatters it is! I figured a low key post is the best way to come back to this. Attempting to catch, or re-catch, your interest in this blog by starting a NEW review post with some explanation of why I've been absent isn't the best way to <i>maintain</i> your interest in the review itself.<br />
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So here we are.<br />
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Recently I've occupied my limited free time by playing around with various image effect combinations using things like the photogrid app, pixlr.com, picfont.com and the plethora of PNG comics images found online. I've created images for my own enjoyment, for friends podcasts and even for the LanternCast as well. (see below images and feel free to follow me on Instagram!)<br />
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/0GDJDsDOCq/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Made another fan edit image! #comics #DCcomics #superman #blacklightning #plasticman #adamstrange #atom #swampthing #sgtrock #redtornado #mistermiracle #dcpresents #dccomicspresents</a></div>
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A photo posted by Chad Bokelman (@cagenarleigh) on <time datetime="2015-03-11T16:42:25+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 11, 2015 at 9:42am PDT</time></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/zkzrf2jOJ7/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Got bored, so I made an image with my favorite #Spidey characters. #spiderwoman #Venom #carnage #antivenom #silk #spidermannoir #spidergwen #punkspiderman #spiderman</a></div>
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A photo posted by Chad Bokelman (@cagenarleigh) on <time datetime="2015-02-26T18:52:22+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 26, 2015 at 10:52am PST</time></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/y24ESQDOC6/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">I got bored, so I decided to play around with online photo editing software and images of almost every one of my favorite comic characters. #DCcomics #Marvel #comics #GreenLantern #firestorm #Ragman #Deadman #PhantomStranger #Gambit #Firebrand #Venom #Thor #Starfire #Firestar</a></div>
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A photo posted by Chad Bokelman (@cagenarleigh) on <time datetime="2015-02-08T22:45:38+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 8, 2015 at 2:45pm PST</time></div>
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So if I've got free time to create images, why am I not blogging more? It's a fair question. Well, writing, even blogging or reviewing comics is an outlet for me. It requires a clear mind and once I set fingers to keyboard, I try to make it as coherent and "me" as possible. If it's not "me" I'm not satisfied and I re-do it. And re-re-do it, and re-re-re-do it until it's right. That takes time. Time I usually don't have because MOST of my free time these days when it comes to comic stuff is devoted to the LanternCast. Not just recording episodes, but reading comics for it, researching, editing, coding, creating album art, posting and even social media posts letting people know when new content is available. As well as interacting with our listeners via email, Facebook and Twitter.<br />
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That said, podcasting doesn't fulfill most of what I hope to accomplish in comic coverage. That COMBINED with blogging completes the circuit. But time is limited.<br />
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That being said, I'm coming back to blogging. It may be infrequent, but I'm coming back. I've GOT to make time for it because, and this may not make sense to YOU, but I need to in order to stay sane.<br />
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So expect new content here on the blog! Like this image I just created!<br />
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With The Flash, Arrow, Constantine, Gotham and iZombie out there, there are a few comic related DC tags at the end of each show if you watch until the end of the credits. (SEE BELOW)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRLJCbJzbwKLMcY-JNqlst7h1VCc2q8qGNGrLYtEixFj76YfncrxumL2RKa1Ra3FYP37Kp3dDa2KdxcIJfk6mR0kvpm4PIGqn7EL9HGOJNoXUaavFhgdjvX6r6qpYJFMxaeB6ynQHdIU/s1600/Constantine+NBC+TV+Show+DC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRLJCbJzbwKLMcY-JNqlst7h1VCc2q8qGNGrLYtEixFj76YfncrxumL2RKa1Ra3FYP37Kp3dDa2KdxcIJfk6mR0kvpm4PIGqn7EL9HGOJNoXUaavFhgdjvX6r6qpYJFMxaeB6ynQHdIU/s1600/Constantine+NBC+TV+Show+DC+Logo.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrI8wAxZ6naz_JmRIg6qFkSpYmqd9CE8OkqH4eT4JH3-XHMfykOKITSYdzLZmqUqqOgZpHWGDmICUTiOOIcKPzPKOfcoTBB52jWw1ZeieoNEcxuenRAdme2O6yuCtxw0H8k4LYB4ITcE/s1600/iZombie+DC+TV+WB+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrI8wAxZ6naz_JmRIg6qFkSpYmqd9CE8OkqH4eT4JH3-XHMfykOKITSYdzLZmqUqqOgZpHWGDmICUTiOOIcKPzPKOfcoTBB52jWw1ZeieoNEcxuenRAdme2O6yuCtxw0H8k4LYB4ITcE/s1600/iZombie+DC+TV+WB+Logo.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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So I decided to take it upon myself and create one for a RAGMAN TV show! (yeah right, but hey, I can dream)<br />
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So here's what I came up with! Feel free to use it as a social media cover photo...I am!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIyVARcnIYXu_Ixv5fnx-PhfiP77mvY0nFuZq3zcjB9SPLpxT1mEzg8A9RLXKfF25pLozBdE8GSwQ2aL75GD8DnesQXjjqZeFpA5yqUVW0w1nbXxwOsVSALX3SGeK2PtpAevV49wr2rY/s1600/Ragman+DC+TV+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIyVARcnIYXu_Ixv5fnx-PhfiP77mvY0nFuZq3zcjB9SPLpxT1mEzg8A9RLXKfF25pLozBdE8GSwQ2aL75GD8DnesQXjjqZeFpA5yqUVW0w1nbXxwOsVSALX3SGeK2PtpAevV49wr2rY/s1600/Ragman+DC+TV+Logo.jpg" height="152" width="400" /></a></div>
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Keep an eye on the blog in coming weeks! We're back!</div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-64111375824769840392014-09-11T09:20:00.001-07:002014-09-11T09:20:48.646-07:00Ragman Cosplay - DragonCon 2014!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL2sD_tFAfhIAiZz1PogVqzFPxr_UIimJKJNY4KHbJiZ2j8uydMf87k6Ka3X49Rx142htsENMwD6R18QYKn6FVlmAvjZTyCRw3r21SqSSseMGNEU49uxBxgzZNCbmJlI_NUMeGVBMAAY/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL2sD_tFAfhIAiZz1PogVqzFPxr_UIimJKJNY4KHbJiZ2j8uydMf87k6Ka3X49Rx142htsENMwD6R18QYKn6FVlmAvjZTyCRw3r21SqSSseMGNEU49uxBxgzZNCbmJlI_NUMeGVBMAAY/s1600/logo.png" height="247" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dragon Con has come and gone folks, and the biggest cosplay convention of the year did not disappoint for many people. Including us here at the Ragman Blog! My friend Dan texted me a few images of a Ragman cosplayer spotted at this year's proceedings!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFtFhTX5x8veqVbbCwVgcCLnTpodapPBtmRwV97a2icBtfT1BYPuTud16cFDgu6QNjGjvHLIbBUsjD7M8f-ToH-G4Yuu6gIERvTHokQ-DO5exLqOeGqbDxqoAWeuh7JN50pJdP3ga5sU/s1600/Dragon+Con+2014+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFtFhTX5x8veqVbbCwVgcCLnTpodapPBtmRwV97a2icBtfT1BYPuTud16cFDgu6QNjGjvHLIbBUsjD7M8f-ToH-G4Yuu6gIERvTHokQ-DO5exLqOeGqbDxqoAWeuh7JN50pJdP3ga5sU/s1600/Dragon+Con+2014+(3).jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4l0MQgB-iEAZ1evAgLNgy_9GVY6bTuTWCb8hAgTsND5NAuNPN0QmvPwZ6gDquQWiKLRNXAv8Ar731hhvqkekSkFazFKPEeLFi6Nmr1fd7qAvEcZN-ObRZGTmeCzsi0aZ43uuAMPEw80/s1600/Dragon+Con+2014+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4l0MQgB-iEAZ1evAgLNgy_9GVY6bTuTWCb8hAgTsND5NAuNPN0QmvPwZ6gDquQWiKLRNXAv8Ar731hhvqkekSkFazFKPEeLFi6Nmr1fd7qAvEcZN-ObRZGTmeCzsi0aZ43uuAMPEw80/s1600/Dragon+Con+2014+(4).jpg" /></a></div>
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As of this posting, not much is known about this mysterious cosplayer. I've no idea who he (or she) is and thus am unable to give proper credit where credit is definitely due! If anyone knows who this is, or how I can contact them, don't hesitate to reach out to me! All I DO know for certain is that this is not the first time Ragman has appeared at Dragon Con! The following image is from the 2013 convention...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKReT_O_GvnwUvL38GHpwMo90SiJxtwMmBJeQ2q8uYGdHK9klTEhXQT8QTqaVmFzMVJFPD298MBFCQ3sI3lNQhNo1KdLuuBEpEoJbC66RyDQBjGd7jzcCQ37ONr56FXohaBDRG268ydM/s1600/Dragon+Con+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKReT_O_GvnwUvL38GHpwMo90SiJxtwMmBJeQ2q8uYGdHK9klTEhXQT8QTqaVmFzMVJFPD298MBFCQ3sI3lNQhNo1KdLuuBEpEoJbC66RyDQBjGd7jzcCQ37ONr56FXohaBDRG268ydM/s1600/Dragon+Con+2013.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Fantastic work indeed. Mad props go out to this cosplayer, whomever they may be, for doing such a fine job of representing our favorite tatterdemalion! You must be a true fan! Also, my friend and fellow podcaster/blogger Shag shot me a link to the following video on Facebook where we get a brief look at Rags in action! So thanks to Dan and Shag for being my eyes and ears out at Dragon Con! Hope everyone had fun! <b>Don't forget to comment!!!</b></div>
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Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-77880633613790242612014-09-05T14:40:00.001-07:002014-09-05T14:45:55.554-07:00Ragman #3 - The Folktale!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14MkKkNtt3u3VOYH4ZZRoOGl26A7FkqkiAmQeaSvf3DJfydjsSR7EZbkQhPRobb8CRgfgXr5dW10ml8SkXyK_sTgnGx365n3_TczN57biF0VyBeyhtQIIA_DViM6KFa7rjeDQRB-92ss/s1600/Ragman+3+Cover+The+Origin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14MkKkNtt3u3VOYH4ZZRoOGl26A7FkqkiAmQeaSvf3DJfydjsSR7EZbkQhPRobb8CRgfgXr5dW10ml8SkXyK_sTgnGx365n3_TczN57biF0VyBeyhtQIIA_DViM6KFa7rjeDQRB-92ss/s1600/Ragman+3+Cover+The+Origin.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a>Back a week later folks and it's time to review issue #3! Now a couple of caveats before we get started:<br />
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1) This particular entry is going to have ALOT more images from the actual issue than usual. That's because this issue highlights the ORIGIN of Ragman as it relates to the Suit of Souls concept. This is huge stuff in terms of Ragman history and I don't want to miss a thing. So every panel from the history/flashback stuff will be on display here. To properly read ANY image, DON'T FORGET TO CLICK ON IT TO ENLARGE!<br />
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2) The origin of Ragman is steeped heavily not JUST in Jewish folklore (<a href="http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Golem.html" target="_blank">The Legend of the Golem</a>) but also in WWII. It can be a sore subject for some, regardless of how it's portrayed. Fair warning.<br />
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3) I'm aiming to get a post up every week. Trying to post the same DAY every week though will prove impossible due to my work schedule (and erratic flow of business) mucking things up. But look out for a post once a week!<br />
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Now, into the review! As I stated, this issue covers, by and large, the origin of Ragman. So let's get started.<br />
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We pick up where we left off, Rory is entertaining his surprise guest, the Rabbi from last issue. As they speak over tea, the Rabbi makes a snide remark about Rory's middle name being "killer" as he has killed four people since donning the suit. He reveals that he knows this because Aunt Mabel has evidently become quite the chatty Cathy since being absorbed into the suit. Rory maintains that Mabel is only in a vegetative state while the Rabbi reveals that she is most certainly dead...and "<i>that suit is ALIVE!</i>" Rory demands to know what the Rabbi wants of him and the Rabbi re-iterates that Rory is to be his apprentice...the same as his father before him. The mention of his father quiets a stunned Rory as he settles in to listen to the tale of the Ragman from the Rabbi...<br />
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It's at this point that Rory interrupts, maintaining that the story is essentially poppycock. This angers the Rabbi and he jams the suit in Rory's face. He screams, "<i>Five people are dead! Do you find that RIDICULOUS?! Because I do! I find it ridiculous that anyone so unworthy would dare put on a suit comprised of the souls of the dead!</i>" He dares Rory to listen to the torment in the voices of the souls in the suit but before he can, the Rabbi suggests one soul in particular...</div>
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Rory then vomits into the kitchen sink and the Rabbi, disgusted, goes to pick up a framed picture of Rory's father. Wondering aloud what happened to him, the Rabbi calls him 'Jerzy Reganiewicz' and an indignant and ignorant Rory insists that his fathers name was Gerry Regan. The Rabbi scoffs, saying that isn't a name fit for jews. Rory says it was good enough for his father and the Rabbi blames himself for that, after all, he was with him May 15th, 1943 in the Warsaw Ghetto before they were separated!</div>
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Rory, still in disbelief, asks if his father ran away. The Rabbi turns away and says no, that it was the suits safety feature of having an aversion to fire. He then states, "<i>It is a Ragman's duty to protect his people and to inspire hope...but there was no hope left in that place</i>."</div>
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Rory asks if he ever heard from his father again. The Rabbi replies that he never did and his father must have assumed him dead. He even goes so far to say that, if Rory hadn't put on the suit in the first place, he wouldn't be there now. This reinforces the connection between the suit and the Rabbi. </div>
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As the two start turning in for the night, Rory offers to make up a bed. The Rabbi states he will sleep in Rory's bed and that Rory should get used to sleeping in his fathers bed. Rory exclaims that his father died in that bed and the Rabbi replies, "<i>I know that Rory. Do YOU wish to die in bed?</i>"</div>
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Later that night, the Rabbi wakes Rory from a sound sleep and casually mentions that he raised another Golem and that it was on it's way to kill him now because, "<i>It seemed like a good idea at the time.</i>"</div>
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The Rabbi says that the Golem is on it's way to kill Rory because it's been around too long and is afraid of being replaced. He suggests Rory get some sleep because his training will begin tomorrow and the Golem will be only the first of the monsters Rory will face.</div>
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Cut to a dark and snowy alleyway where an unfortunate dope dealer runs into the Golem. Exit with the Golem quietly crushing both dope and dope dealers skull.</div>
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Cut to businessman from previous issue finally being informed of the deaths of his crew (Vorst and the like). He discovers a stray Rag on his model of the section of the city (the slums inhabited by Rory and CO.) he wants to control. Exit scene.</div>
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Cut back to Rags N Tatters as Rory is having another Vietnam dream. He dreams of himself carrying others through the war, refusing to give up. In the dream he stumbles across the Golem and asks for help to save him. The Golem says it's up to Rory and always has been. Rory shouts that he never wanted to be a leader and even actively tried to put himself couldn't but never could. He realizes in the dream that he always has been the Ragman. He awakens to the realization and reflects on them momentarily before grabbing the suit and saying to a suddenly present Rabbi, "<i>I'm ready Rabbi. Teach me what I need to know.</i>"</div>
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Heckuva issue. Really. While the art was consistent with the past two issues in terms of panel layout, I have to say, the splash pages by Broderick are ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. From Ragman in the flaming Ghetto to the heartbreaking concentration camp scene to the Golem history layout. Wow. Had to showcase those. THAT'S the Broderick I'm familiar with.</div>
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And the history of Ragman is WELL thought out. It's incredibly detailed and steeped in real world events and folktale. Fantastically done. I imagine most people adverse to the idea changed their minds by the time they got to this issue.</div>
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ON TO THE ADS!!!</div>
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Last but certainly not least, we have the FIRST letters page for the new series! Check out the reaction to the "all new" Ragman!</div>
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All accolades all the time it seems! Nothing but excitement for the return of DC's Tatterdemalion of Justice!</div>
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Til next time folks, don't forget to subscribe/follow the blog and MOST importantly leave your comments on the posts! Feedback is encouraged whether its agreement or dissent! I just want to hear YOUR thoughts, not be alone in my own! FANS OF RAGMAN UNITE!!!</div>
Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-731055361745804972014-08-28T09:49:00.000-07:002014-08-28T09:49:17.616-07:00Ragman #2 - A Ragged Revenge!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>A green cloaked figure alights on a
rooftop above the snow covered slums of Gotham. After peering down
intently on his destination, the old 'Rags N Tatters' pawn shop, this
quiet crusader leaps from his perch and silently enters the darkened
storefront.</i></div>
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Awww yeah. How about them apples? Not
bad for being away for a bit right? RIGHT?! Psh, I knew it. Anywho,
so the Ragman Blog is BACK folks! And it's high time I posted up the
review for issue #2 of the 1991 eight issue Ragman mini-series by
Keith Giffen and Pat Broderick.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When last I left you, Rory had gotten
into a scrape and his father suffered a worse fate. Seeking to take
vengeance on those who killed his father, Rory returned to his
fathers junk shop (now occupied by drug dealers) and stumbled upon
a box of rags which supernaturally coalesced around him into a
suit.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And, alongside that bit of theatrics I
indulged in above, that is where we re-enter the story.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Awakened by a rustling sound, Stu gets
up, grabs his handgun and is off to hunt some rats. Whilst hunting,
his partner in “drug stuff” (I mean, I don't know. Are they
dealers? Do they MAKE the stuff? IDK) Mabel wakes up and asks him
what he's up to. He tells her to go back to bed and then “SNAP!”
Ragman uppercuts the living snot outta Stu (breaking his neck and
killing him?). His timing is off though as Mabel has heard the ruckus
(a word I enjoy, for the record) and steps out and puts four slugs
(that'd be bullets for you uninformed types) in his chest.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tK9SRLbd3Weyh79fTKclIB32KB-FGKNmXmESO5BNvTe5oZokphQkrm4la-uLZfe7wH6KiaI5zYaGZH4zb6KEarJgifHhaE-uNdLvBMvu2jb3YzPQJ-IrE6oK9qeMuUbYQY5n4zbSX8Y/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tK9SRLbd3Weyh79fTKclIB32KB-FGKNmXmESO5BNvTe5oZokphQkrm4la-uLZfe7wH6KiaI5zYaGZH4zb6KEarJgifHhaE-uNdLvBMvu2jb3YzPQJ-IrE6oK9qeMuUbYQY5n4zbSX8Y/s1600/1.jpg" height="205" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Assuming, as anyone would, that he's
dead, Mabel indulges in momentary gloating until she notices movement
from Rags. Suddenly shes completely washed over with rags...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rags then sets about searching the
place until he discovers the drugs. Meanwhile Betty is attempting to
confront random people in alleyways and force seasonal greetings out
of them. On another side of town, One-Shot is selling drugs to a
customer and, upon leaving him, stumbles across a large bag of “<i>our
best stuff</i>”. Rags immediately pummels the guy into a confession of
everything that's been going on (but doesn't mention killing Rory's
father) and off Rags goes. It's at this point that the shadowy faced
stranger Betty attempted to coerce a little holiday cheer from comes
upon the battered and bloody One-Shot and just keeps walking,
brushing a wayward rag off his shoulders.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At the local bar, the menacing Jimmy
Olson (alright, alright! Vorst.) partakes of his last drink of the
evening before heading off to find One-Shot...all of which is being
observed by Rags...</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So Vorst enters 'Rags N Tatters' to
check on things when he discovers Stu and Mabel dead (hooray for
confirmation). Drawing his gun, he wanders towards an open closet and
peers inside. It then promptly slams in his face. So he tells
whomever is in there to come out on the count of three.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1...2...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hey, you can't complain man. He did as
you asked. It's not his fault you didn't specify HOW. Anyways,
stunned gunman is stunned and attempts to shoot Rags which, surprise
surprise, fails. So Rags tosses him through a wooden door and out
into the snow. Thus begins a pursuit up to the roof where a cornered
Vorst says, “<i>Let me go!! I didn't do anything! An' if I did, then
I'm SORRY!</i>” Rags responds after a pause...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well at least there is SOME slight
hesitation from Rory in the way he seems to be going about this. Cut
to Betty observing a crime scene as officials wheel away a body
(whose mouth had be stuffed with cocaine) and overhearing that it
would take “<i>a miracle</i>” to save that part of town. Cut back to
Rags as he enters the apartment of the man who killed his father. It's
then that the inner monologue of Rory clarifies exactly what happened
to Mabel earlier, “<i>I was led to this apartment by the evil woman
whose black soul is now a part of my suit.</i>” Hence...<b>SUIT OF SOULS</b>!
Boom.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Back to the action. So, Rory sneaks up
on the man and suddenly the man wheels around in bed and aims a gun
at Rags and fires...four times. Is that all these clips hold?
Regardless, it doesn't work, so Rags grabs a pillow and, despite the
mans adamant protests...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5rHmO6t66TxDaCgCjx6CxvY_FDy0DcB3RWqcR-4KDiNfZcD-xpAjgbgQsAH_yJ59kkC8WQu1wzuaG5JRvNXx_A39d0OXvTGPDtma9GdehyCSSt2r-nuqC4zKO6c9yv-AWTp7SV9rfL8/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5rHmO6t66TxDaCgCjx6CxvY_FDy0DcB3RWqcR-4KDiNfZcD-xpAjgbgQsAH_yJ59kkC8WQu1wzuaG5JRvNXx_A39d0OXvTGPDtma9GdehyCSSt2r-nuqC4zKO6c9yv-AWTp7SV9rfL8/s1600/7.jpg" height="205" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So that brings Rory's body count to a
total of five in just one issue. Calm down dude. Just a bit. But
moving on, the next day Rory is awakened by a knock at his door by
the police as they inform him that his “<i>Aunt and Uncle have been
murdered</i>” (Stu and Mabel who assumed the role of Aunt and Uncle to
gain control of 'Rags N Tatters'). We are then thrown into a scene
with zero information where a business man in a high rise is angrily
attempting to contact Vorst then, all atypical villain like, looks
over a model of his “<i>old neighborhood</i>” and sinks into villainous
contemplation.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Back at 'Rags N Tatters', Betty is
congratulating Rory on re-acquiring the Junk Shop. After she leaves,
Rory examines his suit, thinking his father “<i>shirked the
responsibility of the suit</i>”. However he discovers within the suit
the word “EMET”, the very same word that had been habitually
appearing in his dreams/nightmares. Rory recalls the memory of the
Legend of the Golem but remarks that, “<i>I'm not a clay man with
letters carved in my head! I'm only flesh and blood!</i>” Suddenly a
voice speaks up from behind him...</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And that's that. Whoa nelly. What an
issue. I admit, part of me didn't look forward to reviewing this
series. Mostly because of the 9 panel layout per page. Makes
things...longer I guess. But I've gotta admit, it's a pretty great
origin story thus far. And we STILL haven't learned everything about
the suit! Love that. I also love that Rory killed a bunch of people.
War veteran haunted by his service witnesses his father being
murdered while he himself is beaten into a coma. Man then stumbles
upon supernatural suit and uses it in his pursuit of vengeance. You
can't deny, you could very well do the same thing if driven by anger
and grief and endowed, in THAT MOMENT, with powers. I like that
“humanity” in my heroes. I like that, forgive the use of the
word, they fuck up in the beginning.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm also really growing on the 9 panel
layout as it relates to Pats artwork. As stated before, I love Pats
work, but thought it suffered in the use of this layout. But
stretching one image across three panels from time to time helps.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Also enjoying the “slow reveal” of
things here. Like how you're not CERTAIN Stu is dead until later. Or
they don't tell you (but they hint at it) until later what happened
to Mabel. Same with One-Shot, you just kinda think Rags beat the snot
out of him an left him in the snow. I like the follow through.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So...ONTO THE ADS!!!! (<b>Click on Image to Enlarge!</b>)</div>
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<br />
<br />
Alright folks, that's it! Next time we
either have issue #3 or we're doing something else (probably related
to New 52 Ragman). Either way, look forward to it! I'm back babydoll!
Don't forget to follow the blog, share it with your friends and ABOVE
ALL comment on the post! I LOVE hearing back from you guys and the
comments is the best way to do it!</div>
Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89267913288882115.post-19740762773487104982014-08-14T08:36:00.001-07:002014-08-14T08:36:58.542-07:00NEWS: Ragmans New 52 Debut!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm BACCCKKKKKKK! Ok, first things first. Sorry I've been gone so long. Since I've last posted, Jim and Dan (founders of <a href="http://lanterncast.com/" target="_blank">The LanternCast</a> and my co-hosts on the show) have stepped down. Myself and my new co-host Mark Marble have taken over the LanternCast duties. Recording, editing and posting have consumed much of my free time. HOWEVER, two things have sparked my return to my favorite Tatterdemalion:<br />
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1) I found a torrent online of nearly all of Ragman's comic appearances. I know there are those of you out there who condemn torrents, I feel comfortable in admitting that I downloaded this one because I already OWN all of the appearances AND there are no digital copies available for purchase. So there. Plus, scanning EVERY SINGLE PAGE is one of the BIG reasons I let this blog fall by the wayside. Seriously, you try it. It's an awful task. But no more! The largest part of the legwork is already DONE!<br />
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2) The news that Ragman will RETURN to the pages of DC comics with Batwoman #35! (by the by, that's what that image up there is from. It's the cover for that issue. Guess which one is Ragman? :P)<br />
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Anywho, I've poked around on the interwebs and discovered the following tidbits o' information:<br />
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<b>From San Diego Comic Con 2014:</b><br />
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"<i>A reader excited to see Ragman return asked whether the shared Judaism of Batwoman and Ragman would play a role in the series. Andreyko (writer) joked that "We're going to be doing a Passover special" before giving a more serious response that the character's background will remain intact from his pre-New 52 version and that he has long term plans for Ragman's inclusion in the book. The writer also revealed that the mystery character in the Unknowns team will be called Red Alice.</i>"<br />
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(Reported by <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=54349" target="_blank">Comic Book Resources</a>)<br />
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"<i>Q: Seeing Ragman teamed up with Batwoman - Ragman's classic stories deal with his being Jewish; since she is also Jewish, will you be doing anything about the fact that two of the Jewish heroes are teamed up together?</i><br />
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<i>Andreyko: "We're doing a passover special (laughs). His Judaism is really important to the character, so there will be an arc with him that I think you'll really like, with the origins of his costume."</i>"<br />
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(Reported by <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/21699-sdcc-2014-dc-comics-batman-the-eternal-dark-knight.html" target="_blank">Newsarama</a>)<br />
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So there you have it. You know what I know. Not much information, but hey, we're all just happy to have Rags return aren't we? By the way, I reached out to Batwoman #35 artist Georges Jeanty and writer Marc Andreyko on both Facebook and Twitter. It's my hope to involve them in the Ragman discussion so long as Rags appears in their title. No ass kissing here folks, I just think the conversation has a greater meaning when creator and fan have an avenue to discuss things. Plus, who doesn't like hearing the creator side of things? Hopefully they respond. If not, worry not! Follow them both on Twitter! I'm certain they'll be posting things there from time to time about their Batwoman collaboration!<br />
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(Click on their names below to follow their twitter pages!)<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/KabaLounge" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Georges Jeanty</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/marcandreyko" target="_blank">Marc Andreyko</a></span><br />
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And YES, I will be covering Ragmans appearances in Batwoman so long as he appears there! Additionally, Ragman posts will CONTINUE! Retro-reviews and more coming your way SOON!!!!Chad Bokelmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412042941937845094noreply@blogger.com2