Flashback Friday: "Supreme Power: Nighthawk," Was Great and the 2016, "Nighthawk," Deserved More Love

I recently wrote about how I was pleased that Daniel Way is happy now, even if that meant he basically quit making comics. I mentioned how my favorite thing he did was, "Supreme Power: Nighthawk," and it made me a bit nostalgic for the 2007-ish Marvel MAX (the mature readers line) mini-series. It spun out of the main, "Supreme Power," series which was one of the better things J. Michael Straczynski ever wrote, even if his characterization of Kyle Rayne/Nighthawk was extremely two-dimensional and tone deaf. "A black hero kind of like Batman who is mainly mad at white people and doesn't help them as much as black people!" was kind of how JMS portrayed the Supreme Power Nighthawk, with David Brothers long ago discussing how questionable of a characterization it was. As he observes in that piece, however, the spin-off focused on Nighthawk was a hoot. Written by Daniel Way and featuring art by Steve Dillon (may he rest in peace) as being kind of like Batman, if he were even more pissed-off and brutal. 

When we're reading, "Supreme Power: Nighthawk," we witness a smart, methodical, and brutal tactician. He helps all races, but also recognizes that people of color face a lot more systemic racism/oppression/etc. Race, class, and the, "Wrong," element of society being ignored, such as those with substance abuse issues, are all subjects touched upon when Nighthawk has to go up against an escaped serial killer that often dresses like a clown, has poisoned much of the city's illegal drug supply, and goes by, "Whiteface." You can see some clever little allusions to Batman in all of that, with much of the, "Joke," being that even if Whiteface talks about a hero and villain in some kind of complex battle of wills, Nighthawk just wants to take down a deranged killer.

When Marvel did their 2015, "Secret Wars," event, they basically destroyed the Supreme Power universe and left all of its unresolved plot threads dangling and ignored. However, Kyle/Nighthawk was one of the handful of characters from other Universes to survive and find his way into the, "Main," Marvel continuity (along with Miles Morales from the Ultimate Universe, and some other random folks). He got his own series, which was superb, barely got any readership, and was canceled with the sixth issue. It was one of my favorite (cancelled) comics of 2016. After it and a, "Squadron Supreme," series set in the 616 ended, they killed off the Supreme Power Nighthawk via the horrendous, "Secret Empire," event in a tie-in comic--so that's a bummer. Will we ever get some kind of revitalization of the, "Supreme Power," universe and its characters? Considering that ever since Disney took over Marvel and moved away from the MAX line (occasional Garth Ennis-written Punisher or Nick Fury story aside), I kind of doubt it. Sorry to end on a dour note, but for every breakout character who becomes incredibly popular, there are countless fascinating characters (at least with the writers that do a good job) who just didn't. So it goes.

The Redesigned Crypt Keeper Just Doesn't Look Quite Right

AMC is launching its Fearfest on October 1st, and for the first time in over 30 years(!) we will witness the return of the Crypt Keeper--with original voice actor John Kassir and a new puppet that looks...oh, oh no. Yes, no offense to any design studio, but when I picture the Crypt Keeper from the 1990's show, "Tales From the Crypt," that I loved in my youth and was maybe a bit too young to watch (it had more swearing and nudity than you might recall), I just don't imagine him looking like this:

His face looks like he got some kind of Botox injections, but they went awry. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad classic episodes of the show can be streamed as of recently after being stuck in copyright Hell for decades. I'm also pumped at the mere suggestion this could be a slick way to set up a new, "Tales From the Crypt," I just feel like the Crypt Keeper looks a bit wrong. At least the hair is still messy; that is something I appreciate, as I have an in-joke with my mom about how, whenever her hair is all disheveled, she looks like a younger iteration of the Crypt Keeper! Don't worry, she finds it funny too. Anyways, the Crypt Keeper is back, and that's great even if he resembles a Real Housewife with botched plastic surgery.

Simon Hanselmann Has Started a Patreon

I am a longtime-ish fan of Simon Hanselmann, having enjoyed his works since, Hell, when I first discovered him via some pieces for the VICE website back in 2016 or so? He's put out everything from small press mini-comics to big award-winning collections. He just started an official Patreon this week! It will not have physical stuff for sale, as Hanselmann has relegated the distribution of that to Secret Headquarters (for the single comics) and Fantagraphics (for the meaty collections). There will be tons of out-of-print stuff posted, random works that hadn't seen the light of day at all, and Hanselmann plans to use the Patreon to complete his zombie epic, "You Will Own Nothing and You Will Be Happy," before serializing the long-gestating, "Megg's Coven."

It is only $6 a month to get access to almost daily posts of content and getting to study the fascinating thought process of one of my favorite modern-day comic-makers. Plus, Hanselmann is already quite active in engaging with supporters/backers in the comments, and you already know I'm going to message him a request to make a big graph breaking down the continuities of the various Megg, Mogg, and Owl universes that seem to exist (we've got the main one, Truth Zone one, the Crisis Zone one, the zombie one, and the list goes on, with at least half of them featuring Werewolf Jones tragically/violently dead). Here's that link again if you want to check out the Patreon!

I Remain Annoyed at Video-Games Working to Eliminate Physical Media

You know what I'm still irritated about? Video-game companies giving up their offering of physical media as an option. I know a lot of PlayStation and Xbox users go with digital formats, but even having the choice to use a disc--that you own--is good. Physical games help with making it possible to preserve games, rent titles, resell them, and they give consumers a lot more rights than it seems companies want them to have. Sony has already made its intentions clear and Microsoft is going through massive restructuring and layoffs in regards to Xbox, so who knows their exact future plans? It’s a mess.

It is odd to think back to 2013, when Sony absolutely dominated E3 with their presentation one-upping Microsoft's plans to complicate how players owned and enjoyed games. Thirteen years later, Sony is dropping discs entirely with the PS6, and Microsoft seems poised to dump them too with the new iteration of Xbox. The stars of Sony's viral, "How to share your games," bit from that E3 recently re-enacted the meme with their hands empty, as they lacked a physical prop. Oddly, it becomes fitting symbolism that they are, "Exchanging," nothing, as soon that's what Sony will offer (and quite possibly Microsoft). Then there's Nintendo.

Nintendo has often done things their own way and provided unique experiences with their devices. This has sometimes brought insane success (Game Boy, Wii, Switch) and other times shocking failure (Virtual Boy, Wii U). They've been a lot slower to embrace the use of the internet with their consoles, and that has paradoxically turned them from luddites to champions of having physical games. Yes, there is an online store for games and a number are digital-only, but Nintendo has always had a focus on interesting ways to play games as opposed to maximizing graphics or such. I'm not saying Nintendo should be heralded as some kind of champion, as they've engaged in their own questionable behavior. I mean, they are a good deal more litigious than any other game company and sue projects that they honestly have little reason to go after! Still, Nintendo's belief in physical products is a nice counterpoint to much of the rest of the game market.

If I were to sit and imagine what gaming looks like in 2030, I would picture a World where we have a handful of AAA titles that cost millions and a lot of indie games, but fewer mid-sized titles, as it seems budgets for games are either minuscule or massive these days, and that trend might continue. I'd also imagine there is barely any focus on physical copies of games outside of those concerned with preservation (making bootleg-esque copies), or those who enjoy boutique publishers that release special editions of games with physical iterations and bonus swag (Limted Run Games and what have you). That is, of course, if any consoles still even have a physical-media choice (by 2030 that might be solely Nintendo and theoretically some PC gaming for those with disc drives). I can't tell you exactly what gaming will be like by 2030, obviously. I guess I can estimate what it won't be, more than anything. For better or worse, we're entering the end of one era for games and the start of a new one--for better or worse.

Popverse As We Know it is Shutting Down

There aren't a ton of comic-focused news sites--like, with a staff and such besides us bloggers. Popverse has been around for four years but is, in essence, shutting down. As Comics Beat observed, "So by my reckoning, that leaves The Beat, AIPT, Comic Book Club, Comicon, Graphic Policy, ICv2," and they sigh when they mention good ol' tabloid, Bleeding Cool. Popverse is going to fire anyone who works in editorial/reporting and shift into being a platform for the owner, Reedpop, to broadcast conventions, sell tickets to their comic-cons, and sell merchandise. A news site...with no news. At least formerly popular sites that turned into junk listicles and AI slop, such as Comic Book Resources or Comicbook.com, post something, I guess? 

Popverse is going to be a glorified box office for Reedpop, and that stinks. This isn't a case where a small site was bought by a conglomerate and then shut down. We see that a lot, but Reedpop, in fact, created Popverse (and it was apparently doing well)! Popverse just didn't, "...fit into the overall business model of their parent company," so away it goes. Value the comic-book news sites we have whilst we have them.

The, "Good," Guys/Gals Don't Ban the Press From Asking Questions

Those who are generally judged by history to be the, "Good," guys or gals don't do certain things. They don't try to ban books. They don't try to keep the population ignorant by cutting education programs. They especially don't try to make a free press the enemy. Donald Trump is not a, "Good guy," of course. Hence, it comes as little surprise when he rails against the, "Biased/crooked/Democrat and dumb with a B," media. As his fascistic efforts continue to increase on the daily, he's taken to outright banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters from the White House. I'm talking full-on turning them away at the doors and confiscating press passes. Perhaps he can legally do this and isn't violating the Constitution, but it is another step in a series of (many) actions towards trying to silence any criticism, dissent, or questioning of Trump. 

It is legal for Trump to refuse to speak with certain news outlets or even let them into the White House, okay, fine. I'd still argue it certainly puts a chill on the idea of the freedom of the press if anyone he considers, "Fake news," can simply be tossed out of his Presidential mansion as if they were Jazz on, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Throughout history, presidents have understood the importance of a free press, even if they didn't always like it. Now, Trump is like that kid at the playground who's making up rules, and when you call him out declares he's taking his ball and running home to pout/rage-tweet--and he's locking the door so you can't come in! Again, I'm not surprised. When you're Donald Trump anyone who doesn't relentlessly kiss your ass is the enemy. The media, Democrats, Republicans who refuse to fawn over him, and that employee at McDonald's who he's convinced intentionally left a nugget out of his 20-piece order are all on his, "List," I imagine. I can kind of understand why some people voted for him the first time, but how this vengeful, petty, shallow, and awful shell of a man got re-elected will forever puzzle and sadden me. Despite what Trump and his MAGA cult may claim, he ain't ever going to be the good guy--his actions have made that abundantly clear

Happy Batman Day 2026

Today is the third Saturday in September, meaning it is Batman Day! To celebrate the occasion, comic stores will have free Batman-themed comics geared towards new readers, fun little masks, assorted other swag, and a special comic they weren't allowed to release until today, "Batman of Two Worlds." It features the Bruce Wayne of the usual/regular DC Universe and the Absolute Universe, each solving a mystery (that I would assume is somehow linked between the Worlds). A ton of comic shops are taking part in this year's Batman Day, so go visit one and get some cool Batman-related stuff!

I Was Quoted on the Front Cover of, "The Hab," #4 This Week!

I've been greatly enjoying reading, "The Hab," from Bad Idea. The fourth issue came out this week and I had the chance to swing by the shop yesterday and grab a copy. Today I sat down to read it, and I noticed a blurb on the front cover; it seemed familiar. Then I realized it was a quote from a review by The Newest Rant. Hey, wait a minute, that's me!

I've been around long enough that sometimes my (positive) reviews are used to promote something, and I always get a little kick seeing, "The Newest Rant," as a pull-quote on a comic, book, or whatever. I'm just out here spouting nonsense on the internet, so I'm flattered whenever anyone is pleased (or just wants to say they disagree with something) enough to comment on a post, link to an article, or quote me. As for how this fourth issue was? Another stellar entry, so go get this series and enjoy it!

Okay, So...Miracleman/Marvelman Has Joined The Regular Marvel Continuity

I've been enjoying, "Avengers: Armageddon." It discusses the usual interesting, "Why don't superheroes actually do anything?" concept that various famous mini-series have done, but we see less in ongoing comics because, well, if the heroes change too much, the comic quits working due to a lack of conflict. When you have a comic where the superheroes end up taking over or solving the World's problems, there isn't much to do from there. You can tell a story about the heroes trying to hold onto power, ruling a dull Utopia, or blowing up the World and destroying everything. The Authority took over Wildstorm, and it was boring, so they gave the power back...and then the whole Wildstorm continuity was literally blown up, and the comics persisted a bit in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. In, "Watchmen," we witness Doctor Manhattan tricking Earth into World peace, and then there is little else to tell, so the story ends (until we got the television show with its remix of some past elements and a story set in the future/present that shows the undoing of Manhattan's work). The character David Colton gained a bunch of mysterious powers in a previous mini-series, and the fourth issue that came out today had a big reveal about his powers. Another hero who once took a lot of action.

Yes, one hero who did a lot was Marvelman/Miracleman when Alan Moore and Gary Leach took over the series in the 1980s and did an epic deconstruction of superheroic tropes. It ended up being unfinished. Then the work was in copyright Hell for years; Marvel got the rights in 2009, but seemed to have little clue what to do with them. They reprinted old stuff, started publishing some new material (with writing by Gaiman that now will most likely never conclude due to...yeah). In 2021, a one-shot hinted at Miracleman coming to the 616 Universe... then, crickets. Until now in, "Avengers: Armageddon," #4. When it looks like the Red Hulk (Thunderbolt Ross) has almost successfully killed Colton, he says the magic word, "Kimota," to turn into Miracleman/Marvelman, or some version of the hero. Fun, sure, but...huh?

Buckle up because this gets weird. Okay: David Colton first appeared in the early issues of the latest, "Captain America," run as a man who tried to be a replacement Captain America while Steve Rogers was, "In the ice," before thawing shortly after 9/11 (yes, the Marvel timeline always is shifting; don't think about it too hard). He quit and was given some tech by Tony Stark to keep him alive, due to the super-soldier treatment significantly shortening his lifespan/weakening his heart. In the, "Weapons of Armageddon," mini-series that set up "Avengers Armageddon," he nearly died fighting the latest nefarious organization experimenting on mutants (this time in an attempt to make some newer super-soldiers) but was saved by a mysterious Origin Box. What is an Origin Box, you may ask? Well, they came over from the new Ultimate Universe and contain various mysterious powers that are granted to the people who are supposed to open them if they so choose--Miles Morales brought some over when he stopped over in the latest Ultimate Universe, and one with unclear powers was used on Colton--it made him superhuman and now into Miracleman/Marvelman. Why was there an origin box for such a hero in the latest Ultimate Universe and that wasn't discussed at all in any of those comics? I have no clue; maybe the fifth issue of, "Avengers: Armageddon," will explain this mess of continuity I have (poorly) attempted to summarize. In short, a dude who was a replacement Captain America is now possibly the most powerful being in the Marvel Universe--maybe rivaled by Sentry, depending on which writer you ask?

From seeing all this happen, especially considering how long Marvel had the rights, all I can ask is something along the lines of that, "Simpsons," meme with, "Why now? Why not seventeen years ago?" when they first acquired the rights and did F-all with them for nearly two decades? If I squint really hard I can kind of see how David Colton and Mircleman/Marvelman align as heroes who want to make a big difference in a World that has grown indifferent to superheroes. That said, this is the 616 Marvel Universe, the main continuity! Any big change usually finds itself undone and reverted to a status quo (or something very close to the status quo) within a year or two. 

Every big event is discussed as, "Changing everything forever/nothing will ever be the same!" and then does not last, with minor exceptions (the OG Captain Marvel has been dead since the 1980's, Skrull impersonator aside). It is being revealed that Colton/Miracleman/Marvelman will be joining the latest iteration of the Avengers in a new, "The Avengers," comic that launches at the end of this year, so it appears he's sticking around. We might get some good stories from this, and we'll see a big boost of interest in the character and some classic yarns that feature him! That, or it could be like when Marvel got the rights to Angela from the, "Spawn," comics, and after a year or two, pretty much nobody cared. As I said, besides wondering why Marvel waited so long to do this, I don't have strong feelings on Miracleman/Marvelman popping up in this continuity now; it was quite messy how this occurred, and I hope it's explained and ends up working.

"Animan," is a Funny Slice-of-Life Styled Take on Superheroes

Anouk Ricard is a French comic-maker, and her work is often translated into English. She's done the fun all-ages books about, "Anna and Froga," and created the stellar, "Benson's Cuckoos," some time ago. Her latest work is, "Animan," which is a bit of a superhero story...except not really. Published by Drawn & Quarterly, this book is loosely inspired by the 1980's show, "Manimal." The idea is that as a baby, Francis was bitten by a radioactive mosquito that had absorbed a lot of animals' blood at a zoo. He can now turn into various animals and uses this to be a pet therapist who can (secretly) talk with the animals when he becomes one too. He also helps stop crimes, but doesn't really seek them out. If he's made aware of wrongdoing, he'll make an effort, but he mostly just enjoys his job and living with his girlfriend, a talking frog named Fabienne. Interestingly enough, others can hear her talk, and she is unaware that Francis has powers and only ever sees him as a human. The complexities of that aren't exactly explored, because the focus is more on just following Francis as he goes about everyday life and occasionally uses his animal powers.

This isn't to say, "Animan," is boring or lacks suspense. At one point, Francis proves the owner of a dog he treats murdered her husband (with an assist from the pet) and when a man who can turn into objects and hates Francis for initially unclear reasons (named Objecto) continues to try and hurt Francis or those he loves, things get a bit violent! That said, Ricard has a wonderfully cartoony style of illustration that helps give even the darker or slightly morbid elements of the story ( like chatting with maggots eating a dead body) a nice, chill vibe. Even when there's thriller danger, it all feels like it's all in good fun.

As a fan of Ricard, I was excited to read, "Animan," and it delivered plenty of enjoyment! If you like off-kilter stories, unique takes on superheroics, or just want a great original graphic novel to check out, you should give, "Animan," a look! I rate it... 

5 out of 5 Stars.