Moench and Baikie's Electric Warrior (reviews by shaxper)

[shaxper]

Electric Warrior #11

"Ghost of Warriors Past"
writer: Doug Moench
pencils: Jim Baikie
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: Todd Klein
colors: Nansi Hoolahan

grade: C

I'm trying to imagine how frustrating it must have been to have been reading this series as it was being published. I have the luxury of reading these issues as fast as thewhtguardian and I can find the time to do so and yet, 11 issues in, the series still hasn't found its center. I can only imagine how this would have felt after 11 months of following this series. At $1.50 an issue back in 1987, I can tell you with all certainty that I would have ditched this title by now. Reading in hindsight and at my own speed (and having paid only $1 an issue in 2012) I can afford to be a little more patient, and yet that patience is still beginning to wear thin.

Shouldn't we have a grasp on who our protagonist is by now? This issue attempts to explain it, but beyond the scene in which Kinsolving determines that he is alternating between the minds of Two Shadow and 9-03 and stuck in the past in both instances, our character's behavior does not match that explanation. Which character was on a murderous rampage and calling Kinsolving a "bitch" last issue? And how could two minds, both stuck in the past, have such a rich understanding of what was happening to its own mind in both this and the previous issue? This just isn't working for me. Perhaps if we'd had a richer sense of who Two Shadow and 9-03 were prior to this point, we'd be able to recognize aspects of their personalities in our protagonist this issue, but not much characterization came across in those first ten issues. And while both characters (especially Two Shadow) had good reason to feel rage, I don't see either of them behaving like the drastic anti-hero that our new Electric Warrior appears to be.

Sadly, this lack of familiarity extends to our supporting cast as well. Two Shadow truly does love Amber Brightstar? This is news to me. What did we ever see them share in common beyond lust? It always seemed as though Moench was depicting her as the love interest who was always wrong for Two Shadow, too simple to share his depth and complexity, unable to understand the true and fundamental him. If her simplicity is somehow as desirable to Two Shadow as the glade he sacrificed, Moench and Baikie have failed to imply this. It makes sense, but we've never seen it.

And I must say I'm very disappointed to see Brightstar and Quintanna both miraculously spared of the tragic fates they seemed to succumb to last issue. I felt that was a daring and powerful direction for the series to take, but now bringing them both back feels cheep. I'm not sure what either character has left to add to the series.

I'm not sure what any of these characters have left to add to the series.

All along, the greatest appeal I have found in this series is the concept for the world around them (which has not gained any depth or breadth in recent issues) and in the series' willingness to embrace well-planned surprising changes (which the ressurection of Brightstar and Quintana seems to bring an end to). In short, the series is losing the qualities that it once did well and is adding little in their place. At the very least, it shouldn't be working so desperately to cling on to the few boring characters we've met thus far when there's a mega city full of potential new and invigorating cast members to meet.

Truly, the only moment in this issue that I enjoyed was the one in which Simon and Two Shadow both detect each other and both choose not to act, waiting for a later confrontation. I felt that connection, reflecting both their past rivalry and their new electronic circumstances, made for a powerful relationship that I'd like to see more of.

Beyond that, our protagonist is beginning to feel and look like a bad imitation of Judge Dredd rather than the fascinating duality of passions and memories that he is supposed to be, and his supporting cast feels similarly simplistic and lacking in potential.



Minor details:

-If we're hundreds to thousands of years in the future, and this class structure has been in place for a very long time, why does Kinsolving (a bottom dwelling zig) have a past history as a librarian? Is this something Moench is planning to explore further, or is it just a clumsy detail that doesn't fit?

- "and at least the concrete prevented yellowing -- better'n plastic bags." Cute, but why would Kinsolving have even made this point? Clearly no one was putting book in bags and boards, only comics.

- Why is Two Shadow doing the whole "Hail Hitler" thing on page 15??



A "meh" issue overall. I truly hope this series will soon begin to deliver upon the fantastic potential it possesses, but, at this stage in the game, I am beginning to doubt it ever will.

[shaxper]

rather than letting the split halves of his mind become evident with further issues he self diagnoses himself and then we get to learn about the disorder through pyscho-babble in the library. The notion of separate selves searching fr unification is thought provoking but the delivery is just too abrupt.

Nicely said.

And lastly, and sadly: neither Amber nor Quintana actually died. I don't really see what more either character can bring to the story and I find both of their continued existences to be slightly annoying.

Looks like we're on the same page there.

[shaxper]

Electric Warrior #12

"Swimming in Both Directions"
writer: Doug Moench
pencils: Jim Baikie
inks: Dan Adkins
letters: Todd Klein
colors: Nansi Hoolahan

grade: C-

In his previous review, thewhtguardian made the point that this series was beginning to do a lot of dumping of information without any real subtlety; we're outright told what's happening rather than seeing it, feeling it, or being left to infer it. As a case in point, this issue contains the big revolution against Marder that's been coming for at least three issues now, but there is no emotional investment, no sense of what this change looks or feels like to anyone who isn't driving the plot forward, no sense of even what the revolutionaries truly want or believe in; it's just the furthering of the plot with no real emotion nor ideals beyond that.

Along the same lines, when we watch Silver Simon be double-crossed and also deal with his reunion with Amber in this issue (both potentially emotionally charged moments) we are given no insight to his feelings or inner thoughts. He's double-crossed and pretty much says "oh." He has Amber in his possession and pretty much says "Heh-heh-heh." He encounters our protagonist and pretty much says, "Oh. It's you." What a waste!

Another major disappointment with this issue: as we were promised last issue, we FINALLY learn what the astronomical threat facing the planet is in this issue. We've waited for eons for this explanation, been teased mercilessly, and it turns out to be -- alien invaders? Seriously, that's it? How in the world did that explicitly justify the creation of cybernetic electric warriors? There had better be more to this than we are told in this issue.

As for our protagonist, his personality is supposedly reconciled in this issue, even though the explanations make no sense and the dialogue between his warring sides is stilted and emotionally desolate, but I still have no grasp of who he is by the end. Is he a character who has finally found true peace and therefore has no personal investment to bring to the central conflicts of this series from this point forward, is he still a multiple personality who converses with himself openly, or is he still that anti-hero we've been seeing in the past few issues? Isn't it about time that this was clearly decided upon?

I'm glad to see the plot moving forward and continuing to offer us changes and surprises, but these characters are so thoroughly flat and yet amorphous, while the logic of this series continues to elude me, leaving neither my heart nor my brain feeling particularly engaged at this point.

I love Doug Moench's writing.

I LOVE Doug Moench's writing.

But this is far from his best. I'm hoping that, somehow, this series has drifted far off course from his original plan and that this wasn't the product he'd been seeking all along. Maybe Baikie got in the way, or DC editorial, or the flagging sales got him down, or something else got in the way, but this is not quality Moench work, and that truly disappoints me.


Minor details:

-- Moench is laying groundwork for some further complicating of Kinsolving by indicating that she was part of the "longevity experiments' three decades earlier. This, combined with her previously having been a librarian, might add up to something interesting in future issues. I certainly hope so. We need interesting.

[thwhtGuardian]

I haven't read 12 yet so I'm trying to avoid any spoilers but I wanted to disperse with some quick thoughts:

Electric Warrior #11



I'm trying to imagine how frustrating it must have been to have been reading this series as it was being published. I have the luxury of reading these issues as fast as thewhtguardian and I can find the time to do so and yet, 11 issues in, the series still hasn't found its center. I can only imagine how this would have felt after 11 months of following this series. At $1.50 an issue back in 1987, I can tell you with all certainty that I would have ditched this title by now. Reading in hindsight and at my own speed (and having paid only $1 an issue in 2012) I can afford to be a little more patient, and yet that patience is still beginning to wear thin.

This is something that's certainly crossed my mind, the series is just so uneven that had I not bought it in one lump sum I doubt I would have made it this far before dropping it. The promise is enough to get me to complete the series, and the fact that I have all the issues already but if I didn't have that? I probably would have dropped it three or hour issues ago.

Perhaps if we'd had a richer sense of who Two Shadow and 9-03 were prior to this point, we'd be able to recognize aspects of their personalities in our protagonist this issue, but not much characterization came across in those first ten issues. And while both characters (especially Two Shadow) had good reason to feel rage, I don't see either of them behaving like the drastic anti-hero that our new Electric Warrior appears to be.

I had this problem as well, and I went as far as to reread the last issue to see if I could pick up on any suggestions of dueling personalities but it all seems to be the same level of rage to me.

Truly, the only moment in this issue that I enjoyed was the one in which Simon and Two Shadow both detect each other and both choose not to act, waiting for a later confrontation. I felt that connection, reflecting both their past rivalry and their new electronic circumstances, made for a powerful relationship that I'd like to see more of.

This was an awesome moment, it reminded me of a western for some reason; the two gun fighters lock eyes in the saloon but only grudgingly acknowledge each others presence choosing instead to finish their whiskey and to wait for high noon to have it out.

[shaxper]

Electric Warrior #13

"Grotesque Gladiators"
writer: Doug Moench
pencils/co-plotter: Jim Baikie
inks: Adkins & Marcos
letters: Todd Klein
colors: Nansi Hoolahan

grade: B-

Ten issues ago, I might have viewed this story differently. There are certainly some interesting things happening but, this far in, it's frustrating to feel that the series still hasn't found its center. Our protagonist (who still lacks a name that I can correctly use to label him) is really just the sum total of two woefully underdeveloped characters (one simply vengeful, one simply martyr-like) and fails to develop anything more intricate in merging the two. The world around him continues to feel relatively one dimensional as well, even while Marder at least presents the twist that he initially tried the man/machine experiment on himself (and, while I know we're supposed to find this impressive, it strikes me as highly irresponsible for the leader of a nation to take that kind of risk upon himself). Amber Brightstar is still just the gasping, crying bimbo on the side who brings nothing interesting to the table, Quintana is still just as ideologically torn as she was in the first issue and shows no indication of ever progressing/developing beyond that, Kinsolving is still just a weirdly uncomfortable romantic interest who ends up moving the plot forward by continually being used as bait or to comment upon the changes she sees in her former mate, Zeedle and Janda are still just obnoxiously watching from the sidelines and randomly inserting themselves into the main action by always being there at the exact right time, and the new rebel leader is just another generic villain. Really the only character left with any potential for complexity is Silver Simon, and we're still waiting to see him actually do something.

Then, of course, there's the big threat facing the planet -- invaders from space who actually appear to be peaceful envoys from the real Earth (apparently, this civilization believes it is on Earth). Interesting, but this solution doesn't match the mystery we were given. Why would Cyborgs that have the power of a Lek and the intellect of a human be the only solution to this threat? It's mentioned by Marder at least three more times in this issue, but never explained. And if this civilization has a damn astronomer, how the heck hasn't he realized he isn't watching the stars from Earth?

I don't know. It's not a bad story, the series isn't heading in a bad direction, and there was at least one moment in this story where I generally felt a tinge of excitement as the clash of the Leks, the Zig rebellion, and the imminent invasion all seemed to coincide, but what I love most about Moench is his characters, and this series doesn't seem to have any. Add a lot of stilted dialogue to the mix, and the whole thing is beginning to try my patience.


Minor details:

- Moench concedes in the letters page that he's considering changing our protagonist's colors. Good call. While your at it, change the whole darn look.

- It's only now occurring to me that the leaders of this world all dress like they're out of the Gold Key Magnus Robot Fighter 3000 AD series.

- We're so far in the future that man can safely travel to new solar systems and build artificial life forms, yet the dominant Earth civilization of the future's flag is still some lame symbol of the end of the Cold War, containing both the American and Soviet flags.

- Two-Shadow/9-03 remotely jumpstarts the engines of the Genetrix' cars and tells them to take a three day drive to the city. Even with the jumpstart, with no battery to charge with an alternator, I have to believe some of those homemade cars are going to stall over the course of a three day journey. And let's not forget that most of these guys are supposed to be mentally challenged, so I have to assume at least one is going to accidentally turn the car off when they stop to take a nap.


Adequate issue overall, but the series is seriously stalling out.

[shaxper]

While thwhtguardian remains in the red space, I'll keep going with these reviews and hope he's sparked again soon.


Electric Warrior #14

"Knights of Chaos"
writer: Doug Moench
co-plotter/pencils: Jim Baikie
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: Duncan Andrews
colors: Nansi Hoolahan

grade: B

Finally, after 14 issues, this series finally takes a real direction. This issue, in which Two Shadow (I guess this is the most accurate name with which to describe our protagonist) leads a revolt on the city, gains complete control over all electric warriors in the city, and wins, was positively thrilling.

Of course, it still suffered from some drawbacks, most significantly including Baikie's passionless art (aside from that one awesome shot of Silver Simon and Amber Brightstar on page 7 and the disturbing flashback panel on page 13) and, more significantly, Moench struggling with a sense of scope. By this I mean that we watch a full-blown revolution overtake an entire city, and yet we see precisely two minor battles, and absolutely every zig and every gentrix mutant are characterized in the exact same way (including Zeedle, with Janda functioning as nothing more than his superego, leaving me to wonder why Moench keeps bending over backwards to put them in the center of the action at all times for absolutely no good reason). I was glad, at least, when Moench finally depicted two Techno Sector soldiers debating about the revolution on page 10. It's truly the first time we've ever stepped outside of the perspectives of our limited cast of central characters in this book.

I remember back in one of Moench's first Batman stories (possibly the very first) he spent most of an issue depicting the lives and thoughts of a random handful of average Gotham City citizens on a single evening, and it blew me away because each character felt thoroughly authentic and real. Yet, in this series, we're still not getting that depth from our main characters, let alone the myriad of people involved in the revolution they are waging. When those raging fires sweep the Warrens, for example, Baikie doesn't depict a single person caught in the flames, and Moench doesn't reflect on it. All that's mentioned is Two-Shadow's relief that Kinsolving wasn't caught in it.

In my mind the true wonder of this series isn't the protagonists; it's the compelling city and the clash of competing classes and cultures that takes place within it. Moench isn't exploring that anymore. He gave us five mouthpieces for those cultures -- Quintana, Marder, Two Shadow, Zeedle/Janda, and Kinsolving, and now each is too distracted with pressing events to continue in those roles, yet no one else has taken their places. Where are moments like the one early on when a starving boy looks up to the higher levels for discarded food and is met with a discarded bottle? Where are the PEOPLE in this city beyond our central cast?

Still, this was an exciting story, bringing events to a compelling climax with yet a new conflict on the horizon and even dropping a hint as to a future storyline down the road (Two-Shadow's random recovered memory). And, in addition, it was great to see Two Shadow finally use that human ingenuity to defeat his enemies.


Minor details:

- Two Shadow tells all the Zigs and Genetrix that Kalashka is bad and should be overthrown, and they all just buy it with no questions? I can understand their rationales for wanting to follow -- any kind of revolution is desirable, they want to be empowered by following him, he resembles their "Silver Savior," etc, but Moench could have at least depicted some of this through conversation or narration. Again, the zigs and genetrix don't come off like people, but rather are depicted like faceless pawns.

- So there are acid sprinklers covering every inch of the Warrens? How in the world could that be practical, how would Two Shadow stop them all so quickly, and how could a resource depleted society possibly have that much acid to rain down regularly unless they are recylcing it from factory waste or something?

- Silver Simon continues to impress me, largely by remaining enigmatic, thus implying a depth about him that we know none of the other characters in the story possess. In this issue, I enjoyed seeing the contradiction between how violent and ruthless he could be even to Amber Brightstar while still maintaining respect for Two Shadow. I want to see Moench take it deeper.

- The relationship between 9-03 and Two-Shadow still seems forced and weird. I'm choosing to believe it's all Two-Shadow somehow processing his duel reality in the form of two personalities rather than any kind of actual "ghost in the machine" that he is speaking with.

- I have to admit that I'm finally becoming intrigued about the back history of this society, though I find it insultingly convenient that Kinsolving ended up being a "longevity experiment" survivor who seems to be the only person in the entire city capable of revealing the answers. Once again, Moench works too hard to keep unimpressive but familiar characters in the center of the action instead of expanding the spotlight outward into a city of countless potential co-protagonists. Quintana, Kinsolving, Zeedle, and Janda need to be retired at this point. They no longer belong in this story, and it feels artificial, forced, and weird when Moench keeps finding ways to keep them central to the action.

- I believe this is the first time we've seen the series leks that 9-03 was from since the first two issues. I suppose Two Shadow exhausted the city's supplies of the higher end models by this point.

- Moench promises that we'll learn more about Astronomer Drax next issue. WHY???? Once again, Moench latches on to characters that hold no interest to the reader. Drax has provided zero usefulness to this story and his being a fatalistic drunk was funny for approximately one panel. What more could this character possibly have to offer us?

- Moench finally explains Two-Shadow's name in the letters column:

"The name Two-Shadow refers to the two sides of the character: An out-wardly serene Primmie nevertheless haunted by the internal turbulence of his City origins. He reflects (casts shadows from) both places. And now he has a third aspect -- that of the first two combined and synthesized."

The problem is that I don't see it. This new character bears no resemblance to the troubled but idealistic and wise character we met in the earlier issues. We saw his cleverness again in this issue, and he clearly misses Amber Brightstar, but nothing that really mattered about the old character appears to have been preserved.

- Additionally, Moench provides a long explanation for 9-03's transformation, ultimately remarking that he never really did achieve consciousness but rather truly was malfunctioning and simply replicating the human ideals and behaviors he had witnessed through popular media (again, how would he have seen this? Do leks watch TV?). I think this is too reductive, ignoring what I took to be the larger message that martyrs inspire, but they aren't realistic and aren't sufficient for creating real change. 9-03 is an unrealistic and unsuccessful ideal compared to the more realistic and potentially effective example of Cyber Two-Shadow as leader. Still, Moench creates a rather poetic epitaph for 9-03 that would have made his ending more tragic and evocative had this sentiment been more clearly expressed then:

"My stab at irony lies in the fact that this hellish truth is driven home by a machine whose code of thought and conduct is a literal transliteration of all the lofties aspirations born of philosophers, Sunday Schools, and Julie Andrews. We preach love and we wage war and thus it has ever been. And this was, finally, enough to drive a logical but defective machine mad-mad enough to die for our sins."

I really didn't see all that in what happened with 9-03, and I can't even reconcile it with what I read in hindsight, but it would have been a damn powerful direction for Moench to have taken with the character.

[shaxper]

Electric Warrior #15

"Into the Wild Black Yonder"
writer: Doug Moench
co-plotter/pencils: Jim Baikie
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: Todd Klein
colors: Nansi Hoolahan
grade: A


I almost wish that this were the first issue of Electric Warrior I'd read. I know that doesn't make much sense considering that the book is three issues away from cancellation, but Moench finally and totally hits it right in this issue, and I'd like to just forget the long and awkward stumbling period that led up to this point, just enjoying the story now at its final apex.

For one thing, Derek and 9-03 finally work as a duality. Their partnership is clearly and richly explored, their dialogue is both nuanced and rich in characterization, and they even finally explore concepts Moench had previously only articulated in the letters page about 9-03 helping Derek to falsely experience human sensations as if he were still alive through sensory manipulation. Just when I was feeling satisfied enough with how Moench was finally characterizing this pair, we got the awkward shot of 9-03's avatar smiling while hugging the slumped figure of Derek's avatar as Moench revealed that 9-03 was secretly ecstatic with this union while Derek was traumatized by it, leeching off of his humanity because, as Derek implies in this issue, 9-03's humanity is a false over-exaggerated emulation; not the real thing.

For another, the plot is truly heating up. We now know these "invaders" are from a less dystopian society and can infer that they are actually here to help, we are given more clues about this "Earth's" own past (and the history of their space program bears disturbing resemblance to our own), and we watch the EW attempt to solve social injustice while doubting that any of it will work (whether intended or not, EW's solution bares a disturbing resemblance to the forced integration of public schools through bussing that was tried in the '70s).

There are still problems with this story, especially in how it revises so much of what has come before, with Derek now hopelessly in love with Amber whereas he was conflicted in his feelings for her before as she could never seem to understand the inner him, Derek stating that Quintana is the only one who could love both sides of him (when did we EVER get a sense of this in the story?), and in Derek longing for his paintbrush whereas he used to seem frustrated and unhappy with his inability to express his inner feelings through painting. Perhaps this is all rose-colored hindsight on Derek's part, but Moench never indicates as much.

Still, this was a fine issue, even in spite of Baikie's restrained and inexpressive art, Hoolahan's overly bright and unsubtle coloring, and Klein's confusing lettering that is unable to decipher between 9-03 talking and the narration boxes on several pages.


Minor details:

- Wow. We're pretty much outright told that Silver Simon raped Amber. We always suspected, but being told this disturbed me on a whole new level. Considering that Amber had already tried to kill herself over being rejected by her love and has since lost her entire tribe, discovered her love was turned into a hateful machine, AND has been mercilessly raped by a cyborg, I can't imagine she has much left to go on. I'd love to see Moench give some time and drama to her personal tragedy. Surely, she's suffered far more than 9-03 and Derek Two-Shadow combined.

- Our first issue WITHOUT Zeedle and Janda. THANK YOU, DOUG!!!!!!

- Okay, it's probably the fact that I'm reviewing Moench's Planet of the Apes stories from the 1970s while also doing these reviews, but I found this quote from one of the "invaders" to be absolutely priceless: "You mean, maybe they've bombed themselves back to APES?" Ten full years later, was Moench going for that reference, or was this just a figure of speech to him?

- In the letters column (often nearly as informative as the story itself), Moench reveals that he abruptly changed plans for what would happen with the invaders only 5 weeks earlier. Curious.

- In the letter column, Moench also explains that the American/Soviet flag used by the invaders only has 48 stars because "California and Tex-Mex seceded from the Union upon learning of the Washington/Moscow unification talks" in 2123. Planned all along, or quick thinking on Moench's part to explain an artistic error? Either way, that gives us a date to work with. We're beyond the year 2123, though it's possible the "Earth" that we've been following isn't on the same year. Since it's been falsely led to believe that it IS Earth, it stands to reason that it's been given the wrong year too.

[shaxper]

Electric Warrior #16

"The King in Metal"
writer: Doug Moench
co-creator/pencils: Jim Baikie
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: Todd Klein
colors: Nansi Hoolahan

grade: A+


In the letter column to this issue, Moench subtly inserts the fact that next issue will be the penultimate one. He knows the book is ending with #18 at this point, and I think that explains so much of what we see in this issue. Not only are things finally and truly coming together for our Electric Warrior, but Baikie and Hoolahan actually manage to impress me with their pencils and coloring this time around. Baikie takes a totally different approach to each face to the extent that I had to check the credits to make sure it was still him, and many of his shots feature dynamic poses and powerful energy, especially (but certainly not only) that image on page 18 of the EW holding all of the other Leks on puppet strings. Even if the visual was Moench's idea, the perspective Baikie lends to it is a powerful one. And Hoolahan's colors are less clean and primary for once, using more muted shades to express a reality that deserves more than the coloring scheme of four color Ben-Day dots. It seems like the whole team is truly committed to making these final three issues count.

And sure enough, it comes through loud and clear. Just as with last issue, I finally find myself caught up in a complex world that fascinates me and, now that we've finally found the characterization(s) for our main protagonist, the ideological conversations that pervade this issue feel more worthwhile, especially as they are interspersed with action on a planet-wide level.

Really, beyond saying that this issue rocked, it all comes down to minor details:

- More exploration of Derek coming to terms with using technology to simulate reality. We begin with him working with 9-03 (who, I still suspect, is just an aspect of his own subconscious) to accurately simulate the taste of apples when he converts matter to fuel and end up watching him manipulate holographic images of Amber and himself (back when he was still a Primmie) both to redirect his desire to paint (which he can no longer do) and to woo back Amber. Somehow, it captures the entirety of who he is at this point -- mechanical, ingenious, yearning, and doomed never to reach what he yearns for. Powerful stuff.

- More indications of some other suppressed memories in his or 9-03's subconscious that doesn't seem to pertain to either of their lives. I wonder if we'll get an answer to this one before the series concludes.

- Speaking of which, I wonder whether the cancellation is due more to low sales or to Moench being given the opportunity to reach a wider audience with his new Spectre series (also mentioned in this letter column). Perhaps sales trends were indicating that cancellation was imminent, and Moench chose #18 as a logical stopping point rather than being cancelled mid-story because he now had a new project for which to dedicate most of his energy and attention anyway.

- It does bother me a bit that Moench never bothers to name or even geographically pinpoint any of these foreign cities. For a series with as large a scope as this one, I still feel that Moench hasn't given much thought to any of the people or cities outside of his small circle of protagonists that we've been following since the first issue. At least we finally meet some new named characters in this issue (Syreeta Red-Fox and Anana Ten-Child), but will they amount to anything this late in the game?

- Zeedle and Janda return in this issue, but they're relegated to minor and appropriate roles, commenting upon the new Zig integration into Techno society.

- Great debate about forced integration on page 8. By the end of the issue, Moench leaves us wondering if maybe Derek's plan for forced integration actually has a chance of succeeding, even while realistically conceding that people furiously conspire against him and the plan in large numbers, though they fear actually doing anything about it.

- So other cities also have Electric Warriors. I like how the ones we see in this issue are drawn, and the idea of Derek expanding his power base further by "raping" their net (there was a shocking and purposefully used word to express just how frustrated and angry Derek has become) was pretty exciting.

- We're told that the other Leks think Derek is one of them since they cannot access the net and only receive orders from it. Yet, in early issues, we were told that all Leks experience what each individual Lek experiences. And besides, couldn't the Leks see that Derek didn't look like them? A more rational explanation would have been that Derek was on a different net, so they would have perceived him as nothing more than a normal Lek from another city.

- Not sure when the change occurred (I should have caught it much earlier) but Derek looks FAR better in blue.

- I wonder if Moench's explanation last issue that he changed his plans for the invaders "five weeks earlier" was because the final issue for the series had already been determined at that point.


I'm really impressed with how well this series is finally coming together at its close, especially since the title seemed stuck in neutral for most of its run. Great ideas are finally meeting a great plot and great characterization. It's finally and thoroughly Moench at his finest.

[shaxper]

Electric Warrior #17

"Double Overdub"
writer: Doug Moench
pencils/co-creator: Jim Baikie
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: Todd Klein
colors: Nansi Hoolahan
grade: B+

All things considered, this series is wrapping up pretty nicely. Though more than a tinge of regret seems to hang on each of Moench's words in the letter column, he and his creative team keep things exciting in this issue. We see Derek lose patience with Democracy and establish himself as a dictator, see him single-handedly disable the more powerful invaders through sheer ingenuity (though I have to wonder how Derek Two Shadow, a former primmie, knew how to create an electromagnetic force field without 9-03's assistance), and receive more hints about the nature of this society along with the promise that all will be revealed next issue. Add to that relatively strong work from Baikie once again, and continued restraint with the pastoral/pretty colors from Hoolahan, and you've got a pretty solid story.

Oh, and Zeedle and Janda appeared for only one frame. Definitely a win for readers everywhere.


Really, this issue only let me down in two ways:

- Silver Simon's death. I understand Moench was working under a sudden deadline to bring everything to a close quickly, but what the heck? His betrayal was so arbitrary, and his death felt so tangential to the rest of the story. Simon had more potential than literally every other supporting character in the series put together, and he's wiped away so quickly.

- Derek's sudden decision to turn against the invaders. Why do Simon's actions suddenly turn Derek away from the invaders? The two are not connected. In a series that frequently strives to be philosophical and to have the protagonist search for solutions to questions we've barely begun to ask of ourselves, it feels cheap to have Derek go off on the aliens half-cocked when we absolutely know better than him. This feels like every cheesy Silver Ave Marvel crossover story where the two heroes have to jump to the wrong conclusion and start attacking each other just for the sake of creating conflict. We've been 90% sure the aliens were benign since we got our first glimpse of them several issues back. I've no doubt they'll have their own "Marder moment" when they realize that their way of going about "recollecting" may have been in poor taste, but we know they aren't bad guys, and so watching our mostly wise protagonist jump in, fists first, for absolutely no discernible reason, feels a bit insulting to the reader.

Next issue promises to answer all questions, so let's take a moment to figure out what questions remain unanswered:

1. What were the longevity experiments?

2. Why is Derek randomly having flashes of memories that aren't his?

3. Why did the real Earth create this false Earth civilization? What was the nature of the experiment?

That's all I've got, and we have enough of an answer to all three remaining questions that I doubt any revelations next issue will be shocking. Clearly all three are related.


Minor details:

- Moench still outright resists naming "the city," even when Derek encounters the invaders well outside of its boundaries and threatens that he won't allow them to take "the city." How would the invaders know which one he is talking about??


All in all a good issue, but I wonder if DC isn't ending this series at the right point. I've enjoyed the philosophical quandaries raised throughout this series but, without strong characters to push a story forward, I think this book would become quite tedious once the major story arc of the invaders had been resolved. I suppose Moench would have stretched the storyline out a lot longer through frustrating misunderstandings between sides, thus creating more conflict, but that would have felt pretty tedious after a few issues. Truly then, Derek's struggle with an ideal form of government and ideal class system aside, what did this series have left to offer beyond issue #18?

[shaxper]

Electric Warrior #18

"Love for all Things Living"
writer: Doug Moench
pencils/co-creator: Jim Baikie
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: Todd Klein
colors: Nansi Hoolahan
grade: B

Nope. Nope. Nope. Most of this issue rests upon the revelation of answers we've been seeking, and the answers are a damn disappointment. Let me recopy the questions posed in the previous review and provide a summary of the answers we received in this issue:


1. What were the longevity experiments?

Never answered.


2. Why is Derek randomly having flashes of memories that aren't his?

Not really answered. He led a previous, forgotten life on Earth, just like every other citizen of this planet, but it's never explained why he's the only one suddenly remembering those memories. I suppose it must relate to his transformation into an Electric Warrior and his suddenly having to adapt to juggling multiple identities.



3. Why did the real Earth create this false Earth civilization? What was the nature of the experiment?

On the one hand, the answer to this was pretty satisfying. They were exploring the same philosophical issues Derek has explored in attempting to fix the class system and create an ideal form of government, but the fine details of the explanation make no damn sense. HOW could they have only been on the planet for ten years? This detail alone creates at least three problems:

1. Kinsolving remembering a long-forgotten buried library because she was part of the "longevity experiments." The cities on this planet were built all at one time to look the way they do now, and so there can be no lost dwellings beneath them.

2. The idea that the current group of specimens were responsible for the Electric Warriors. We learned in one of the first issues that 9-03 was over 200 years old. And, if the specimens created him, then they wouldn't have given him false memories. None of this makes sense.

3. The implied idea that no previous group of specimens ever created satellites capable of seeing the "invaders" coming from a distance and perceiving them as such. Surely, the experimenters would have found a better way to approach the specimens by now that wouldn't induce mass panic and hostility towards them.

Beyond all that, there's still the question of how a civilization that could build Electric Warrior technology in the span of only ten years AND has a deep space astronomical observatory with a full-time astronomer on duty never noticed that they aren't where Earth should be.


Given more issues, it might have been fun to gradually learn who all our supporting characters had been in their previous Terran lives; maybe it would have finally added some complexity to them. However, Moench's write-up at the end suggests that the post issue 18 direction for the series would have entailed following Derek to Earth, not really spending time watching how the society he's leaving behind continues to re-sort itself and (hopefully) grow. This creates some problems in and of itself; namely:

1. If the leaders of each tribe couldn't reach consensus an issue earlier, how the heck are they going to rule the planet without Derek?

2. Derek explains to an EW that, in leaving them with the Cybernet, he is essentially leaving them with a part of himself, but how will that work? How far out can Derek continue to access the net and, beyond that distance, does he portion himself out? I think a more interesting direction for the series beyond issue #18 might have been for the remaining portion of Derek and 9-03 left in the Cybernet to once more take host in an EW, only drastically cognitively de-powered, and to try to ensure that Derek/9-03's dream for co-existence moves forward while trying to deal with the squabbling leaders his other self left in charge. Oh well.


And now for the minor details, which probably weren't so minor this time around:

1. So what was the whole flashback about Derek's former life and being furious with his lover for augmenting her body in order to stay young all about? Was that supposed to suggest why he hated technology and why he treated Amber the way he did? It felt very out of left field. Again, I know Moench was dealing with getting it all in before the series closed, but it was so random in its presentation.

2. Amber's final moments: God damn it's annoying watching her play the helpless crying bimbo to the end. When she cries out at the end that Derek and Rekktek had been right all along, I'm left to wonder: RIGHT ABOUT WHAT???? This was so damn arbitrary. Moench should have let her die that first time and allowed her loss to somehow transform Derek in hindsight. His sudden coldness to her just as she finally wants to return his affections felt straight out of a misogynistic male fantasy. Give Amber a break. She's been through hell and back, and I still can't figure out what the heck Derek (and, indeed, Moench) are punishing her for.

3. The entire supporting cast: Issues upon issues ago, I complained that Marder, Quintana, Kinsolving, and especially Zeedle and Janda had served their purpose and were now a waste of space. This was absolutely confirmed in this final issue. None of them amounted to anything or contributed anything significant by the close, and all they seemed to be good for was commenting excessively from the sidelines. Why oh why were they given so much time and prominence?

4. Still weirded out by Moench repeatedly espousing the power of electricity like it was a bold new invention in 1987. Shouldn't the title of the series have been "Electronic Warrior," and shouldn't Derek's expression of his futuristic powers depend less often upon unleashing wild bursts of electricity? Shouldn't advanced technology as dreamt of in 1987 be sleeker and more subtle than the work of Dr. Frankenstein?

5. Somewhat in contrast, I tried not to laugh when the more advanced alien "invader" referred to her "beeper." Oh how I miss the '80s...

Well, I think that about does it. I'm glad I read the series, but I think I would have gotten more out of it by listening in on Moench and Baikie's conversations before they'd committed the idea to paper. I feel that a lot was lost in the translation.

[shaxper]

Now that I've finished reviewing the series, I have written a new overview and edited it into the first post in this thread: http://forums.comicbookresources.com...1#post14921135

Still hoping we'll hear more from thwhtGuardian. I'd love to see his reviews for the final 7 issues.

[CromagnonMan]

I have written a new overview and edited it into the first post in this thread

Doug Moench checked out your thread?

did he post any comments?

[shaxper]

Doug Moench checked out your thread?

did he post any comments?

He responded on his facebook page. Essentially, he said he didn't remember the series all that well and might pass the link on to his son since he was a big fan of the series. After I asked, he also gave me a short list of other works he'd be curious to see me review (Weirdworld, Master of Kung Fu, Spectre, etc).

Pretty much made my year.

I wouldn't expect any more than that, of course. Honestly, I was just amazed he responded at all. But, on the off chance, he's actually reading all of this, I felt the need to thank him and to explain that my criticisms of the series' shortcomings were made out of respect to his work and not the reverse.

[thwhtGuardian]

Now that I've finished reviewing the series, I have written a new overview and edited it into the first post in this thread: http://forums.comicbookresources.com...1#post14921135

Still hoping we'll hear more from thwhtGuardian. I'd love to see his reviews for the final 7 issues.

I just hit a wall, I couldn't get past issue 12 for the life of me and just couldn't force myself to read anymore. However, from briefly glancing at your reviews it looks like I should try to man up and finish the series as it sounds like it gets good at the end.

[shaxper]

I just hit a wall, I couldn't get past issue 12 for the life of me and just couldn't force myself to read anymore. However, from briefly glancing at your reviews it looks like I should try to man up and finish the series as it sounds like it gets good at the end.

Yeah. Every issue after #12 is better. Still, it really is a pretty forgettable series. It's already moved to the back of my mind, and even Doug Moench said he barely remembered it . Too bad. It had a lot of potential.