Spaceman #9

[borntohula]

The Kidnapping cannot have happened before they went to space or the mutated monkeys wouldn't be referred as Spacemen in the first place.
So how it goes in the end is this: Carter made it look like Orson was the bad guy and ended up rich and famous while Orson was in prison. It's Carter who bailed Orson out. Last we've seen about Ottershaw is when he was crying and affraid of being killed, did they went through with it ? I'm not sure, maybe, maybe not, not important if you ask me.

So the part that everyone gets confused, including myself, is when we see Orson back in space saying "I missed you Tara". I must say I have no fucking clue neither. Maybe since the spacemen have really crappy language what he really meant was "I MISS you Tara". Or the second thing I can think of is, he was in space for another mission, now he's going back on earth and he's going to see Tara again, therefore it would be why he is saying "I missed you Tara".

It's stated in the same pages as this one http://www.abload.de/img/12o9fyx.jpg in the end of the first issue, that Orson was famous for being born and poised for Mars("Orson was the shit"), but the economy took a fall and with it NASA among other things. Therefor no mission to Mars before the kidnapping.

Remember Tara tells Orson that he was born into fame but put into an orphanage? She went through the opposite, going from an orphanage into fame.

And in a later issue whem Orson meets Carter he asks him if he knows about the others, but Carter doesn't. Carter also doesn't acknowledge Orson as his brother, which he finally does in the end.

So in the end Orson got his family back, but not what mattered, which was Tara. Who "he missed" in two ways. He missed his chance of "saving her"/maybe get to become close in the rise, and he missed her on Mars.

That add up for you now?

Also, thanks for the 100 Bullets explanation. To fully understand it, I should probably read the whole thing again in one go. I appreciate you taking the time to type out your interpretation of the ending, much appreciated.

I'm thinking of putting together a little list of things to look for in each issue, the stuff that makes the theories tick. I could send it to you later on, if you want it.

It'll be a simple "Issue X: See character X conversation about X with character X for details on event X".

The main purpose is to see how the story is structured. I'm writing alot myself, and going through other's work feels very interesting and usefull for own work.

[Antares Maelstrom]

Okay, after much consideration, here's my take:

Spoilers:


I am in the "they never went to space" crowd.

I've read Azzarello say that that was his concept and the backstory from Strange Adventures says it explicitly.

I think that because Orson was bred to go to Mars, raised to go to Mars, and trained to go to Mars, going to Mars is what Orson thinks about. I think it's logical that his sleep-dreams, those while under the influence of drugs, or when he loses consciousness all focus on Mars. I do not think these are memories because we are told that the space program was dissolved, and they so often mirror precisely the situation Orson is in at the time he has the dream. Basically, when in doubt, under stress, asleep, or high Orson goes to Mars in his head.

I think it's very clear that Carter bailed Orson out. Not Ottershaw. Carter then got the reality series because of his last second pulling of the rug out from under Orson. Carter was always more shrewd.

I don't think it's reasonable to believe that the money Carter received from his series, which provides him with the bling we see him wearing and the ability to bail Orson out, would be sufficient to finance an interplanetary mission. -Snooki has made some cash but she obviously could not launch a Mars mission.

We don't know the precise basis for the Ottershaw dreams. What we see from them however is that, when faced with a choice between personal gain at the expense of a brother and fraternity, the Spacemen do the right thing. We reasonably expect this "team spirit" to be bred and ingrained into them from the beginning. When Orson was experiencing the Ottershaw dreams he was conflicted about the Tara situation. His conscience is guiding him along to do what he knows is right. Carter does this in the end, getting his series but making sure Orson is freed and in the Dries.

Because Orson was bred for a mission, he longs for one. He says it in so many words to Carter. Tara gives him that mission, and in so doing amplifies his inbred drive, which in turn makes the Mars dreams more frequent and intense.

The ending of Orson pining for Tara while looking up at the Earth from the Martian surface is simply another dream that mirrors the reality we saw earlier, of Orson pining for Tara while looking up at the window of the Ark apartment. He missed her while he was in jail and he remains separated from her after. -Of course he goes to Mars in his head.

Ultimately this is the story of a guy born for extraordinary things that ends up in a very ordinary life, who stumbles into an extraordinary situation, but ends up back in his ordinary life.

I loved it!

Comedian, I think your interpretation is right on. Maybe this explains the cover of issue #1, in which the spaceship is lifting off out of Orson's head--the Mars mission was all in Orson's mind.

Orson's "dreams" of Mars do seem to coincide with what's happening around him. Like in the final page--where the distance between Earth and Mars is a metaphor for the distance between Orson and Tara--when Ottershaw is spared, Carter says "You be more import than gold," just as Carter spared Orson by bailing him out of prison, showing that for Carter the gold that he was wearing was not more important than Orson's well-being. The spirt of fraternity caused Carter to finally do the right thing, even tho Orson's freedom would put at risk the gold that Carter so shrewdly acquired.

[thwhtGuardian]

I think you wayyyyyy over think this man. Btw where did you see that the mars program was dissolved ? I don't recall reading that anywhere, and if I did passed over that, maybe it was dissolved after the (failed) mars mission.
And again if this is happening after the mars mission, why is Orson so surprised and seems to know Carter so well when they meet up when Carter is bounty hunting Tara ?

It was revealed in issue two that the economy crapped out before the mission could launch, and that was confirmed further in issue 8 when Orson asked Carter if he ever wondered what it would be like on Mars. If you have to wonder it means you've never been there.

[Jack00]

Anyone who knows what Carter meant by "Carter saying: “Blive me, Ottershaw. I din kill Spender on a fault, was a no fault. I be soree for that all ways all days.” ?

He means "Believe me, Ottershaw, I didn't kill Spender on purpose, I will always be sorry for what happened."

And I guess you're right borntohula and the others, the kidnapping did take place before the mission to mars. So in the end, it would mean that the real story is the mars one and the flashbacks are everything else.

[Comedian]

It was revealed in issue two that the economy crapped out before the mission could launch, and that was confirmed further in issue 8 when Orson asked Carter if he ever wondered what it would be like on Mars. If you have to wonder it means you've never been there.

It's also stated point blank in the Spaceman intro from Strange Adventures. We are told that the scandal and public outcry over the creation of the Spacemen resulted in the dismantling of the space program. When a fellow junk man (who only knows Orson over the radio) says that he remembers being glued to the story of the Spacemen when he was a kid and that it changed his life Orson observes sardonically, "...mine too..."

[borntohula]

He means "Believe me, Ottershaw, I didn't kill Spender on purpose, I will always be sorry for what happened."

And I guess you're right borntohula and the others, the kidnapping did take place before the mission to mars. So in the end, it would mean that the real story is the mars one and the flashbacks are everything else.

Thanks for translating that. English isn't my first language, and especially not when twitter-written.

Yeah, it's much easier to read it that way. Kidnapping happening before Mars, which I think is real and some think is a Philip K. Dick dream or something (And who knows -what the green stuff in the vials are. Just "numb", or it maybe heavy enough for a trip to Mars)

But for me that doesn't matter much. What matters is that I got a fine and sad ending that I can't stop thinking about :)

[thwhtGuardian]

He means "Believe me, Ottershaw, I didn't kill Spender on purpose, I will always be sorry for what happened."

And I guess you're right borntohula and the others, the kidnapping did take place before the mission to mars. So in the end, it would mean that the real story is the mars one and the flashbacks are everything else.

Nah, I don't think they ever got to Mars.

The only way they would have gotten there would be if Carter used his new found riches to finance the trip, but at that point what would be the point? Carter didn't care for Mars and he was making money as the next big reality TV star so I don't see him stopping all that and going to Mars. That last image was just a symbol of how isolated Orson was from Tara and the rest of the people in the "drys".

[Antares Maelstrom]

Nah, I don't think they ever got to Mars.

The only way they would have gotten there would be if Carter used his new found riches to finance the trip, but at that point what would be the point? Carter didn't care for Mars and he was making money as the next big reality TV star so I don't see him stopping all that and going to Mars. That last image was just a symbol of how isolated Orson was from Tara and the rest of the people in the "drys".

Right. And it was made more poignant by the way that Earth seemed so close as Orson stood on Mars in that last panel, so close and yet so far.

[gloryhound]

I just read this entire thread and want to thank every poster for their insight (especially you, Comedian) on what happened throughout this series. I remember reading an interview with Azzarello where he states the Mars Program was shut down before any of the Spacemen were able to go, so I knew from the get-go that the Mars sequences were not real, or might not be real as I was guessing each month what was going on. I was planning on reading the series again, all in one sitting, and after reading the posts here I am definitely going to do that.

As for "will Azzarello write more Vertigo," the answer is YES. He has three more story ideas he shared with Risso (who wanted to do all of them) that he will work on over the next few years. And yes, he did mention the possibility of sequels for each story idea, including Spaceman. So as far as I'm concerned, there will be more Azzarello real soon.

[Billy Batson]

As for "will Azzarello write more Vertigo," the answer is YES. He has three more story ideas he shared with Risso (who wanted to do all of them) that he will work on over the next few years. And yes, he did mention the possibility of sequels for each story idea, including Spaceman. So as far as I'm concerned, there will be more Azzarello real soon.

Awww yeah! B)

[Comedian]

I just read this entire thread and want to thank every poster for their insight (especially you, Comedian) on what happened throughout this series. I remember reading an interview with Azzarello where he states the Mars Program was shut down before any of the Spacemen were able to go, so I knew from the get-go that the Mars sequences were not real, or might not be real as I was guessing each month what was going on. I was planning on reading the series again, all in one sitting, and after reading the posts here I am definitely going to do that.

As for "will Azzarello write more Vertigo," the answer is YES. He has three more story ideas he shared with Risso (who wanted to do all of them) that he will work on over the next few years. And yes, he did mention the possibility of sequels for each story idea, including Spaceman. So as far as I'm concerned, there will be more Azzarello real soon.

Well thank you!

-And count me in as excitedly looking forward to future Azzarello/Risso Vertigo projects! I'm hoping to get a Spaceman book signed by Risso at NY Con.

[gloryhound]

I'm hoping to get a Spaceman book signed by Risso at NY Con.

Will he be at NYCC? I did not see his name on the website but I did skim it fairly quickly. I haven't seen too many Vertigo creators at Artist's Alley. There's definitely a few "special guests" that would be great to try and meet but I never get my hopes up. Sometimes the lines are too ridiculous to stand and wait for a few minutes conversation and signature. I will be, however, attending any Vertigo panels featured.

[Comedian]

Will he be at NYCC? I did not see his name on the website but I did skim it fairly quickly. I haven't seen too many Vertigo creators at Artist's Alley. There's definitely a few "special guests" that would be great to try and meet but I never get my hopes up. Sometimes the lines are too ridiculous to stand and wait for a few minutes conversation and signature. I will be, however, attending any Vertigo panels featured.

Scheduled to be there.



Best known for: 100 Bullets, Spaceman and Batman

Appearing: All Days

Eduardo Risso was born in Leones, Argentina, in 1959.

In 1981 he started working for COLUMBA editions pencilling series like EL ANGEL and JULIO CESAR. In 1987 he did PARQUE CHAS, with writer Ricardo Barreiro. The series is published first in the anthology magazine FIERRO, in Argentina, then in TOTEM (Spain), COMIC ART (Italy), In 1988, he again worked with Ricardo Barreiro on CAIN. The same year he drew FULU, with writer Carlos Trillo.

After this, he continued his association with Trillo and several series followed: SIMON: AN AMERICAN TALE, VIDEO NOIRE , BORDERLINE , and CHICANOS .

In 1997 he did ALIEN: RESURRECTION for DARK HORSE. He teamed up with Brain Azzarello on the miniseries JONNY DOUBLE which led to the creation of the multiple Eisner Award winning series 100 BULLETS that just reached its final 100th issue.

Also with Azzarello he did a highly successful run on BATMAN with the critically- acclaimed BROKEN CITY storyline and KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE. He teamed with Brian K. Vaughan to do WOLVERINE: LOGAN, and with Glen David Gold for the short story: One Hundred! for The Spirit and recently with Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray doing a JONAH HEX.

He has won the EISNER, HARVEY and YELLOW KID awards.

[MartinNL]

A little late to the party, but just finished the final issue. Man what a great story. I was confused as well... I was, like Comedian, in the there never was a Mars mission camp. I mean it was mentioned in the book, like already said before, dismantled. A little confusing still and that mostly had to do or me with the final page and the use of the word "missed". And that is what I love about the story, you get to speculate about what possibly could have happened. I have to say that what Comedian says made a lot of sense and explained those things that made everything fall into place for me.

Definitely getting the Deluxe hardcover now! And can't wait for more Azzarello/Risso projects.

[PeterCSM]

..And an even more delayed reply! I thought the Mars scenes were taking place after the initial story until this final issue. Now I agree with the majority of posters that they were an alternate world/dream of a life that never took place. The first couple issues of this series would've lead me to dropping this book if not for the creative team's history but it picked up after that. However now that it's all done (and I finally got around to reading all the issues) it feels unfulfilling for a nine issue series. The plot's pretty basic and there's little character development so I don't know why it needed to be so long. I kept expecting something more and it never happened. Not a bad series but I don't think I'm going to be keeping this one in my collection. Never though I'd say that about a book full of Risso post-apocalyptic art.