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Post by starlord on Dec 14, 2007 23:37:30 GMT -5
Please let us know what you think!
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Post by starlord on Dec 14, 2007 23:40:20 GMT -5
Well, since you asked... this was another outstanding issue. I'm loving the friendship between Speed and Faraday. The opening scene was creepy as hell, and I had an almost Burton-ish sort of film playing in my head during the "it's alive!" scene!
One question, though: Harriett Cooper? Wasn't that the name of the Aunt in the old Batman series? Was this intentional? If so, brilliant... if not... brilliant!
The cover was outstanding as well, I might add.
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Post by lissilambe on Dec 15, 2007 23:25:49 GMT -5
Yes, it's true. Danger Trail presents Aunt Harriet in her nubile, adventurous days.  Done on purpose (and hopefully in style  ). Thanks for the great words. I was hoping for the creepy, glad it came across. Take care Don |
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a2uton
Junior Member
Posts: 63
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Post by a2uton on Dec 15, 2007 23:53:06 GMT -5
I've been waiting for your letters page to go up since wednesday. Like Starlord I wondered about Harriet Cooper. I too was going to point out that I was not familiar with that character from the mainstream DCU but it did sound a lot like the Aunt Harriet from the sixties Batman tv show. While an interesting twist it would not be the first time in the deuce that tv characters have been used. King Tut showed up in one of the Bat titles and the Bookworm was also mentioned . But an interesting connection nonetheless.
You've set up an interesting subplot by making the Danger Trail an actual plane of existance. An access point to anywhere if I understand King Faraday correctly.
Now, about Rima. I understand why you brought her in. There weren't that many female adventurers in the comics of the day: Sandra of the Secret Service and Sally O'Neal are the only two I can think of. You obviously wanted to use a female for the series. The problem is
that Rima is a licensed character who first appeared in the book Green Mansions. As such she is not officially part of the DCU. I felt the same about the deuce using Static and the Milestone
characters. Although I like the way you used her in the story againsy Nyola. You've also created a bit of a twist in that all three of your major villians so far have been women.
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Post by lissilambe on Dec 16, 2007 10:10:41 GMT -5
Actually, Aunt Harriet debuted in the comics first, beating the TV show out by a year or two. I believe she first showed up in 1964. So the TV show got her from the comic book. She had replaced Alfred in the comic (while he was busy being deceased, I believe), and in the show, they just used both of them at the same time.
I used Rima because I love jungle characters and I've always had a soft spot for Rima. I read her short, seven issue run in DC comics and enjoyed it, but then how can you not love Nestor Redondo art? And the stories were good. That she was a licensed character honestly is nearly irrelevant, since I doubt very much most people would remember she was ever from a novel. People would know about her from Super-Friends first, most likely.
I could have used many female characters. Granted, there weren't all that many, but enough for me to have picked from. A young Sandra Knight, Miss X, the couple you mentioned, others if I gave it the time to think. I just love Rima. She's fun, and I think she deserves some attention.
Yeah, so far the baddies have been female. Not planned, but it works nicely for sure. That'll change in issue five with the Feathered Serpent's debut.
Hope you enjoyed, and hope you come back next week for the DC2 Christmas Special, with "The Christmas Trail" entries.
Take care
Don
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Post by eric the pilot on Dec 22, 2007 12:00:10 GMT -5
One of these days Don, your writing is going to disappoint me. Today, yet again, is not one of them.
It's a great challenge in this sort of work to engage people with characters they don't have a lot of working knowledge from, but you manage to do that in spades, issue after issue and this is a series full of those types of characters. Wouldn't surprise me if one or two people aren't going back and picking up the Showcases featuring some of these.
Rima, Harriet Cooper, Doctor Occult - all great to see even in their brief introductions - they are marked, impactful debuts. It continues to be a joy to see which forgotten, but shouldn't be, characters are going to come up and how you'll weave them into the rich tapestry you're developing.
Picks up right from the last one, continuing with the intrigue vibe you've been working so hard to develop, there's a lot going on here, and I suspect re-reading this one after the next will only enhance a lot of what you're doing in this one. There's a lot of set-up here, but it works well and as a reader I don't feel cheated by that.
Personally I'm enjoying a great deal what you're doing with Speed as a character, he really helps to pull the whole story together. He and Harriet should be a fun mix.
Great effort, as always.
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Post by David on May 27, 2009 7:21:07 GMT -5
Another five-star issue of the DC2's greatest unsung title! The stories are fascinating and fun, the characters well-realized and interesting--- but the tone and atmosphere of these issues is right out of the pulps or Saturday matinee serials. I imagine the action in sharp black and white, with a musical score that is at turns pregnant with impending menace and then rousingly adventurous. Speed is Roger Coleman (or a young David Niven), Faraday is Bogey, and Midnight is Clark Gable (sans moustache). As for Harriet Cooper, I can't make up my mind between Vivian Leigh and Merle Oberon--- reserving judgement until her next appearance.
This series reminds me a little of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, as it lends itself to all sorts of pulp-era DC properties (even Rima works fabulously in this context), just as Moore has staked his claim to Fantastical Victoriana. The Danger Trail continues to mine what Don Walsh expertly reminds is a rich vein of character and story, and this issue is no exception!
"The Verdant Darkness Affair" is shaping up to be as compelling a story as "The Blood and Dragon Affair" picking up where the other left off in a chilling prologue that struck just the right note--- all roads, it seems, on the Danger Trail, will converge! From the poetic title of the arc ("Verdant Darkness" is so evocative--- I can't help but think of Conrad), to Speed's quest to decipher the Ineffable Libram and find the Danger Trail, to the spunky and charming Harriet Cooper, this issue is a winner. But the hand's-down best scene is the dramatic entrance of Dr. Occult in the church! Nicely done!
Moving on to #5!
Also, question: when is the best place to read the "Christmas Trail" installments?
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Post by lissilambe on May 29, 2009 23:59:15 GMT -5
Oooh, more praise from Dave! Thanks. Some great comments and insights here, and I love 'em. Most of your casting is pretty much spot on, though for Harriet, I sneak in some Maureen O'Hara as well (I love that woman...give me a time machine, and believe me, that's where I'm headed  ). Compared to Alan Moore's work on League? Well there's high praise indeed. thanks. There is so much in the way of characters to play with and develop in this area, that it's hard to pare it down in some cases. You'll see that in upcoming issues. LOL I must admit, Verdant Darkness is one of those titles I'm just so stunningly proud of. Verdant is just a beautiful word, actually, and I do feel I did a great job on this title. And Doc's entrance...yeah, I wanted to hit the right notes on that one, worked it long and hard. Glad it worked. As for Christmas Trail, there's no reason not to read it whenever you like. It takes place both before (part 1) and after (part 2) the setting of the series, and is done to allow the reader to just jump right on in. There's also a Halloween tale in House of Mystery II, "The Pale Ones", which is the first official appearance of Argent St. Cloud, and is a year or so after the debut date of the series. The Christmas Trail shows up in the '08 Holiday issue too, and we'll be keeping to the Christmas Trail each and every year. Take care Don |
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Done on purpose (and hopefully in style 
).
).