The 1980s had been a defining era for comic books. It was a time when the medium began to be taken seriously thanks to a more adult – but not gory – direction of plotting. 1986 was a year that changed the face of comic books forever, spawning such classics like Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s Watchmen, but also The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. The mood of these tales is adult not due to violence, but because of the themes, the weight of the subject matter, and the ability to emotionally tap into the minds of readers. People read stories like that as if they were novels – they were pretentiously titled graphic novels later in the decade – and it meant that comic books had a reputation for more than cheap entertainment for kids. Naturally, DC wanted to milk this success in the Dark Age of Comics, lasting from 1986 to the early years of the new millennium. And Batman seemed to be a natural conduit of such new stories. This period is a key time for the Dark Knight. After years of decent, albeit sluggish and directionless, stories, editor Dennis O’Neil updated Batman by commissioning stories like 1987’s Batman: Year One, The Killing Joke and very famously A Death in the Family, both in 1988. One such forgotten but equally era-defining story came from the pen of Jim Starlin. He was the creator who killed off Jason Todd’s Robin in Batman 428. But that same year, he wrote The Cult, a miniseries which explored Batman and Gotham City in a very different way. However, The Cult is near forgotten today. Why?
Batman: The Cult 1-4 was published from August to November 1988. Written by Jim Starlin, it was drawn by Bernie Wrightson of Swamp Thing and horror comic fame. Unlike many other 1980s Batman stories, The Cult has not been reprinted in some years (the last printing seems to have been in 2009). That said, the original four issues are not difficult to collect.
For a miniseries which inspired Christopher Nolan in his plotting and making of The Dark Knight Rises, The Cult has been buried by a mixture of time, some of its more famous surrounding stories, and a modern DC company that is extremely apprehensive about reprinting it. In the blurb of the 1991 collected edition, The Cult is described aptly as ‘controversial’. We’ll get into the reasoning soon enough. Although The Cult was a four-issue miniseries, each part was published as a prestige format. This means that each part is around fifty pages long. Starlin doesn’t flood these pages too badly with overly verbose plot, but he creates a chilling scene.
It begins in a grim mansion, one on the estate of Wayne Manor. Bruce Wayne explores this red landscape and enters the dank darkness of a cave. Shockingly, he encounters the Joker. Seconds later, Bruce literally transforms into Batman to fight his arch-nemesis. But all this is a hallucination. Reality returns as Batman is shown deep in the sewers, tied up, covered in blood, and beaten to near-death. Throughout, Starlin doesn’t convey this tale plainly. Because there are so many pages to fill, there are opportunities for interesting storytelling. The disordered sense of events brilliantly reflects the demonically torturous and drug-induced world which one Deacon Blackfire has placed the Dark Knight in. The first issue spends its time setting the scene. Deacon Blackfire is the villain of the piece, and early on Starlin writes a very religious origin story for him. Blackfire is meant to be an immortal figure who existed centuries ago. It goes back to the Miagani tribe, a group of savages who tried to kill Blackfire. But even after their violence, Blackfire forgave them. Starlin writes a frankly dull and predictable story that writes Blackfire into a religious prophet, one which is followed and adored by his followers. But what makes the stagnant story interesting is the fact that it is all made-up. Deacon Blackfire dresses in the robes of a priest, but he is actually a conman. Blackfire has become a cult leader not for religious reasons, but simply for power. This message is, of course, not surprising, but Starlin builds up to this revelation throughout the series. What makes the plot interesting is that Batman is more than a simple prisoner to torture. Gotham City’s entire homeless population have left the streets. Some of them have become part of Blackfire’s gang – their way of delivering new justice to the innocent people of Gotham is to kill any criminal they come across. While it’s far from an original idea, Starlin conveys the crime and drama of Gotham City using news reports on the TV. We’re treated to vox pops and different personalities and their views on Blackfire’s new way of dealing with crime. This is straight from the Frank Miller playbook. But it is a good way of involving Gotham City into a very intricate plot. Batman was investigating the disappearance of the homeless until a few weeks before the start of the story. And what’s more, Blackfire is brainwashing the Dark Knight so he can join his cause. While it could be argued that executing Batman would be the safer and ultimately less troublesome option, where’s the fun in that? Starlin writes a dialogue scene between Batman and Blackfire. It never comes across as preachy or forced, and it’s heavily aided by the fact that the Dark Knight is down in the dumps physically and mentally. Blackfire manipulates the underclass of Gotham City to Batman, explaining how his lax attitude towards crime over the years has not solved anything. Batman is in no position to fight back. Thanks to a mixture of twisted logic, exhaustion, and hard drugs (that’s the main help), The Cult 1 ends with Batman converted to Blackfire’s cause. It’s a stunning and shocking end to the first issue for all kinds of reasons. For starters, we’ve rarely seen the Dark Knight give in to his enemies. Of course, there are occasions where Batman cannot win or is beaten. But Starlin writes Batman’s dialogue which such believable conviction that he surely cannot be doubted. Again, we readers know that Batman will surely come back from the brink and return to normality, but witnessing such a conversion to the dark side is shocking. Another aspect which leaves a more permanent and memorable mark is that Batman is in such a poor state. Malnourished, bloody, beaten, and with a mind losing its traditional sense of intelligence and logic, this is certainly the worse you’re ever going to see Batman. Never before – nor scarcely at all since – have I seen Batman’s character at such a low. That’s one reason why The Cult deserves to be remembered far more than it is…
The Cult 2 continues to present us with a distorted version of Batman. Now, he is aiding Blackfire’s gang as they go around killing the criminals of Gotham. The Dark Knight is forced to live off rations and when his time above surface is over, he is forced back into the sewers. What makes this interesting is that Batman is aware of Blackfire’s evil plans and understands that their path is not correct, but he feels locked into this new world thanks to the brainwashing. But aside from Blackfire, none of the other characters who worship the villain are particularly interesting. Ignoring their blind love of Blackfire, there is nothing else to say about them. Only one has a role in the story, and that is one who leaks to the police Blackfire’s real plan to take over Gotham. The Cult 2 contains less plot than the first issue, but it does amp up the drama. In literally explosive scenes, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Gotham City are killed. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon is shot. Starlin creates this image of chaos, which is wonderful creatively. The stakes are higher than in most other Batman stories, and it’s helped by the format. Since there is more time and opportunity for plot, Starlin writes a thriller which builds up slowly and rewardingly from the very first page to the last. Once again, the use of news reports aids in creating that sense of urgency. And in stark contrast with the developing drama of the villains, the success of the heroes is tiny. Throughout, the Dark Knight is written as if he’s a wild animal. Screaming, shouting, and hiding in the wilderness, he really is a former shadow of himself. And with such high stakes, witnessing a protagonist at their worst adds to the feel of apocalyptic doom. Batman begins to break through Blackfire’s brainwashing and begins his fightback. This is where Robin comes in. He locates the Dark Knight in the sewers and in a wonderfully chilling scene to the end of the second issue, Jason Todd scours through the darkness of the sewers to find his master. The panels grow blacker, and their size becomes smaller, as if the cramped walls seemingly restrict Robin as their hostage. And then the panels explode. The Cult 2 ends with a double page spread of Robin finding Batman alone in the sewers, surrounded by countless skeletal remains of the victims of Deacon Blackfire…
The Cult 3 is a strange mixture of hopeful comeback and complete failure. Batman and Robin only play a very small role. Robin helps snap Batman out of his brainwashed mind – he simply slaps the Dark Knight and that seems to do it. It’s perhaps a little too simple. Anyway, they fight Blackfire’s minions in the sewer and escape. The real action comes from Blackfire and the people of Gotham City. This is where Blackfire’s plan takes off. As an immortal, Deacon Blackfire bathes in the blood of humans to extend his lifespan. Why he doesn’t just loan out a Lazarus Pit from Ra’s Al Ghul is beyond me, but basically his plan for Gotham City is plain greed and immortality. But the method in which he does this is masterful. He manipulates the people of Gotham City. Some of them support his war on crimes, while others do not. Either way, they all become victims of Blackfire since he was behind the deaths of the Mayor and the political class of the city. With them dead and their bodies lying on the red streets, Blackfire successfully attempts a coup. Martial law is declared as the military begin to fight back. But again, this takeover is interesting because of the role of the public. He turns the public against the political class by delegitimising them as fake democrats who ignore the will of the people and take far-too liberal a stance on issues like crime. In short, Deacon Blackfire is a populist conman who has taken a leaf from the books of the fascists of the thirties and censoring authoritarians of the post-war era. He cares only for himself. That in itself is an unsatisfying drive for a villain for us readers to listen to, but Starlin writes Blackfire as a cunning villain who – unlike the Penguin, the Riddler, Two Face, and perhaps even the Joker – has brought Gotham City down to its knees. At the end of The Cult 3, Batman and Robin are picked up by Alfred. The Dark Knight orders that they leave Gotham City. They seemingly have failed. Once again, Batman announcing defeat makes for a shocking moment, even if the story has perhaps overdone it with surprises at this late stage…
The Cult 4 is very much reminiscent of a future Batman story arc. Gotham City is in lockdown, separated from the rest of the country. The criminals are in charge, and it’s down to the federal government to save the day. Whether or not the writers of No Man’s Land thought about this plot idea used by Starlin in The Cult are unclear, but what I do know is that fifty pages of lockdown is preferable to the years’ worth of story that DC somehow managed to milk out of that story arc between 1998 and 2000. To begin his fightback, Batman creates the Bat-Tank. Yes, this is pretty much the same one we’ve seen in The Dark Knight Returns. It even fires bullets that don’t kill people! By this point, the public are hell-bent against Blackfire, who is now just killing everyone for his immortality. Batman and Robin conquer the desolate streets of Gotham using the tank. There is a powerful scene when Batman is forced to let a civilian die at the hands of Blackfire’s mindless mob, knowing that any risk to his life now may make him unable to fight Blackfire. Starlin does write some bog-standard fight scenes before the final showdown, but when it comes, happily it’s nothing too ordinary. Blackfire attempts to get Batman to break his moral code about guns, but he fails. Batman doesn’t need a gun to defeat Blackfire. Instead, Batman beats him to the point where Blackfire begs for mercy. With his power diminished and dignity in tatters, he loses his control over his gang. They turn on him, and Batman and Robin cannot help as they witness Blackfire’s death. Although Blackfire has proved that death is never the end, his former underlings realise that it’s hard to stay alive and immortal when your body has been torn into countless little scraps. It’s a fitting end to Deacon Blackfire, and he was never brought until Batman Eternal in The New 52 (he was brought back for the Blackest Night storyline in the late-2000s, but so did every other murdered villain). His cult turning against him at the end is a perfect conclusion, but it does seem to happen far too quickly. I get that losing against Batman would damage his reputation irrevocably, but it’s just a bit odd that his gang instantly goes for him seconds after defeat. Nonetheless, order returns to Gotham City and Batman can put this traumatic episode behind him.
Looking at the story as a whole, it is remarkable that there are so many similarities between The Cult and The Dark Knight Returns. It’s almost abnormal. Whether it be the use of TV news reports, the featuring of a grimmer and more tired Batman, those dark scenes underground where Batman fights his villains, the similarities between Deacon Blackfire’s Cult and the Mutants and their leader, or even more simplistic thinks like the Bat-Tank, there are a lot of similarities.
Of course, some of these are coincidental. But it is painfully clear that Jim Starlin was influenced hugely by Miller’s 1986 work. While The Dark Knight Returns was and will remain more remembered and more positively received by the masses, I have to say I prefer The Cult. It takes more of a bold lead. It goes further than the Dark Knight Returns in some areas, and strays away from the places where perhaps Miller went too far in that story. The Cult is an excellent story. So, why has it not been reprinted. Putting it down to dark themes or gore is a moot point when – in the modern comics of today – violence is everywhere. Instead, the reasoning comes down to Deacon Blackfire’s religious front. Some may see The Cult attacking the fundamentalist and cultist view of religion that some may believe. Especially in modern day America, DC would naturally shy away from mentioning that aspect of The Cult – even if it is a façade used by Blackfire – because fundamentalism is a source of controversy. In my humble view, I think DC should reprint The Cult not just because it’s a classic, but also because Jim Starlin never outwarded attacks religion or fundamentalism. Remember, this story isn’t about religion at all. It’s simply a front for Blackfire’s selfish needs. Really, The Cult is forgotten because DC have, sadly, ignored it.
It’s difficult to pick out any gaping holes or flaws in The Cult. Perhaps one point of critique can be its pacing. At nearly two-hundred pages, is there enough plot? There are several instances where Starlin relegates his pages to standard fight-scenes. We’re never over-exposed to such tiresome affairs, but some of those moments don’t feel essential. That said, those scenes are aided by Starlin’s strong and engaging dialogue. While Batman is one of the stars here, Robin feels like a very minor character. He doesn’t really appear in any notable capacity until the third issue, but even after that, Starlin tends to write him out of the story. He isn’t present until the very end of Batman’s battle with Blackfire. It is worth remembering that this is one of the very last stories featuring Jason Todd as Robin. One month after The Cult 4, Robin is killed. Additionally, Starlin pointlessly crams in Batman’s origin yet again. I get that the death of his parents was important, but do we really have to see it continuously? Aside from that, there is very little that can be said against The Cult. Some may question its lack of originality, but I think that it is perhaps better than some of the more remembered Batman tales from that decade.
Bernie Wrightson had been one of DC’s signature horror artists during the 1970s. If you’ve read any of his Swamp Thing run, or some of his tales from House of Mystery or House of Secrets, then you’ll be more than aware of his unique style. With a capacity to create a strong impression, Wrightson’s creativity comes both from his chilling way of storytelling, and his visual textures. His inking style appears gritty and rough, often with the goal of creating moody lighting, or to make something regular appear creepy or unsettling. Wrightson succeeds in doing some of that here, but I would hesitate to describe The Cult as a having the look of a horror comic. It certainly looks gritty and grim, but there’s nothing scary going on in the plot. Wrightson does depict blood and gore with a degree of sinisterness, and those dark scenes in the sewers are flawlessly aided by both cramped panels and great lighting, but it’s never scary. It works because it depicts the hellish mission that Blackfire wants to achieve. The shocking sense of drama is conveyed by creative storytelling. I have to say that it doesn’t really look like Wrightson’s usual artwork. It’s hard to describe what I mean by that. It just doesn’t have that same Wrightson-appearance which, say, Swamp Thing had during the Bronze Age. But it is certainly effective. I must admit however that Bill Wray’s colouring style is very mixed. During those gritty scenes in the sewers, that blended use of clues really meshes with the stony and cold artwork of Wrightson. But in other occasions when the lighting is brighter, but Wrightson continues to capture his signature sense of unsettledness, Wray’s colouring can be too vivid or bright. It can almost look naff at times, but other times it can seem muted and more suitable. I wouldn’t say the colouring ruins the artwork. Sometimes it might improve things. But I have to say that The Cult would be a wonderful story to reprint in black and white. With such detail and texture as supplied here, Wrightson produces some great art for a great story.
VERDICT
Overall, Batman: The Cult is an excellent miniseries that needs to be reprinted. It’s a Batman story like no other. Jim Starlin’s depiction of Batman is flawless, showing him both at his forensic and calculating best, but also at his most deprived and shattered. For Batman, the Cult is certainly his most personally traumatic episode. As a villain, Deacon Blackfire is effective and is extremely bold, but I’m glad he was killed off here. The Cult is his story, and there’s little else unique that Starlin or any other writer really could do with him. Overall, the plot is one of the most dramatic, shocking, and effective of the Dark Ages. Naturally, it’s helped enormously by the talented Bernie Wrightson. It's this story that explains why – despite pencilling only a handful of other Dark Knight tales – he’s sometimes considered one of the best Batman artists of his generation…
Next Week: Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Travelling Heroes (Green Lantern (vol 2) 76-82). Written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Neal Adams, Frank Giacoia, Dick Giordano, Mike Peppe, and Bernie Wrightson.
Comentários