DCU Book Club Week 43: THE SPECTRE (1992-) Issues 1-7

“Pulls no punches” yep.
Very strong start to the series. Has some of the DNA of Moore’s Swamp Thing, but this time the protagonist seems to lack empathy or mercy.

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Madame Spectre us far more terrifying. As Corrigan tells her she doesn’t have the capacity to hold this overwhelming vengeful power. I think Spectre would have made the Pimp think he had been chomped, Madame Spectre chomped him. But, she is cute.

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One of the most underrated series of all time

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John Ostrander stands the test of time. Solid and inventive writer.

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Another series you could easily base a show off of.

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I would absolutely watch a Spectre show! It would be riveting!

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If you haven’t seen it, there was a Spectre animated short, which is on here in the Superman/Shazam animated movie.

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I’ve read Spectre before. I encountered him first in Showcase or Brave and Bold, where he was more a big cosmic being who fought demons. My teen age self was not impressed. Then again in Adventures comics in 1974, where Michael Fleisher and Jim Aparo wrote sadistic vengeance stories, where Spectre would turn the bad guys into wood or candles or glass while they were fully conscious, and then slowly destroy that material. All because editor Joe Orlando had been mugged. It was rather thrilling and unique for a young adult who hadnt read horror books, just the Universal Monsters of the thirties and forties

I read this series when it was lublished and vaguely remember Amy.

Spectre is the most powerful and intimidating character in the DC Universe. If he sees you do someting bad, you have a few minutes before you die, are transformed or punished in a big way.

Corrigan and Spectre are not the same person. There is a symbiosis between them. Corrigan’s rage and anger, brought about by a torturous childhood and a horrific death, fuels the Spectre and once aroused, it is difficult for Corrigan to reign him in, if he even wants to.

The Spectre is a force difficult to control, and being new to this almost possession by a semi demon, makes Madame Xanadu more a danger to hersekf and others, because I think Corrigan sometimes regrets the action of the Spectre, though he might not express it.

Corrigan probably hasn’t felt the touch of a human or any sort of relationship since his death and breakup with his wife to be, over 50 years ago. So even though he plays the tough guy, like Humphrey Bogart did in the movies, he aches for human contact. So the relationship with Amy is the most touching. Part of him want to be rid of these human feelings, to be cold, so he shows her his entire history, subconsciously wanting her to flee. But she doesn’t, for whatever reason, perhaps feeling the Extraordinary stresses he undergoes and perhaps she sees good in him.

Unlike Batman, the Spectre does not roam the city at night looking for evil to punish and waits 50 years to confront the man possibly responsible for his death. Evil has to be in front of him and then the Spectre takes over. Perhaps Corrigan grew tired of endless revenge. It certainly has not stopped Evil, after 50 years of him, going at it.

The artwork is very evocative and the writing presents Corrigan as more than a one dimensional character, but almost complicated.

Thanks, JLSMWW, for getting me to visit this character again, with a comic series which was not just about anger, revenge and vengeance.

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@Kingmob and
@keylimetyrant
Thanks for sharing your high praises of the series and author!

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reads @Jay_Kay’s comment. Adds Superman/Shazam to my “to watch” list

Thanks @Jay_Kay

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@TurokSonOfStone1950
Hi! Great to see you in bookclub! I really like your insight about Jim sometimes regretting the actions of the Spectre. I haven’t read the whole series yet, but the dynamic between Jim and the Spectre is one I’m looking forward to reading more about. I’m glad you enjoyed the revisit to the character. =)

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1.) It is! I’ve wanted to read it for a while though.

2.) The Spectre is pretty intimidating, but to me I find characters like The Joker more intimidating. They’re just so unprediactable.

3.) Madame Spectre for sure. Her rage was uncontrollable. It was one victim after another. I think the team behind this book did a really good job of showing just how scary she was.

3.) This is a tough one, but probably issue 6 when The Spectre saved the snitch from a hail of gunfire, then actually made it hail gunfire on the car that ordered the hit. The blood coming out of the car was so visceral. It was a really cool sequence and probably something I won’t forget anytime soon

This was a really gripping read. The way Amy was involved was exciting and I genuinely didn’t know where the book was going to go next. Capping these issues off with a Madame Xanadu Spectre was hella cool. Great pick!

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Finished #7, so onto the DQ’s!

  1. I’ve read The Spectre before, but in patches. Random issues here and there over the years but never these initial issues, which were fantastic. I also dug the Glenn Fabry and Dan Brereton covers.

Speaking of covers, the print edition of #8 (which isn’t an issue that’s part of this BC, I know) has a glow in the dark cover. You can see the GITD material on the cover of the digital edition though. Its just like the GITD covers done by Kelley Jones for Batman #'s 530-532.

Speaking of Jones’ run on Batman, issues 540 and 541 feature an interesting story of him and The Spectre.

  1. More intimidating than The Spectre…well, for outright anger and intimidation I don’t know if anyone outdoes him. He may be numero uno in that field.

  2. While I really enjoyed Madame Spectre, I give it to Corrigan.

  3. My favorite moment was when Spectre collected that massive handful of bullets and literally rained it down on the car full of hoods, shredding them and their car in the process.

These issues were great! I’m very tempted to continue on with the series.

Speaking of The Spectre, the animated short starring him is on DCU. It’s at the end of Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. Steve Niles wrote it and Gary Cole (Lumbergh from Office Space) voices Corrigan/Spectre. Cole also voiced Black Adam on Justice League Action, FYI.

Great pick JL!

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The Spectre is like a vengeful therapist with no-mercy condemnations, pointing out your emptiness just before the lights go out. Sorry about that, Snipe!

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@MattMcDonald
I like the distinction you made between the Joker and Madame X Spectre. To paraphrase your words, the Joker is intimating because he’s unpredictable, while Madame X Spectre is scary because she’s comes across as out of control. That’s a subtle but key difference. She terrified me!

Glad you enjoyed it!

@Vroom
That scene with the bullets is intense. The glow in the dark cover sounds awesome! I’m happy you were able to read the initial issues and enjoyed them. =)

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Thanks everyone for chiming in and reading along with The Spectre this week! It was a pleasure to read your thoughts and reflections!

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Issue 2: Realizing that Corrigan and Madame Xanadu perhaps could have tried sharing an office for budgetary reasons. Partitions help!

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Issue #2 Memorable Moment: Michael Landau getting transferred from his jail cell to Hades by The Spectre, getting words of welcome by the devil-in-chief, then being quickly pardoned by The Soectre when he insists that he didn’t kill his wife. Tom Mandrake remains a superb artist.

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