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Redemption #1: Strangers

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Greg Bishansky writes...

For the GargWiki's timeline, I was wondering if you would please share the dates and descriptions from your timeline of the events of "Bad Guys"?

Thanks!

Greg responds...

I'm feeling generous, so:

Saturday, June 15th, 1996
That evening in Ishimura, the gargoyles hold a council meeting with their human neighbors. Yama is banished until his honor can be restored.

Sunday, October 27th, 1996
Robyn Canmore is arrested.

Friday, November 1st, 1996
The Director gives the Hunter Robyn Canmore a choice between staying in prison or leading an elite squad of desperadoes on dangerous missions. Robyn chooses the latter.

Tuesday, November 5th, 1996, 7:00pm AEDT
In Australia, Dingo and Matrix defeat the Tasmanian Tiger. They are then defeated by Hunter. She offers Dingo a choice between prison and charter membership in her new Redemption squad. Dingo reluctantly elects to join. Matrix chooses to sign on as well.

Friday, November 8th, 1996, 7:07pm UTC+09
Vinnie tries to find the train to Ishimura. Hunter, Dingo and Matrix coerce the gargoyle Yama into joining their team. They head for Paris.

Friday, November 8th, 1996, 9:27pm EST.
Sevarius poses as “Fred” to sneak into the Labyrinth past Al, Benny, Tasha, Claw, Shari and Thug. He reveals himself to Fang, whom he calls Fred Sykes.

December 22nd, 1996
Dingo, Matrix and Yama train in the Squad’s headquarters beneath the Eiffel Tower. Hunter walks past Notre Dame and remembers…

Wednesday, December 31st, 1996
After midnight, the Redemption Squad arrives in Manhattan to investigate Anton Sevarius, ensconsing themselves at the Casablanca Hotel. After sunrise, Robyn Canmore visits Jason Canmore at Rikers and John Castaway (a.k.a. Jon Canmore) at the Quarrymen Brownstone. John washes his hands of her. Dingo and Matrix go off on their own to pursue Sevarius before sundown. After sunset, Yama and Hunter follow them into the Labyrinth but split up. Hunter is about to be attacked by Fang. Yama rescues Hunter, but Fang shocks both unconscious and takes them to Sevarius, who has already mutated Thug, Tasha, Erin and Benny. They are rescued by Dingo and Matrix.

Thursday, January 1st, 1997
The Squad prevents Fang from releasing Sevarius’ CV-1997 virus on Times Square. Later, they discover that Sevarius has escaped and Tasha has hanged herself. Yama nearly executes Fang, but Hunter talks him out of it. Thug takes Erin and Benny back to the Labyrinth. Hunter is forced to admit Fang to the Squad.

Saturday, January 3rd, 1997
Hunter briefs Dingo, Matrix, Yama and Fang on their mission to attack an Illuminati Society stronghold.

Monday, January 5th, 1997
Dingo, Matrix, Hunter, Yama and Fang approach Eastcheap Isle, when their battle-copter Redemption is blown out of the sky. Matrix saves them. Seven robots attack. Fang abandons them. Yama destroys Robot #6 but is targeted by Robot #7. Hunter and Dingo destroy Robot #1. And, while Matrix armors up around Dingo, Hunter also destroys Robot #2 â€" but is targeted by Robot #4. Meanwhile, Fang destroys Robot #5 and then saves Yama by destroying Robot #7. Dingo/Matrix saves Hunter and destroys Robot #4. Hunter destroys Robot #3. Yama destroys the newly-arrived Robot #8 and the two Sentry Robots #9 and #10. They enter the island’s interior and battle Points, Doll, Bardolph, Quickly and Pistol. But Dingo recognizes Pistol as an associate of his former mentor John Oldcastle, now known as Falstaff, King of Thieves. Falstaff, the Illuminati’s treasurer, welcomes the squad to Eastcheap and, with the help of Fiona Canmore and Thailog, tries to convince them to change sides. The Squad plays along, but Falstaff is not fooled. A battle results in Falstaff submerging his island/ship. The squad survives, adrift. Meanwhile in Paris, the Director confers with his assistant Dolores and his superior Monsier Le Maire.

Response recorded on March 06, 2012

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

...and here's my second Bad Guys question:

On the cover of Issue One, above the Wanted poster for Matrix is another piece of paper which reads in part: "... modified and so[und?] ... N/A ... Descr[iption] ... Date of Birth: December 16, 1962 Place of Birth: Sacramento, Californi[a]"

1. Does this paper refer to any specific character? In other words, have you decided yet who it refers to?
2. Does it refer to any character already depicted in the comics or TV show, or mentioned in canon-in-training?
3. Does it refer to a member of the Redemption Squad? According to GargWiki, all of their birth dates have already been revealed, except for Matrix's "birth" date, but it was created in the 1990's in Australia as far as I know, not in 1960's California.

Thank you.

Greg responds...

Hadn't even noticed that until now.

Response recorded on October 26, 2010

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Greg Bishansky writes...

For GargWiki purposes, what are the dates of the events of Bad Guys #1 and #2?

Greg responds...

Strangers: November 5th, 1996 & January 5th, 1997.

The Lost: November 8th, 1996 & January 5th, 1997.

And while we're at it...

Estranged: September 28th, 1980; December 22nd, 1996; December 31st, 1996 & January 5th, 1997

Response recorded on July 11, 2008

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The One Known As Mochi writes...

So... Last week, I finally managed to pick up #6 (the corrected version), #7 and Bad Guys #1. I knowingly overdrew my checking account getting these issues (don't worry, I won't do that again...$30 overdraft charges aren't always fun to deal with...) and I was eager to catch up with everyone else. I'll briefly share my thoughts on these issues.

Gargoyles #6
I almost laughed when Goliath, Elisa, Bronx and Angela ended up in a huge pot of...whatever was boiling in there... Bronx looks good in a sherpa (it is a sherpa, right?). It seems Avalon has sent them to find Coldstone and reunite the clan. They end up waking up upon a lake and whether or not they were successful has yet to be known. Coldsteel working for Xanatos... That's surprise for me. It made me wonder what Coldsteel had been doing since he disappeared after being seperated from Coldstone's body.

Gargoyles #7
Now I see why all those dates and times were withheld. Lots of skipping around in terms of time. Made for interesting reading I have to admit. I'm wondering if issue #8 will reveal what happened on the morning of November 15... Fox is shopping for shoes...and curiosity as to why is killing me a little. Shari is quite a story teller. Perhaps her knowledge is why she ranks high in the Illuminati? I'm wondering what Xanatos has planned, especially since the Stone of Destiny might be involved... The page with Macbeth waiting for Lexington and Hudson to wake up was funny. I know jetlag is not a fun thing to experience... I noticed Angela whispers something to Broadway... Perhaps it's alluding to something that will be revealed later? Wow...Macbeth tried to steal the stone back in 1950. Very interesting... Another Coyote and Coldsteel...helping Xanatos... Definitely lots of foreshadowing present in this issue. "...and normalcy is over-rated." So true... So very true... It's good to see Goliath and Elisa patching up things. Maggie is pregnant! Yay! Is she getting a baby shower? King Arthur! Good to see him make an appearance, although having him hold a sword to Macbeth's neck has me wanting to read #8 to see what happens. The London Clan makes an appearance too. Again, can't wait for #8 to be released...

Bad Guys #1
After reading through it the first time, I found myself having mixed reactions from the content (it's not that bad though). I liked seeing Matrix with a boombox. It seemed very apropos for him. Hmm...I'm curious as to who attacked the group... The Tazmanian Tiger was something I wasn't expecting. I'll admit, it's something new, but it didn't distract me too much. In a way, he looked like Batman in a tiger suit...at least that's what first came to mind when I first read through it. I'm glad there was a panel that shows where Dingo was being "inserted." Otherwise, I would've had to imagine where...and it would be very, VERY awry just to think about that... I liked Dingo's reaction to it though. The song lyrics... I'm wondering if that's alluding to some foreshadowing... Perhaps I'm reading too much into it? I won't know until the next issue... Nicely written lyrics, by the way... So far, I think it's off to a good start and I hope it gets better from here.

I guess I should mention now that I'll soon be a proud owner of the Season 1 DVD box set! I haven't ordered it just yet, but I will be after Christmas. In two weeks, Season 2 Volume 1... I can't wait!

Greg responds...

Cool.

Response recorded on January 23, 2008

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Bad Guys Reactions
I hope it is acceptable to post two reviews in a row. I'm a little behind reviewing and I with the comics coming once a month now, there is a lot to review!
============SPOILERS===========
So Bad Guys is one of the Spin-offs I'm least interested in, but I still enjoyed this issue and look farward to more, especially the stories about Yama and Fang being recruited. I especially hope we get to see more of the Ishimura clan in the second issue!

The best line has to be "There'll be no more ~inserting~!" I laughed so hard at that! XD Apparently Matrix has absorbed Dingo's old armor because it isn't there anymore. And I'm sure that his original power armor didn't involve any "inserting," since he was trying to avoid that sort of thing in Upgrade. Heh, poor Dingo. And then Matrix refuses to attach to him anymore! Dingo does soften his objection when it comes to fighting without his armor on. But I think that that link, and the ability to feel pain (and emotions?) will be quite important for any character development of Matrix.

I wonder where that guy got a hold of thylacines. And I hope there are more wherever they came from! Thylacines are one of the more interesting and unique (and tragic) rare/possibly extinct animals. I like the idea of them being alive in the Gargoyles Universe, and they were drawn very well. They looked fairly accurate to me, except for having legs a bit too long. They can jump like... and they've got teeth like...! I'm glad that Dingo had the sense not to hurt them. But what did Matrix put around their necks and muzzles? He left them tied up when Dingo flew away, so are they attached to the tree by abandoned nanobots? o.0 That'll puzzle the police, for sure. :) Hopefully the police will put those two thylacines in some place where they can be protected and taken care of and maybe, the species can be revived. It was a nice touch to name one of them Benjamin.

I agree with others that the Tazmanian Tiger is a corny villain. The Pack were cheezy too, but children's television superheroes often are. This Taz guy, I wonder what his issue is. Ordinary persons don't commit crimes with the help of rare/extinct, even if they are fearsome. That is especially a bizarre costume to be comitting crimes in. He's the sort of person who would be featured in a magazine like Time, as a curiosity of "look at this weirdo!" (Time actually does do that.) However, he is no weakling, and clearly he has unusual resources.

Dingo is obviously enjoying being a superhero, because he's using lots of cliches. Or rather the comic is. It's a bloody missile!

Matrix looks funny (in a good way) listening to a boombox. Which turns out to be part of him. Apparently he can pick up radio waves? I wonder if he has any appreciation of music. Does he listen to the patterns in it?

Yama has a katana. Heh.

No funny jokes from Fang, but he is drawn very well. I look farward to the humor from this guy in future issues. He's such a fun character.

Strange that Matrix can be disabled by an em pulse. And when it's wrapped around Dingo, he's effectively disabled as well. That's quite a weakness! But the Matrix needed a weakness to balance its abilities, and this is an appropriate one. I didn't understand it until the others in the Comment Room explained that it is a common weakness of technology, to be disabled by em pulses.

If we didn't already know the basic plot of Bad Guys, I'd be very concerned by that talk of tengu hunting! Especially coming from Robyn. I've yet to see any indication that she's changed her genocidal attitude toward gargoyles, so it'll take a lot of character development before I like the character (as a person). But I am liking Dingo and the unnamed shaman. (And it's great to see the word tengu used in the canon.) Matrix doesn't really have a lot of personality yet, but as much as it does have, I like.

The art in this issue was excellent, I love Karine's work. Of course I'd love it more if it was color, but it is still great as it is.
============SPOILERS===========

Greg responds...

Hey, we aim to please. Glad you liked it!

Response recorded on January 22, 2008

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Ed Reynolds writes...

Hiya Greg. The comics take a while to reach me and I don't always manage to get the reviews in before the queue closes, but the comic's really going from strength to strength. Anyway, my BG #1 review...

BAD GUYS #1

'Bad Guys' doesn't instantly grab me. I love the universe and I trust the creators, but I don't yet feel close to the characters. I care about Hudson and Demona and Macbeth because we've been through so much with them, and with these guys we've known them for a long time but relatively shallowly. I'm really excited for the comic to peel back the layers on the characters in the same way the original series has done with the 'Gargoyles' leads. Glad to see Dingo used as a starting point for this reason; he's already the most familiar, and the most intriguing (though my favourite is Fang!). The Harry Monmouth tease is lovely. I got into 'Gargoyles' first off because of the 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' characters so I can't wait to see this angle developed.

I'd be lying if I said it didn't take a while to adjust to the lack of colour. Nothing against B&W as a form, I'm all for it; but colour, to me, is in the DNA of this universe. But the art's really great. The beautiful Sydney panorama, the exquisite fight scenes and the lovely stuff of Dingo in flight. Oh, love the logo too. The paper actually feels a bit more solid than the parent title, if less glossy. There seems to be an errant red dot in the middle of the cover but perhaps that's just my copy.

So the story. I love the structure here. The opening section reminded me of 'Awakening', although it's a standard thing with television pilots (and a few comic #1s) to start in the middle and flash back. Often, I don't like the effect. Occasionally it works really well, but sometimes it feels like an in-story trailer. But that final panel of the flash-forward -- "redemption" metaphorically and literally dead in the water -- is fantastic. Same with the "redemption taking off" image at the end. And then there's the music. Threw me at first, but it actually gives the thing a real linking thread and a sense of pace. I've found a clip of part of it on youtube but by now I prefer to run my own music to it in my head -- truth be told I always like to score things I read (and write) in my head anyway as I go. The explosion panel is particularly powerful contrasting with the music. It's an interesting experiment. Not sure it would work too often, but I think it sets the tone quite effectively. And I just like innovation with the narrative.

There are plenty of great moments as always. The helicopter gag was the funniest; Matrix's spine-insertation the creepiest.

One thing nags me though. The masked supervillain -- concept and execution. Concept-wise, it interests me how this guy was in a position to do something like this, and I love the idea of Dingo living this weird idealised hero v villain world. But in a period fast developing DNA testing and biometrics and CCTV, would anyone really go blowing up downtown Sydney and then walking around in a highly recognisable suit? In the Marvel universe, I wouldn't blink twice, but in 'Gargoyles' it seems startling. Not what I'd have expected.

One of the things I often have trouble tracking with the universe is what the perception of the man on the street is to everything that goes on in the stories. Yeah, the Vinnies and the Brendans are people who have had exceptional encounters. What about people who live in Oregon or Melborne or Cardiff -- nowhere that's a hotbed of activity in the universe (yet, anyway). How is their experience of the world different from ours? What's known about advances in technology on robots and cloning and artificial intelligence? And how astonished should they be at a guy in a mask blowing up a bank only to be accosted by an ex-con TV superstar in a metal suit which allows him to fly? Not very, is the impression I get from this comic. And that surprises me a little.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read, but hasn't yet got under my skin quite like the parent comic. And that's fine -- I'm not going anywhere and I have nothing but faith it's going somewhere amazing. I do suspect it's one of those I'll enjoy best in trade since we're only yet dipping a toe into the waters of 'Bad Guys'.

Thanks to everyone who worked on it -- Greg, Karine and David, as well as Greg & Stephanie and the SLG editorial people!

Greg responds...

Well, hopefully issue #2 will grab your interest more. But I'll admit, Bad Guys is designed as a slow build read, with each issue ramping up from the previous. Issue #3 definitely ups the ante on issue #2, and I'm writing #4 now and I'm thinking it's pretty darn breathless. By the time we get to #6, we should be "getting under your skin" just fine -- if not inserted into your spine. That's the plan, anyway.

Response recorded on January 17, 2008

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Charisma82 writes...

Yes! It finally came! Bad Guys #1 is mine! I did a lot of jumping up and down and laughing when I got this comic today. Here's my page-by-page review, as usual, but this time, not cut into 2 parts. I'm doing it all in one shot this time.

Bad Guys: Redemption
Chapter 1: Strangers

Pages 1-24

Page 1: Nice helicopter. And good work on not making it a full moon. My first reaction while reading this was the different texture of the pages. It was unusual, but I adjusted quickly. It's Matt's song from Witch! I really liked that episode where he sings this song and the other one; I think the name is "The Demon In Me". I have no clue what island the Redemption Squad is heading to, so I'll go on to the next page now.

Page 2: So here's the Redemption Squad. I was a bit confused because I thought that this comic was going to be about recruiting the squad, and yet here they all are, going on a mission. I figured out that the recruiting would take place a couple pages later. I find it funny that Matrix is the one holding the boom box and listening to the music. I love how Fang loses a bullet. His expression is very funny. I didn't catch that until my 3rd time looking through the comic. I get the feeling that Dingo seems very angry about something else besides just the mission they're about to go on. I guess only time will tell.

Page 3: Hunter & Dingo have some fun lines near the end of this page. And of course, Fang has to put his two cents into the matter. I knew it was him speaking at the bottom of this page, even without his picture, because he's always getting in on other people's business.

Page 4: I love Fang's lines. I have no problem hearing Jim Belushi's voice in my head when Fang is talking here. In fact, I had an easier time hearing the voices of these characters in this comic in my head than I do with the regular characters in the Gargoyles comic book series. I wonder why.

Page 5: And here we are led to believe that the Redemption Helicopter is no more… in fact I think it's safe to say it is no more. I am curious to see how the Redemption Squad managed to escape. Many fans who have been to the Gatherings have said in reviews that this scene was part of a clip shown at the Gathering, so they know how this part turns out. Since I haven't been to any Gatherings, I am still left in the dark about how they escaped the explosion. I can't wait to find out.

Page 6: Now we travel back in time two months to Australia. And you know what? Matt's song is still playing. I guess he must've made it big to have his song playing all the way in Australia. Good for him. Unless, of course, Matt doesn't exist in this universe and someone else wrote his exact same song and made it a big hit. The page ends with a big bang.

Page 7: Okay, he had a great intro, but this guy looks pretty corny. In fact, the first thing I thought of when I saw the Tazmanian Tiger was that he looked like a very corny version of Batman without a cape. His pets are cool looking though.

Page 8: I love the reference to Superman here. It's funny to hear what the Australians have to say about whom they think is up in the sky. Dingo had a pretty good entrance. The Tazmanian Tiger doesn't even bother talking, he just starts shooting. I find that interesting, because at first glance, I would've figured this guy to be an all talk, not much fight kind of guy.

Page 9: We find out that Hunter is tracking Dingo. We also get to learn a bit more about the bad guy's pets. I've never heard of these animals before. They're cool though. I want to know how the Tazmanian Tiger has them under control. Someone had to have gone through a lot of training with these animals to get them to do all the "tricks" he's having them do.

Page 10: About this time, the lyrics to the song were taking away from the action in the story for me, so from this point on, I read through all the lyrics on each page before reading what the characters were saying and what they were doing. The Thylacines start out well enough and put up a good fight, but not a good enough fight for Matrix and Dingo. They are quickly apprehended.

Page 11: Here's the part where the Tazmanian Tiger doesn't seem so corny. He takes a good slice out of the back of Dingo and Matrix. Before this happens, I really like Dingo's line, "Don't know where he dug up two extinct tazzie tigers…" It just helps get his voice in my head. He also shows how much he's trying to be a good guy by not harming his enemies after they've been apprehended, since they are extinct (nearly extinct) animals.

Page 12: Dingo has some really good action moves on this page. He really lets the Tazmanian Tiger have it. And he doesn't use any one-liners to get the job done.

Page 13: This is probably one of my favorite lines in this comic, "Thanks kid. Love the Mohawk." I had a good laugh with that one. Again, we get the Superman feel on this page. We also get the end of the "Will to Love" song. Everything seems to be going great for the new Australian superhero so far. Oh, yeah, I have to mention the GW on the police car in this scene. I have to give credit to my sister for this because I didn't catch this on my own. She had to point it out to me.

Page 14: It's the Shaman! I honestly didn't think I'd see him again so soon in the comics, but then it makes sense since we are seeing Dingo's new life. The Shaman helped find this new path for Dingo to take, so it makes a lot of sense for him to be there when Dingo joins the Redemption Squad. The picture of the Pack was awesome. I felt like I was seeing the TV show again.

Page 15: Dingo doesn't seem thrilled about Matrix "inserting" himself into his spine. I wouldn't be either. I'm glad to have gotten the explanation on this page about how Dingo and Matrix are connected when they "team up". I'm guessing now that Dingo knows this, he'll not want to connect as often, and Matrix will start to become his own person and not just Dingo's armor accessory.

Page 16: Dingo's name is finally revealed in the comics. Now it is officially cannon. I like Robyn's response to Dingo when he asks if she's a bounty hunter. I also like how you show here that even if you change your life and try to forget your past wrongs, you still have consequences. Even if Dingo is now a hero in Australia, he did some bad stuff in the past, and he needs to make up for it, not run from it, because the past does catch up with you eventually.

Page 17: This was a great situation to put Dingo in. The fight with Hunter would not have been as interesting, I think, if he had "saddled up" with Matrix. This way, we can see what he is capable of on his own.

Page 18-20: Great fight scene. I have a harder time with action in comics than I do with TV, so I went through these 3 pages a few times to get it all in.

Page 21: So there is something that can stop Matrix. Fancy that. And the Shaman does a good job here with Matrix, helping him to see the logic of the situation.

Page 22: Another great line, and I know it's been mentioned before, but I can't pass it up. "Look I've gone the super-villain route…" "Who hasn't?" The shot of the Shaman shows that he sees the good that could come out of this union between Robyn, Dingo, and Matrix.

Page 23: I really like the full body picture of Hunter here. Her facial expressions on this page are good too. Where did she put her crossbow? She must be really fast, 'cause one second it's there, and the next it's hidden away again. Another good line, "The pulse grenade's worn off!" "Was the helicopter too big a tip-off?" And lastly, the Shaman gives his input on the matter. I'm not sure if he wants Dingo to join up with Hunter because he thinks Dingo needs to be working with others to do good in the world (other than Matrix) or if he sees that Dingo needs to "clean up his act", such as making up for past wrongs. Maybe a bit of both with some other reasons in the mix as well?

Page 24: I don't find it too alarming that it was Matrix and not Dingo who wanted to go with Hunter. Matrix wants law and order (every time I see those words in the comic, I automatically think of the show Law and Order) and believes that, after what Hunter just said, that is what she is pursuing. There's that, plus the fact that Matrix just learned that Dingo hasn't always been for law and order. It gives him some cause to want to follow this new person and not Dingo as much. And why should Dingo want to accept? He's like a superhero in his home country now. Why should he be concerned with this new person who has been hunting him and is now blackmailing him? I wouldn't want to partner up with someone who was doing that to me. I think the one thing that surprises me the most is how quickly Dingo changed his mind after Matrix agreed to go with Hunter. I guess he wouldn't want to leave Matrix with her and that maybe Shaman's inspiring words helped, but it seemed too soon for me to believe. I do love the relationship between Dingo and Hunter right now. It's the beginning of an interesting ride.

Well, all in all, I LOVED this comic. Out of all the spin-offs, I wanted to see this one the most (well, it was tied with Timedancer). The end of the comic has set up the next comic very well and I'm very excited to see the recruitment of Yama. That, and hopefully we'll find out how the Redemption Squad survived the exploding helicopter and who they were about to go up against. I can't wait for the next issue and I hope that this series does really well. Thanks for a great job.

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

You too!

Response recorded on January 15, 2008

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Antiyonder writes...

Finally got a hold of the issue today. My brother is passing on the spinoffs, but I'm still purchasing an additional copy for my friend. On to the comments.

It was certainly worth waiting for. It shows that the other characters can carry a series without Goliath and Company. My favorite moments include:

- Fang's "sensitivity" towards Dingo and Robyn's "spat" (who said he isn't observant).
- Dingo and Matrix's fight with Tasmanian Tiger. Reads a bit like an old super hero comic, and in a good way. Even though I started collecting in the late 90s, I tend to prefer the older comics with some exceptions.
- Dingo's reaction to learning of Matrix's insertion.
- What's the worst that can happen indeed.

As with Gargoyles #5, Karine did topnotch work on the art. Some questions.

1. I know that The Redemption Squad is based off the Dirty Dozen, but did DC Comic's Suicide Squad serve as any inspiration?

2. Is Tasmanian Tiger based off any particular super villain?

Keep up the great work.

Greg responds...

1. It's not like I'm unaware of DC's Suicide Squad, but frankly I think both series were inspired by Dirty Dozen.

2. Not any one in particular.

Response recorded on December 13, 2007

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Sebastian writes...

Hi Greg,

After 6 months of lurking here in the comment room I thought I would put in my two cents about the comics. This is my first comic, so the one criticism I have might simply be something I need to get used to when changing from TV to comic book form.

You have mentioned that you would roughly compare three comics to one episode, but I still thought that the story of an individual issue felt ever so slightly rushed. There didn't seem to be any small stories that finished after an issue, everything was left to be finished by the end of the arc. Reading all three issues together works perfectly though. I wasn't sure if this should bother me, but I didn't feel that at all in Bad Guys #1 so I thought I would bring it up.

Though I prefer the Gargoyles story better than the Redemption squad, I think this was my favorite comic so far. The conversation was great, art beautiful, and story intriguing. But the best part for me was that story of recruiting Dingo felt complete by the end, though he obviously still unhappy about his forced employment.

It felt somewhat like the episode "A Long Way Till Morning," in that there were two stories to tell in one time slot, but they fit together very well. I hope to see that continue with Bad Guys, and maybe even Gargoyles.

My favorite episodes always seemed to include flashbacks, and the next Gargoyles story arc seems like it could have one - I'm very excited.

Thank you so much for Gargoyles. It was great as a child, and it still great now.

Greg responds...

Thanks. Comic books as a medium, offers way more flexibility in terms of flashbacks, so I'm planning to make use of that.

Response recorded on December 12, 2007

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Blaise writes...

BAD GUYS SPOILERS!!!

STRANGERS

I picked up my copy the day it came out, have only now gotten around to writing about it. I felt a quiet sort of excitement in regards to it--but a different kind of excitement than I get with the regular series. This is the first spin-off. This is the first story that WON'T focus on any of our usual main characters. As such, it will prove just how compelling the rest of the "Gargoyles Universe" can be.

So far, it's looking good.

I recognized the opening pages from the leica reel shown at the Gathering (I wonder if anyone else noticed Fang accidentally losing a bullet from his ammo clip). I also recognized the song Matrix is listening to (and which shows up throughout Dingo's battle with T.T.) as "The Will to Love" from W.I.T.C.H.. I love that little shout-out, but it also works as more than just a reference/in-joke. Sometimes the lyrics echo the action on screen (albeit in subtle ways): the most obvious for me being the line "to find a girl on my wavelength" while we see Hunter spying on Dingo. All-in-all, it's a pretty cool bit.

Anyway, rewind two months from the good ship "Redemption's" demise, and we are introduced to the Tazmanian Tiger: a guy who looks like he could have stepped out of any "Golden Age" comic book. When I first saw this guy, I had to pause for a minute to laugh out loud. I mean, have we EVER had a guy in the "Gargoyles Universe" like this before? By all rights, he should be a joke, and he is...right up until he slashes Dingo through the Matrix-armor. He still gets taken out pretty easy, but it kind of shows that, as silly as his name and costume may be, he's still dangerous. And I find myself wondering right along with Dingo just where the heck this weirdo managed to find not just one, but TWO extinct Tasmanian Tigers. Story for another day, I guess.

Dingo is playing the part of super-hero for real, just as he wanted. He's got the silly insults for his enemies ("tasmaniac"), he's got the concern for the poor thylacines, he's even got his own Australian version of Superman's "Look, up in the sky..." entrance bit. And, lastly, he's got something our old gargoyle friends have a hard time with: the hearts of the people. Go Dingo.

I'm happy to see the Shaman again, and I hope we manage to find out more about him.

I loved the tableau of the Pack--it looks cool. I just had to say that.

Yikes! I can see the hole in Dingo's back! I can completely understand Dingo's unease at the idea of the Matrix...well, "hacking" into his nervous system like that. Of course, once he's ordered the Matrix not to interface again, that is when the Hunter strikes.

It's nice to FINALLY have Dingo's real name stated in the canon material. And I love this exchange:
DINGO: "Bounty hunter?"
HUNTER: "Just a Hunter."
I also love Dingo's "Really NOT the time for I told you sos..." when the Matrix follows Dingo's earlier order not to interface. I hereby add my voice to the others who like how the Matrix moved back only the part of its body that it had to.

The fight between Dingo and the Hunter is well done. I have to say, I feel kind of sorry for poor Dingo here--no matter what he does Hunter is able to counter it. She looked especially cool when she caught the boomerang without looking. The most I can say for Dingo is that he knows how to roll with the punches.

I was very surprised that Hunter had a method of neutralizing Matrix--I wonder what her briefing for this mission was like. It's interesting that we pick up with her AFTER she has already been sprung from prison and all that, and I look forward to having the gaps filled in.

Strange how Hunter responds to Dingo's bit about going the "super-villain route" with "Who hasn't?" She was raised to believe that what she was doing (hunting gargoyles) was right, good, and justified. I find myself wondering how her world-view has changed since "Hunter's Moon."

I love Hunter's face when she asks if "the helicopter was too big a tip-off" that the EMP had worn off. It's also pretty cool that the Matix is the one who jumps at the chance of joining Hunter. Dingo just sort of resigns himself to it.

Tengu hunting...and Hunter gets a wicked smile on her face when Dingo asks "What's a Tengu?". The most interesting thing is that they BOTH have hunted gargoyles before. Of course, for Hunter it was a lifelong mission; Dingo did it as a kind of team sport. Either way, I look forward to seeing how both of them will react to Yama.

Kudos Greg. You have successfully started a spin-off and whetted my appetite for the next installment of "Bad Guys." Not that I'll complain about the wait too loudly...after all, we still have another issue of the main series waiting in the wings.

Long live the comics!

Greg responds...

Thanks, Blaise. Glad you liked it.

Response recorded on December 11, 2007


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