Top Ten Villains #9: Moff Tarkin

"Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station."

Wilhuf Tarkin, the first Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire, is a cold-blooded tactician and master manipulator, whose career led him to become one of the most powerful men in the galaxy. Made infamous by the first Star Wars film, Tarkin is very deserving of his place on this list.

First Appearance:

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Powers/Abilities:

Unlike many of the desperados on this list, Tarkin has no special powers of note. What he does have is the MIGHT OF THE EMPIRE. Seriously, Tarkin has under his command an entire battle-fleet of the Galactic Empire's fighting ships, ranging from the puny TIE fighter squadrons to the powerful Imperial-II Star Destroyers. He also has, to protect him, an entire regiment of Stormtroopers, as well as the support crews and technical staff to maintain such a fighting force. 

But that's not why he's on here. Why, any general has access to such a force. No, sir, what seals Tarkin's place in infamy is the fact that he is the proud commander of the first Death Star, using the enormous battle-station's immense firepower to completely obliterate the planet of Alderaan. Not many villains can boast of destroying a planet, you know.

Why 9th, then? Well, a few reasons. First one is that he isn't all that prominent in the film, taking a backseat to Darth Vader for much of it. A little more exposure would have been nice. Secondly is the fact that he is most definitely not a recurring villain. Now, don't get me wrong, he's still great, but a lot of the villains on here have recurred at least three times, and as a result seem more developed in their villainy. 

But whose hyperdrive has propelled them above both Tarkin and Skeletor?

Find out next week!

Top Ten Villains #10: Skeletor

"Everything comes to he who waits... and I have waited so very long for this moment!"

Whether he's being camp or just outright murderous, everyone loves Skeletor. Though perhaps not as old as some of the villains I'll be featuring, he's certainly got a respectable pedigree, and is one of the most recognisable villains of the eighties.

First Appearance:

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Powers/Abilities:

Skeletor is a prodigious warrior, easily capable of outfighting almost any other fighter except He-Man. In addition, he's a powerful magician, able to attack his enemies directly with it as well as marshal his forces. Unarmed, the black magic Skeletor uses is powerful enough, but when channelled through his signature weapon, the Havoc Staff, it seems to have no upper limits to power.

As if this wasn't ridiculous enough, Skeletor is also a master scientist and engineer, able to create intricate and ingenious machines and devices to aid his plans. I mean, Jeeezus. 

He is also a cunning and sly strategist (as you'd expect from a villain) and, being a master of magic, knows a hell of a lot about the universe and it's functionings.

In short, he's a badass, though at times campy and even petulant, which is why poor ol' Skeletor occupies only the tenth spot. Still, given that this is a list of my favourite villains, that isn't too bad.

But who could possibly have beaten the sworn enemy of He-Man and all of Eternia to the 9th spot? 

Find out soon...

The Month of Villainy

There's only one thing other than a great hero that cements the reputation of a series of comics or TV shows, and that's a great villain. Without the likes of the Joker, the Master or Skeletor, the heroes we all know and love would have no real threats to deal with - after all, every Ahab needs their White Whale and every Holmes his Moriarty.


So, until the 17th of February, we're going to celebrate these masters of Misrule. Ladies and Gentlemen, prime your doomsday weapons and gather your henchmen, it's time for the Sector House Top Ten Villains Countdown!

All-Star Batman and Robin

The Dark Knight's first meeting with the Boy Wonder is retold here by Frank Miller - but with Batman attempting to murder everyone he sees and Wonder Woman's campaign to remove men from life underway, has Frank Miller finally slipped up?

Dramatis Personnae:
Batman
Robin
Alfred
Joker
Commissioner Gordon
Superman
Wonder Woman
Green Lantern
Plastic Man
Black Canary
Batgirl

Plot Summary:
Young acrobat Dick Grayson's life is brutally turned upside down when his parents, also circus acrobats, are violently gunned down by what remains of Gotham's mobsters. For Dick, life seems over... yet with the arrival of the Batman, Gotham's mysterious masked avenger, his life takes another, even darker turn.
Meanwhile, Superman, Plastic Man, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman anxiously discuss how to handle the Dark Knight. His reputation could ruin them all, yet they are forced to admit that, despite his unstable nature, they need him.

Verdict:

I think the first order of business for this review should be an apology. In truth, I am unable to make up my mind as to whether I thought this collection was good or bad; there are just so many conflicting excellencies and flaws that to come to a judgement was actually very tough indeed. I think I'd be within my rights to say that All-Star Batman and Robin gained from me the biggest mixed reaction I've had in years, and as a result this review may disagree heavily with the opinions of others who have read this series too.

On that note, let's start with the stuff I disliked, so that we can get it out of the way. First (and perhaps most unexpectedly) on this list is the characterisation of Batman. Frank Miller, the writer of this series, is a well-known contributor to the mythos of the Dark Knight, and indeed has crafted some of the best stories concerning him; I personally loved Batman: Year One, portraying as it did the humble beginnings of Bruce Wayne's crimefighting career and showing how he coped in those early days. In this respect, the mannerisms and actions of this latest incarnation of the Batman is something of a shock; whereas the Year One character was a deliberate, serious, brooding figure whose nobility and purity of purpose came out in his actions, Miller's new Batman, is, for want of a better term, a cackling psychopath. He is as cruel as he is amoral, resorting to methods the better known incarnations of the Caped Crusader would baulk at (such as poisoning criminals or even using molotov cocktails against them), and referring to both the criminals of Gotham and his so-called allies in the same unflattering, offensive terms. Oddly, I can understand why this approach was taken with regards to the way Batman is portrayed; Miller may have wanted to portray a character whose emotional scarring had driven him, at least in some manner, partially crazy, and as such acted a lot like the criminals he was supposed to be catching. Certainly this would make sense, at least in the early years. However, this interpretation leaves a lot to be desired. One of the most endearing and therefore loved parts of the Dark Knight's character is the kindness he has shown to the various Robins he has taken under his wing over the years; the original, Dick Grayson, didn't even know Bruce was Batman until his mentor chose to reveal himself – initially, Bruce hadn't intended to bring him in as a sidekick, but had wanted to try and give him a life he felt the boy deserved. Miller's Batman, on the other hand, shows such cruelty and neglect to Grayson, in the initial phases of his training that it is impossible in my mind to correlate this, arguably monstrous, individual who chooses to starve and bully his ward with the sympathetic kindness and charity of the original story. I simply cannot come to terms with it.

In terms of supporting characters, Vicki Vale is boring. There's really not a lot to say about her, other than her role seems to be that of a bit of titillation, a piece of eye candy for the geeks. To be honest, I don't like that in a comic; sure, you could argue the tight fitting uniform of, say, Green Lantern Arisia is used for the same reason, but she at least is given a definitive personality and reasonably complex character motivations. Vale, by contrast, spends about 70% of her time in the series drooling and gloating over the fact that she has scored a date with Bruce Wayne, and the other 30% of it lying comatose in a hospital. Hardly an inspiring example of gender equality in comics, eh?

Wonder Woman, too, comes across as a little overdone. Now, we all know that WW is an Amazon, and as a result is somewhat scathing of the abilities of men, but to have her every other line feature some sort of put-down about maleness in general is not only dull and far-from-subtle, it is also insulting to the reader. After all, we as a group do have the ability to pick out underlying themes and messages in our characters; we certainly don't need them served up to us on a silver plate. And yet, despite this, that is what we are given, as well as Frank Miller's obsession with the idea of Wonder Woman and Superman getting together. Give it a rest, Frank, we're happy with Lois Lane.

Having said all of this, there are still some great bits to the series. An example of this, though small, is the actions of Alfred Pennyworth. Thank God for Alfred. Though his role is small, he is absolutely no different from his other incarnations; a witty, sardonic yet ultimately caring mentor to all who live in Wayne Manor, even facing down Batman over his decision not to feed Robin. What a hero. Superman too is very enjoyable to watch, if only because he is just as he was in the Golden Age – that is to say, an idealised American, and boy I love him for it. There are two more reasons to like this Superman; he is determined to save the kidnapped Grayson in true superhero style, and he finally puts an end to Wonder Woman's constant bitching about how great she is by shouting at her so loud she is nearly knocked of her feet. All he tells her to do is to not be so arrogant, too.

Finally, there's Black Canary. Now, I'm going to make a confession here. Prior to this, I have only read two comics that involved Canary in any way. As a result, I had no idea what to expect when it became apparent she was to be part of the story. Gladly, she turned out to be one of my favourite characters, kicking ass and taking names in a way that Vicki Vale could do with learning from. Despite her obviously saucy uniform, which, like with most of the female characters, has been sexed up somewhat, she is a brutal fighter, and acts in a Robin Hood fashion, taking from criminals and giving to those in need. Of course, as a British chap, I can totally appreciate this homage to one of our greatest non-existent heroes, and it also links well with her future with another unorthodox hero – Green Arrow. Such clever writing is more of what I expect from Miller, and now and again it really does shine through.

Overall, however, both sides balance each other so much that it's actually quite hard to make a definitive decision as to whether it is worth buying All-Star Batman and Robin or not. Personally, I would recommend renting it before buying it, so you know what you're letting yourself in for. That way, if you don't like it, you can always send it back with no harm done.

Rating:

5/10

Blackest Night: Green Lantern Corps

"Thaal Sinestro of Korugar... Destiny Awaits!"

On Earth, Hal Jordan leads the charge against the forces of the Black Lanterns. But on Oa, things are taking a turn for the worse, as the Black Lanterns released from the Crypt attack their former comrades, and the Lanterns struggle to defend their power battery from attack. Even with legendary Honour Guard members Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner on duty, and the intervention of old allies and enemies faced with a singular cause - the avoidance of extinction - it looks as though even the green light of the Will can be snuffed out...

Dramatis Personnae:

Kyle Rayner

Guy Gardner

Kilowog

Soranik Natu

Iolande

Salaak

The Alpha-Lanterns

Mogo

Arissia

Isamot Kol 

Vath Sarn

Sinestro

Mongul

Kryb

Miri Riam

Indigo-1

Munk

The Black Lantern Corps

?????? (hidden)

Plot Summary:

Even as events escalate on Earth, the Black Lanterns have launched assaults of equal threat throughout the universe, intending to remove the Central Power Batteries of each Corps and thus destroy their fighting capabilities. As the Corps find themselves fighting off armadas of the undead, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner find themselves under attack from a similar threat; a host of black Power Rings has broken through the defences of the vulnerable Oa and attached themselves to the deceased Lanterns residing in the Oan crypt. Though at first, the Black Lanterns are content to simply slaughter their living counterparts, their real objective becomes all too clear soon enough - they are to devour the Oan Central Power Battery, and thus leave the Corps helpless.

Verdict:

I have to say, though this collection isn't the strongest of them all, it is still one of my favourites. I think this has a lot to do with the premise of it; rather than focussing on one or two specific individuals, like other publications, we instead are shown the reactions and actions of a group of individuals, and how they cope with the dead rising from the grave as a collective. 

So let's talk about these characters. I think it's fair to say that, up until about halfway through the story, Guy and Kyle react pretty much how you'd expect them to act, with just a few notable exceptions; Guy is unexpectedly restrained when dealing with the Black Lanterns, as he knew many in life, and as a result we get to see a mixture of respect and regret as he fights them off, which is quite pleasant. Kyle is pretty much superheroic, as you'd expect from the modern-age Green Lantern, and this is summed up beautifully by his actions around halfway through the collection, which also have the added bonus of really shaking up the plot. 

We also see some more development of the relationship between Soranik Natu and her erstwhile father, Sinestro. It's great to see how this evolves from plot-line to plot-line; it's taken Sinestro from the somewhat two-dimensional villain that he has been in the past to a more complex, deeply motivated character he arguably is now. It's shown that, despite everything, he still cares for Korugar, and believes that he did the right thing in order to defend it, regardless of the judgement of the Guardians, and this same love is shown for his daughter. Of course, this hardly mends anything between them; that would be just Mary-Sue. But there is a glimmer or redemption there. 

And now for GL's answer to Laurel and Hardy, if those two were soldiers rather than comedians; Vath Sarn and Isamot Kol. These two have been important in the plotlines of GL since, oh, before I was collecting, and they are given a chance to shine in this, too. It is these sections in the collection, actually, that give the impression of a losing battle best, in my opinion. After all, both Vath and Isamot are career soldiers; their refusal to give in, coupled with the overwhelming numbers of Black Lanterns attempting to kill them, really makes for a good "last stand" scene. That, and their banter is just the right side of cheesy. I never get tired of reading some of the gung-ho G.I style one-liners these two produce.

Of course, were would we be if I didn't mention Kilowog? Here, we see him confronted with past allies of his own, namely Lantern Ermey, the previous drill sergeant of the Corps. It seems that Kilowog too has his own personal demons; the main theme of the fight is his guilt over not being able to save his mentor's life, and how he has lived with that for most of his career. In addition, there is also the more subtle but still noticeable feeling of depression; having been in the Corps for as long as he has, Kilowog has been exposed to the deaths of a lot of the people he has trained, and this is wearing him down.

Now, let's talk about the art. Really, this is where the collection lets itself down somewhat. Though, for the most part at least, the art is of very good quality, there are some glaring errors and little mistakes, and though these are small, they tend to add up. Admittedly, it doesn't ruin the plot of the whole thing, nor does it detract from the action too much, but there are consistency issues with a lot of the pages, as well as strange things that really shouldn't be there. Perhaps the artist was just tired or something, but it's a lot scrappier than the other books, which is a bit of a let-down.

Still, overall, I would say that this is a solid and excellent effort, and given that it is fairly cheap on most online shopping sites, there's no real reason not to get it. 

Rating:

8.3/10

Blackest Night: Green Lantern

"...and I shall shed my light over dark evil.

For the dark things cannot stand the light,

The light of the Green Lantern!" ~ Golden Age Oath

Even as his allies on Earth struggle to contain the newly awakened dead, Hal Jordan and his partner, John Stewart, have problems of their own to face - gathering the separate Corps for battle, as well as avoiding the wrath of their own hunters. Whilst Hal, along with Indigo-1, attempts to ensure co-operation between the opposed and confused members of each of the Lantern Corps, including Sinestro, Atrocitus and Larfleeze, John Stewart has encountered a much bigger problem - planet-sized, in fact. The dead world of Xanshi has risen again, but for what purpose?...

Dramatis Personnae:

Hal Jordan

John Stewart

The Justice League

Sinestro

Atrocitus

Saint Walker

Carol Ferris

Indigo-1

Larfleeze

The Black Lantern Corps

?????? (hidden)

Plot Summary:

After their battle with J'onn Jonzz, Green Lantern and Flash escape to the JLA Watchtower, where they attempt to safeguard the corpses of the villains they've faced. However, their efforts are in vain, as the black power rings enter the morgue and raise every villain stored there. Faced with such odds, it seems that Hal and Barry too will fall, until help comes unexpectedly; Indigo-1, leader of the Indigo Tribe, arrives, and uses the powers of her ring and staff to teleport Hal to safety. Once away from the Black Lanterns, Indigo informs Hal of their mission; the Black Lanterns can be stopped, but only with the combined force of all of the Corps.

Meanwhile, John Stewart has made a terrifying discovery - the planet Xanshi, which he failed to save, has returned, and with it another ghost from his past. However, when the night seems blackest, unexpected allies will appear....

Verdict:

Much like Blackest Night itself, BN: Green Lantern is a collected edition you would be a fool to miss. Though the events of this book are the same fundamentally as those of the main collection, it is told from the perspective of Hal Jordan, and as such the reader learns of the other battles in the Blackest Night, and how the rise of those long dead is affecting them all.

Of note, really, is the unlikely alliance between the aforementioned Corps, and their most prominent members. I have to say, this section once again reminded me of why I loved certain characters in the Preludes. Larfleeze, in particular, ends up showing his quality (though not exactly in a heroic manner) and amuses me no end with the dialogue and mannerisms he displays. His initial reaction to Atrocitus is particularly great; I can't help but laugh at the almost slapstick imagery of the skinny, frail Agent Orange squaring up to the hulking Red Lantern. The writing of Sinestro seems to have recovered from the oddity of Rage of the Red Lanterns, and he's back on form as the purple-skinned mastermind we all know and love, complete with some witty dialogue of his own; Sinestro's more serious and tactically-minded inputs complement the weirdness of Agent Orange's ridiculous demands and complaints well, and make for a good contrast when pitted together in the more hectic scenes. Atrocitus is, well, very angry, but that's no bad thing; he even gets a moment worthy of any action superstar when confronted by the resurrected Inversions, which I utterly loved. It's hard not to root for him in that scene, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who did. 

One of the more interesting character choices in the book is Carol Ferris reprising her role as the Star Sapphire; this time, though, as a member of a Corps of such females. Unfortunately, the "male gaze" in comics is somewhat evident in her costume, but at least Geoff Johns has the good sense to make fun of it in a tongue-in-cheek style. Her dialogue is, for the most part, sharply witty, especially when she and Sinestro face off on Zamaron. I don't know about anyone else, but I do so love it when a character has the keen wits to be able to take Sinestro's jibes and make him look like a twit. 

Hal Jordan and John Stewart are, as ever, just great. John Stewart in particular really shines in BN: Green Lantern. Even before we travel with him to the surface of Xanshi, we can see that Geoff has deliberately chosen the one thing that John Stewart feels guilty about most; he was unable to save Xanshi before due to his refusal of backup, and the failure has lived with him ever since. However, it is in this collection that Stewart shows his quality, and, in my humble opinion, dispels the nay-sayers who claim him to be inferior to Hal. John's fight against the vengeful Xanshians is easily one of the greatest heroic scenes I have ever had the pleasure to read, and I cannot stress enough how much I have been impressed by Geoff John's handling of it; it could very well be a rival to the ending of  Batman: RIP in my opinion.

The art, really, is of the same good quality as Blackest Night, and I'd be wasting time really to go over it once more; suffice to say that it is consistently good quality, and I was happily engrossed by it throughout, especially given the scope of some of the centrepiece pages of the collection. 

Overall, then, I hold Blackest Night: Green Lantern in the same high regard as the central collection itself. It's about £18.99 in stores, but a canny shopper could find it for £12.99 or thereabouts on Amazon or sites like it. Easily a must-have for any DC fan.

Rating: 

9.2/10

Blackest Night

"The Blackest Night falls from the skies 

The darkness grows as all light dies

We crave your hearts and your demise

By my black hand - the dead shall rise!" ~ Oath of the Black Lanterns

Finally, the Blackest Night is upon the universe. Black Hand, the newly revealed Herald of the Black Lanterns, has defiled the grave of Bruce Wayne, known far better as the Batman. With the dark knight's skull in his possession Black Hand has unleashed a plague upon life - the plague of the Black Rings. From Mars to Earth, from Oa to Ysmault and beyond, they seek out the dead. 

Now the deceased rise once more, and the end of the universe seems nigh...

Dramatis Personnae:

The Justice League of America

The Green Lantern Corps

The Sinestro Corps

The Red Lantern Corps

The Blue Lantern Corps

The Star Sapphires

Agent Orange

The Indigo Tribe

The Black Lantern Corps

Black Hand

Scar

?????? (hidden)

Plot Summary:

Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, visiting the grave of Bruce Wayne, are reminiscing about the fallen heroes they have known. It is a scene taking place all over the world, as masked avengers take time out to honour the superheroes who were killed in the line of duty. However, their day of peace will soon be turned into a nightmare.

Black Hand locates the grave of Batman, and, digging it up, steals the former Dark Knight's skull for his diabolical ritual. With the cadaver in tow, he recites a new oath, and brings about the release of thousands of black power rings. On Oa, and in the various graveyards of heroes in the universe, these rings seek out the dead, and resurrect them for a new purpose - to take the hearts of the living.  As Hal and Barry fend off the body of their old friend J'onn J'onzz and the surviving heroes find themselves attacked by their own loved ones, now in the guise of Black Lanterns, all seems lost to the darkness...

Verdict:

 If there is to be an apocalypse-based story published by any other company, it had better take note of DC's crossover here. 

Blackest Night is, simply, magnificent. I couldn't believe how well all the hints and nudges we've seen and all the Preludes have been sewn into this rather epic final stand for the universe. Everything, from the references made to this event as far back as Green Lantern: No Fear, to the destruction of Xanshi has it's place in the telling of Qull's doomsday prophecy.

Some history, for those who don't know. This Crossover has it's roots in an Alan Moore story, called Tygers, in which we see Abin Sur as he encounters the prophetic Qull. Of the three questions asked of the demon, one concerns the ultimate threat faced by the Green Lantern Corps in the future. What Abin Sur is told is the infamous Prophecy of Blackest Night. This short story was published in 1986, and this makes the book I'm looking at now 24 years in the making.

The characters involved here are fascinating to watch. The story is centred around Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, Ray Palmer and John Stewart of Earth, and how they react to the rising of the dead and the attacks on both Earth and other planets. Our first encounter is with a Black Lantern Martian Manhunter, and believe me, the scenes with him in are just fantastic. The threat emanating from the Martian is palpable, as is the shock and confusion of the Flash and Green Lantern. This is, of course, quite understandable, as after all he's meant to have died, and seeing him return would be a shock to anyone, but here's where Blackest Night gets a little clever, in the vein of Marvel Zombies. The Black Lanterns aren't just shambling zombies, or even fully animate puppets; they take on the exact personality, mannerisms and speech patterns of their living counterpart. In effect, Hal and Barry don't end up fighting a monster, they end up fighting J'onn J'onzz as he was in life, except more corpse-like in appearance now. This injects the action with even more tension than before; after all, J'onn has fought alongside the Justice League for many years, and as a result, he knows all their tactics. Who better, then, to beat them?

What is more interesting, for me, is the way the Black Lanterns are expanded upon as the plot progresses. Two key hints are given that the Black Lanterns are not all that they seem; Deadman's corpse rising without him, leaving him as a ghost, and the Spectre's host body taking on the form of the Spectre as a Black Lantern, despite the Spectre being still inside it. Essentially the idea being alluded to here is that it is the rings wearing the people, as opposed to the people wearing the rings, which both ties in with the overall climax of the series and also, in the case of Deadman, makes the events of the book even more tense, as he is forced to fight to repossess his body before it can do anyone harm. 

Now, no great collection is complete without some great art to go along with it, and I'm glad to say that Blackest Night does not disappoint. Throughout, the artwork is stylistically rendered and utterly crisp to a fault, and I cannot really fault anything I saw in there. Black Hand looks horrifically sinister, even more so now he is a Black Lantern herald, and Guardian Scar just terrifies me to look at. Seriously, she's like some kind of horrifying sentient zombie dwarf, which is somehow the scariest thing I've seen bar the "familiar faces" that attack Atrocitus in this. Many of the Black Lanterns have slight costume redesigns in order to fit in with their new corps, and I'm glad to say that these redesigns are just excellent. The central feature of each character, of course, is their shiny new Black Lantern symbol, and it's often interesting to see how these are applied to the characters in question. Some of them are obvious, some are subtle, but either way all of them are inspired to some degree.

Overall, then, I am delighted to be the owner of this collection, and strongly advise people get it. It's about £18.99 in stores, but it's much cheaper on the internet if you know where to look.

Rating: 
9.2/10