Looking back on Seven Soldiers (Part Two)

(You can find the first part here)


Klarion

Since Shining Knight was the worst part of Seven Soldiers, let's move on to the best.
That would be Klarion the Witch Boy.

Klarion is a boy living in a forgotten subterranean city inhabited by Puritans who continue to live just like centuries ago in New England. Think of the Salem witch trials, and you have the right sort of idea.
Well, a few things have changed, actually. The Puritans turn their dead ancestors into zombies and make them work on the fields. They call them "Grundies", a reference to the well-known DCU villain Salomon Grundy. And instead of the Bible they read the Book of Shadows, and pray to a god called Croatoan. But you would hardly notice the difference.

Living in their city of Limbo Town is all about bigotry and intolerance. Hardly the right sort of enviroment for a rebellious boy who dreams of seeing the big world outside. So he decides to run away. Surface world or bust! Quite literally, as it turns out.

The subterranean Puritan community is simply a totally awesome idea, and would be the perfect setting for dozens of horror stories. But Morrison has only four issues, so I don't blame him for moving on quickly. Nevertheless he gets to make some observations about thought control and fanatism. Rather obvious and stereotype ones I admit, but delivered as part of a really impressive story.

In the second issue Klarion tries to find his way through the dark and dangerous tunnels, where there is no shortage of monsters and persons of evil intent. Luckily Klarion finds a trustworthy guide, another refugee from Limbo Town called Ebeneezer. Trustworthy? Not really, since Ebeneezer's actually a crook who wants to sell Klarion into slavery. But with the help of his faithful talking cat our hero can escape and reach the world above - better known as New York City.
Issue #2 delivers an exciting adventure, but also works on an emotional level as a metaphor for leaving home and venturing into the scary big world beyond. And how scary that world is! Even more when Klarion has to face the dangers of New York City in issue #3, which is by far the best issue of the whole Seven Soldiers event in my opinion.

He is welcomed by the mysterious Mr. Melmoth and talked into joining the gang of kids Melmoth accomodates in his "hostel". We learn later that Melmoth is actually the lost husband of the Sheeda queen and the founding father - literally - of Limbo Town. Now he wants to find a way back down there, and employs Klarion and the gang of little thieves to steal a drill vehicle he can use for that.
That gang of kids is the most fascinating part of the issue (and of all of Seven Soldiers). When they turn 16, they have to leave the gang and become part of the mysterious "Team Red", never to return. (In Frankenstein we learn that they in fact become slaves on Mars.) The gang leader, Billy Beezer, is proud and scared of that at the same time. So the gang has it's own secret mythology, they share a tradition no adult knows about, but their existence is also overshadowed by a dark mystery. All that is a very profound and enlightening metaphor for adolescence. The only part of Seven Soldiers I really consider to be a literary masterpiece.
What else happens in the issue? Klarion fights with Billy about becoming gang leader, but refuses the title. Instead he discovers and reveals Melmoths evil plots against the kids, but also against Limbo Town. Reluctantly he allows his cat to convince him of returning home so he can warn them.
Bad idea, as it turns out in issue #4 - the pious Puritans don't believe his blasphemic words and decide to burn him at the stake. Ironically Klarion is saved by Melmoth's arrival with the invasion force. But the Puritans are not as helpless as it seems and can repel Melmoth with dark magic. Klarion is forgiven and offered to stay, but he decides to do the hero thing and join the big fight against the Sheeda.

Summary and rating: Klarion is just awesome. Period.
Plus it has absolutely awesome art by Frazer Irving that would be worth the cover price alone.



Frankenstein

So, Frankenstein. Apparently the mini a lot of people like best.
Let's have a look, shall we?

Issue #1 quickly introduces our hero. It's Frankenstein's monster who has taken over the name of his "daddy" and keeps himself busy fighting evil.
The issue gives us the well-known horror motive of the ugly, bullied nerd taking revenge on the popular kids by means of dark magic. Buffy did it several times. But Morrison implements it
competently enough, so I won't complain.
Frankenstein shows up a bit late, the nerd has already killed almost all the kids at the prom, but at least he manages to save the only nice girl. Our hero wins a bit too fast and easy, a bit more thrills and excitement at the showdown wouldn't have hurt. But whatever.
Frankenstein rides on into the sunset, and we got a nice little horror adventure. So far, so good.


Second issue is a self-contained story again. Frankenstein is on Mars, searching for some children abducted by our old friend Mr. Melmoth we last saw in the Klarion mini.
The first pages describe this version of Mars. Unlike all the stuff about Camelot in Shining
Knight, Morrison manages to inspire my imagination here. He creates quite a nice mood of melancholic ancient ruins and mindless desert monsters, combined with Frankenstein as the Man with no Name on a lonely mission of vengeance. Quite beautiful.
Then Frankenstein confronts the villain, kills him and saves the kids.
The end. Wait, that's all?
Not quite. I suppose Morrison knows that a story like that (or any story, actually) needs
some human element with hopes and dreams and life-changing experiences.
What does he offer in that department?

a) A shocking surprise: Melmoth was actually involved in our hero's creation. "Luke, I am your father!" Or maybe it's more like that scene in Bladerunner if you prefer.
b) A boy we last saw in Klarion #3, Billy Beezer, who is some sort of mixture between slave and protege to Melmoth, decides to rebel and saves Frankenstein who was helplessly hypnotised.
c) Tragic irony: Melmoth was actually working on a plan to save humanity from the Sheeda invasion. To his own terms of course, but still, an enemy of my enemy should be my friend, right? Too bad Frankenstein isn't aware of that and kills him. Oops.

So was that enough human element for you? I would say not really, but that's anyone's own decision I guess. I'll leave it open. (Yes, I am in a benevolent mood.)


Issue #3 has our man - excuse me, our creation - visit a town where the animals have turned into killing machines and the humans gone crazy. It's a secret military experiment gone wrong, he learns from agents of the secret government agency SHADE. They need his help because only someone who isn't alive won't be affected. But he's lucky - or unlcky, depending on your point of view: He's not the only one who fits that description. He gets a companion he once knew quite well: The bride the good doctor created for him.
Bittersweet reminiscences and banter ensue. The two dish out some badass violence, solve the problem and decide that it's better to remain just friends.
Franky, as his old flame calls him, refuses the offer to join SHADE: There are some things even a monster won't lower himself to.

What to make out of this? The concept of water gaining a conscience is a little to crazy for my taste, but I hear stuff like that is what Morrison's famous for. We have some character interaction and learn a bit more about Frankenstein's personality. So the issue is okay I guess. But hardly anything special, unless 'unusual' equals 'special' in your book.

In issue #4 Frankenstein is on a mission for SHADE. Wait a minute, didn't he just refuse
their offer in issue #3? Well, yes, but apparently he changed his mind. *shrug*
He confronts the queen of the Sheeda and blows up some of her ships. How does he manage that? *shrug*
Apparently what we have here is the type of comic that doesn't bother with explaining what the hero can do and what he can't. That doesn't necessarily have to be bad, but it does mean it won't work as an adventure or thriller, where establishing some instinct what's possible and what's impossible is essential.
Since this issue is all about the framing Sheeda plot, I leave it at that and move on to my verdict about the whole mini.

Frankenstein is an interesting protagonist, no question. Cool and tough and badass. Putting him on horror cases allows a unique perspective. Just imagine him fighting monsters created by mad scientists: "I know how you feel."
But his stories are just not very interesting here. The conflicts are extremely simple and the characters rather superficial. That's just not good enough.