“The Best Medicine”
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Steve Dillon
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This is a very good book. Granted, Nighthawk began his career as a Batman rip-off, but the character has gone past that. And while I'm not exactly enamored by the current racist portrayal of the character, it's still an interesting twist on an otherwise typical costumed vigilante. A lot of that interest has to go to Daniel Way for his crafting of this story.
Way has..., well..., a way of getting the reader very involved with the story, caring about the characters quickly, and surprising you. All of which I have to admit I was not expecting. After all, the main reason I was buying this mini-series was the fact that Steve Dillon was the artist. So, yes, I was very surprised that I've really come to enjoy this title.
It would be easy to say that this story is Marvel's way of showing a Batman vs. Joker battle, but it's not quite that simple. The villain in this story is a true sadist. I won't go into all the details about what he does, mainly because that would reveal some twists to the story. However, what's even more chilling is that he does this dressed in an absurd clown costume. At first, you'd think it's just silly, but it works. Way makes it work very effectively.
Another aspect of the story that I find myself enjoying surprisingly is Nighthawk. Let's face it, he's a racist bastard. If you're white and a criminal, he'll just as soon as kill you rather than allow you to face the justice system. That is his character. This how J. Michael Straczynski re-created Nighthawk. However, Way has taken a character that could easily be unsympathetic to having the reader actually care what happens to him. This is where this series is succeeding in winning me over. While Nighthawk is still a bastard, you keep hoping there's some sort of redemption for him eventually.
As far as this particular issue is concerned, Nighthawk literally comes face to face with Whiteface. His mask has been removed and his identity revealed. And he just doesn't care. He fights back doing whatever it take to bring down this evil, including starting a fire, with him and Whiteface literally engulfed in flames, and then causing an explosion. While in the end, though he does escape to fight another day, Whiteface also escapes with deadly results. Ones that shocked even me when they happened because of how Way has drawn me into this story. It's not how Whiteface killed, but rather who.
As for Steve Dillon, they guy can just flat out draw. Period. He's not flashy. He's not the superstar. He's not the guy most people would put at #1 or even #2 on their “Best of….” lists. But damn can he draw. Like Way with the written word, Dillon with pencil and ink can illicit strong emotions in his work. I won't say every page explodes with excitement and/or emotion, but every page is a definite delight to read. He deserves more accolades that he currently receives.
Overall, this series has surprised me. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I am. And all the credit for that goes to the creators: Way and Dillon.
What did you think of this book?
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