This is a review of Manhunter Deluxe Edition by Archie Goodwin (writer) and Walter Simonson (art). When I read Howard the Duck last month, the person who wrote the introduction made the case that the second half of that volume was the world’s first graphic novel. Since graphic novels are a format and not a genre, I disagree.
I think what he meant is that it’s the world’s first stand-alone story in comics, which I also disagree with. Howard having a nervous breakdown is a storyline contained in a larger storyline, whereas Manhunter is a stand-alone story with a beginning and end told in the course of seven back-up issues, climaxing in a full-sized issue guest-starring Batman. There is also a postscript issue that takes place decades later. The entire story – minus postscript – is less than 100 pages.
Anyhow: Manhunter is Paul Kirk, big-game hunter, who dies and is resurrected by a secret society. The Council wants Paul to be their hitman, but he soon discovers they have less than pure intentions and rebels. Here’s the twist: the Council cloned Paul, so he has multiple copies of himself running around. He’s fighting himself, literally.
Manhunter is short, but insanely influential. Paul has a healing factor that lets him recover from most of his wounds – does that sound familiar? Unlike Batman, he has no problem killing people. The postscript issue has no words at all, because Mr. Goodwin unfortunately passed away, but I was impressed by how I didn’t need words to understand the story perfectly. This is action-espionage comics done right. Recommended!
Abandoned Places 