The Creeper #3 (of 6)

Genre action Author Steve Niles Publisher DC Comics External Links Official DC Comics Website

The dynamic battle between two of Gotham City's newest creatures is the overwhelming focus of this issue. There are times when a battle of this magnitude can be a mere panorama of punches and lack in the progression of the storyline while the battle is going on. Steve Niles has not fallen into this trap. Sandwiched in the middle of this battle is the just as dynamic internal conflict between the personalities of Jack Ryder and The Creeper. Mixed in is another appearance by Batman, some character development of Vera and Eddy, and information on the biological makeup of The Creeper. Wrapping it all up is the increasingly dynamic art of Justiniano who is getting better with every issue.

The battle between the monstrous Gavin and The Creeper is in a sense a battle of brothers. As Jack Ryder alludes to during an exchange of blows, it is the same chemicals created by Dr. Yatz that has given rise to the both of them, obviously with very different results. These results have left Gavin a growing blob of flesh that craves more flesh. He must ingest his victims in order to metabolize them into himself and he's just not very neat about the whole process. When he tries to take a bite out of The Creeper, the similarities of their chemical makeup cause him to spit our hero back out because he "tastes bad." A bop on the nose takes Gavin down for the count, but he gets the upper hand when The Creeper and Jack Ryder switch places. Caught by surprise by a revived Gavin, even a quick switch back is not enough to save the duo from a bout with unconsciousness allowing Gavin to slip away into the night.

The internal conflict between Jack Ryder and The Creeper over who is going to be in control is an interesting examination of the conflict that exists between heroes and their alter ego. As was often the case with many heroes when they started out, Jack Ryder still has a job, though maybe not for long, that requires him to be present in order to earn his paycheck. He also feels that his job will enable him to investigate further on Dr. Yatz. The Creeper in his zeal to both fight and chase down Gavin has been reticent to let Ryder back out. After the pounding Creeps takes from Gavin, he is much more willing to compromise with Jack about how they will proceed going forward though nothing is really set in stone as to how they will decide this. Even though he now has the ability to change back and forth at will, both sides must agree to the conversion for it to happen and there is likely to be continuing controversy between the two. This personality clash is ripe for snappy one-liners and clever dialogue as evident in this issue. As for the job Jack has left pretty much unattended since his "murder" in issue one, ex-girlfriend Vera has managed to cover for his extended absence by offering to create a "best of" episode for their boss, Eddy. But in doing a little reconnaissance of her own, she reveals that she is quite the skilled spy not free from fits of jealousy. Clearly she is not over Jack Ryder just yet. It will be interesting to see whether Jack shares his secret with her and if that will play out any different than if it was another woman taking up his time. It will also be interesting to see whether Eddy's concern for both of them is sincere or a product of his own self interests as their boss and how much of a factor Eddy will play in Jack's ability to execute his self-serving investigations.

Batman's unexpected appearance in this issue is more than just a cameo. It seems he will play a key role in uncovering some of the characteristics of The Creeper like the dueling blood samples recovered from the axe. This will undoubtedly be of help for him, but is also going to help us understand just how this biological transformation between Ryder and The Creeper works. Where Steve Niles takes this in the coming issues should prove to be both helpful and challenging for The Creeper in his battle with Gavin. It should also factor in to his stance on Dr. Yatz and just what he should do to him when the time comes.

Creating a pretty package through which to tell this story, Justiniano, with inks by Walden Wong, has taken the artwork to another level. The fluidity that he is exhibiting in his characters and the environments in which they are interacting is simply marvelous. The monstrous Gavin is almost impossible to describe except as a big blob of skin. That is due in part to the way in which Justiniano has chosen to portray him. Seldom captured completely in a single panel, even when it is a two-page spread, Gavin slithers around and engulfs his prey seemingly from all sides. Justiniano keeps progressing with each issue and seems more and more comfortable experimenting and stretching the boundaries of the reality of The Creeper. The green highlights used only when The Creeper is in action are creative and unique. Perhaps it is the twisted reality of The Creeper that allows him to takes these chances, but he is succeeding in giving the series that extra special touch that makes it more than just another offshoot from the pages of the recent Crisis. Even a shot of Bruce Wayne that resembles Jack Ryder can be overlooked due to the skill with which he is presenting everything else.

I expect Steve Niles will throw in a few more wrinkles that will be harder to figure out than a straightforward ending to this adventure. Already at the end of this issue an ominous encounter looms as a skull hangs in the sky. Whether the development of The Creeper and Jack Ryder is just as ominous remains to be seen. The fact that we are seeing more of this happening to a greater extent than we have seen in a long time is compelling enough reason to read. The stage is being set for future plotlines and as good as this series has been so far, the pieces are coming together to make this series one of the must reads DC is publishing right now.