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Reel to Real / While Justice Needs Me
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Main Story
Written by Dan Slott
Pencils by Rick Burchett
Inks by Terry Beatty
Colors by Heroic Age
Lettering by Nick J. Napolitano
Cover by Kelsey Shannon
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty
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Back-Up
Written by Ty Templeton
Pencils by Rick Burchett
Inks by Terry Beatty
Colored by Heroic Age
Lettering by Nick J. Napolitano
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty |
Issue #14 - Reel to Real / While Justice Needs Me
Cover Date - July 2004. Released on May 19th.
Batman’s childhood idol goes missing while filming the new Gray Ghost movie. Is something sinister afoot? And in the backup, a favorite old Gray Ghost episode stirs childhood memories in Batman — and helps him solve a crime! |
Review
Every now and then, a writer
happens upon an idea which is simultaneously both
brilliant and obvious. Often, it’s the sheer obviousness
of these discoveries that makes them so brilliant in the
first place. Why couldn’t I have thought of that?,
we ask ourselves, perplexed at our own lack of insight.
Dan Slott happens upon just such an idea in “Reel to
Real”, the main story in Batman Adventures #14.
Slott tells a simple tale exploring the thematic link
between the Gray Ghost and Clayface, both stars of the
cinema whose own lives have become inextricably
intertwined with their on-screen exploits, one for
better and one for worse.
It’s a perfectly logical idea, of course. The Gray Ghost
and Clayface have clear parallels, and Slott makes the
most of them. In “Reel to Real”, the two actors (and
Batman, naturally) come into conflict when the Gray
Ghost is kidnapped by Hagen, who wants to replace him in
a forthcoming “Gray Ghost” remake movie. Clayface’s
motivation, beyond merely his desire for a paycheck and
additional fame, is surprisingly poetic. Slott makes
clear how the similarities the men share add irony to
their situation: both are actors perpetually stuck in
the shadow of their old work, dominated by careers which
ended years ago. Both have lives that parallel their
most famous roles: Simon Trent eventually winds up
donning the Gray Ghost costume to fight evil in real
life, while Clayface is stuck perpetually reliving
tragedies from the melodramas that made him famous. One
man falls on the side of good, and one on the side of
bad, but outside of that, they are surprisingly like one
another.
Slott extracts just as much mileage out of comparisons
between Simon Trent’s influence on Batman and his
influence on Clayface. The dichotomy he establishes in
the opening pages (which includes a brilliant fake out)
is an interesting twist upon the events of “Beware the
Gray Ghost”. Whereas Trent’s influence pushed Batman to
heroism, and inspired a greater sense of idealism in the
young Wayne, he has had the opposite effect on Hagen,
eventually driving him towards egoism, arrogance, and
ignorance. It’s a powerful parable about how different
sources can interpret the same influence in
fundamentally different ways. It speaks volumes about
Clayface’s fragile psyche and desperate need for
validation from others. It also offers a pleasant
glimpse into how Batman works: in the days following
“Beware the Gray Ghost”, he has quietly worked behind
the scenes to help Simon improve his life. It’s nice to
see that Batman can help those around him in ways that
extend beyond merely punching the right people.
The backup further illustrates this dichotomy, as the
Gray Ghost’s influence helps Batman solve a crucial
case, highlighting Batman’s continuing need for the Gray
Ghost’s inspiration and insight in his daily life. In a
sense, it might remind longtime superhero fans of their
own relationships with fictional characters,
relationships that have hopefully pushed them to be
better, nobler people.
As one can see, “Reel to Real” offers surprisingly deep
insights into the nature of influence, of heroism, and
of the effect that art can have on our everyday lives.
No small feat, and yet another feather in Slott and
Templeton’s cap.
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