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by Dave Scrimgeour & Kevin McCluskey   Deller's clearly in Dragon's head by this point. Cover date- December 1988 Price- 55p Writer- Simon Furman Artist- Geoff Senior Letterer- Gordon Robson Colourist- Steve White Editor- Richard Starkings Managing Editor- Jenny O’Connor Published by- Marvel Comics LTD synopsisDragon's Claws are sent to Canada to investigate the brutal slayings of six suspected criminals by an unknown vigilante, while Deller is charged with a mission to terminate Tanya Dragon. However, he is being hunted by ex-Game players Shrine and their leader, Kurran, who is hellbent on extracting revenge upon Deller for his brother's murder. (D) Kev Do you have any initial thoughts on #6, 'Craven Idols' that you want to kick-off with? Dave I think it's quite a good issue. It's full of behind the scenes machiavellian plans and again, it has a number of sub-plots brewing. Also, it's good to see another lively team like Shrine, who are another bunch of colourful characters. Geoff Senior must've loved doing this series, with the opportunity to create yet another bunch of distinct characters. Kev Yeh. I think Senior's really knocking it out the park on this one. The art is so good, it's going to be a nightmare to choose a select few panels as images for this review. Dave I like how the 'Dragon's Claws' series issues always gave at least 2 or 3 different stories going in per issue. Yeah that opening page with Kurran is a real visual treat. Very demonic the first two pages.  The sight of fire and the stench of brimstone. Kev Definitely. It's quite TV-like in that sense, in that there's always at least an A and a B storyline. And like you said, sometimes a C too. The first two pages put me in mind of the ritual scene in 'The Young Sherlock Holmes.' Kurran is very cleverly manipulating his followers here by creating the impression that he is honourable. "Dragon fought only to protect what was his!" Dave I'm kind-of thinking this scene is similar to 'Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom' as well. I wonder how much of an influence the Thugee Cult played on Senior's artwork here. Kev Good point. ‘Temple of Doom' is earlier than 'Young Sherlock Holmes'and more likely to be the primary influence on this. Dave It’s interesting that Kurran is not gunning for the killer but the manipulator of this situation, Deller, who he sees as the main cause of this. Kev Yep. He's smart enough to see behind the smokescreen here. Dave Do you notice how this issue starts to flesh out the character of Deller as well? He is starting to see that all is not as it seems with their objectives and wakens up to the realisation that he is just as expendable as every other member of Dragon's Claws. It is a nice bit of character development to Deller. Kev This is kind-of Deller's issue, isn't it? He's humanised a great deal here. Even if he's just portrayed as a frustrated careerist, it provides us with an insight into his motivations and a certain amount of sympathy for him too. Going back to what you were saying with the machinations, Stenson's grin when he's sending Deller on the mission to exterminate Dragon's family shows that he's loving playing them all off against one another. Plus, Deller is all too aware he's being screwed over. Dave Yeah, it is definately Deller's issue. I guess the cover is a bit of a hint with Deller taking the front page. I agree, we see a bit of a more honourable side to him and less of the incompetent, over zealous idiot that previous issues have portrayed him as. But still, he's out for No. 1, as he ditches Tanya in the gunfight and again is shot. Kev Deller's second shoulder injury in two issues. Third in five.  Deller shoulder injury No. 3. Surely he's lost about 70% of the mobility of that left shoulder by this point. Dave Yep, Deller knows he's stuck in a no-win scenario and that to follow orders is his only chance of survival. Kev Totally. He knows fine that as soon as he steps out of line, he's a dead man. Dave The story with Claws going over to Montreal to check on the vigilante killer is also a prelude to Mercy's backstory which is explored in depth in the next issue, I believe. Kev Yeh. Furman's really in his groove here too, dovetailing storylines in and out and across one another. The comic is really beginning to feel like an ongoing series by this point. Which makes the fact that it only has four issues to go after this one all the more disappointing. Dave Yeah, good point. I feel like issue 6 is a great example of an established series. We are familiar with all the main characters and it's starting to pick up the pace a bit now. Kev This issue and next issue definitely have that feeling of creators being comfortable and confident in their work. As you said, the pace is starting to pick up, a lot of the plot threads are starting to knit together and the characters are all pretty well established by now. Dave Again, this issue jam packed full of action with only a few panels of dialogue to carry the story onto the next chaotic explosion of action. Kev Yeh, there's some great action in here. Dave Deller’s hair seems to have changed colour to blonde now. Kev Right enough. So it has. It’s definitely fairer. The scene with Deller and Tanya, which is then crashed by Shrine, is a cracking scene. There's some nice slapstick in there as well, with the chase scene of Scourge being pursued by Scavenger, Steel, Digit and Scratch.  Curly, Larry, Moe and their dog, in pursuit of a vigilante. With the dog faring best. Dave Yeah, Furman likes to put a bit of slapstick in there. Especially with Scavenger and Steel in that chase scene and in the battles, such as in #4. Shrine look like they would have been a very formidable team in The Game and it's nice to see a proper introduction to them. Kev Yeh, I think they were supposed to be one of the elite Game teams. They look like they've got a couple of powerhouses in that team in Strength and Industry. Shrine are definitely a team that are to be taken seriously. Plus, they've got a great gimmick. Like you said before, very striking. They're certainly no joke. Not like Kurran's brother Barry and his ' Wildcats.' Dave Kurran is a formidable, smart, tactical opponent too. A good leader of his pack. An equal match to Slaughterhouse and Dragon for their respective teams. Kev Good point. Dave I think the actor Richard Armitage would make a good Kurran. Especially with a beard. He kinda resembles him a bit. Kev Good shout on Armitage. Dave He was quite freaky scary in the 'Hannibal' series as the Tooth Fairy. Strength is a real old powerhouse looking character. Definitely a good match up for Steel. Kev Indeed. And then Deller goes and shoots him in the solar plexus. Dave It shows that Deller has been underestimated in previous issues, as on his own, he functions better than expected, but is still out of his depth though. Especially when his gun jams. Kev Yeh. He's out of his depth, he's outnumbered, outgunned, so performs a bit of self inflicted defenestration. It's interesting that, even in the midst of all this character development and sympathy building for Deller, Furman has him kill Saul in cold blood. No black and white here, just many, many shades of grey. Dave Yeah, it contains many layers of grey, his character. But essentially Deller is still out for himself. Kev Definitely. The very fact that he abandons Tanya, her father and her young son, leaving them in the hands of Kurran illustrates that. That, in addition to the fact he was going to execute them all, not five minutes beforehand. Dave Going to the last two pages in Montreal, with Mercy out to track the vigilante, these panels are putting me in mind of 'Blade Runner' again, with the visual influence. Especially when we see Milos Judden.  Milos Judden- fat cat, 8162 style. Kev Yes. The flamboyance of bourgeoisie society, the towering, neon metropolises, the flying cars. Very much like 'Blade Runner.' It looks amazing. Dave Yeah, very highly stylised. Senior’s art is constantly taking on a number of different looks for each scene/sub-plot. Kev He's excellent at accentuating a particular scene or scenario. The different looks on Mercy's face, in the two panels when she's looking at her old calling card are telling of her development as a character too. The first one is a mixture of abject horror and crushing guilt and the second is a mix of bitterness and rage. This is the first instance in which we see of her having a crisis of conscience over her previously blasé attitude to being a killer.
Dave Yeah, this copycat has thrown her a bit. Kev Yes, definitely. She's being forced to look into a mirror, so to speak and she's not liking what's being reflected back at her. Particularly as it pertains to the younger version of herself. Dave She seems almost scared by encountering this situation, or so surprised that it has frightened her a bit. Kev Agreed. There is definitely an element of fear in this situation for her. Dave It’s a good build up to the next issue. I’ve noticed almost all of the Dragon’s Claws stories are two issues in length. Except issue 5 and ten. Kev Issue five was quite unique. Almost exclusively a halftime pause to promote 'Death's Head' issue, wasn't it? Dave Yeah, I think it was. Kev We get to see a rare example of the Claws bonding whilst they're on the Pig. They're all having a bit of a laugh at the expense of the absent Deller. Steel is sensitive to the fact that Dragon is missing his family, but Digit is typically robotic in his logic, insight and suspicion. I think that's a really nice little scene.  If pigs could fly, eh? Dave Yeah, that’s why the Claws work as a team. They are individually different and play off each other's differences or personality traits. Kev Yeh. They definitely compliment each other very well. Dave Dragon’s gut instincts are again telling him there is more going on than is made out to be, with this trip to Canada. Kev Exactly. There's the sense of foreboding, of "impending doom" as he puts it. Plus, on the very next page, Tanya spits out the line, "I'll only stop trying when I'm dead." This is a great bit of foreshadowing. And it really helps accentuate the drama and the tension of what the future holds for Tanya. Particularly her immediate future, considering Deller is on his way to kill her. Dave Yeah, at this stage in the series, it is spurring the plot onwards to a finale. Kev Is this the first instance of Scavenger's dog being referred to as Scratch? Dave Yeah, I reckon so. Before this, Steel was calling him “Mutt.” Kev Yeh, I like how Steel exclaims, "Scratch?!" when Scavenger calls him by his name. Dave I think it’s funny, the panel with Kurran and Clarity talking, the expression on her face when he says, "Believe what you like, Clarity..." Was her eye deliberately drawn as squint?  Clarity; an exquisit combination of beauty and err….. never mind. Kev I reckon the squint eye was a deliberate choice, yeh. Done purely for comedic effect. It's got to be, right? It's like Kurran is thinking, ‘Oh shut up, you imbecile.’ I like how much Kurran uses his holy crusade/divine mission as a smokescreen for good, old-fashioned revenge. There are so many characters with ulterior motives here, which only makes them all the more interesting. They are so often not what they claim to be. Dave What do you make of the cover to this issue? Kev I like the cover. The composition is interesting. It's a really nice use of the outline of Dragon's head as a framing device. Dave I like it too. It’s quite striking, yet still basic and not overloaded with too much on it. Yeah, I like the silhouette of Dragon’s head as well. Kev Definitely. It's simple, yet effective. I like this issue's FastFax too. Once again, it fleshes-out the main story very nicely at the same time as performing world-building duties with the aside about the Moscow Famine. Dave Yeah, good old Fastfax. A real cinematic borrow from 80’s movies where we got a narrative at the start of the story.  "Way-ooh," Deller. "Way-ooh!" Not "Alright!" Jeez! Kev Ah, yes. Good point. You got any other casting suggestions? Dave Strength kinda reminds me of Hulk Hogan. Haha. Industry? Maybe Idris Elba? Kev Ha, ha! Hogan is a good pull. I was actually thinking of a wrestler for Strength, myself. The current WWE wrestler, Big Cass. He's about 6'9, 270 lbs. So he's got the size. Although, to be honest, I'm not entirely convinced he's got any acting chops. Actually, his tag team partner, Enzo Amoré could be Digit. Ha, ha! Dave Yeah, that’s a good call. Richard Armitage is a good six foot two at least. So that would work well, as Kurran is big also. Michael Rappaport for Saul? Kev Yeh man, Armitage is a great shout for that role. Rappaport is a good call for Saul as well, actually, yeh. Not one I would have immediaely thought of either. You're casting against type a bit there, man. Nice. I like that a lot. Dave Clarity as well? Someone dense looking. Haha. Kev One of the Kardashian/Jenner clan, maybe. Dave What about Brent Spiner for Mr. Hone? Kev Cool. He's been in 'Outcast' recently and I've really been liking him in that. Dave You got any final thoughts on the issue? Kev It's a good issue. It actually feels like the start of the second half of the series, for sure. The pace really starts to pick-up here, as we hurtle towards what was ultimately, the end. Strap yourself in, 'cause it's a hell of a rollercoaster ride from here on out. (D) & (K)  Gravity's a….. You know what they say, "It's not the falling, it's the landing."
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