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Seven Soldiers #1 |
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Slaughter Swamp is the birth place of DC villain Cyrus Gold/Solomon Grundy. “Another schmuck with bow and arrows! That’s it?” Gimmix, real name Jacqueline Pamberton, may actually be Merry of a 1000 Gimmicks. Merry Pamberton was the foster sister of Star-Spangled Kid. Later she became a hero herself and then married the villain Brain Wave(2). She was now Merry Pamberton King and had a son. Various incidents, possibly including Brain Wave being sent to prison, had her suffer a mental breakdown and fake her own death to reappear later. It’s also possible this is a new character that Morrison gave the same last name to as a tip of the hat to stories past. Boy Blue and Dyno-Mite Dan are new characters in the veins of Little Boy Blue and TNT and his sidekick Dan the Dyna-Mite. The power of the number 7. “There were seven champions of Christendom, seven spirits at the throne of god, seven virtues, seven sins, seven sleepers, seven wise masters…It’s kind of unlucky that there are only six of us.”-Dyno-Mite Dan. The skull that appears on the cover and in a single panel of the comic may represent death. Or failure. The seventh soldier who was to appear is still unaccounted for. Speculation that it was the original Shining Knight is popular at the moment. Theory - Vigilante first fought the 'Monster of Miracle Mesa', which was in fact a Sheeda spider mare, in the 19th century. When he shows the Whip a newspaper from that time, he says "That's Johnny Frankenstein riding with me." We know that a character called Frankenstein will star in the last 7 Soldiers mini-series. We also know that he uses dead body parts grafted onto his own body. my theory is that the character of the Frankenstein mini will be the same Johnny Frankenstein that rode with Vigilante in 1875. How is he still alive in the 21st century? Well, we already know that Frankenstein has the power to graft dead body parts to himself, which would explain his longevity (as the Whip says in #0; "Old super heroes never die, huh?"). And if he is still around it makes sense that Vigilante sought his help again, when the spider-monster that they both battled re-appeared. Vigilante says little about the mysterious seventh soldier, except that they got "cold feet". This might be a deliberate pun - Frankenstein literally has "cold feet", as his feet are dead body parts. Lastly, Grant has said the Frankenstein mini will be a "brutal revenge comic". Will it be Johnny Frankenstein seeking revenge against the Sheeda for the death of his old friend Vigilante? Neh-Buh-Loh is a reference to the old Seven Soldiers villain Nebula Man.
What is the TIME-SEWING MACHINE? Is the word Sheeda derived from Sidhe (pronounced "Shee") of Irish myth and legend? The Sidhe were not straightforward creatures of destruction and decay. They were a complex group and often acted in benevolent ways towards heroes like Cu Chulainn(Irish warrior). Who died in the final confrontation of the story? More from CBR's Lying in the Gutters: "Seven Soldiers Of Victory" - at no point in any of the books so far do we see any of the soldiers, teams or groups achieving victory. Are the elements of the Seven Soldiers 'crest' from the front of #0 important? A skull, a lightning bolt, a sword, flames, an eagle, stars and a shield...? The prologue is called 'True Thomas' - presumably the remade Thomas Dalt (I, Spyder) is a False Thomas? Also refers to the song the Ferryman sings. Thomas is being carried by an enigmatic ferryman who speaks only in italics - is he already dead? "They say a black flower grows for every secret drowned in Slaughter Swamp..." - dismissed as a 'creepy local legend' - first instance of myth and legend being discredited. Gold's transformation to Grundy - alchemy in reverse? Clear link to Thomas's subsequent tranformation as well. "Slaughter Swamp is one of those in-between places, where solid things turn soft and change, like Cyrus did... Like Justice and Humanity sometimes do... Into monsters." - Reference to good becoming bad, to betrayal? Dismissed by Thomas as 'fairy tales'. "You've got a bit more depth to you, eh? Two sides, at least." - first appearance of the 2D/3D theme. "O see ye not yon narrow road..." - a song with particularly interesting connotations. 'Mosquitoes' biting the Spider - an inversion of the natural order? Is this the point where Dalt is compromised? Certainly, it is where he is poisoned. "Sometimes, in an emergency like this, we have to let you locals into one or two of our secrets." - the Seven Unknown Men are from elsewhere, or elsewhen. "Another schmuck with a bow and arrows!" - was the previous 'schmuck' Dalt's father, the original Alias the Spider? Originally, Alias the Spider was a good guy who pretended to be a crook to infiltrate criminal gangs. In Geoff Johns' Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E., that was flipped - the original Alias the Spider became a bad guy who pretended to be a hero to infiltrate teams of good guys, in particular the original Seven Soldiers. He tampered with a weapon they were going to use on the Nebula Man, but Wing defeated him, used the weapon, and gave his life to save the rest of the team, although they were subsequently scattered through time, which is how Vigilante became stranded in the Old West. "Where's the twist? Where's the gimmick?" - overt reference to the 'twist' motif that is present in all the books; also, possible reference to Gimmix? "Seven Unknown Men of Slaughter Swamp... Mystery Men..." - the 'Mystery Men' motif is repeated elsewhere. Dalt - assisted suicide? The only person he has to kill is himself? How does this fit with the other soldiers; are they expected to die as well? "We have to... well... tailor you to fit the job." - overt link between the S.U.M. and the Tailor. "Thomas, see that old poem I read to you? [...] There's a third road..." - the ferryman was one of the S.U.M. The verse referred to, and the 'third road', is this: "It was my dad's tunic... And my brother... I... I just don't want to lose it." - reference to the importance of predecessors and family, especially parents, and how their children need them. Skull & crossbones motif on the Black Piss Beer bottle. "In the world of the Super-Cowboys, there's always blood." - first appearance of the blood motif. "There are always special destinies. Tales of loss and vengeance. Family obligations. Blood. Spilled or otherwise." - Seven Soldiers in a nutshell? Also, does this suggest that there will always be teams of seven to fight against Gloriana in perpetuity? Powerhouse Magazine #172 - headline is "Why all the symbolism?" A wry joke. On Shelly's bookshelf are the titles "Super Men & Women of the Golden Age" and "Mystery Men". History and mystery - both important. "Isn't it funny how everything connects?" - overt reference to the connections; link to Ali-Ka-Zoom's concept of 'Mystery String'. "...preferably with a veteran, some newcomers, a tough guy..." - archetypal team makeup. Does this refer to all of the teams of seven? Of the main Seven, Justin is the 'veteran' member of the team, as he has fought the Sheeda before, Guardian and presumably Bulleteer are the newcomers, and Frankenstein the hard case..? Or is Frankenstein the veteran, if Vigilante's reference to a 'Johnny Frankenstein' rounding up the Buffalo Spider in 1875 is the same person...? Shelly's book is entitled "Body Thunder - How I Turned My Body Into A Living Weapon To Beat the 21st Century Blues". - transformation again; reference to Dyno-mite Dan and possibly Bulleteer? "Maybe then my mother will take my life seriously." - more concern over absent, disapproving parents - the only way to gain approval is by dying? "Is it when the joke becomes real?" - reference to grim reality destroying fantasy again - cf. the Newsboy Army's dissolution, among others. "For a moment, I feel the presence of a much bigger reality. Like mountains looming all around me." - reality pressing in, after 2-3 pages of references to things like Zorro and CGI - fantasy being subsumed by reality again. "You won't find Miracle Mesa on any map; it's a legend. A place that comes and goes." - another 'In-between Place'. "I'm talking big ideas about space and time and how we got here an' all. They say Miracle Mesa revolves through many worlds." - are Miracle Mesa and Castle Revolving one and the same place, or do they just share traits? "They call this place the hunting ground of gods and wild riders." - reference to the 'Huntsman' aspect of Neh-Buh-Loh; also to the Wild Hunt of fairy lore. "The indians say the Buffalo Spider is a ghost animal. From the Ghost Country. Bad luck, omen of doom." - Is the 'Ghost Country' Summer's End? Does this link to other images of bad luck, like the broken mirror in Zatanna? Vigilante - a similar sort of character to Ebeneezer Badde? Craggy, unshaven, gun-toting, sardonic, resigned, but still a man of action? "My Seventh Soldier got cold feet at the last minute." - who was that supposed to have been? Johnny Frankenstein? Gimmix - possibly the adult version of L'il Hollywood - certainly bears the hallmarks of a faded star (older than she makes out to be, facelift, makes a living off the convention circuit, plus she looks like a stereotypical starlet. Where did Boy Blue get his horn? Dyno-Mite Dan's rings are "Golden-Age Mystery Rings". Spyder - skin is grey like all the other creatures ensorcelled - Grundies, Galahad, the golem? Also he is marked upon his skin with tattoos - 'branded'. Gimmix - fallen asleep clutching a bottle of 'Blood Red Whisky'. "I hate this whole stupid thing" - skull motif again. Perhaps death has become their seventh member? "Giovanni Zatara. Wonderful man. What a dancer. Old school. I know his daughter from my therapy group. JLA girl." - why is Gimmix discussing G.Z., of all people? "[Greg Sanders] could have been the singing country cook on TV instead of wasting all his time with all this Super-Cowboy stuff." - again, reality is regarded as more important than fantasy. Spyder's information about spiders - irrelevant, considering they may be robots/constructs? Or is it relevant to the Sheeda as well as their mounts? "Sleeping with 'I, Spyder' (whose real name is Thomas Ludlow Dalt) is my contribution to the complex intergroup dynamics essential for any superteam. Playing the diva asshole is Jackie's." - again, pooh-poohing the artifice of fantasy, and mocking the fabric of the group already. "We bait the beast, just like I did. Make it waltz right into our trap." - obvious double-meaning here, as Spyder is leading the group into a trap as well. But is it also a reference to what the S.U.M. are doing with the real Seven Soldiers? "The number seven is very important. There were seven champions of Christendom, seven spirits of the throne of God, seven virtues, seven sins, seven sleepers, seven wise masters..." - I don't think any of these instances of seven are referred to elsewhere in the series - not relevant? Too obvious? "Nah, it's just a shell. It shed its skin after the collision, molted to a more adult form." - reference to becoming an adult; also the casting-off of outer (dead) 'skin', like Justin's deception being uncovered, Guardian quitting his position, Zatanna losing her magic (?) and Klarion becoming a Witch-Man/leaving Limbo Town. Also a reference to the 'suits' made by the Tailor, and also the S.U.M. "The spider is my totem. One day a spider will kill me." - Spyder knows the circumstance of his own death - reference to Klarion's ability? Is this a curse? Does it mean that he will kill himself, or perhaps be killed by the Sheeda? Spyder - draws bow left-handed - 'sinister'? Buffalo Spider - has 'a saddle and reins around its head' - where is its rider? What is it doing there? Gimmix - knew the 'real' Boy Blue. "Our 'secret identities' are forgotten." - blurring of reality and fantasy. Which identities; their heroic lives, or their mundane ones? "Is this what real superheroes feel?" - overt confession that they are false, a failed team, before they've even started. "I'm all wrapped up in prophecy and myth." - again, the appearance of myth as a concept, but also as an entanglement - myth as a bad thing. Possible reference to the suits of the Tailor; also to a spider cocooning its prey? "It's some kind of a machine, man." - the enslaved 'construct' motif again. Also means their victory over the Buffalo Spider is hollow? Miracle Mesa - appears as a sort of revolving castle. "What kind of prey do you suppose Gods might lower themselves to hunt, hmm?" - hunting and gods linked; what does this mean for the likes of Croatoan? Is he absent because he is hunting? Are superheroes the only prey of hunting gods? First reference to the 'Harrowing', and first appearance of Neh-Buh-Loh following his creation in JLA:Classified. "Except seven none returned from Castle Revolving." - does this refer to the Knights of the Shattered Table, or is it a prophecy fortelling the success of the Seven Soldiers? "Plan B is already under way, gentlemen." - this failed attempt was the S.U.M.'s first attempt at stopping the Sheeda? "Seven more conscripts?" - none of the Soldiers are willing participants? The S.U.M. are packing Justin's tabard, Guardian's helmet, the 'train gun', a glove and a pentagram/hex symbol (among others?) into boxes - presents for the 'conscripts' - the 'King's Shilling', as it were? "Leave the Time-Sewing Machine!" - vital tool abandoned? It looks almost like a vehicle, like a train - are the secret tunnels and trains in Guardian some sort of cloth or pattern being woven? The fact that the S.U.M. are leaving means Ali-Ka-Zoom's statement in Zatanna that only the S.U.M. can help now is false? There are six (new?) black flowers in Slaughter Swamp at the foot of the page - do they represent the dead Soldiers (although Spyder is still alive) or do they represent the members of the S.U.M. - presuming the Tailor to be a rogue element therein - wwho have departed, leaving secrets buried in the swamp |
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