Estranged

Bad Guys #3: by Greg Guler & Robby Bevard

"Estranged" is the third issue of the Gargoyles: Bad Guys comic by SLG, and Chapter Three of the Redemption story arc. It was released on May 21, 2008. The issue was reprinted in Gargoyles: Bad Guys - Redemption.

• Writer/Creator: Greg Weisman
• Artist: Christopher A. Jones
• Art Director/Cover Pencil Artist: Greg Guler
• Cover Color Artist: Robby Bevard

Solicitation

While Hunter, Dingo, Matrix and Yama are in Manhattan, trying to uncover why Doctor Sevarius freed Fang from prison, Hunter takes a break from the team to make peace with her wayward brothers – Jason Canmore and John Castaway!

Summary

Main Plot

Dingo armors up with Matrix while Hunter jumps on a robot, destroying it with a grenade before getting caught by another.

Two weeks earlier, Dingo, Matrix, and Yama continue to train at the Redemption Squad's headquarters below the Eiffel Tower. Hunter visits Notre Dame Cathedral and thinks back to the night her father was killed by Demona and how she and her brothers pursued “the Demon” into the Parisian catacombs. In New York, Hunter briefs the Squad about their target, Anton Sevarius, and their mission to figure out why he keeps visiting the New York's underground tunnels. Dingo grows bored and he and Matrix pursue Sevarius before sunset. Hunter and Yama go underground and find themselves face to face with Fang.

Subplots

Dingo reminds Hunter that she's also wanted in New York for blowing up the 23rd Precinct.

While in New York, Hunter visits her brothers Jason and Jon, the first in rehab at Rikers Island and the second now the head of the Quarrymen under the guise of John Castaway.

The Story

Hunter and Dingo stand astride Matrix as the latter continues his slow descent towards the nearby island. They continue blasting at four incoming massive robots, blowing one out of the sky. Dingo snidely asks Hunter what's next, sarcastically addressing her as "boss". But Hunter banters back telling him to figure it out as she leaps off of Matrix, somersaulting in the air, and landing on the back of Robot #2. As Robot #4 rockets past them, Dingo orders Matrix to move, and Matrix reshapes itself around Dingo, forming his armor, and jets off in pursuit of Robot #4. Meanwhile, Hunter plants a grenade on the back of Robot #2's neck before firing a grappling cable at Robot #3, narrowly escaping the explosion. However, Robot #4 grabs Hunter in its left hand and begins to squeeze. Hunter cries out in its vice-like grip.

Two weeks earlier, in Paris, France, deep beneath the Eiffel Tower, Dingo, Matrix, and Yama continue to workout in the training room. Dingo is annoyed that Hunter couldn't be bothered to show up and participate. Yama concurs, while he appreciates the training he is growing impatient for an opportunity to restore his honor, an opportunity which cannot surface without their leader. Matrix (in the form of a miniature Redemption) postulates that Hunter is a being of admirable logic who will have reasons for her absence.

Up above on the streets of Paris, Robyn Canmore strolls towards Notre Dame, as she stares up at its west facade, she remembers when her father was thrown down from cathedral to his death. Robyn and her younger brother, Jon ran towards their father's remains while her older brother, Jason's attention remained on his killer. Robyn embraced Jon, urging him not to look at what had been done to their father as Jason took off in pursuit of the laughing, winged silhouette in the air... the one that their father died hunting... the one that they were raised to hunt: the demon! Straight into the Catacombs of Paris, Jason vowed to hunt the demon into the very bowels of the Earth, but the demon was only too pleased to taunt them to make good on that vow. Robyn urged Jason not to enter the catacombs, but Jason would not be deterred and followed. Robyn took Jon's hand and they slowly followed. Lost in the dark, Jon called out to their older brother only to be shushed by Robyn, not wanting to bring the demon down on them. But it's too late, the demon's talons explode from a wall of skulls, clutching onto Robyn. The wall collapses and Robyn stares into the darkness, into the burning red eyes of the demon herself, gasping in horror as the demon cackles in her face.

Flashing forward to 1996, the Redemption flies past the Eyrie Building as Hunter welcomes her team back to New York City. Dingo expresses surprise that Hunter is cheerful about returning to the Big Apple, and Hunter reminds Dingo that he is the wanted fugitive. Dingo doesn't deny it, he's wanted for felony burglary, but he did some checking and reminds Hunter that she blew up a police station. But Hunter doesn't take his bait as their helicopter lands on the roof of the Casablanca Hotel. She tells the team that their quarters are all on the top floor, which has restricted access where they won't be disturbed. She takes them to a conference room and briefs them on their mission. Their quarry is Anton Sevarius, whom Dingo is very well aware of as the good doctor turned his old buddy, Wolf, into a Mutate. But as Wolf volunteered, it was a victimless crime. But Sevarius has been freelancing up a storm for Xanatos Enterprises, Nightstone Unlimited, Bushido Concepts, and more. She reveals to Dingo that Sevarius was the one who created the thylacines he recently encountered. Their mission is to discover why Sevarius is raising so much capital and why he keeps sneaking underground. As it's almost sunrise, she orders the team to get some rest... their mission will begin after sunset.

In Room 1301, Dingo lounges on a bed, having helped himself to the minibar and watches Celebrity Hockey. In 1303, Yama has removed his uniform and sleeps. In 1305, Matrix spends his day as a puddle. Room 1307 is empty as Robyn Canmore visits Jason in Rikers Island. The oldest Canmore sibling is engaging in his physical therapy and asks his sister how she got in there. Robyn tells him that she has connections and Jason guesses those same connections kept her out of prison before asking who she sold her soul to this time. Robyn doesn't answer and Jason begins telling her about the deal he had made with God: he works his ass off and God gives him back his legs - he cracks a joke before he loses his grip and falls. As he falls, Robyn remembers him saving her life from the demon, pulling a gun and firing causing the demon to flee deep into the catacombs. Jason held his younger sister in his arms reassuring her that one day they'd get the demon, and now Robyn holds Jason in her own arms as he again tells her not to worry, it's all part of his bargain. Robyn then asks if he had heard from Jon; Jason hasn't but supposes that being a wanted man, Jon must lay low - only for Jon himself, with a new haircut, a mustache, and accent to appear on television, inviting scared citizens to come visit the Quarrymen. Robyn and Jason are both shocked by the sight of this.

Robyn immediately confronts Jon at the Quarryman Brownstone, asking him since when does a fugitive advertise? But Jon retorts that he hides in plain sight, just as the demons do. But Robyn gets in his face, lecturing him to stop calling them demons or "have we learned nothing?". But Jon is insistent that they learned that there's more than the one their father died hunting, and that they'll need help to crush them all. Robyn can't help but remember the night their father died and the angry man who was then a tearful child begging her to forget the gargoyles - not wanting to lose her and Jason. Robyn changes the subject and asks Jon who's backing him because she knows it isn't Canmore money. Jon smirks, he doesn't need Canmore money and he is no longer "Jonny Canmore" - he is John Castaway now. As Robyn tries to assure him that he doesn't have to be, Yama radios in addressing her as "Hunter". Castaway raises an eyebrow asking who calls her "Hunter". Robyn doesn't respond as she asks for Yama's report only to learn that Dingo and Matrix have already gone after Sevarius. Robyn is livid and begins to curse her teammate, but Castaway smirks and turns her questions back on her, who is backing her, he knows it's not Canmore money. But he doesn't wait for an answer, he casually and cruelly dismisses her "if the Hunter's not hunting demons, I've got no time for her." breaking his sister's heart. But she quickly regains her icy composure ordering Dingo to meet her at the insertion location, hoping Dingo's already dead. As she leaves the brownstone, she shuts the door on her younger brother one last time.

Yama and Hunter, suited up, enter the sewer system of Manhattan trudging through the waters, both split up taking separate tunnels. Shortly after, Hunter is disarmed by a blast of electricity. She falls to the ground, debris falling around her flashing back to the traumatic memories of the leering demon as she comes face-to-face with another winged silhouette.

Review

Review by Todd W. Jensen.

Like the first two issues of Bad Guys, "Estranged" opens with more of the Redemption Squad's battle with the flying robots, focusing now on the actions of Dingo, Matrix (who once again becomes Dingo's flying suit of armor), and Hunter. Just as Hunter has been caught by one of the robots, however, we return to the flashback story.

Indeed, we have a flashback within a flashback, as Hunter remembers the night of her father's death (familiar to Gargoyles fans from the opening scene in "Hunter's Moon" Part Three), and how she and her brothers pursued Demona into the Parisian catacombs immediately afterwards. Demona speaks for the first time in any of the Gargoyles comic books (main or spin-off), and assumes one of her most nightmarish performances yet – especially when she reaches out from behind a wall of skulls to seize the young Robyn.

This additional flashback is all the more effective, as it runs alongside Hunter's meeting with her two brothers in New York. During her conversation with Jason Canmore (now working hard to rebuild himself), she helps him back to his wheelchair after he falls; in the flashback, we see Jason similarly helping her out of the pile of skulls after Demona flees. And when Hunter meets with John Castaway, we see a flashback to the young Jon Canmore begging his sister to forget about the gargoyle feud; in the present, their roles have reversed as Hunter attempts to persuade Castaway to renounce his war on the gargoyles, and fails. In one of the most moving scenes in the comic, as Hunter leaves the Quarryman Brownstone, we see the door to the building closing on a picture of the young Jon and Robyn.

The other members of the Redemption Squad are in the background, but continue to enjoy their own moments. Dingo gets to turn the tables on Hunter when he reveals that he's learned about her blowing up the Clock Tower (or might have turned the tables if she had not simply said "Your point being?"). We see each of them in their rooms at the Casablanca Hotel (their local headquarters in New York): Dingo is watching a Celebrity Hockey game on television while going through a series of drinks, Yama stands at attention in his stone sleep (with his weapons and gear lying on his bed), and Matrix has reverted to puddle-form on his own bed. And near the end, Dingo gets tired of waiting for their mission (to go after Sevarius) to begin and heads off with Matrix; Yama reports to Hunter, in a delightfully deadpan manner, "He was... 'bored'."

We only get a brief glimpse of Castaway (I was hoping for more, especially after seeing him in "Invitation Only"), but he's still handled well. His commercial for the Quarrymen is another highlight of the issue: he takes care to sound in it like a gentle, reasonable man, reaching out to frightened New Yorkers and offering to help them. And he is as aware that his sister's working for someone else as she is that he didn't set up the Quarrymen on his own.

Sevarius is revealed as the Redemption Squad's target (though the ending of "The Lost" hinted at that); he's up to something, though neither we nor the Redemption Squad know what it is. (We also learn, on the side, that he was apparently responsible for the thylacines in "Strangers"; it would be like him to engage in Jurassic Park-style activity.) The hunt for him leads Hunter into a sewer to find herself face to face with what is apparently Fang – while she recalls, once more, her childhood encounter with Demona....

Featured Characters and First Appearances

Gargoyles	Humans	Others
Yama Demona	Dingo Hunter/Robyn Canmore Charles Canmore (No Lines) Jon Canmore/John Castaway Jason Canmore Anton Sevarius (Photograph, No Lines) Wolf (Photograph, No Lines) Easton (No Lines) Bader (Mentioned Only) Spiner (Mentioned Only) Bennett (Mentioned Only) Belushi (Mentioned Only) Tagawa (Mentioned Only) Devane (Mentioned Only) Cummings (Mentioned Only) Cumming (Mentioned Only) Cleverdon (Mentioned Only) Fang (No Lines)	Matrix Eastcheap Attack Robots Hunters Thylacines (Mentioned Only)

Places	Media
Catacombs of Paris Casablanca Hotel Redemption Squad H.Q.	WVRN

Tidbits

Alicea from Blue Mug Productions.

Alicea, from Blue Mug Productions makes a cameo appearance painting Notre Dame Cathedral. [1]

The first five pages are adapted from the Bad Guys Leica reel, like the opening pages in the first two issues.

Jason, Robyn, and Jon's encounter with Demona in the Parisian catacombs is based on a draft of "Hunter's Moon" Part Three (staged as a radio play at the 2001 Gathering) in which Charles Canmore pursued Demona from Notre Dame Cathedral to the catacombs, followed by his children, and was killed there; the events in the catacombs flashback are revised to fit the televised episode.

After the flashback to the clock tower's destruction, we see the Redemption Squad's helicopter flying past the 23rd Precinct's Clock Tower, now being rebuilt.

The Celebrity Hockey broadcast in the Rikers Island gymnasium contains one of the longest in-jokes in Gargoyles yet; all of the hockey players are named after Gargoyles voice actors: Easton (after Sheena Easton, the voice of Robyn Canmore), Bader (after Diedrich Bader, the voice of Jason Canmore), Bennett (after Jeff Bennett, who voiced Matrix in the Bad Guys Leica reel), Belushi (after Jim Belushi, the voice of Fang), Devane (after William Devane, who voiced the Director, Hunter's boss, in the Bad Guys Leica reel), Tagawa (after Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who voiced Yama in the Bad Guys Leica reel), Cummings (after Jim Cummings, the voice of Dingo), Cumming (after Alan Cumming, the voice of John Castaway in "The Journey"), and Cleverdon (after Scott Cleverdon, the voice of Jon Canmore, and then in The Goliath Chronicles as Castaway in all appearances after "The Journey"). Two specific lines add extra in-jokes: "Puck's recovered by Spiner... Bennett checks him" (Puck was voiced by Brent Spiner, and Owen by Jeff Bennett), and "Cumming is blindsided by Cleverdon" (Cleverdon succeeded Cumming as the voice of Jon Canmore/Castaway for the rest of The Goliath Chronicles after Cumming had replaced him for "The Journey").

Dingo refers to Wolf's mutation in "Upgrade"; we now learn that Sevarius handled it.

The pad of paper on the cover appears to be "Weisman" brand (though the "W" is covered up).

Links

• On Sale at TFAW

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