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From: moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: Re: Reviews #2 of 3 (DETECTIVES, INC.)
Message-ID: <585@vax2.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 5-May-85 14:36:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: vax2.585
Posted: Sun May  5 14:36:12 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 7-May-85 22:10:42 EDT
References: <1821@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime)
Organization: Somewhere In Soho
Lines: 55

A few addenums to Jerry's column:

>DETECTIVES INC. #1	[Eclipse, mini-series, $1.75]	Story: C  Art: C+
>[...] I have a few minor quibbles, but they don't really interfere with the
>story. If you like mystery/detective stories, this one's for you. If you didn't
>care for McGregor's NATHANIEL DUSK for DC (I didn't), you still might like this;
>it's definitely better. If you liked DUSK, you'll love INC.

Read this when it first came out, and thus I haven't gotten the reprint (or
placed it in Moriarty Reviews).  However, it was, and is, one of my
favorites (a B+), as it is one of McGregor's truely good works before
letting the sentiment slop over the edges.  Jerry has hit the nail on the
head, I think; these days, McGregor characters stand up and make speeches
(heck, Claremont people do, too, but with them it seems natural), and you
grimace at the moral outrage (or, as Michael Golden might say, the
"Righteous Indignation" :-)  ).  I HATED Nat. Dusk, but this one is worth
it, if you already haven't got it.  Reminds me a bit of Cagney & Lacey.

>	About the lesbian business. Well, I'm always suspicious of McGregor's
>ulterior motives. He seems to like to beat his chest about all the "mature"
>elements that go into his stories. Controversy without exploitation. Homosex-
>uality! Women giving birth! Why, I'll bet the women in his stories even have
>periods! But, regardless, I have to give him credit. His treatment of the male
>homosexuals in SABRE, and the women homosexuals here are done with a great
>amount of respect. The last page of this installment really is touching as the
>dead woman's lover tries to explain about their romance to the detectives. Only
>Mike Grell in JON SABLE has ever treated a homosexual character with as much
>respect as McGregor.

Correct.  I guess the difference between DETECTIVES, INC. and RAGAMUFFINS is
that the characters in DETECTIVES seem to be real people (VERY real people),
and the characters in RAGAMUFFINS are symbols, or figures.  Almost all are
bores.

>	Oh, and the artwork's by Marshall Rogers. That's all that needs to be
>said on that matter.

What he said. (*Sigh*. The previous statement is getting to be my sole
function around here).  The only other notes are that I found THOSE ANNOYING
POST BROTHERS a lot less enjoyable than Jerry (and he wasn't thrilled),
outside of "Mightiest Ron" and The Saturday Cartoon bit.  And Ms. Victory is
one of the few characters never needing an automobile collision inflation
bag... and the way she dresses defies physical laws (An old Firesign Theatre
quote pops out of the morass which is my memory: "Meister Stones will se ya'
know, ya' cheep hoor!").

      "Cheese it, cheddar-breath, you can't fight America's Action Hero, see?"

					Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
					John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
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