Deathmate Grail Hate

I think I reflect on Deathmate a bit differently than most, or rather most will now admit. Don’t get me wrong, it was a terribly executed piece of shit: scheduling, timing, story, art (in most cases)–it ended up being a complete disaster. The crossover between Image and VALIANT – the latter being a publisher that pulled off what I think was the best “event/crossover” in the history of the medium (Unity) – was an abysmal creative failure, and to some, the event is the marker for when market really went to hell–a decline that’s never been recovered from (for a variety of reasons, none of which has to do with comics, because I firmly believe that the best comics – as a whole – are being produced now). You’ll be able to read stories about the process involved in making this crossover work at several places online, from it being shoved down creator’s throats by brass, to camping at Liefeld’s house until he finished his contribution, and so on, but I’m not going to get into all of the gossip. I don’t really care whose fault it was, I just read and buy comics.

Excluding the terrible story, when I think of Deathmate I go back to this time when the fan in me saw two hottest companies in the industry – both who had books topping sales months and presences in the top 10 – and how AWESOME I thought the idea was as a celebration and coming out party. While I today disagree with the notion rather vehemently, prevailing perception seemed to be that VALIANT was the line known for tight stories and lean on art, where Image was comprised of the flashy art of the day with no writing chop. What would happen when the “best” of both worlds met?

Not a whole hell of a lot.

If it can be called a bright spot, the series introduced Gen13, which for a bit was the hottest book on the market and the title that really brought the STILL extremely popular Jeff Scott Campbell to the big show. Other than that, it did little else except leave this iconic image that was the cover of the prologue issue, and used (in some form) for the crossover’s promotion. At this time, the net was not a player, and comics really were about the LCS, Flee markets, and Wizard* (for me). Beyond that, the only other avenue that I experienced comics was via American Entertainment. When you checked the mailbox, and got the latest AE catalog (a pamphlets), it was like Christmas. I liken the experience to a comic version of getting the latest Eastbay (which for where I lived was one of the best and cheapest way to get – and find out about – the newest gear). These AE gems were my first experience with discount comics and at the same time offered first looks at numerous titles and events, and no doubt served as my introduction to several creators. I find that my experiences with the above venues – and this very well could just have to with age – have stuck with me in ways that the onslaught of current promos do not and no longer can. Now, it’s just the net’s daily wave of whatever, which beyond being rather overwhelming, I honestly don’t follow at all since I generally only look at hardcover solicitations. So why talk about Deathmate, and specifically the prologue? Well, simply put, that cover image is one of my OA grails. A lot of people don’t like to publicly out their grails because they don’t want to get potentially gauged in the event that a piece comes up or sale, but I don’t really care about stuff like that because I’m not ever going to pay more than:

• A. I Can.
• B. What I perceive as fair market value.

Fair market value for me implies what I think the piece would get in the open market not the value to the present owner (which obviously they are welcome to have and hold to). Being an unabashed fan of both VALIANT and Image, and even more, my own childhood fancies; this image is the quintessential reminder of the rise and fall of both companies, an occurrence that closely mirrored the industry’s plight itself. I think the Barry Windsor-Smith Unity cover and Lapham Harbinger#1** covers aside, this is perhaps THE VALIANT image for me, and I could probably close the door on VALIANT art collecting with any of the three alone, and be extremely content. It’s also a Jim Lee (and Bob Layton) piece, and if I had to pay the rather high prices his art tends to garner, I’d love it to be for this piece.

I love this image for everything it meant for a then unjaded fan who had yet not read actually read it. I liked that kid. I still do.

_{*I want to add QVC as a later venue. Sure, the collectible slant that they gave their show was probably detrimental to the medium overall, but I did love watching the shows–I still remember when Jim Shooter was on debuting DEFIANT. The signed comic I bought is worthless now, but I LOVED every moment of the program.}

_{** I also dig the cover to Harbinger#25 – classic throw down cover!}

Related posts:

1. Rose Red for that Ass
2. DEFIANT Pass
3. VALIANT A Dark Horse Resurgence?