Horror comics king Steve Niles takes Steve Ditko’s bizarro Creeper character and practically makes him his own, in the six-issue miniseries THE CREEPER: WELCOME TO CREEPSVILLE. As introduced in DC’s BRAVE NEW WORLD, this incarnation of The Creeper is left-wing talk-show host and self-described prick Jack Ryder, who’s able to change into his alter ego at will: a yellow-skinned, green-haired superhero with a cape of unruly red hair and a laugh that’s deadly.
Thanks to an astute Gotham City detective, however, Ryder’s secret identity is in danger of being blown, so the TV personality gets the bright idea to place a million-dollar bounty on anyone who can capture The Creeper, thus deflecting suspicion from himself. Problem solved, right?
Well, perhaps that one, at least. But there’s also the matter of Dr. Yatz, who’s conducting important research into nanocell technology that would enable burn victims to regrow normal, healthy skin. When criminal goons crash his lab, Yatz escapes, Ryder is left for dead and the doc’s ill-fated experiment gets loose. His name is Gavin. He hungers for skin, to the point where he rips it clean from people’s skeletal systems.
Leaving his TV show (YOU ARE WRONG!) in the lurch, Ryder comes The Creeper to investigate his own supposed murder, the disappearance of the doc and the whereabouts of the ever-expanding Gavin. He gets some help in at least one of those departments from none other than Batman, thus marking Niles’ second go-round with the caped crusader, following GOTHAM COUNTY LINE.
Niles is a natural to tackle a freak like The Creeper, and unsurprisingly, he really plays up the antihero’s horror leanings, aided by art from Justiniano and Steve Scott. Niles peppers the story with geek-ready in-jokes – ranging from SWAMP THING to ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 – throws in a welcome guest villain late in the arc and builds to an action-packed finale.
About the only thing he doesn’t do is address The Creeper’s backstory. How’d he get this way? Exactly what the hell is he? I didn’t know beforehand. Let’s face it: Despite popping up in various comics over the years, he’s still a C-level character in the DC universe … made A-level in this always exciting and occasionally sick graphic thriller. –Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF STEVE NILES:
• ALEISTER ARCANE by Steve Niles and Breehn Burns
• BATMAN: GOTHAM COUNTY LINE by Steve Niles and Scott Hampton
• BIG BOOK OF HORROR by Steve Niles, Scott Morse, Ted McKeever and Richard Sala
• BIGFOOT by Steve Niles, Rob Zombie and Richard Corben
• THE CRYPTICS by Steve Niles and Benjamin Roman
• DAWN OF THE DEAD by Steve Niles and Chee
• FUSED by Steve Niles
• THE NAIL by Steve Niles and Rob Zombie
• REMAINS by Steve Niles and Kieron Dwyer
• SECRET SKULL by Steve Niles and Chuck BB
• STEVE NILES’ CELLAR OF NASTINESS by Steve Niles
• 28 DAYS LATER: THE AFTERMATH by Steve Niles
• 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: IMMORTAL REMAINS by Steve Niles and Jeff Mariotte
• 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: RUMORS OF THE UNDEAD by Steve Niles and Jeff Mariotte
• WAKE THE DEAD by Steve Niles and Chee
Related posts:
- Remains
- 28 Days Later: The Aftermath
- 30 Days of Night: Immortal Remains
- The Cryptics
- QUICKGASM >> 4.2.07
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I liked the original, Ditko created Creeper books, but since, DC just doesn’t know what to do with him. Don’t be surprised if he’s killed off and replaced iwth a more PC version.
You mean book right he only made showcase#73 and plotted he’s 1st comic