Grayson #10 Preview/Discussion

[jules]

Loved it.

I like the tangle of betrayal that Helena, Dick and Agent 1 have caught themselves up in, largely as a result of following their assumptions about each other rather than the evidence. Though, to be fair, Helena's the only one who's been presented with any evidence so far. The other two are working in the dark. I do wonder what Helena's actual plan was though. She seems to have faith in Dick not to be the murderer of spies, but she doesn't actually say that she thinks Agent 1 is either. That's just being assumed by Ashemore and Netz.

In theory at least, working to split the two up by implying to each that the other is a traitor should have safeguarded Agent 1's life rather than exposed him to extra risk, since in the past fake-Dick has been following in Dick's footsteps. The trail of mayhem ought to have followed him to Corsica instead, but I guess he's just stubborn about sticking to his original targets. Otherwise it'd probably be Lex in the crosshairs.

I'm wondering if we'll see the Duchess again. Her reappearance here, and gun grabbing exploits, seemed to hint that she was a little bit more than just a rich woman with an interesting necklace. Maybe she'll follow it.

[Dzetoun]

Loved it.

I like the tangle of betrayal that Helena, Dick and Agent 1 have caught themselves up in, largely as a result of following their assumptions about each other rather than the evidence. Though, to be fair, Helena's the only one who's been presented with any evidence so far. The other two are working in the dark. I do wonder what Helena's actual plan was though. She seems to have faith in Dick not to be the murderer of spies, but she doesn't actually say that she thinks Agent 1 is either. That's just being assumed by Ashemore and Netz.

In theory at least, working to split the two up by implying to each that the other is a traitor should have safeguarded Agent 1's life rather than exposed him to extra risk, since in the past fake-Dick has been following in Dick's footsteps. The trail of mayhem ought to have followed him to Corsica instead, but I guess he's just stubborn about sticking to his original targets. Otherwise it'd probably be Lex in the crosshairs.

Well, Helena's interaction with the Tiger is immediately preceded by her conversation with Spyder, which kicks off by her asking what they would have her do. They then go into their metaphorical musing about kleptoparasitic spiders that steal prey from other spiders' webs and cannibalistic skull spiders who deliberately plant prey to lure the kleptoparasitic spiders. So, I guess on one level (there are likely multiple valid ones) the mysterious assassin is the kleptoparasitic spider out to steal Tiger, the prey called caught in Helena's web. But, the assassin does not know that Helena, the skull spider, has quite deliberately planted the Tiger in the web to lure him in so he can be devoured.

The Tiger is likely to be very annoyed that he was the one set as a lure. Helena will wonder at the purity of her own motives. And Dick will be properly horrified at the whole business.

[jules]

Well, Helena's interaction with the Tiger is immediately preceded by her conversation with Spyder, which kicks off by her asking what they would have her do. They then go into their metaphorical musing about kleptoparasitic spiders that steal prey from other spiders' webs and cannibalistic skull spiders who deliberately plant prey to lure the kleptoparasitic spiders. So, I guess on one level (there are likely multiple valid ones) the mysterious assassin is the kleptoparasitic spider out to steal Tiger, the prey called caught in Helena's web. But, the assassin does not know that Helena, the skull spider, has quite deliberately planted the Tiger in the web to lure him in so he can be devoured.

The lovely thing about that bit of dialogue from Spyder is that it can be read on multiple levels. As well as applying to the current events, you can also read it as a summary of Dick's ongoing situation. Agent 0 the kleptoparasitic spider, stealing Dick from the Batcave. Batman the skull spider, sending Dick to infiltrate/lure the people of Spyral.

Which reminds me of the Future's End issue, where Helena gets implied to be Batman-like. Apparently they're both skull spiders.

[Dzetoun]

The lovely thing about that bit of dialogue from Spyder is that it can be read on multiple levels. As well as applying to the current events, you can also read it as a summary of Dick's ongoing situation. Agent 0 the kleptoparasitic spider, stealing Dick from the Batcave. Batman the skull spider, sending Dick to infiltrate/lure the people of Spyral.

Which reminds me of the Future's End issue, where Helena gets implied to be Batman-like. Apparently they're both skull spiders.

Or, Batman the elder kleptoparasitic spider, sending Dick to steal Minos from Agent 0's web, unaware that Minos has been carefully bound in the strands so that Agent 0, the skull spider, can devour the unsuspecting young spider who comes to take the offered prey.

EDIT: Although the way to cut through all of this before a migraine sets in is simply to observe that both birds and bats eat spiders.

[HsssH]

Those lines about spiders pretty much describe whole series since we are not entirely sure (nor are characters) who is exactly playing who here.

[K. Jones]

Or, Batman the elder kleptoparasitic spider, sending Dick to steal Minos from Agent 0's web, unaware that Minos has been carefully bound in the strands so that Agent 0, the skull spider, can devour the unsuspecting young spider who comes to take the offered prey.

EDIT: Although the way to cut through all of this before a migraine sets in is simply to observe that both birds and bats eat spiders.

At least until we learn that Kathy is a bird-eating/bat-eating spider.

[Avi]

At least until we learn that Kathy is a bird-eating/bat-eating spider.

Which would then beg the question if the former Batwoman will get so tangled in her own net that she is forced to eat herself too.

[Dzetoun]

Which would then beg the question if the former Batwoman will get so tangled in her own net that she is forced to eat herself too.

That would be Ungoliant, ancestress of Shelob. Dick as Earendil? He certainly isn't a Frodo figure. Actually, he's more Arthurian than Tolkienesque.

[K. Jones]

That would be Ungoliant, ancestress of Shelob. Dick as Earendil? He certainly isn't a Frodo figure. Actually, he's more Arthurian than Tolkienesque.

Not a Frodo figure ... but after all, Samwise was the hero of that story.

[JasonTodd428]

Not a Frodo figure ... but after all, Samwise was the hero of that story.

So he was. Samwise is my favorite Lord of the Rings character.

[OWL45]

That would be Ungoliant, ancestress of Shelob. Dick as Earendil? He certainly isn't a Frodo figure. Actually, he's more Arthurian than Tolkienesque.

Definitely more Arthurian than Tolkienesque.

[K. Jones]

So he was. Samwise is my favorite Lord of the Rings character.

He's pretty great. Nowhere near my favorite (it's a four-way tie between the contrasting Boromir/Faramir sibling relationship and the Eowyn/Eomer one) - but the appeal to great mythologies for me is always the fringe characters, or the secondary leads. It occurs to me in hindsight that Alfred carrying Bruce's weight and the master/servant relationship is a little more apropos, where Dick might be more like a Meriadoc. Cheerful, ever loyal best friend/kin, who helps the lead in his own way, distracts the enemy, and whose personal storyline is maybe less deep but more fun and interesting than Frodo, because he gets to dive into the secondary characters and cultures.

Which I'll steer right back to why Grayson is so great. Batman's co-lead, his bestie, exploring some of the absolute best of DC's fringe, standing on the shoulders of not just Morrison's Spyral concepts, but folks like O'Neil, Ostrander, Kupperberg, Rucka, maybe a bit of Simone's BOP, who have done the covert side of the DCU justice. It's literally a case of my favorite character graduating from my favorite ongoing run ever (a little late) and going to get his next life phase in all my other favorite places. "Am I straight?" last issue was way way way less fan-service for me than that Spy Council.

[joybeans]

Not a Frodo figure ... but after all, Samwise was the hero of that story.

So damn true.

[Godlike13]

Pfft, Sauron was the real hero.

[Claude]

Geez - since when was this place full of nerds?