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Anarky (comic book)
Encyclopedia
Anarky was a short-lived American comic book
series published by DC Comics
, as a limited series
between May and August of 1997
, and as an ongoing series
May and December of 1999
. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle
, and inks by Josef Rubinstein
. The comic was a spin-off
title derived from the Batman
franchise, and followed the adventures of Anarky
, an antagonist of the Batman character.
Although Anarky had originally been created to reflect the philosophy of anarchism
, the primary influence on both volumes was the philosophy of Neo-Tech
. The comic was overtly political in nature, exploring a number of themes including antimilitarism
, homelessness
, and political corruption
.
The four-issue limited series, Anarky, was published in May 1997. Entitled "Metamorphosis", the story maintained the character's anti-authoritarian sentiments, but was instead based on the philosophy of Neo-Tech
, an offshoot of Objectivism
.
During the climax of the "Anarky" storyline of Batman: Shadow of the Bat #41-42, it is implied that Anarky dies in a large explosion. In turn, the Anarky limited series resolved this event by revealing that Anarky survives, but chooses to shed the encumbrance of his double life by faking his death. Anarky works in seclusion to further his goal of achieving a utopia
n society, briefly hiring Legs and other homeless men to monitor Batman's movements. He has several further brushes with Batman, as well as the likes of Etrigan and Darkseid
.
Grant has referred to the limited series as one of his favorite projects, and ranked it among his "career highlights".
. Further, while potential disagreements with editors over story elements were not among his initial concerns, he eventually found himself constantly at odds with editors and editorial assistants throughout the creation of the series.
During the Anarky series, much of the character's development was influenced by the nature of Grant and Breyfogle's association. As part of the story writing process, the duo would engage in philosophical discussion carried out entirely over fax-transmissions
. These long, in-depth, and occasionally heated debates influenced plot points, as well as the general direction of Anarky's character development.
Scheduled for a release date of November 1998, the premiere issue was rescheduled for March 1999, to coincide with the creation of a trade paperback, Batman: Anarky
, to help promote the new series. Collecting several of the character's printed appearances, Batman: Anarky was released in February 1999. However, the release date for the second volume was then pushed back again to May. An unintended result of this constant rescheduling was the effect it had on Grant's efforts to plot early story lines for the series. Due to increasing time constraints for the approaching millennium, it prevented Grant from exploring potential plots involving the Y2K bug
he discussed with Breyfogle. Grant also reported that the series was dogged by editorial restrictions, including demands that he include cameos for particular characters, or "tone down" the degree of philosophy of the series. One of the earliest of these editorial mandates was that Grant was ordered to completely rewrite the first three-issue story line, and remove Anarky from Gotham City in the first issue. This was achieved by explaining that following an earthquake in Gotham
Lonnie's parents disappear, their house is destroyed, and he is threatened by Batman to leave the city. As one of many refugees who escapes from No Man's Land, he relocates to a new base of operations beneath the Washington Monument
. Extremely displeased with the forced approach in creating this justification, Grant later said, "Reading over that I was not so happy with the way I’d written that because it didn’t make sense to me at the time and it doesn’t make sense now." These constant impositions on the part of editors nearly drove Grant to quit the series, but he continued the project for Breyfogle's benefit. "I was all for walking away, but artist Norm had a mortgage and family, and basically needed the work."
Grant's doubts concerning the comic's prospects eventually proved correct. The series was panned by critics, failed to catch on among readers, and was canceled after eight issues, however Grant has noted in an interview that it was popular in Spanish speaking countries, perhaps owing to a history of political repression in the region. "It didn’t sit too well with American readers, who prefer the soap opera and cool costume aspects of superhero comics. But I became a minor hero in many Latin countries, like Argentina and Mexico, where readers had been subjected to tyranny and fascism and knew precisely what I was writing about."
_-8_(december_1999)_the_sins_of_the_father_-_cover.jpg)
Despite numerous editorial impositions, the most controversial plot point was not a mandate, but was instead a suggestion by Breyfogle, intended as a means to expand Anarky's chacterization: that Anarky's biological father be revealed to be the Joker
. Breyfogle expressed an interest using the relationship as a source for internal conflict in the character. "...I figured that because Anarky represents the epitome of reason, one of the biggest crises he could face would be to discover that his father was the exact opposite: a raving lunatic!" Alternatively, Grant saw it as an opportunity to solidify Anarky's role in the Batman franchise. Grant's decision to pursue the suggestion ran into conflict with Dennis O'Neil
, who protested against it.
Pressing forward, Grant wrote the Anarky series with the intention of allowing the storyline to play out over time. As the first issue narrates, Anarky begins a search for his missing parents in Anarky vol.2 #1, and comes upon evidence that the Machins are not his biological parents, that his mother is insane and that his father is a "madman". As revealed in Anarky vol.2 #8, his leads point to the possibility that his biological father is the Joker
. He first meets his supposed biological mother, but finds that she is clinically unstable and unable to answer his questions. He then breaks into Arkham Asylum
to confront the Joker himself, but is betrayed, as the Joker opportunistically attempts to escape from the Asylum without providing any firm answers.
As the last issue of the Anarky series, this unresolved ending left open the possibility that the Joker
might be Anarky's actual father, and the planned "rebuttal" was never published. Further, Grant and Breyfogle later speculated that as Dennis O'Neil has retired from DC Comics, and the final editorial decision currently belongs to Dan DiDio
, it is no longer possible to be sure whether a rebuttal will ever be published. As of 2010, there is yet no record of Didio ever commenting on the subject, though the DC Universe timeline chronologically prevents the Joker from being Anarky's biological father, as the character is (currently) approximately sixteen years old, while both Batman and the Joker have only existed for approximately thirteen years.
As Anarky was created while Grant and Breyfogle were operating under "work-for-hire" rules, DC Comics
owns all rights to the Anarky character. Following the cancellation of the Anarky series, both men attempted to buy the rights to Anarky from the company, but their offer was declined.
The first volume of Anarky was originally published as a four-issue limited series
between May and August of 1997
, as a result of a request Norm Breyfogle made to DC for employment, following the comic book crash of the mid 1990s. Darren Vincenzo suggested multiple projects which Breyfogle could take part in, including an Anarky
mini-series, written by Alan Grant, which was eventually the project decided upon. Following the success of the mini, the comic was expanded into an ongoing series that ran between May and December of 1999
.
Scheduled for a release date of November, 1998, the premiere issue of Anarky volumne two was rescheduled for March 1999, to coincide with the creation of a trade paperback
, Batman: Anarky
, to help promote the new series. Collecting several of the character's printed appearances, Batman: Anarky was released in February 1999. However, the release date for the second volume was then pushed back again to May.
While Grant has commented that the first volume stands among his favorite works, he did not wish to create the ongoing series. Convinced by Norm Breyfogle to continue the series, he chafed under what he felt were excessive demands made by editors for specific plot changes, such as "toning down" Anarky's philosophy and including cameos for Superman
, the Haunted Tank
, and the Justice League
.
One of the earliest of these was that Grant was "made to" remove Anarky from Gotham City. This was achieved by explaining that following an earthquake in Gotham
Lonnie's parents disappeared, their house was destroyed, and he was threatened by Batman to leave the city. As one of many refugees who escaped from No Man's Land, he relocated to a new base of operations beneath the Washington Monument
.
Grant considered abandoning the project, but continued it for Breyfogle's sake, as the illustrator was still struggling for employment.
The second volume was heavily criticized by reviewers and failed to catch on among readers, until it was announced in the seventh issue that it would be canceled due to poor sales following the eighth issue. At the time of cancellation, two issues had been fully written and illustrated, but remained unpublished. These were intended to include an encounter with Superman, a story arch set in East Timor
, and a confrontation with Capital Eagle, a new antagonist for Anarky that had been created by Grant and introduced earlier that year. Despite poor sales in the US, Grant noted that it was popular among philosophy students and sold well in Latin American countries
, particularly Mexico
and Argentina
, perhaps owing to a history of political repression in the region.
The story describes that Lonnie Machin narrowly survived an explosion which faked his death in Batman: Shadow of the Bat
#40 and 41 (July - August 1995). Several months later, he has begun a new plan to liberate the world of government. As Anarky, he attempts to create a device which will emit beams of light on frequencies which will trigger the human brain of all who see it. The people will then be "de-brainwashed" of all the social constraints which society has placed on the individual. Utilizing a makeshift teleportation
device capable of summoning a boom tube
, he begins a quest to capture the power sources the device will need: the madness of Etrigan, the evil of Darkseid
, and the goodness of Batman
. During the confrontation between Anarky and Batman, the device is damaged. Thus, when Machin activates it, it only effects himself. The vision that follows reveals what may have happened if he had succeeded, with nightmarish consequences. The conclusion of the story is that if society is to change, individuals must accept that change voluntarily. When Batman turns off the machine, Anarky awakens and promptly escapes, vowing to continue his mission, "until they all learn to choose for themselves."
Volume 2, issues 1–3
Taking place during the No Man's Land story arc, sixteen-year-old Lonnie Machin, aka Anarky, is chased from the ruins of Gotham City
by Batman
, who refuses to face Anarky in a turf war
over the city. With financial independence and technical genius, Anarky invents his new ally, MAX, an artificially intelligent
computer, and uses his teleportation device and wealth to reestablish a secret base below the Washington Monument
. He then begins a war against supervillain
s and the United States Government
, while simultaneously searching for his parents, who disappeared in the aftermath of the Cataclysm
story arc. During research, Anarky mathematically predicts the eventual appearance of an "Aberration," an anomaly of physics that will destroy the planet, and steals a Green Lantern
power ring
to combat it. This draws the attention of Kyle Rayner
, who attempts to regain the ring before teaming up with Anarky against the Aberration. Near the end, Anarky is nearly seduced by the power of the ring and tempted to keep it, but comes to the conclusion that "power corrupts" and opts to return it, only for the ring to be destroyed during the battle. As an epiloque, MAX uncovers evidence that the Machins adopted Lonnie as an infant, and that his real father is "a madman." The mystery of the alleged father's identity becomes a recurring subplot of the series until the final issue.
Anarky stumbles upon a black market transaction between a US senator
and anonymous henchmen, and disrupts their meeting. He discovers that the senator was selling codes that revealed coordinates of bio-warfare factories in Iraq, and later that Ra's al Ghul
was the buyer. The international terrorist's goal is to launch missiles against the factories from Israel, releasing clouds of deadly bacteria and sparking a war in the Middle East, the result of which would be a death toll in the millions. Ra's al Ghul eventually obtains the codes and launches his missiles. However, Anarky supplies him with the incorrect codes and the missiles land harmlessly over the desert. He then uses the Internet to alert the world to the plot, which results in the missile sites being discovered and destroyed by US warplanes. As an epilogue to the story, a secret meeting is held by key members of the federal government in the White House
. The threat Anarky represents to the men attending is discussed, and it is decided that Mr. Staines, a mysterious figure employed by the federal government, would be charged with the task of neutralizing him. Mr. Staines suggests the use of Capital Eagle, a government employed superhuman, to defeat Anarky.
A tie-in
to the Day of Judgment
crossover event, Anarky encounters The Haunted Tank
and teams up with its crew to defeat an army of zombies rising from Arlington National Cemetery
. Anarky also encounters various Founding Fathers
in the process. The story carries a strong anti-war
message, and ends when Anarky, demoralized by the sight of pointless fighting among men from every war in US history
, refuses to fight and abandons the battlefield.
Taking place after the No Man's Land story arc, Lonnie Machin decides to finally confront his supposed biological parents to uncover the truth of his lineage. He first meets with his alleged biological mother, Greta Mitchell, but finds that she is mentally unbalanced, due to the side effects of Joker venom she was exposed to years earlier. In a flashback, she tells the story of how she became pregnant by the Joker, and that due to her condition she was deemed unfit for parental responsibility and that her child was taken away from her. However, Lonnie is unable to get any more information from her. As a final recourse, Anarky breaks into Arkham Asylum
using his teleporter and confronts his alleged father, now revealed to be the Joker. Meanwhile the Joker is in the midst of a prison break with other inmates, and takes advantage of the situation to steal the teleporter, and then forces Anarky to participate. Unarmed, Anarky plays along until he manages to regain the teleporter to escape, without the Joker having given him any clear answers either. Although the story presents no evidence, Anarky asserts that he personally believes the Joker is his father, and fears that someday he may become insane as well.
Originally produced as a limited series, the first volume of Anarky utilized previously established characters to guest star in each issue.
New characters were introduced in the second volume with the intention that they would become regular cast members and receive more character development in future issues. However, due to the short run of the series, most of the original characters appeared in a limited number of scenes, with MAX being the only character to appear in every issue. Three characters – Roach, Mr. Stains, and Capital Eagle – were intended to appear in two unpublished issues.
While previously the character Anarky had been described as an anarchist
, both volumes were instead based on the philosophy of Neo-Tech
, an offshoot of Objectivism
. It is unique as the only mainstream comic book ever influenced by this philosophy.
A recurring theme in the first volume included four scenes, at one page per issue, in which Anarky expounded philosophy to his pet dog, and indirectly for the reader, including explaining a bicameralism
, the difference between Plato
and Aristotle
, the concept of economic "parasites," and how the elimination of irrationality would allow society to advance. In an interview, Alan Grant explained that in the original script, these monologues were titled "The History of Consciousness part 1 through 4", and that Norm Breyfogle designed the illustrations so that a single quarter of a Circle-A would act as a backdrop to each, which when placed together created a complete poster image. This theme was not utilized in the second volume, but story narration continued to allude to these concepts. Bicameralism and philosophy of the mind remained a topic of concern to Grant while writing the series, which Grant hoped could act as a vehicle for his thoughts on the origin of consciousness. The comparison between Plato and Aristotle had been used in two earlier stories which featured Anarky, although at the time the character was described as an anarchist.
Several of the issues contained strong anti-war messages, including issue #6. Near the conclusion of the War and Peace storyline, a brief scene is shown in which Lonnie Machin uses the internet to hold an instant messaging session
with the public in which he debates the need for war, arguing that money and time used on military research would be better spent on agriculture to solve the global overpopulation
crisis.
The series also introduced atheist leanings into the character's portrayal, coinciding with Grant's Neo-Tech philosophy.
Political messages were also occasionally displayed in the backgrounds of scenes, as graffiti or fluttering newspapers displaying politically charged headlines which alluded to social problems, such as white collar crime, and homelessness. For his part, Norm Breyfogle believed that his role in producing the comic was merely that of artist, and so felt that his contribution to the comic's themes were minimal. Of them he expressed, "(The series) was quite obviously subversive. But as an artist I was just drawing Alan’s stories. I wouldn’t say that I was being particularly subversive, although I was a bit when I put graffiti on the walls in the backgrounds.
The twelve book entries are as follows:
Anarky vol. 1, #1 (May 1997)
Anarky vol. 1, #2 (June 1997)
Anarky vol. 1, #3 (July 1997)
Anarky vol. 1, #4 (August 1997)
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
series published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, as a limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
between May and August of 1997
1997 in comics
-January:*Avengers #3 - Marvel Comics*Captain America #3 - Marvel Comics*Fantastic Four #3 - Marvel Comics*Iron Man #3 - Marvel Comics-February:...
, and as an ongoing series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
May and December of 1999
1999 in comics
-February:* February 3: Pioneering editor Vin Sullivan dies at age 87.* February 26: John L. Goldwater, co-founder of Archie Comics, dies at age 82.-March:* Incredible Hulk is canceled by Marvel with issue #474.-May:...
. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle
Norm Breyfogle
Norman Keith "Norm" Breyfogle is an American comic book artist, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of Batman consistently from 1987-1995. Breyfogle has worked on many different characters for most comic book publishers at one time or another...
, and inks by Josef Rubinstein
Josef Rubinstein
Josef "Joe" Rubinstein is a comic book artist and inker, most associated with inking Marvel Comics' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.-Career:...
. The comic was a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
title derived from the Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
franchise, and followed the adventures of Anarky
Anarky
Anarky is a fictional character appearing in books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in Detective Comics No.608 , as an adversary of Batman...
, an antagonist of the Batman character.
Although Anarky had originally been created to reflect the philosophy of anarchism
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, the primary influence on both volumes was the philosophy of Neo-Tech
Frank R. Wallace
Dr. Frank R. Wallace was an American philosopher, author, publisher, and mail-order magnate. He is known as the originator of the philosophy of Neo-Tech. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1997.-Education and career:Wallace graduated from Colby College in 1954...
. The comic was overtly political in nature, exploring a number of themes including antimilitarism
Antimilitarism
Antimilitarism is a doctrine commonly found in the anarchist and, more globally, in the socialist movement, which may both be characterized as internationalist movements. It relies heavily on a critical theory of nationalism and imperialism, and was an explicit goal of the First and Second...
, homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, and political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
.
Anarky vol. 1
Following the comic book industry crash of 1996, Norm Breyfogle was unemployed and looking for work. As a result of a request Breyfogle made to DC for employment, Darren Vincenzo, then an editorial assistant at DC Comics, suggested multiple projects which Breyfogle could take part in. Among his suggestions was an Anarky limited series, written by Grant, which was eventually the project decided upon.The four-issue limited series, Anarky, was published in May 1997. Entitled "Metamorphosis", the story maintained the character's anti-authoritarian sentiments, but was instead based on the philosophy of Neo-Tech
Frank R. Wallace
Dr. Frank R. Wallace was an American philosopher, author, publisher, and mail-order magnate. He is known as the originator of the philosophy of Neo-Tech. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1997.-Education and career:Wallace graduated from Colby College in 1954...
, an offshoot of Objectivism
Objectivism (Ayn Rand)
Objectivism is a philosophy created by the Russian-American philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand . Objectivism holds that reality exists independent of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that one can attain objective knowledge from perception...
.
During the climax of the "Anarky" storyline of Batman: Shadow of the Bat #41-42, it is implied that Anarky dies in a large explosion. In turn, the Anarky limited series resolved this event by revealing that Anarky survives, but chooses to shed the encumbrance of his double life by faking his death. Anarky works in seclusion to further his goal of achieving a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n society, briefly hiring Legs and other homeless men to monitor Batman's movements. He has several further brushes with Batman, as well as the likes of Etrigan and Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
.
Grant has referred to the limited series as one of his favorite projects, and ranked it among his "career highlights".
Anarky vol. 2
With the success of the first Anarky series, Darren Vincenzo suggested continuing the book as an ongoing series to Breyfogle and Grant. Although Grant was concerned that such a series would not be viable, he agreed to write it at Breyfogle's insistence, as the illustrator was still struggling for employment. Grant's primary concerns centered on his belief that Anarky's role as a non-superpowered teenanger was not capable of competing for reader attention when DC Comics already had a similar series in RobinRobin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
. Further, while potential disagreements with editors over story elements were not among his initial concerns, he eventually found himself constantly at odds with editors and editorial assistants throughout the creation of the series.
During the Anarky series, much of the character's development was influenced by the nature of Grant and Breyfogle's association. As part of the story writing process, the duo would engage in philosophical discussion carried out entirely over fax-transmissions
Fax
Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...
. These long, in-depth, and occasionally heated debates influenced plot points, as well as the general direction of Anarky's character development.
Scheduled for a release date of November 1998, the premiere issue was rescheduled for March 1999, to coincide with the creation of a trade paperback, Batman: Anarky
Batman: Anarky
Batman: Anarky is a 1999 trade paperback published by DC Comics. The book collects prominent appearances of Anarky, a comic book character created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle. Although all of the collected stories were written by Alan Grant, various artists contributed to individual stories...
, to help promote the new series. Collecting several of the character's printed appearances, Batman: Anarky was released in February 1999. However, the release date for the second volume was then pushed back again to May. An unintended result of this constant rescheduling was the effect it had on Grant's efforts to plot early story lines for the series. Due to increasing time constraints for the approaching millennium, it prevented Grant from exploring potential plots involving the Y2K bug
Year 2000 problem
The Year 2000 problem was a problem for both digital and non-digital documentation and data storage situations which resulted from the practice of abbreviating a four-digit year to two digits.In computer programs, the practice of representing the year with two...
he discussed with Breyfogle. Grant also reported that the series was dogged by editorial restrictions, including demands that he include cameos for particular characters, or "tone down" the degree of philosophy of the series. One of the earliest of these editorial mandates was that Grant was ordered to completely rewrite the first three-issue story line, and remove Anarky from Gotham City in the first issue. This was achieved by explaining that following an earthquake in Gotham
Batman: Cataclysm
"Cataclysm" is an 18 chapter DC Comics crossover story arc that ran through the various Batman family comics from March to May, 1998. The plot of the storyline centers around Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of the which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor...
Lonnie's parents disappear, their house is destroyed, and he is threatened by Batman to leave the city. As one of many refugees who escapes from No Man's Land, he relocates to a new base of operations beneath the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
. Extremely displeased with the forced approach in creating this justification, Grant later said, "Reading over that I was not so happy with the way I’d written that because it didn’t make sense to me at the time and it doesn’t make sense now." These constant impositions on the part of editors nearly drove Grant to quit the series, but he continued the project for Breyfogle's benefit. "I was all for walking away, but artist Norm had a mortgage and family, and basically needed the work."
Grant's doubts concerning the comic's prospects eventually proved correct. The series was panned by critics, failed to catch on among readers, and was canceled after eight issues, however Grant has noted in an interview that it was popular in Spanish speaking countries, perhaps owing to a history of political repression in the region. "It didn’t sit too well with American readers, who prefer the soap opera and cool costume aspects of superhero comics. But I became a minor hero in many Latin countries, like Argentina and Mexico, where readers had been subjected to tyranny and fascism and knew precisely what I was writing about."
Final issue controversy
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
. Breyfogle expressed an interest using the relationship as a source for internal conflict in the character. "...I figured that because Anarky represents the epitome of reason, one of the biggest crises he could face would be to discover that his father was the exact opposite: a raving lunatic!" Alternatively, Grant saw it as an opportunity to solidify Anarky's role in the Batman franchise. Grant's decision to pursue the suggestion ran into conflict with Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
, who protested against it.
Pressing forward, Grant wrote the Anarky series with the intention of allowing the storyline to play out over time. As the first issue narrates, Anarky begins a search for his missing parents in Anarky vol.2 #1, and comes upon evidence that the Machins are not his biological parents, that his mother is insane and that his father is a "madman". As revealed in Anarky vol.2 #8, his leads point to the possibility that his biological father is the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
. He first meets his supposed biological mother, but finds that she is clinically unstable and unable to answer his questions. He then breaks into Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
to confront the Joker himself, but is betrayed, as the Joker opportunistically attempts to escape from the Asylum without providing any firm answers.
As the last issue of the Anarky series, this unresolved ending left open the possibility that the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
might be Anarky's actual father, and the planned "rebuttal" was never published. Further, Grant and Breyfogle later speculated that as Dennis O'Neil has retired from DC Comics, and the final editorial decision currently belongs to Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio is an American writer, editor and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. He is currently the Co-Publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee...
, it is no longer possible to be sure whether a rebuttal will ever be published. As of 2010, there is yet no record of Didio ever commenting on the subject, though the DC Universe timeline chronologically prevents the Joker from being Anarky's biological father, as the character is (currently) approximately sixteen years old, while both Batman and the Joker have only existed for approximately thirteen years.
As Anarky was created while Grant and Breyfogle were operating under "work-for-hire" rules, DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
owns all rights to the Anarky character. Following the cancellation of the Anarky series, both men attempted to buy the rights to Anarky from the company, but their offer was declined.
The first volume of Anarky was originally published as a four-issue limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
between May and August of 1997
1997 in comics
-January:*Avengers #3 - Marvel Comics*Captain America #3 - Marvel Comics*Fantastic Four #3 - Marvel Comics*Iron Man #3 - Marvel Comics-February:...
, as a result of a request Norm Breyfogle made to DC for employment, following the comic book crash of the mid 1990s. Darren Vincenzo suggested multiple projects which Breyfogle could take part in, including an Anarky
Anarky
Anarky is a fictional character appearing in books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in Detective Comics No.608 , as an adversary of Batman...
mini-series, written by Alan Grant, which was eventually the project decided upon. Following the success of the mini, the comic was expanded into an ongoing series that ran between May and December of 1999
1999 in comics
-February:* February 3: Pioneering editor Vin Sullivan dies at age 87.* February 26: John L. Goldwater, co-founder of Archie Comics, dies at age 82.-March:* Incredible Hulk is canceled by Marvel with issue #474.-May:...
.
Scheduled for a release date of November, 1998, the premiere issue of Anarky volumne two was rescheduled for March 1999, to coincide with the creation of a trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, Batman: Anarky
Batman: Anarky
Batman: Anarky is a 1999 trade paperback published by DC Comics. The book collects prominent appearances of Anarky, a comic book character created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle. Although all of the collected stories were written by Alan Grant, various artists contributed to individual stories...
, to help promote the new series. Collecting several of the character's printed appearances, Batman: Anarky was released in February 1999. However, the release date for the second volume was then pushed back again to May.
While Grant has commented that the first volume stands among his favorite works, he did not wish to create the ongoing series. Convinced by Norm Breyfogle to continue the series, he chafed under what he felt were excessive demands made by editors for specific plot changes, such as "toning down" Anarky's philosophy and including cameos for Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, the Haunted Tank
The Haunted Tank
The Haunted Tank is a comic book feature that appeared in the DC Comics anthology war title G.I. Combat from 1961 through 1987. It was created by writer and editor Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath in G.I. Combat #87 ....
, and the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
.
One of the earliest of these was that Grant was "made to" remove Anarky from Gotham City. This was achieved by explaining that following an earthquake in Gotham
Batman: Cataclysm
"Cataclysm" is an 18 chapter DC Comics crossover story arc that ran through the various Batman family comics from March to May, 1998. The plot of the storyline centers around Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of the which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor...
Lonnie's parents disappeared, their house was destroyed, and he was threatened by Batman to leave the city. As one of many refugees who escaped from No Man's Land, he relocated to a new base of operations beneath the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
.
Grant considered abandoning the project, but continued it for Breyfogle's sake, as the illustrator was still struggling for employment.
The second volume was heavily criticized by reviewers and failed to catch on among readers, until it was announced in the seventh issue that it would be canceled due to poor sales following the eighth issue. At the time of cancellation, two issues had been fully written and illustrated, but remained unpublished. These were intended to include an encounter with Superman, a story arch set in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, and a confrontation with Capital Eagle, a new antagonist for Anarky that had been created by Grant and introduced earlier that year. Despite poor sales in the US, Grant noted that it was popular among philosophy students and sold well in Latin American countries
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, particularly Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, perhaps owing to a history of political repression in the region.
"Metamorphosis"
Volume 1, issues 1–4The story describes that Lonnie Machin narrowly survived an explosion which faked his death in Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
#40 and 41 (July - August 1995). Several months later, he has begun a new plan to liberate the world of government. As Anarky, he attempts to create a device which will emit beams of light on frequencies which will trigger the human brain of all who see it. The people will then be "de-brainwashed" of all the social constraints which society has placed on the individual. Utilizing a makeshift teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
device capable of summoning a boom tube
Boom tube
A boom tube is a slang expression for a fictional extra-dimensional point-to-point travel portal opened by a Mother Box used primarily by residents of New Genesis and Apokolips in DC Comics...
, he begins a quest to capture the power sources the device will need: the madness of Etrigan, the evil of Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, and the goodness of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. During the confrontation between Anarky and Batman, the device is damaged. Thus, when Machin activates it, it only effects himself. The vision that follows reveals what may have happened if he had succeeded, with nightmarish consequences. The conclusion of the story is that if society is to change, individuals must accept that change voluntarily. When Batman turns off the machine, Anarky awakens and promptly escapes, vowing to continue his mission, "until they all learn to choose for themselves."
"Aberration!"
Taking place during the No Man's Land story arc, sixteen-year-old Lonnie Machin, aka Anarky, is chased from the ruins of Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
by Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, who refuses to face Anarky in a turf war
Turf war
According to Wordnet the definition of a turf war is "a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights". For example: a turf war erupted between street gangs; the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors. In larger companies Turf wars could...
over the city. With financial independence and technical genius, Anarky invents his new ally, MAX, an artificially intelligent
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
computer, and uses his teleportation device and wealth to reestablish a secret base below the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
. He then begins a war against supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s and the United States Government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, while simultaneously searching for his parents, who disappeared in the aftermath of the Cataclysm
Batman: Cataclysm
"Cataclysm" is an 18 chapter DC Comics crossover story arc that ran through the various Batman family comics from March to May, 1998. The plot of the storyline centers around Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of the which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor...
story arc. During research, Anarky mathematically predicts the eventual appearance of an "Aberration," an anomaly of physics that will destroy the planet, and steals a Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
power ring
Power ring (weapon)
A power ring is a fictional object featured in comic book titles published by DC Comics. It first appeared in All-American Comics #16 .-Origin:...
to combat it. This draws the attention of Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
, who attempts to regain the ring before teaming up with Anarky against the Aberration. Near the end, Anarky is nearly seduced by the power of the ring and tempted to keep it, but comes to the conclusion that "power corrupts" and opts to return it, only for the ring to be destroyed during the battle. As an epiloque, MAX uncovers evidence that the Machins adopted Lonnie as an infant, and that his real father is "a madman." The mystery of the alleged father's identity becomes a recurring subplot of the series until the final issue.
"War and Peace"
Volume 2, issues 4–6Anarky stumbles upon a black market transaction between a US senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and anonymous henchmen, and disrupts their meeting. He discovers that the senator was selling codes that revealed coordinates of bio-warfare factories in Iraq, and later that Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
was the buyer. The international terrorist's goal is to launch missiles against the factories from Israel, releasing clouds of deadly bacteria and sparking a war in the Middle East, the result of which would be a death toll in the millions. Ra's al Ghul eventually obtains the codes and launches his missiles. However, Anarky supplies him with the incorrect codes and the missiles land harmlessly over the desert. He then uses the Internet to alert the world to the plot, which results in the missile sites being discovered and destroyed by US warplanes. As an epilogue to the story, a secret meeting is held by key members of the federal government in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. The threat Anarky represents to the men attending is discussed, and it is decided that Mr. Staines, a mysterious figure employed by the federal government, would be charged with the task of neutralizing him. Mr. Staines suggests the use of Capital Eagle, a government employed superhuman, to defeat Anarky.
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home"
Volume 2, issue 7A tie-in
Tie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
to the Day of Judgment
Day of Judgment (comics)
Day of Judgment was a DC Comics limited series and crossover storyline during the autumn of 1999. The limited series was written by Geoff Johns, with art by Matthew Dow Smith....
crossover event, Anarky encounters The Haunted Tank
The Haunted Tank
The Haunted Tank is a comic book feature that appeared in the DC Comics anthology war title G.I. Combat from 1961 through 1987. It was created by writer and editor Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath in G.I. Combat #87 ....
and teams up with its crew to defeat an army of zombies rising from Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. Anarky also encounters various Founding Fathers
Founding Fathers of the United States
The Founding Fathers of the United States of America were political leaders and statesmen who participated in the American Revolution by signing the United States Declaration of Independence, taking part in the American Revolutionary War, establishing the United States Constitution, or by some...
in the process. The story carries a strong anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
message, and ends when Anarky, demoralized by the sight of pointless fighting among men from every war in US history
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
, refuses to fight and abandons the battlefield.
"The Sins of the Father"
Volume 2, issue 8Taking place after the No Man's Land story arc, Lonnie Machin decides to finally confront his supposed biological parents to uncover the truth of his lineage. He first meets with his alleged biological mother, Greta Mitchell, but finds that she is mentally unbalanced, due to the side effects of Joker venom she was exposed to years earlier. In a flashback, she tells the story of how she became pregnant by the Joker, and that due to her condition she was deemed unfit for parental responsibility and that her child was taken away from her. However, Lonnie is unable to get any more information from her. As a final recourse, Anarky breaks into Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
using his teleporter and confronts his alleged father, now revealed to be the Joker. Meanwhile the Joker is in the midst of a prison break with other inmates, and takes advantage of the situation to steal the teleporter, and then forces Anarky to participate. Unarmed, Anarky plays along until he manages to regain the teleporter to escape, without the Joker having given him any clear answers either. Although the story presents no evidence, Anarky asserts that he personally believes the Joker is his father, and fears that someday he may become insane as well.
Characters
- Anarky (Lonnie Machin)AnarkyAnarky is a fictional character appearing in books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in Detective Comics No.608 , as an adversary of Batman...
: a teenage polymathPolymathA polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
, and anarchist vigilante named Lonnie Machin. Anarky uses his intelligence and wealth to wage a war against supervillains and government. He is the main character of both series, and was originally featured as an antagonist in various Batman comics. He is stated to be fifteen-years-old during the events of the first volume, and sixteen-years-old during the second.
Originally produced as a limited series, the first volume of Anarky utilized previously established characters to guest star in each issue.
- LegsLegs (comics)-External links:* on the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe website....
: a homeless vietnam veteranVietnam veteranVietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
, and resident of the streets of Gotham CityGotham CityGotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
. Legs is ironically named for his missing limbs, which he lost due to an anti-personnel mineAnti-personnel mineAnti-personnel mines are a form of land mine designed for use against humans, as opposed to anti-tank mines, which are designed for use against vehicles...
explosion in the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He is loyal to Lonnie Machin, and supports his activity as Anarky. Anarky hires him and other homeless men to act as spies on Batman. - Etrigan the Demon (Jason Blood): a demon bound to the mortal, Jason Blood. Anarky summons a malevolent demon in an effort to lure Etrigan into a confrontation. Probing Etrigan on the nature of evil, Anarky steals some energy from him, then receives a warning from Jason Blood foretelling the future.
- DarkseidDarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
: a tyrannical dictator of the planet ApokolipsApokolipsIn the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
, and possesser of the Omega Force. He is the most feared member of the order of New GodsNew GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
. Anarky travels to the planet Apokolips, asks Darkseid about the nature of evil, and secretly steals some of the New God's power. - Batman (Bruce Wayne)BatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
: the vigilante protector of Gotham city, and Anarky's longstanding opponent. Batman investigates Anarky's activity, and eventually confronts the boy at a high-rise tower, foiling Anarky's plot to "save the world".
New characters were introduced in the second volume with the intention that they would become regular cast members and receive more character development in future issues. However, due to the short run of the series, most of the original characters appeared in a limited number of scenes, with MAX being the only character to appear in every issue. Three characters – Roach, Mr. Stains, and Capital Eagle – were intended to appear in two unpublished issues.
- MAX: a supercomputerSupercomputerA supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
possessing artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, its name is an acronym standing for "Multi-Augmented X-Program". It is created by Anarky and is situated on-board Anarky's suit, where it functions as an assistant. Charged with scouring the internet for information regarding Anarky's lost parents, it discovers that he was adopted at a young age, and that his father is "a madman." It first appears in Anarky vol.2 #1, May 1999. - Roach: a homeless, teenage girl, she earns money by wiping car windshields at street corners. She is well known among other homeless people of Washington DC, and lives among them. Despite Anarky's good intentions to help her, she assaults him twice in an effort to steal money. She first appears in Anarky vol.2 #1, May 1999.
- Lieutenant Ryne: a police officer who Anarky rescues on two occasions, he reciprocates by saving Anarky from an attack by Kyle RaynerKyle RaynerKyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
. He is earnest in his work, fully believing in upholding the law. He first appears in Anarky vol.2 #2 (June 1999). - Capital Eagle: a government employed superhuman, he receives no character development during the brief series, but was intended to appear in later issues as an antagonist set against Anarky. In an unpublished issue of the series, he is portrayed as possessing super-human strength and durability. He first appears in DCU Heroes: Secret Files and Origins #1 (February 1999).
- Mr. Staines: a mysterious figure employed by the federal government, he is charged by anonymous politicians to spearhead the arrest of Anarky. He first appears in Anarky vol.2 #6, October 1999. Mr. Staines was later featured in a Batman one-shot, Batman: Dreamland, by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle. The story presents Mr. Stains as an enigmatic scientist spearheading a top secret, black budgetBlack budgetA black budget is a budget that is secretly collected from the overall income of a country, a corporation, a society of any form, a national department, and so on. A black budget usually covers expenses related to military research. The budget is kept secret for national security reasons.Philip...
, mind controlMind controlMind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
program in "Dreamland" (aka Area 51Area 51Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
). Staines is represented as an idealist who believes that society can be rid of war, crime, and chaos if the minds of individuals are controlled by authority figures.
Themes
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, both volumes were instead based on the philosophy of Neo-Tech
Frank R. Wallace
Dr. Frank R. Wallace was an American philosopher, author, publisher, and mail-order magnate. He is known as the originator of the philosophy of Neo-Tech. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1997.-Education and career:Wallace graduated from Colby College in 1954...
, an offshoot of Objectivism
Objectivism (Ayn Rand)
Objectivism is a philosophy created by the Russian-American philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand . Objectivism holds that reality exists independent of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that one can attain objective knowledge from perception...
. It is unique as the only mainstream comic book ever influenced by this philosophy.
A recurring theme in the first volume included four scenes, at one page per issue, in which Anarky expounded philosophy to his pet dog, and indirectly for the reader, including explaining a bicameralism
Bicameralism (psychology)
Bicameralism is a hypothesis in psychology that argues that the human brain once assumed a state in which cognitive functions were divided between one part of the brain which appears to be "speaking", and a second part which listens and obeys—a bicameral mind...
, the difference between Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
and Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
, the concept of economic "parasites," and how the elimination of irrationality would allow society to advance. In an interview, Alan Grant explained that in the original script, these monologues were titled "The History of Consciousness part 1 through 4", and that Norm Breyfogle designed the illustrations so that a single quarter of a Circle-A would act as a backdrop to each, which when placed together created a complete poster image. This theme was not utilized in the second volume, but story narration continued to allude to these concepts. Bicameralism and philosophy of the mind remained a topic of concern to Grant while writing the series, which Grant hoped could act as a vehicle for his thoughts on the origin of consciousness. The comparison between Plato and Aristotle had been used in two earlier stories which featured Anarky, although at the time the character was described as an anarchist.
Several of the issues contained strong anti-war messages, including issue #6. Near the conclusion of the War and Peace storyline, a brief scene is shown in which Lonnie Machin uses the internet to hold an instant messaging session
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
with the public in which he debates the need for war, arguing that money and time used on military research would be better spent on agriculture to solve the global overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
crisis.
The series also introduced atheist leanings into the character's portrayal, coinciding with Grant's Neo-Tech philosophy.
Political messages were also occasionally displayed in the backgrounds of scenes, as graffiti or fluttering newspapers displaying politically charged headlines which alluded to social problems, such as white collar crime, and homelessness. For his part, Norm Breyfogle believed that his role in producing the comic was merely that of artist, and so felt that his contribution to the comic's themes were minimal. Of them he expressed, "(The series) was quite obviously subversive. But as an artist I was just drawing Alan’s stories. I wouldn’t say that I was being particularly subversive, although I was a bit when I put graffiti on the walls in the backgrounds.
Vol. 1 reading list
The first volume of Anarky, being a limited series, lacked a "letters to the editor" section for the comic. Instead, the end of each issue included a short list of books titled "Alan Grant's Recommended Reading". Each list included three books, for a total of 12 entries. The final list in issue #4 included a fourth entry for Neo-tech.com.The twelve book entries are as follows:
Anarky vol. 1, #1 (May 1997)
- The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian JaynesJulian JaynesJulian Jaynes was an American psychologist, best known for his book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind , in which he argued that ancient peoples were not conscious....
(Houghton MifflinHoughton MifflinHoughton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
) - The Neo-Tech Discovery by Frank R. WallaceFrank R. WallaceDr. Frank R. Wallace was an American philosopher, author, publisher, and mail-order magnate. He is known as the originator of the philosophy of Neo-Tech. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1997.-Education and career:Wallace graduated from Colby College in 1954...
(Neo-Tech Worldwide) - Matrix 4 (The Manipulation of Human Consciousness) by Val Valerian (Leading Edge Press)
Anarky vol. 1, #2 (June 1997)
- Irrationality: The Enemy Within by Stuart SutherlandStuart SutherlandNorman Stuart Sutherland , always known professionally as Stuart Sutherland, was a British psychologist and writer....
(Constable & RobinsonConstable & RobinsonConstable & Robinson Ltd. is an independent British book publisher of fiction and non-fiction works. Founded in Edinburgh in 1795 by Archibald Constable as Constable & Co. it is probably the oldest independent publisher in the English-speaking world still operating under the name of its...
) - The Insanity of Normality by Arno Green (Grove Weidenfeld)
- Zonpower From Cyberspace edited by Higgs Field (Neo-Tech Publishing CompanyIntegrated Management AssociatesIntegrated Management Associates is a publisher of books and articles from various writers, almost all concerning the philosophy of Neo-Tech. The company has published under a few DBA's including Neo-Tech Publishing, the Nouveau Tech Society, Newly-Forming Neo-Tech/Illuminati Societies, the...
)
Anarky vol. 1, #3 (July 1997)
- Consciousness ExplainedConsciousness ExplainedConsciousness Explained is a 1991 book by the American philosopher Daniel Dennett which offers an account of how consciousness arises from interaction of physical and cognitive processes in the brain.-Synopsis:...
by Daniel C. DennetDaniel DennettDaniel Clement Dennett is an American philosopher, writer and cognitive scientist whose research centers on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is currently the Co-director of...
(Penguin BooksPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
) - Who Lies Sleeping by Mike Magee (AskWhy Publications)
- Get Rich by 2001 by Mark Hamilton (Integrated Management AssociatesIntegrated Management AssociatesIntegrated Management Associates is a publisher of books and articles from various writers, almost all concerning the philosophy of Neo-Tech. The company has published under a few DBA's including Neo-Tech Publishing, the Nouveau Tech Society, Newly-Forming Neo-Tech/Illuminati Societies, the...
)
Anarky vol. 1, #4 (August 1997)
- Cassandra's Secret by Frank R. Wallace et al. (The Zon Association)
- Feet of Clay: A Study of Gurus by Anthony StorrAnthony StorrAnthony Storr was an English psychiatrist and author. Born in London, he was a child who was to endure the typical trauma of early 20th century boarding schools. He was educated at Winchester College, Christ's College , and Westminster Hospital. He qualified as a doctor in 1944, and subsequently...
(Little, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
) - The Evolution of Consciousness by Robert OrnsteinRobert OrnsteinDr. Robert Evan Ornstein is a psychologist, researcher and writer.He has taught at the Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute, based at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, and been professor at Stanford University and chairman of the Institute for the Study of Human...
(Touchstone Publishing)
Collected editions
See also
- Anarcho-capitalist literatureAnarcho-capitalist literatureAnarcho-capitalism has been the subject of a number of works of literature, both nonfiction and fiction.-Nonfiction:The following is a partial list of notable nonfiction works discussing anarcho-capitalism. Works by Bastiat, de Molinari, and others were written before the terms "anarcho-capitalism"...
, an article on the tradition of anti-government, pro-free market literature. - Libertarian science fictionLibertarian science fictionLibertarian science fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that focuses on the politics and social order implied by libertarian philosophies with an emphasis on individualism and a limited state-- and in some cases, no state whatsoever....
, an article on the tradition of science fiction influenced by libertarian philosophy. - Mr. AMr. AMr. A is a fictional comic book hero created by Steve Ditko. Unlike most of his work, the character of Mr. A and the Mr. A stories remain the property of Ditko, all of which were written and illustrated by himself. The character first appeared in Witzend #3, 1967. Mr. A's name comes from "A is A",...
, a superhero created to represent ObjectivistObjectivism (Ayn Rand)Objectivism is a philosophy created by the Russian-American philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand . Objectivism holds that reality exists independent of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that one can attain objective knowledge from perception...
philosophy. - Question (comics)Question (comics)The Question is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by DC Comics. The original was created by writer-artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Blue Beetle #1...
, a second superhero created to represent objectivist philosophy.
External links
- A Beek's Books review of the Anarky limited series, Metamorphosis, by Todd VerBeek.
- Anarky: Better Dead than Read, a review of the Anarky ongoing series by Matt Morrison for "Fanzing #27 - Canceled Comics Cavalcade."
- Anarky: Norm Reflects, a short essay written by Norm Breyfogle, Anarky co-creator and series illustrator, hosted on Norm Breyfogle.com. Also includes the Anarky Trade Paperback Intro, Anarky Farewell, regarding the series cancellation, and galleries of completed pencil illustrations to multiple issues, including two unpublished issues of Anarky.