John & Martha Kent, Bible Scholars

The graphic novel Superman: For Earth, from 1991, sees the Man of Steel taking on environmental threats of all kinds. In a brief scene back in his hometown of Smallville, Clark and his parents lament the loss of farmland in their community, as it keeps being "gobbled up" to make room for apartments. Pa Kent wonders how these people will be fed, and then quotes one of the famous bits of Genesis 1:28.

"Be fruitful and multiply," he says, before offering some commentary about people using their common sense on that front. Ma Kent adds the next clause of the verse.

"And replenish the Earth," adding her own two cents that people have forgotten that part.

The quote is from the King James Version, and it's reasonable that this is the version of the Bible that the Kents would have heard growing up in church in the Midwest of the 1950s.

Their analysis is an interesting take, one appropriate for a farm family, for people close to the land. The next clause, "and subdue it," is an additional pro-farming concept. And the verse was certainly appropriate for the theme of the work, commenting on overpopulation and poor stewardship of the Earth.

Give the Kents credit (and writer Roger Stern). They did a better job handling their Bible quote than Fox Mulder did with his.

Christmas Blessings!

Another Hanukkah Story!

As we noted in our recent podcast episode, there just aren't enough Hanukkah-themed comic book stories out there. But there was one that we forgot ... and fortunately, our Internet buddy (and friend of the network) Chad Bokelman found it!

'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' #14 features a holiday story in which Batman teams up with Ragman  to defend Gotham City from evil Real Estate investors. 

On his Ragman-themed blog "The Suit of Souls," Chad plans on doing a pair of posts related to this story. In this first entry,he interviewed the writer of the story, Sholly Fisch. In the interview, Fisch talks about his inspiration in writing the story, and in emphasizing the Jewish heritage of the Ragman.

In his second entry, Chad promises to review the issue. That entry has not been posted as of the posting of THIS entry, but check back on his site regularly to look for it.

UPDATE: Here is a link to Chad's review of the story.

Podcast #003: Holiday Special 2015

In this all-new, super-special third podcast episode, Emily & Alan talk about a terrific Hanukkah comic book story, one of the few they've ever read. It's from issue 188 of Justice League of America, from all the way back in 1981.

Then they open up a terrific Christmas present -- all of the feedback they've received from listeners.

Season's greetings, Merry Christmas, and have a blessed 2016!

Click on the player below to listen to the episode:




You may also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or the RSS Feed.

Link: Anderson Cale's music 
Link: The Crossover Nexus: Podcast Initiative

We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan or the podcast @DorknessToLight

Happy St. Nicholas Day

To honor the feast day of St. Nicholas, here are 5 interesting facts about the man. The actual man. Not the myth. Not the legend.

1. He was a Greek born around 270, in what is now the country of Turkey.

2. After his wealthy parents died, he spent his entire inheritance to serve the sick and the needy.

3. He was exiled and imprisoned for his faith under the persecution of Emperor Diocletian.

4. He died on December 6, 343, which is why this is his feast day.

5. He served the church as a Bishop, in which position he attended the Council of Nicaea. And yes, he slapped the arch-heretic Arias, who was teaching against the divinity of Christ, and thus denying the Trinitarian nature of God.

Podcast #002: The Spectre's Wrath

In this all-new, super-special second podcast episode, Emily & Alan talk about the comic book character The Spectre, a superhero who is also the embodiment of God's wrath. 

They cover his 75+ years in comics,talking about stories from the Golden Age to the current day. Works from Alan Moore and John Ostrander are also covered. And (of course) the Constantine TV show.

Click on the player below to listen to the episode:

You may also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or the RSS Feed.

Link: Anderson Cale's music
Link: Johnny Cash: American IV

Special thanks to Michael Bailey for his vocal contributions.

Next Episode: The 2015 holiday special! (and feedback!)

We would love to hear from you about the Spectre, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan and the podcast @DorknessToLight

Comic Book Review: Gotham By Midnight Annual

Gotham By Midnight Annual, DC Comics, cover-dated September 2015.

“The Gentleman Ghost,” by Ray Fawkes, with art by Christian Duce. Cover by Juan Ferreyra.

There are a variety of ways that a comic book Annual can go. This is a pure stand-alone story, one that could serve a solid “jumping on point” to the reader who hasn’t been reading the ongoing series.

The plot is very simple, a mystery involving the Golden Age character Gentleman Ghost. Along with a mystery involving the valuable necklace The Tears of Eurydice, the story includes the New 52 origin of how Jim Craddock became the Ghost. 

This story does not feature the full cast of Gotham by Midnight. Detectives Only Jim Corrigan and Lisa Drake are featured. But the simple-sounding plot and small cast are not drawbacks, but in fact add depth to the mystery.

The Spectre appears, and suffice it to say that he doesn’t like ghosts. They represent a disorder in the afterlife; they are things that simply should not be. 

"Dead men lie down and rise not again. Thus speaks the Lord."

This is an interesting take. Comic book character routinely violate the Hebrews 9:27 process of "just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." It is wholly appropriate for the Spectre to be the one character who is made wary by the presence of ghosts. They are unduly delaying their judgment.

It is also an interesting commentary that despite the Spectre's distaste for such beings (and one would assume, the Spectre's Boss), that they nonetheless are allowed to exist in the DC Universe.

The Dilemma of Christian Film

A few posts back, we linked to an interview with one of our favorite people, podcaster Tyler Smith. One of the topics that Tyler regularly talks about is the level of quality in Christian film, and the standards of film-making that Christian audiences are willing to accept, and even champion.

Recently, he put together an 8-minute YouTube talk that addresses both sides of the issue, calling for understanding from people in both camps. It is clearly something he has thought about a lot, and his video represents an important voice.

Check out the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K8YIlne1Xg

Comic Book Review: Gotham By Midnight #6

Gotham By Midnight #6, DC Comics, cover-dated June 2015.

“Return on Investment,” by Ray Fawkes, with art by Juan Ferreyra. Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz.

A funeral. In the rain. What a way to start an issue. But Sister Justine is dead, and the team is feeling her loss.
Now that the team has seen the Spectre in action, they have some questions. And Corrigan’s answers don’t satisfy.

“The Spectre is what he says he is, Okay? Divine judgment. Destroyer of sinners. Remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah? That was almost Gotham City last Friday.”

We also learn the specifics of Detective Lisa Drake’s power. She has faerie blood, and is a harbinger of death. “You probably got swapped out as a baby.” Drake is shaken by this news, and asks Corrigan how he knows it.

“Friends in high places.”

Before they head off on to the case for the issue (a corporate ghost story), Dr. Tarr enters the church and has a few things to say to the crucifix, complaining that “it was Your name on the lips” of the founders of Gotham, on the Spectre when he was threatening to destroy the city, and on Sister Justine’s lips as she gave her life to save the city.

And we learn that Sergeant Rook is indeed working against our team. This should not have been a surprise, as this is what he was sent to do. But any hope that he had come over to their side is lost as this issue ends. As bad as things were at the start of this issue, they seem to be getting even worse as the issue ends.

This issue is the first to feature Ferreyra on art, and this change of style is noticeable. His art is still moody, and has a similar feel to Ben Templesmith, but is much less eccentric. He follows the template of what was done before, but brings a slightly more mainstream look to his work.

Alan's Christian Comic Corner

The Cross and the Switchblade, Barbour Christian Comics, 1972.
Written, drawn & inked by Al Hartley. Cover by Al Hartley.

This is a comic based on Pastor David Wilkerson’s account of his ministry work among the gangs of New York City in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These efforts were chronicled in Wilkerson’s 1963 book (written with John & Elizabeth Sherrill) of the same name.

The young minister feels called to New York City, specifically seeking out the toughest of the gangs. He eventually is able to befriend Nicky Cruz, the leader of the Mau Mau gang, who becomes a Christian and begins his own ministry. Although not part of this comic, Cruz tells the story of his life, including his interactions with Wilkerson, in his own memoir Run Baby Run.

Al Hartley is a longtime comic book professional, so the technical aspect of the book are competently done. I mention this, because professional competence is not always the case with Christian comics. The biggest problem that this comic has is that even with a full 32 pages of story, there are necessary shortcuts taken in the storytelling. But that is always the case in adapting a 200-page book into a single issue of a comic.

Hartley is most famous for drawing Archie comics, and there were moments in reading that I noted how similar some character looked to characters I’ve seen in Archie comics. But that was a minor issue. One of the oddest aspects is that the book’s most famous scene is on the cover of the comics, but does not take place inside the comic. This is when Wilkerson tells Cruz that even if the gang member cut him into a million pieces, each one would continue to love Cruz. This again speaks to Hartley’s struggle fitting all the material from the book into one issue of a comic, that he has to use the cover to portray the book’s most dramatic scene. 

As a comic, the fast pace and Archie-style drawings don’t necessarily age well. Writers of non-fiction also face the burden of their storytelling choices being limited by the actual events being told. But as a 40+ year-old adaptation of a 50+ year-old book, it’s actually … not bad.

Tyler Smith, interviewed by 3LC Publishing

Tyler Smith is someone that we consider a role model for what Dorkness to Light is trying to do. Tyler has two long-running podcast & blogging ventures. Battleship Pretension is a film criticism show in which Tyler and his co-host bring their film school background and love of movies to produce an excellent, compelling podcast about film and film culture.

His second show, More Than One Lesson, looks at movies from a specifically Christian perspective. This show looks specifically at films (mostly mainstream Hollywood fare, with a few Christian moves thrown in) to determine spiritual lessons and themes. This mix of shows, the general-interest and the religious, resembles what we try to do here and at Relative Geeky.

Recently, Tyler was interviewed by the blog 3LC Publishing. It covers how he got into podcasting, what he hopes to accomplish from it, and the good and the bad of hosting a Christian podcast. The interview is very interesting, and can be found here:

http://www.3lcpublishing.com/2015/07/2294/

Also, he and his wife has just begun a new podcast about the TV show Survivor. The podcast is called "Worth Playing For." Check out all of his shows.

Comic Book Review: Gotham By Midnight #5

Gotham By Midnight #5, DC Comics, cover-dated May 2015.

“Judgment on Gotham,” by Ray Fawkes, with art by Ben Templesmith. Cover by Ben Templesmith.

This issue picks up exactly where the last one (reviewed here) left off, with The Giant-Sized Spectre taking on a similarly-sized Ikkondrid. As we learned last issue, swamp monster that has been tormenting the group this entire arc is the personification of the evil of Gotham City’s past, specifically its treatment of natives in the city’s founding.

So it’s a Spirit of Vengrance versus Spirit of Vengeance showdown for the right to judge a city. And since the city in question is Gotham City, Batman makes an appearance. In this story, Ray Fawkes moves from the tension of the “slow burn” he has built up for four issues to the intensity of a potential all-out city-smashing fight. A case could have been made that in the prior issues, not a lot “happened.”

All of the members of the Midnight Shift go work to protect the city, each in their own way. Including one team member pulling a gun on the comatose Corrigan. Maybe if the host dies, the Spectre stops? The team recognizes that a sacrifice of some sort must be made, that someone is going to die.

And Sister Justine does what she does best.  “Please, Lord. If I am a pure soul, as Corrigan says … please spare this city.” She stands in the gap, interceding for the city, asking the Lord to take her instead of the people of Gotham.

And as the Spectre turns toward the monster, thunder rolls, but it’s not really thunder. “Every window in the city shatters … and every living person falls to their knees.” The monsters don’t fight, which made the issue a bit anticlimactic, but the conflict does de-escalate.

Corrigan awakens, believing that they are safe. For a while. But there was a cost. The team suffered a loss. Someone had to die.

God answered Sister Justine’s prayer.

Comic Book Review - Gotham By Midnight #4

Gotham By Midnight #4, DC Comics, cover-dated April 2015.

“We Fight What We Become,” by Ray Fawkes, with art by Ben Templesmith. Cover by Ben Templesmith.

The “slow burn” of the prior four issues seems likes it is continuing as issue five begins, as a drunk Jim Corrigan tries to convince Sgt Rook from Internal Affairs that they can be friends. Or at least that maybe Rook will not pursue his case against the Midnight Shift. But that changes quickly as strange things bubble out of Rook. At the same time, Dr. Torr and Detective Drake are fighting similar beings on the Gotham streets. And as the being attacks all over the neighborhood, Corrigan knows what this means.

“Get away. Get as far away as you can … judgment is coming. Divine judgment. I can’t hold it back this time.”

And finally it happens. After teasing and tempting us, Jim Corrigan finally “Spectres out.” One of the concepts that Ray Fawkes has included in this series is that Corigan barely controls the Spectre’s wrath, and ultimately can not control it. And this is the classic “Old Testament” version of God’s wrath, which may well level a whole city if the sins therein are determined to be too great. It is a sense of judgment not tempered by mercy. Ben Templesmith's art style portrays well this disconcerting image.

But we do get some great monologuing when the Spectre arrives.

“I am the Spectre. I am Heaven’s Blade … I am the storm. And you … Abomination.”

While that fight is going on, Doctor Torr has figured out the motives of the beings they’ve been fighting since issue 1. It has to do with the sins that arose from the founding of Gotham City. The beings are “psychic reminders of genocide.” And what do they want? For Gotham City to be judged.

And the Spectre is just the supernatural being to do it.

Sister Justine is (rightly) terrified of the prospect of the Spectre wreaking havoc in the city, but she and Lieutenant Weaver must hit the streets. “A lot of people are in trouble. It’s time to earn our pay.” So by the end of the issue, the entire team is out on the streets, and the Spectre is facing down a big ugly monster.

We end the issue with two great questions. “What’s going to happen?” “Who knows?”

Dead Theologians Society: St. Jerome

Happy Feast Day of Saint Jerome.

Jerome (331 - 420) was one of the great scholars of the early church, a man who strove to gather great literary and scholarly works into one place. He even translated or copied out many of these works himself. By virtue of surrounding himself with such great works, he was able to create produce impressive theological works himself. His view of studying Scripture is summed up is his maxim:: "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."

Jerome is best known for spearheading a new translation of the Bible into Latin, which came to be known as the Vulgate. This translation became the most influential text in Western Europe for more than a millennia, dominating its era more fully and for longer than the King James Version did.

As a result of his scholarly accomplishments in terms of Bible translation and other scholarly work, St. Jerome is considered the patron of librarians, archivists, and encyclopedists.

And that makes him pretty much the unofficial patron saint of Dorkness to Light.

Bible Study, via Fear the Walking Dead

In the fourth episode of the first season of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, the bible reference "Rev 21:4" appears. It has been affixed to a chain-link fence that separates the community from the National Guard instillation that is "protecting" the community.

The verse, in the New King James Version, says "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

In a scene just a few minutes later, a portion of the text of the verse is seen, tacked up in the zombie-infested side of town. So they definitely used a real verse (I'm looking at you, X-Files) and quoted it properly.


Now there is a basic rule in Robert Kirkman's work that any character of faith or show of devotion is punished, usually in a pretty gruesome way. So the inclusion of any Bible verse in the prequel series is an interesting choice.

One attraction of the verse to the producers may be the end of the passage. The words on the sign, the beginning of the verse, speak to the blessed hope of the believer, and is routinely used as a source of comfort. The promise of the former things passing way is a wonderful promise, as the glory of the coming Kingdom is the ultimate good news for creation.

But I wonder if the show is thinking about the end of the verse, commenting on the notion that in the world of their show, the former things have indeed passed away. A more cynical take on the verse is that the zombie apocalypse does indeed wipe away the former things, but what replaces it is far, far worse.

Podcast #001: The Martyr of Hell's Kitchen

In this all-new, all-different first podcast episode, Emily & Alan talk about the Netflix Daredevil series, specifically the excellent episode 9, "Speak of the Devil."

Their conversation includes a discussion of the symbolism of the fight scene, Matt Murdock's faith, and the two awesome conversations he has in this episode with with Father Lantom.

Click on the player below to listen to the episode:



You may also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or the RSS Feed.

Link: Anderson Cale's music
Link: Dave's Daredevil Podcast

 



We would love to hear from you about the Daredevil show, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan or the network @DorknessToLight.

Dorkness to Light podcast promo

The first episode of the Dorkness to Light Podcast is coming soon. To help people get a feel for the podcast, and to help get the word out among podcast listeners, we have created a promo!

Click on the player below to listen to the promo



Right-click to download the promo.

If you are a podcaster, feel free to play this on your podcast -- and if you do, please shoot us an email (dorknesstolight@gmail.com) to let us know.

Spoiler for episode 1: We talk about the Daredevil Netflix series.

Know Your Bible Translations

A legitimately funny cartoon from Adam4d. There are many things about Christian culture to poke some fun at, and the myriad Bible translations available in the English language is definitely a good choice. The characterizations of the New King James and the ESV struck me as particularly funny.

Comic Book Review: Gotham By Midnight #3

Gotham By Midnight #3, DC Comics, cover-dated March 2015.

"We Become What We Fight," by Ray Fawkes, with art by Ben Templesmith. Cover by Ben Templesmith.

We continue to learn the origins of the members of Gotham City’s “Midnight Shift” in issue 3. This time, we get to know Detective Lisa Drake. We learn how the punk-chick undercover cop met Detective Corrigan – he was tied up in the trunk in a car and Drake was tasked by her drug boss to kill him. But she manifested an unexplained power, a sort of supernatural Black Canary shriek.

Corrigan recognizes Drake’s power, which she admits she’s been living with for years. “You start to feel sick sometimes, and you need to shout it out, right? It hurts, but not as bad as if you keep it in.”

I like that we are getting to know Jim Corrigan in this series as something other than JUST the Spectre’s host. He shows some real human decency in this issue, as well as useful management skills and well-earned wisdom. Yes, I do want the Spectre to manifest soon, but I do appreciate the patience that Fawkes has shown in providing us a slow-burn style of storytelling.

Corrigan does poke fun at the supernatural aspects of their group. Detective Drake asks “why are we here,” referring to Gotham County Hospital. But he answers as if she were asking a more cosmic question, answering that they were “fulfilling God’s plan, y’know, in, like, mysterious ways.”

I also like how this slow-burn style also impacts the introduction of the team member. The key is that Fawkes has been able to include this info while also telling the story of the particular case they have been investigating. Templesmith’s art is critical in keeping the issue visually interesting, even when the overall plot is only pushed forward a little bit. The world is so different from anything else in comics, and the story contains so much crazy stuff in it, that moving slowly enables readers to be comfortable in the world of this comic.

In terms of the longer arc, the case of Gotham’s stolen children continues, as the team is attempting to translate the strange language the children now speak. The children, under observation at a hospital, also seem to be manifesting weird shadows. By the end of the issue, the team is certain that Gotham is under attack. Doctor Szandor Tarr asks the sums up the situation on the final page.

“After seeing what this creature almost did, I shudder to think what’s next. But perhaps we can make ourselves ready?”

 

Dead Theologians Society: St. Augustine of Hippo

This is the first of an occasional series of posts with no connection to pop culture. Not every one of these will be tied to the church calendar, but this one is. Which reminds me, I should write about the concept of the church calendar some time.

August 28 is the feast day of Saint Augustine of Hippo, one of the most influential theologians of the Patristic Era, meaning the church fathers that came after the close of the Apostolic Age. Augustine led a life of sin and drunkenness until his conversion at the age of 31. His mother Monica is a saintly example of the faithful praying parent. He spent the remainder of his long life writing, preaching, and serving the church.

His Confessions is considered one of the West's earliest examples of a memoir, and represents the most complete record of any person from the 4th or 5th century. In terms of theology, his City of God continues to resonate as an example of how to respond to earthly disasters, such as (in his case) the sack of Rome by Visigoths. His On Christian Doctrine and On the Trinity are also valuable resources. There is a free St. Augustine app that contains that contains some of his major works, and many of his works are available elsewhere electronically free of charge.

His influence on theology is still widely felt. Important doctrines that he developed include original sin, just war theory, free will and predestination, and Maryology. For his contributions to theology, he is considered one the few "Doctors of the Church."

Although the majority of his works were theological, Confessions contains some of his most passionate and personal writings: "“Too late have I loved you, O Beauty of ancient days, yet ever new! Too late I loved you! And behold, you were within, and I abroad, and there I searched for you; I was deformed, plunging amid those fair forms, which you had made. You were with me, but I was not with you."

Fox Mulder, Bible Scholar

In the X-Files Episode "3" (season 2, episode 7), vampire cult killers leave behind a message in their victim's blood.

John 52:54

Fox Mulder demonstrates his knowledge of Scripture by quoting the verse in full. "He who eats of my flesh and drinks of my blood shall have eternal life. And I will raise him up on the last day." He then makes a crack about "big-haired preachers" and their feeble literal grasp of the Bible.

One problem. The verse doesn't exist. What he quotes is in fact John 6:54, although the wording did not precisely match any popular English translation that I could find.

I'm not going to hypothesize on why the episode's writers decided to make up a Bible reference instead of using an actual one. But whatever the reason for referring to the words of John 6:54 as John 52:54, it stands out as a choice that is ... just weird. 

Yes, this was in the long ago days before Google and Bible Gateway made looking up verses really easy. But still ... aren't there fact-checkers in the organization somewhere? And the cynic of course wonders why nobody in the ENTIRE production crew noticed the mistake.

Again, they get Jesus' words correct, which I appreciate. They didn't make up words and put them in the Bible. But they made up the place in the Bible where those words are found.

It's just weird.

Comic Book Review - Gotham By Midnight #2

Gotham By Midnight #2, DC Comics, cover-dated February 2015.

"We Will Not Rest," by Ray Fawkes, with art by Ben Templesmith. Cover by Ben Templesmith.

We pick up where issue #1 left off, with poor Internal Affairs Agent Rook learning that “Precinct 13” really does handle the hard cases. During his first supernatural case in Slaughter Swamp, he reveals exactly where his head is at:

“Look, I’m basically an accountant … just shoot that thing!”

Fortunately, Detective Jim Corrigan is on hand to handle the witchy apparition of a creepy nun-like being. He’s freaked out, and realizes that he doesn’t have a lot of time. “The Spectre is almost here.” He is able to subdue the entity and free the children she was holding. But they are speaking the same gibberish language that the Attwood children are speaking.

Back in Gotham Heights, Sister Justine realizes that something terrible has been done to the Attwood children. In a flashback we learn how she met Detective Corrigan and his alter ego, and how she became part of the Midnight Shift.

Sister Justine recognizes five of the gibberish words as names. She’s heard them before. By the end of the issue, Corrigan sums up where we are and where we are going:

“Something big and bad is moving into Gotham. Something that’s either got five names or five bodies. Or both.”

Again, it’s hard to think a better artist that Ben Templesmith to introduce readers to the eerie weirdness of this title. Not only the supernatural apparitions themselves, but the human’s reactions to the apparitions are suitable creepy.

Sister Justine is the featured character in this issue. The idea that the Spectre saved her once both gives insight into her past, as well as asks questions about the Spectre’s relationship with Corrigan. Justine’s word bubbles are smaller than the others’, indicating that she is meek, perhaps still traumatized by her past. But Corrigan realized he needed her on the team, and that in itself is an interesting fact.

I like the fact that the Spectre is staying off the page, at least for now. The idea that what they have faced SO FAR is not worthy of the Spectre’s attention is a bit scary, as it means that something even creepier and more evil is on the way. This is the way that suspense is supposed to work, laying down one puzzle piece after the other.

This issue was slightly slower than the first, as it has to actually develop character, as opposed to just introduce characters. But it was quite a gripping read.

Comic Book Review: Gotham By Midnight #1

Gotham By Midnight #1, DC Comics, cover-dated January 2015.

"We Do Not Sleep," by Ray Fawkes, with art by Ben Templesmith. Cover by Ben Templesmith.

Batman has had an inconsistent history with the supernatural. Over his more than 75 years, along with much more common stories facing off against his cast of rogues and run-of-the-mill criminals, he has on occasion battled the unexplained. 

In one of his very early adventures (Detective Comics #31 & #32, cover-dated 1939) Batman traveled to Central Europe to battle a vampire who possessed werewolf-like characteristics. More than three decades later (Detective Comics #395, cover-dated January 1970), he found himself in a classic ghost story. But more often that not, Batman lets others handle Gotham's weirder cases.

Which is exactly where Gotham By Midnight comes in. Commissioner Gordon has set up this new task force, known alternately as "Precinct Thirteen" and "The Midnight Shift." Led by Detective Jim Corrigan, the squad includes Detective Lisa Drake, Sergeant Rook, forensics expert Doctor Szandor Tarr, and Sister Justine, the squad's resident nun.

Rook explains to Lieutenant Weaver, the internal affairs man who visits the squad this issue, what this team is about. In doing so, he also explains to readers what this series is about. "We're the guys who handle the strange stuff." Corrigan does have a brief interaction with Batman, but it is clear that he will be little more than an occasional guest in this series. It is unclear if the squad knows that Corrigan possesses the awesome power of The Spectre. At this point, I don't think so, but that will certainly be revealed in future issues. 

Weaver is not convinced. The squad has never logged a single arrest, and their case reports "don't make any kind of sense." He suspects accounting fraud. Until he sees the squad work, up close and personal. A pair of young children have begun talking in a strange language, and their parents suspect some sort of foul play. It turns out the language is "some kind of telepathic infection," and the clues lead Corrigan and Weaver to Slaughter Swamp.

Of course Gotham City has a place called "Slaughter Swamp."

As the pair approach a ghostly shack, Corrigan asks if Weaver is a religious man.

"People keep asking me that."

Then, as the kids at the house begin to scream, Detective Drake announces that death is here, and Sister Justine prays The Lord's Prayer. At the same time, in Slaughter Swamp, Corrigan and Weaver enter the shack, and on the last page they witness a ghostly schoool room, led by a ghastly teacher.

Corrigan gets the last words of the issue. "It's a hell of a job."

This is the series that I did not know I wanted, until I learned it existed. In retrospect, it's amazing how long it took for a book like this to appear. An officially sanctioned supernatutal detective squad inside the GCPD? It's a great idea.

In this first issue, Fawkes and Templesmith set the type of eerie tone that I hope they maintain as the series continues. Templesmith's art is reminiscent of his work on various Silent Hill comics, and is able to portray this stranger side of Gotham in a way that sets it apart from the mainstream DC Universe. An excellent start to what appears to be an interesting series.

Who Are We? Why Are We Here?

This project is a spin-off of sorts, a side project. Since the summer of 2013 we (Em and Alan Middleton) have produced comic-book podcasts via the Relatively Geeky Podcast Network.

While doing those podcasts, we would occasionally run into topics related to faith, spirituality, and theology. And while we are both very interested in these topics, we thought that a comic-book podcast wasn't the best place to dive deep into those topics. But maybe if we created a separate place to discuss these topics ...

And that is where this initiative comes in. The purpose of Dorkness to Light is to give us a place to explore religious and theological topics, especially where those topics intersect with pop culture. We anticipate conversations about comic books, movies, TV, music, church history, current events, and anything else we can think of. Those conversations will take place here, on our Tumblr, and occasionally on podcasts. 

At least that's what we think will happen here. As this is just the beginning of this project, it is hard to say where it will go. But we invite you to join us on our journey, wherever it may lead.
------------------------------
Em Middleton is a Millennial who works at a public library. A recent college graduate, they majored in Sociology, with minors in Ancient Studies and  Religion.

Alan Middleton is Em's father, a business professor and noted connoisseur of inexpensive comic books.