The Secret History: Marshal Law at D.C. Comics

Welcome to the latest chapter of my new book And Where Will It All End? The Secret History of Comics, where I take you behind the scenes to show you how your favourite subversive characters were created.

You can read the intro here, it’s available for everyone. Every subsequent part has a free preview and the rest of it is for paying subscribers only, so if you’d like access to ALL of my Secret History of Comics as I release it every week (plus other benefits, check them out here), please consider subscribing: it’s £5 per month or £50 per year and it helps me to continue giving you my best writing. I’m offering a free seven-day trial on Iconoblast, so you can try it out. You will need to select a subscription plan and provide your payment details to do this.

Eventually Law ended up with D.C. Comics and they have done an excellent collected edition of our work. At one stage, both Kevin and I would have been nervous of them buying Law in case they ‘bought it to bury it’, but there were radical changes at D.C. with Jim Lee at the helm. In fact, while Kevin was at a San Diego convention, they suggested a Marshal Law/Batman crossover to him. Yes, I know it sounds unlikely that a conservative comic corporation should even consider such a team-up, but they seemed quite serious at the time and Kevin and myself readily agreed.

I was already familiar with Batman, having written Batman: The Book of Shadows with Debbie Gallagher, illustrated by Duke Mighten. I’d found an angle on the character that I could live with. Warped occultists were preying on lonely kids and Batman, ‘King of the Lonely’, goes to their rescue.

But the prospect of the Marshal Law fox getting in with those superhero chickens was just too good an opportunity to miss. Contracts were duly signed and my preliminary synopsis was approved. Looking back, I have no negative feelings about it. It was worth a try, I think everyone at D.C. also tried, and they were all friendly and helpful, if restricted by the requirements of big corporation. Some things are simply not meant to be. 

It’s easier to explain how it rolled out via the relevant email correspondence. 

I would write them on Kevin’s behalf after consulting with him.

Kevin and I to Bob Wayne at DC Comics, 6th September 2014.

Hi, Bob,

Kevin's been talking to Scott Dunbier at IDW who is interested in IDW licensing the Law cross-over stories, as it seems that DC are unlikely to do them.  Scott's fine with arranging the necessary paperwork agreements from the various parties. He thought it would work well as a black and white collection.

I think Scott's likely to approach DC shortly, so this is really just a note to say the project's got mine and Kevin's blessing if DC decide to go for it.

Hope all's going well with you and thanks for all your support over the years.  We're also keeping everything crossed that Batman-Law is green lit.

Best

Pat

Bob Wayne at DC Comics, 6th September 2014.

Hi Pat -

… I'm in Baltimore for a con, but a few days ago in the office we discussed having Batman/Law collected as the anchor for a Law crossover book.  We should have a green light meeting in the next week or two. But I think we'd prefer to see all the stories offered through us. 

More soon. 

Best,

Bob W

Bob Harris at DC Comics, 22 October 2014.

Hi, Pat

I'm looking forward to this project in a big way---it sounds fantastic! I will loop in Mark Doyle, the Batman group editor.  Just let me know what you need to get started and I'll get things moving.

Best--

Bob 

Kevin and I, 6 December 2014. 

Hi, Bob,

Story summary attached.

 We’re still working out the plot, so our ideas may well change as we develop it.  But this gives you a broad idea of the story.

We're raring to go as soon as we've got the paperwork.

Best

Pat

Here’s the story summary: 

BATMAN / LAW CROSSOVER.

Pat Mills & Kevin O’Neill

 Our  story involves a super hero, the sinister-looking  TRANSPORTER  who is a patient at the Mission Hospital San Futuro where  medical orderly Joe Gilmore (who is also Marshal Law ) is looking after him.  THE TRANSPORTER is the product of a “Philadelphia Experiment” by Shocc (Super Hero operational Command and Control run by the Government in Law’s world). This tormented character is literally a Human Black Hole, travelling endlessly between alternative Earths, including Batman’s Gotham, before returning to the Mission Hospital. 

He wants  to “get off the dimensional carousel”  and has discovered that the solution is in an alternative Gotham (not the regular Batman Gotham).  But his torment and savage acts of vengeance have brought him in conflict with Batman from this alternative Gotham.

The story begins as the “insane” Transporter scrawls Batman imagery on the walls of his high-security  cell. Like Renfield  in Dracula. The Transporter announces to Joe “he is coming.”  When Batman arrives, under dramatic circumstances, Marshal Law is unhappy at another super hero entering his domain. They will  clash ; but later the two characters work together to deal with the Transporter threat. 

Over a year went by and then Marie Javins took over the DC Correspondence.

Marie Javins at DC comics 11th March 2015

Hi Pat, 

… I've been talking to Bob Wayne and Dan DiDio about the idea of a Batman/Marshal Law crossover…

There is a publishing meeting at the end of March and I'd like to proceed with turning in paperwork pitching this to see if they'll let us do it. 

Can you give me a summary of what it might be about, aside from "Is it a team-up or a confrontation?" 

Thanks, 

Marie Javins

Kevin and I, 19th March 2015. (After sending Marie the summary above)

Thanks, Marie,

The main title would be MARSHAL LAW v BATMAN  with a sub-title. A working subtitle would be Psycho Thriller. Although that  may well change as the story develops.

Kevin has time for a ONE SHOT rather than 4 issues.

The plan was to then later add the one shot to several existing Law cross-overs not yet published by D.C.

To quote Bob Wayne 6 September 2014

we discussed having Batman/Law collected as the anchor for a Law crossover book.

Hope this is useful

Pat

The contract was sent and signed. But there were then further delays. Finally over a year later I had a final version. I sent it to Kevin for his approval first.

Me to Kevin 6th June 2016.

Hi, Kev,

Here it is - below this letter. It was great fun to write up and I enjoyed revisiting your unique insights on Batman! 

Some thoughts:  

Perhaps the most important one:  The story is the usual "over the top" style Marshal Law where events happen at a breakneck, frenetic pace with the emphasis on black comedy which is what fans would expect and here we've probably excelled ourselves with a hundred dead Batmen, twenty dead Robins etc!   

In a conventional story, this would run to  maybe a hundred pages or more. Because our uber-intense style  may be unfamiliar to DC, or certainly to Batman editors, I found myself almost writing the whole script in places to really firm up the logic and rationalising why all this crazy shit was going on. And also spelling everything out so it's clear enough. Normally I'd firm up and polish the logic at script stage, but I thought i'd better do it here - to avoid some of the inevitable nit-picking and questions they're still going to ask  about alternative Batmen Earths.  I may be wrong, but I would guess that's the kind of stuff they obsess about?  

So if there's any glaring logic I've missed - or needs strengthening at this stage - do say.

Other points not so important: 

I used "fragging" as it was established in the original series, but can take out if need be.

Couldn't find the "alien Skin2 ref" with the Transporter mask. But I thought it would help the Transporter if he had some visible technology to emphasise how the headgear controls him. But easy enough to adjust if you prefer the original reference to my new suggestion.

I guess generally there would be 5 pics on each page. I wondered if there was a case for some mini-pics (as in Dark Knight) to capture the spectrum of emotions many of the characters go through as they respond to situations, but I guess you can always break a pic down further at the drawing stage.

The Jesus League might have a semi-new line-up as some time has elapsed since we last saw them. The Public Spirit here can be a poor substitute for Buck and thus easier to knock the shit out of. So much potential in the JLA, I had to really keep the lid on them - and that's even before you add your own thoughts! I guess we will be stuck with 46 pages - although I've tried for a full 48 pages.  Knowing where to cut is going to be tough! If you can see some possible places, do say.

Best

Pat

Kevin to me June 6 2016.

Batricide - very funny. It reads really well and maintains that Law venom and spirit. On page length I think 48 is best as we can begin and end on strong images with inside cover for design and credits and inside back cover and back for more design/atmosphere.  Well done on walking that fine piss take line. All the best - K.

Me to Kevin June 6 2016

Thanks, mate.  As you probably guessed, I often wrote in Marshal Law speaking with your voice when I couldn't think of anything!  For instance, Law's response to meeting Koo D'Etat and Fate Accompli is very "you".  Ditto Blue Battery - I just knew you'd have him beaming in a blue straitjacket. You'll probably have him beaming something worse now!   Perhaps it's just as well there's not more space for the JLA as I dread to think what you're going to do with them! 

Will send off to DC shortly.

Cheers

Pat

Kevin and I   6th June 1916

Hi, Marie,

Here is the script outline/page breakdown of our story.  Hope it

works for you guys.

I've gone into a fair amount of detail and dialogue so you can get a

sense of the tone of the story and its black comedy elements. I also needed to show how the story's logic would be played out on the page and how we've kept suitable strong boundaries between our "alternative" Batman and his world and your regular Batman  character and his world.

These boundaries can be strengthened further if necessary.

We felt that our villains could be as unpleasant and evil in their

dealings with Batman as your regular villains often are.  But Law

himself, whilst in conflict with Batman,is ultimately on the same

side.

We look forward to your thoughts.

Best

Pat

The full outline can be read here. I see it as an important tribute to Kevin,  because it was intended as our final bow and there is so much of Kevin in what would have made a fantastic Law last story.