This past month, Dark Horse released a collection of the latest Nemesis mini-series, Nemesis: Rogues’ Gallery, from creator Mark Millar and artist Valerio Giangiordano. Nemesis first debuted under the Icon imprint at Marvel Comics prior to moving, along with the rest of the Millarverse, to Dark Horse Comics.
Initially conceived by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven, Nemesis is Batman’s antithesis. Where Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered by a criminal, Nemesis’ parents were murdered by cops. Nemesis has all of Batman’s intellect and discipline without his sense of justice. The Nemesis of the first mini-series revealed he was simply rich and bored and had fabricated his entire identity and backstory prior to his death at the hands of the police. That series ended with the inspector credited with defeating Nemesis congratulated by a shadowy company that specialized in training supervillains, thus promising the potential return of a new Nemesis. The subsequent follow-up mini-series introduced the true Matt Anderson who is trained to be the super criminal Nemesis. Later mini-series leading into Big Time, which firmly placed Nemesis within the world occupied by other Millar creations such as Kick-Ass, Hit-Girl, and Chrononauts. Nemesis: Rogue’s Gallery takes place after Big Time and finds Nemesis a quadriplegic, locked away in a hospital under heavy guard following his defeat at the hands of the collected heroes of the Millarverse.
Of course, Nemesis wasn’t going to stay down for long, as the villain is rescued and delivered to an old mentor, Ensi Ur-Baba, who can heal Nemesis of his paralysis. In another analog to Batman, Nemesis’ former teacher greatly resembles the classic Batman villain Ras al’Ghul and, like the DC Comics villain, is an immortal who has manipulated world events for centuries. It is the price Ensi Ur-Baba demands for this healing that sets the events of this book into motion. What unfolds is a twisted Batman and Robin Year One-like narrative that sees Nemesis train a sidekick. As endearing as it is disturbing, we see this partnership blossom and become a satirical representation of DC Comics’ dynamic duo. Nemesis even calls his sidekick, Rookie, “chum,” a nickname Batman would often use for Dick Grayson in the sixties, especially on the Batman television show. The wholesomeness of their relationship gives this hyperviolent book (It’s Mark Millar. Of course there’s violence.) its heart. It’s still very strange to see this dynamic with its roots firmly in 1950s/1960s Silver Age of comics juxtaposed with Millar’s usual brand of action and gore. It wouldn’t be a Nemesis book without a few surprises, none of which I will spoil here, but I felt genuinely sad for Nemesis as a character by the end. A definite shock given that he is utterly irredeemable and a complete jerk by design.
The Rogues of Rogues’ Gallery really shouldn’t be spoiled. What I can say is that Millar presents each of them as completely formed characters with strong motivations to see Nemesis brought to justice. I appreciated that they weren’t simply cardboard-cut-out bad guys who simply existed for Nemesis to murder in spectacular fashion. Not to call back to the Batman analogy again, but this portion of the story most resembles the modern classic Batman tale, Under the Red Hood, by Judd Winnick and Doug Mahnke. Like that tale, Nemesis is forced to confront his past choices and failures.
Taking over art duties on this book is Valerio Giangiordano, and he proves a great choice to direct the bombastic fight scenes that most Millar scripts call for. It’s not an easy feat to keep up with the frenetic pace of Millar’s writing, but Valerio Giangiordano expertly translates Millar’s sensibilities to the page. Lee Loughridge adds a vibrancy to Giangiordano’s pencils that allows the reader to feel the power behind every punch and cringe at each broken bone.
I’ve really enjoyed a great deal of Millar’s work from The Ultimates, and Old Man Logan from Marvel to Huck and Chrononauts of the Millarverse. Nemesis: Rogues’ Gallery has all of Millar’s big-screen blockbuster style with an overdose of comic violence. I don’t usually follow very dark and gory comics unless they also have a strong narrative and soul underneath the action. I’ve generally preferred Huck, and Starlight over the more gritty Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl section of the universe. In Nemesis: Rogues’ Gallery, Millar is able to meld action with a story that has a lot of heart. I recommend this for any Millarverse fan looking for the next chapter in the ongoing saga and for any comic fan who wondered: what if Batman was an unrelenting force of evil instead of a bastion of good?
Creative Team: Mark Millar (Writer), Valerio Giangiordano (Artist), Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Clem Robins (Letterer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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