Black Orchid (comics)
Black Orchid | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
Format | Limited series |
Genre | |
Publication date | December 1988 – February 1989 |
No. of issues | 3 |
Main character(s) | |
Creative team | |
Written by | Neil Gaiman |
Artist(s) | Dave McKean |
Black Orchid is an American comic book written by Neil Gaiman with art by Dave McKean. It was published by DC Comics as a three-issue limited series from December 1988 to February 1989, and was later reprinted in trade paperback form. Black Orchid follows two girls, Flora and Suzy, who awaken in a greenhouse. Their journey to find out who they are leads them into contact with DC Universe figures like Batman and Swamp Thing, but also into conflict with criminal mastermind Lex Luthor, who seeks them for his own interests.
Gaiman and McKean developed the series after meeting with
Despite DC's concerns, Black Orchid sold well and was positively received. Critics feel the story has held up well for one of Gaiman's earliest works. Black Orchid helped bolster Gaiman's career and established many themes that became common in his later stories. It also inspired a short-lived
Publication history
Background
The superhero
Development
In early 1987, Gaiman learned that DC's president
As they walked away, McKean expressed disappointment that they were assigned Black Orchid, as he wished to produce a comic featuring Swamp Thing and rainforests. Gaiman promised McKean he would include them in the story.[5] He was motivated by Berger's response to recreate Black Orchid in a new way.[8] Gaiman had been interested by Moore's work on Swamp Thing and, like Moore, sought to explore the DC Universe using minor and obscure characters.[9] Gaiman produced an outline for Black Orchid within a day and the next day McKean finished five paintings. They dropped them off at the hotel Kahn, Giordano, and Berger were staying at. In retrospect, Berger stated that the duo's quickness on Black Orchid's concepts was the reason DC took them seriously in later years.[5]
DC commissioned Black Orchid as a three-issue limited series to debut in the 1988
After Gaiman and McKean finished the first issue, Gaiman received a phone call from a worried Berger. According to Gaiman, Berger said DC was considering placing Black Orchid on hold for at least a few years because it was expected to be a financial failure: comics featuring female characters did not sell well, and while Gaiman, McKean, and the Black Orchid character were virtually unknown, the project was as big as the influential
Publication
Black Orchid began its run in December 1988
Plot
Carl Thorne is released from prison and goes to see billionaire criminal mastermind Lex Luthor, with whom he previously had interactions. Luthor dismisses Thorne, distrusting him due to his troublesome past. Thorne retreats to a bar, where he gripes about Luthor and blames his failures on his ex-wife Susan Linden. Meanwhile, Linden—the superhero Black Orchid—is killed while spying on Luthor's organized crime syndicate; afterward, Luthor's employee Mr. Sterling discovers she is a plant hybrid.
Elsewhere, an
Flora falls asleep afterwards, and experiences Linden's memories in her dreams. Sylvian visits Linden's room, only to be attacked by Thorne. Thorne beats Sylvian and accuses him of stealing Linden from him. Thorne proceeds to the greenhouse, where he discovers statues of Linden. Thorne begins to destroy the statues before another girl—who insists on being called Suzy and also shares Linden's memories—appears. Thorne calls Luthor, who reluctantly comes to the scene. Luthor discovers that Sylvian died of his wounds and orders his men to throw Thorne in the nearby river. Flora saves Thorne before departing with Suzy; Luthor orders his staff to search for more like the girls.
Flora and Suzy travel to Gotham City, the location of Arkham, to converse with Woodrue. The girls are told that Woodrue left the asylum and denied access. Suzy goes to Slaughter Swamp, where she is kidnapped and sold to Luthor. Flora meets Batman, who deduces that she is related to Linden and gets her into Arkham. The Mad Hatter brings Flora to Isley, who is being held there. Isley explains her involvement with the other scientists but refuses to tell Flora who she is. Frustrated, Flora leaves, fails to save Suzy, and retreats to a graveyard.
Batman tells Flora that Holland is still alive and lives in the Louisiana swamplands. Black travels to Louisiana, where she meets Holland, who is now Swamp Thing. Holland explains to her that she is a reincarnation of Linden: Thorne murdered Linden, and Sylvian used her DNA and an orchid to recreate her as Black Orchid. When Linden was killed, another Black Orchid, in this case Flora, awoke.
Using their connections to the
Reception
Black Orchid has been well-received, with critics writing that, although one of Gaiman's early works, it has held up well.
Ongoing series
After DC launched its Vertigo imprint, it started publishing a Black Orchid ongoing series in September 1993. Gaiman had no involvement in the ongoing series as he was preoccupied writing The Sandman. McKean was working in England, so he was unable to provide any art besides covers. The new series was written by Dick Foreman with art by Jill Thompson and Rebecca Guay. The series ended in June 1995 after 22 issues. At the end of the series, Flora is killed, leaving Suzy the only surviving member of their species.[8]
References
Footnotes
- ^ Markstein, Don. "The Black Orchid (1973)". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ^ Lawson, Emma (March 30, 2017). "Reading List: The Ten Essential Neil Gaiman Comics". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- ^ "Fiction Book Review: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader, the Deluxe Edition". Publishers Weekly. July 27, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ^ R. Parker, John (January 29, 2013). "Neil Gaiman's 'The Books of Magic' Reintroduced Fans to the Occult Corner of the DC Universe [Review]". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Grant 1994, p. 40.
- ^ Olsen 2005, pp. 16–18.
- ^ a b Gaiman Berger 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Markstein, Don. "The Black Orchid (1988)". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Means-Shannon, Hannah (April 12, 2013). "Neil Gaiman: The Early Years, Black Orchid's Passive and Impassive Universe Part 1". Sequart Organization. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ Gaiman 1989.
- ^ "An Interview With Neil Gaiman". Gothic Beauty. December 1, 2004. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ Grant 1994, p. 41.
- ^ Gaiman McKean 1988.
- ^ Gaiman McKean 1989.
- ^ Gaiman McKean 1991.
- ^ "DC Comics' FULL February 2012 SOLICITATIONS". Newsarama. November 14, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ^ Hilgenberg, Josh (November 9, 2018). "DC Comics Is Releasing New Black Label Editions of Classic Titles". Paste. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ a b Goldstein, Hilary (December 5, 2005). "Black Orchid Review". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- ^ Mautner, Chris (January 25, 2010). "Comics College: Neil Gaiman". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (June 5, 2008). "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #158". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
Sources
- Olsen, Steven P. (2005). Neil Gaiman (Library of Graphic Novelists). New York, New York: ISBN 978-1404202856.
- Gaiman, Neil (October 19, 2010). ISBN 978-1401225759.
- Grant, Paul J. (December 1994). "Fables and Reflections". Wizard (48). Wizard Entertainment.
- Gaiman, Neil (w). "The Origin of the Comic You Are Now Holding (What It Is and How It Came to Be)" Sandman, no. 4 (April 1989). DC Comics.
- Gaiman, Neil (w), McKean, Dave (p). "One Thing is Certain..." Black Orchid, no. 1 (December 1988). DC Comics.
- Gaiman, Neil (w), McKean, Dave (p). "Yes..." Black Orchid, no. 3 (February 1989). DC Comics.
- Gaiman, Neil; McKean, Dave (September 1991). Black Orchid (1 ed.). ISBN 0-930289-55-2.
Further reading
- Means-Shannon, Hannah (April 26, 2013). "Neil Gaiman: The Early Years, Black Orchid (Part 2), "Gangsters and Scientists"". Sequart Organization. Retrieved September 7, 2018.