When Rory returns to Gotham City he discovers that he’s not the only one with mystical Powers within the city, a demonic force is attempting to take over Gotham, and he’s the only one who can save it.
Title: Ragman #3
Writer: Ray Fawkes
Art: Inaki Miranda
Publisher: DC Comics
What You Need to Know:
Rory Regan was looking for treasure with his Marine unit in the Middle East when they were ambushed by spectral forces, Rory’s team was killed but he survived, gaining a mystical suit made out of the souls of those that it killed, now he is the Ragman, dedicated to turning around the fate of the souls trapped within his cloak. When Rory returns to Gotham City he discovers that he’s not the only one with mystical Powers within the city, a demonic force is attempting to take over Gotham, and he’s the only one who can save it. Now, imbued with speed, strength an accelerated healing factor and the souls and experiences of everyone within his cloak, including his former teammates, he is on the hunt to stop the demons before Gotham city is obliterated. The demons have other plans…
What You’ll Find Out:
We open on our hero talking to his father at Gotham Mercy Hospital, they are discussing the destruction of his father’s shop last issue, Rory says that the men who destroyed his father shop were evil. Rory’s dad replies they weren’t evil they were just desperate, afraid and at the end of their rope. Rory asks how he could sympathize with them, his dad says he doesn’t want to live in a world without sympathy.
Rory tells his dad that he never got home from war, as soon as he got back he entered into another war, a Supernatural War between Good and Evil, there are demonic forces trying to claim Gotham, and he’s the only thing standing between the city and Hell on earth.
After a cameo from a Gotham hero that I will leave for the reader to discover and enjoy, we got a way to 6 months ago in an unspecified location, a group of soldiers is walking through a sandstorm, visibility is next to nothing suddenly one of them steps on a landmine. Jim Fanshawe wakes up on a gurney, half of him does anyway. He realizes with horror his arms and legs are gone, suddenly voice whispers from the shadows, it doesn’t have to be this way…
Back to the present, Ragman is fighting a demon in an old theater, the demon seems to be letting him win, the voices within the cloak warns him the demon is up to something. An ominous voice comes from behind Rory, a demonic Jim Fanshawe has come for him.
Rory tries to attack Jim, but Jim’s touch burns Rory under the suit, which normally protects him. Suddenly Jim grabs Rory by the face, burning his eyes and blinding him! As Rory tries to get his bearings, blind, the original demon says the circle they were using is damaged and won’t work to summon their Lord, it calls to someone else. Or something.
GONE GONE THE FORM OF MAN, FOR NOW, IS THE TIME FOR ETRIGAN! THE REST OF THE ISSUE WILL BE YOURS WHEN YOU PICK UP A COPY AT THE COMIC BOOK STORE! THE END OF THIS STORY IS WELL WORTH YOUR TIME, THE ENDING MAY WELL BLOW YOUR MIND!
What Just Happened?
Plot:
So far I have loved Ray Fawkes’ reboot of Ragman, this particular issue was phenomenal I loved Rory’s Dad bring up the ethics of what Rory does and I love the way the demons are stepping up their assault on Gotham, The cameo by the Gotham hero was completely unadvertised and a genuinely pleasant surprise in this era of spoilers and oversharing Via solicits and leaks. So far I have adored this series and think it is a fantastic successor to the original stories by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. Also notable is the rhyming way the demons talk which was a large gripe I had with the Etrigan solo series that came out this fall.
Art:
The art in the series is astounding, it’s fairly reminiscent of Greg Capullo’s work on an Image series called Haunt, which is a huge selling point, the demons are detailed and the Gotham cityscape is perfect.
Rating: 9.5/10
Final thought:
In my opinion, there’s no such thing as a perfect issue but Ragman number 3 is about as close as you can get for me, this series is, in my opinion, a can’t miss for new fans of the character or old fans looking for a new read.