The right way to do a mantle swap
Comic Reviews for week ending 6/19/2022
Good morning, my friend,
There’s an awful lot of conversation happening these days happening around the idea of mantle swaps. Sometimes the swaps work, as in the case of Hank Pym to Scott Lang for Ant-Man. Sometimes they don’t, as in the case of X-23 taking over for Wolverine. Mantle swaps can be an effective way to refresh a character and breathe new life into their adventures, but as we see with the above examples and many, many more there’s a right way and a wrong way to affect a mantle swap. The right way requires four key elements.
#1. Distance
Bruce Wayne, in current continuity, is healthy, spry, and at the top of his game as Batman, but that can’t last forever. We know Terry McGinnis will eventually assume the mantle of the Bat in Batman Beyond, and that mantle swap works because Bruce, in Terry’s time, is far separated from his ability to perform as Batman. Bruce’s age creates distance between where he is and the role he once occupied.
There are multiple ways to create the distance necessary for a new character to take over. The easiest, of course, is death. In Batman Beyond, distance is created through Bruce’s age. For Green Lanterns, the physical distance between sectors of the galaxy makes multiple Lanterns possible and even practical. The point here is to recognize that you can’t have a full mantle swap when the predecessor and successor occupy the same time and place.
#2. It Must Be PERMANENT
No takebacks. No do-overs. If you’re going to swap a mantle, mean, accept it, live with it, and make it work. DC Comics is more guilty of this mistake than any other publisher.
Barry Allen/Flash dies but comes back later, and there’s now a constant push-pull of two Flash(s) vying for readers’ attention, with neither getting the full spotlight. Hal Jordan dies after nearly destroying all of reality, but now he’s back, and we have a squad of Green Lanterns hailing from Earth such that every time you pick up a Green Lantern comic you won’t know which Lantern is going to be highlighted.
A mantle is never truly swapped if its original bearer returns to reclaim it, making for confusion and frustration among the readership.
#3. Motivation
It’s not enough to create a new character and declare Sally, for example, to be the right person to hold the mantle. Sally needs to be developed and fleshed out with motivations that are similar to their namesake or at least clear enough to understand why Sally could be just as successful but in a different way.
Laura Kinney, aka X-23, aka the “new” Wolverine, has all the motivation needed to take over for Logan. She’s a cloned mutant cruelly subjected to torturous experimentation. She’s constantly at odds with her feral nature. And her troubled childhood gives her an emotional need to belong to a group or family. If Marvel hadn’t broken #’s 1 and 2 above, she could be a proper holder of the Wolverine mantle.
Keli Quintela found a mysterious, powerful gauntlet in a junk heap, put it on, and suddenly declared herself to be a Green Lantern (sorta). She’s not old enough or mature enough to be responsible for guarding a sector, the acquisition of her power and her ability to wield it is nonsensical, and she’s never motivated to do anything more than “cool stuff.” As a member of the Green Lantern Corps, Keli is the equivalent of the obnoxious guy who shows up uninvited to a party and makes everyone uncomfortable with crude jokes and loud burping.
#4. The Power Must Be Given, Not Taken
Call it Fate, Destiny, or an act of God. A mantle is bigger than the person who holds it, so to be passed on something bigger must do the passing. Green Lanterns are referenced here because it’s the perfect example of how it can work correctly.
When a Lantern dies, the ring returns to OA to be repaired and refreshed before it seeks out a worthy wearer in the same sector. The ring looks for a being with the qualities of will, fearlessness, and purity of heart to wear the ring and use it for the causes of good and justice. A person can’t suddenly decide to be a Green Lantern, they’re chosen. In examples where mantle swaps work, the passing is always accomplished through a fateful act or a high power.
In case you thought this was limited to Western comics, it’s not. One of the biggest selling manga comics, My Hero Academia, follows this model to a tee. All Might passes on the mantle of his power to the young, powerless Deku.
1. All Might’s ability to use his power is rapidly fading due to an old injury (Distance)
2. Once All Might passes on his power, it’s gone forever (Permanent)
3. Deku has the heart of a pure hero and is motivated to emulate All Might in every way (Motivation)
4. All Might gives his power to Deku. It can’t be taken. (The quirk is designed to be passed on)
That’s the lowdown on how to create a lasting, believable, acceptable mantle swap in four easy steps. Did I get it all? What did I leave out? Where are the exceptions to the rules above? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.
Now, let’s take a look at the week in comics reviews
INVICTUS: OUTRAGE #1 – Indie Review
LYNX #1 – Indie Review
PLAINER JANE #3 – Indie Review
TEMPLATE: NEW PARTITION #1 – Indie Review
DRAGON WHISPERER (VOL. 2) #1 – Review
IMMORTAL RED SONJA #3 – Review
JENNIFER BLOOD (VOL. 2) #9 – Review
THE CIMMERIAN: HOUR OF THE DRAGON #4 – Review
BARBARELLA (VOL. 2) #10 – Review
PROJECT SUPERPOWERS: FRACTURED STATES #3 – Review
Nottingham #8 (Mad Cave Studios)
Sgt. Flag #1 (Indie Submission)
Taranis the Thunderlord #1 (Indie Submission)
Plainer Jane #4 (Indie Submission)
Robyn Hood Annual: Children of Darkness (Zenescope Entertainment)
Cover of Darkness #6 (Source Point Press)
Monstrous: Book of the Dead #1 (Source Point Press)
Nook #1 (Source Point Press)
Elvira in Horrorland #2 (Dynamite Comics)
Samurai Sonja #1 (Dynamite Comics)
Armorclads #4 (Valiant Entertainment)
Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (Vol. 2) #7 (Dynamite Comics)
John Carter of Mars #3 (Dynamite Comics)
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