Ragman's Rags

Ragman #3 (DC, February 2018, $2.99)
Chapter three of this new series written by Ray Fawkes and drawn by Inaki Miranda progresses the story in three important ways. First of all, Ragman encounters Batwoman, who tells him that other heroes in the city are watching him, that he's not alone. "Anyone who says he's got eyes on us in this mess is lying, sir."



Secondly, Rory's fellow Marine, Jim Fanshawe, emerges as a villain. Left limbless by a bomb while serving overseas, he is visited by a mysterious figure and turned into a force to be reckoned with. "His flesh is toxic, the ooze infernal." And third, a damaged summoning circle in an abandoned theater doesn't summon the expected invading lord Z'Dargill, but Etrigan, the Demon, who helps turn the tide. (The Demon also currently has his own series; does Ragman cross over to its pages?)

I haven't read the preceding series, but this new outing seems to have more in common with the '90s titles than the original 1976 series. Interestingly, Elaine Lee wrote the 1993 miniseries Cry of the Dead. More could be done artistically with Ragman's rags, but the art is enjoyable, particularly those pages portraying Fanshawe.

Availability: You can buy this issue online. This series will be collected in July.