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Much to my disappointment DC's Simon Dark has come to a close. This title was quickly becoming one of my favorites. It was a nice twist on the Frankenstein concept mixed with some supernatural elements, a whole "secret society" thing and at times some pretty amusing dark humor. Actually it wasn't so much that the humor was dark at times, but it just snapped the tension or vibe of what was happening when the humor would happen.
Steve Niles did a great job writing and Scott Hampton's artwork was a perfect fit for the title. Hampton's artwork really helped define what the title was as a whole. I don't think the title would have been nearly as enjoyable without the consistency of Hampton's artwork. Now, while I can't be certain that would be the case I have a read a number of titles where a particular artist just captures the feel of what is going on, and it isn't always the artist a title starts out with.
The greatest achievement of this title though? Eighteen issues of a series in Gotham without one appearance of Batman. That is an achievement that I believe both DC and all those involved with the title should be proud of. Going through my memory I can't even remember when Batman was ever mentioned. DC could have taken the low road and tried to have Batman sneak in with some kind of guest appearance or even had some spillover from the "Battle for the Cowl," but they didn't and I am grateful for that. It kept the title at a consistent level of quality from beginning to end.
While it does finish with a bit of a "rushed" feeling that is simply what happens in situations like this. Of course, the end was not disappointing like the recent end of Legion of Super-Heroes. The end of Simon Dark had closure to many elements while keeping enough open to leave the hope that perhaps the character can return some day. Actually I would hope all the major characters were to return, because that is another factor in what made Simon Dark such an enjoyable read, the interaction of the characters. Even with the darkness and chaos that happened so often the characters were always working on their connections with each other. Believe me when I say that Simon was not the only character seeking to understand their humanity.
So, for a time it seems that Simon has said, "Bye." If you haven't read the title then I really do recommend that you check out a trade. If they were to release a trade with all eighteen issues I would definitely pick it up myself. Even with the full run I already own I still think it would be worth it. One other thing this title has done for me is that it has set a nice bar for me in what to expect from new titles. A connection to characters and story quickly is something I really do enjoy. I have been hanging on to hope for even some established titles for far too long. When an established title can't keep my interest like a new title such as Simon Dark does, then perhaps I need to emulate Simon. Perhaps I need to say, "Bye."
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