The Spectre, Volume 2: Wrath of God

The Spectre (1992) #13-22

by John Ostrander, Tom Mandrake (Illustrator)

In these never-before-collected tales from the 1990s, the Spectre witnesses genocide on a global scale, leading him to sit in judgement on humanity itself. And when he decides to wipe out the human race, it's up to DC's mystic heroes including John Constantine - Hellblazer, Etrigan the Demon, the Phantom Stranger, Doctor Fate, Zatanna and more to try and stop him. Professor Nicodemus Hazzard tries to control the Spectre with the magical artifact known as the Spear of Destiny, sending the Spectre on a rampage that only Superman has a hope of stopping. Collects THE SPECTRE #13-22.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Horror, Fantasy, Superheroes, Comic Book

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 1994

About the author

John Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.

Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).

Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.

Reviews

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong 4.5 stars here. This is the second collection of the 1990s Spectre series by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. The Spectre gets fed up and decides he will judge humanity and wipes out two Balkan countries perpetually at war, one of which is Count Vertigo's country. It takes the Phantom Stranger, Madame Xanadu, a Roman Catholic priest, and Jewish mystic to set things right. Archangel Michael appears in this book, as does President Clinton and long-hair Superman.

Ostrander was a seminarian, I know for sure, maybe a clergyman, and his Spectre series is suffused with religion and religious questions. He writes with delicacy yet also urgency on important issues. I sincerely hope DC collects more of this fantastic series.

[Malum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real hidden gem of a run and one that I could easily see being compared to the works of Grant Morrison and Alan Moore. This volume in particular put me in mind of The Watchmen, as the Spectre wrestles with losing his humanity while having command of earth-crushing power. The fact that they only collected two volumes of this run instead of the entire thing is mind boggling to me.

It is also worth mentioning the art. It is all fantastic and the covers of each of the issues are so great that I want to frame and hang them.

Finally, a bit of a fair warning: Ostrander puts a ton of Christian themes into this volume. He isn't preaching, though; Ostrander was going through a crisis of faith at the time and was working through it in his writing (if you're curious, he ended up leaving Catholicism and becoming agnostic). I usually hate this kind of thing in superhero comics and I feel that DC in particular makes it really weird when they do this (because they have certainly done it in the past, like the awful Day of Judgement event where the superheroes have to argue with angels and reignite hell), but Ostrander makes it work (especially when you know why he did it. It's almost like you can look into the mind of the author and see the things he was wrestling with).

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still good but not on par with vol.1.

The main arc is thematically interesting- should Spectre judge humanity as a whole?- but it ends up as somewhat disappointing. It drags on and the multiple DC characters involved bothered me. Eclipso is involved too and though I don’t know much about him I found him out of place here. Also, considering the consequences of Spectre’s wrath at the beginning of the book, the conclusion feels off and somewhat easy as in lazy.

The second arc fares better. Multiple DC characters are involved there too but are peripheral to the main plot and not a hindrance. Oddly I felt more tension in the last two issues than in the whole first arc which conforts me in my opinion.

Tom Mandrake illustrates most of the book and the quality of his work doen’t disappoint.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as vol. 1 but still above average. Once I'm done with the whole Ostander's run, I'll write a longer review.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A definite step down but it's still solid.

Basically Spectre is having a crisis after the events of the last volume. The death has made him question everything but especially humanity. So he starts taking matters into his own hands. Even though he's supposed to be vengeful, he's now striking out, and it's about to get messy.

Unlike the last volume that felt grounded even with the magical side of things we had a strong connection between two main leads. Here, that's gone, and instead it's Spectre having a mid-life crisis (or death crisis?) and it's entertaining and makes you question things. But at the same time the storylines with Justice League don't fully work, and the first storyline goes on too long for the result I expected.

But overall art is still great and I like Spectre, I just wish the plotting was as strong. A 3 out of 5.

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second volume of Ostrander's Spectre run covers issues #13-22.

The second volume of The Spectre was quite good. Featuring some exceptional cover art and good interior art, it not only gives us a better insight into the origins of the being that is the Spectre. Ostrander fills us in on the origins of the Spectre, long before Jim Corrigan, and also introduces many high powered DC supernatural characters from Dr. Fate and Etrigan to Eclipso.

The Spectre on his quest to avenge the wrongs committed on people, takes on a big picture view. This issue, besides the historical origin parts, focuses on what exactly is the duty of the Spectre. In an interesting twist- wih all his power, why doesn't the Spectre seek to prevent large scale atrocities? Thus we have the Spectre intervening in a civil war and incinerating both sides. This leads to a bevy of superheroes trying to bring Spectre back under some form of control. Even Superman, armed with the Spear of Destiny, gets in on the act.

An excellent volume covering some interesting Spectre lore and tackling some big issues- what exactly is the Spectre's remit and how can he go about it without going "too far"? If you like a good supernatural tale and some interesting moral questions, you will enjoy this volume.

[Alex Sarll]

The padre from Ostrander's Suicide Squad moves to New York, and mentions world events to a chap who comes to confess. As well-meaning interventions in comics go, this is up there with Jenny Sparks' "Adolf, your paintings are terrible, but you're a passionate guy - have you considered politics?" Because that visitor was the increasingly unbalanced human host of the force of divine vengeance. Before you know it, the Spectre is in the Balkans, concluding that nobody is innocent in a civil war so he might as well just destroy the lot of them. As in, the entire country, except for the leaders, left alive to know how badly they failed. Are we really so much worse than the rest of the world, they ask him. And this also sets him thinking... So we're off on a tour of nineties geopolitical hotspots, sometimes thinly disguised, elsewhere not. At times it's awkward - Ostrander has always been prone to well-meaning fumbles when he moves from individual consciences and general principles to real-world specifics. But for the most part, it does read as one man's attempt to thrash out the problems of evil, told as superhero horror instead of theology because why not? And of course with Mandrake on art, it all looks suitably feverish, though when more conventional heroes turn up they can look a bit nineties overmuscled. Turn up they definitely do, though - this is its own very personal story, but still acknowledges and interacts with the world of which it's a part, from the destruction of Coast City to Constantine's spell on the streets. And if you think you've had a bad day at work, what about the poor sod here who, after not quite finishing reading his own unwritten book in Lucien's library, inadvertently turns Superman into Hitler?

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stuff. The first storyline is a little long at six issues, but it jams a lot of characters into it, an intriguing look at the level of power that The Spectre has, and the moral quandaries that he deals with on a daily basis. The fact that this comes off the back of the first storyline in the first volume that left The Spectre without a human friend to ground him makes it all the more fun.

The second storyline in contrast takes a little time to get going, but once the JSA and Superman get involved, everything picks up a lot. The fact that I managed to read this entire volume of 10 issues in 1 day (which is an achievement for me, since usually I read about 4 or 5 and get distracted) is a testament to how easy each issue is to get through, despite the heavy subject matter.

[Heath Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This whole series has been absolutely brilliant. Ostrander maintains a fluid story arch throughout and trusts the reader to pay attention. I love that. There is no hand holding here. This volume in particular brought on the coolest crash-course in DC history I've read in any title thus far and it really pays off if you put some effort into it.

[Marco Antonio di Forelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sigue siendo excelente y el tema que trata es mucho más trascendental que en el volumen anterior. Lo único malo que puedo decir es que no todos los números están dibujados por Mandrake, pero de resto es una lectura bastante buena en la que podemos ver las consecuencias que lo ocurrido en los doce números anteriores tienen tanto para el Espectro como para el mismísimo mundo. Además, esta vez hay bastantes invitados de excepción.

[Bene Vogt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Tomasi must have been a truly fearless editor to let Ostrander run with about half of the storylines here, and history is late in rediscovering this as the high mark of 90s comics that it is.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic volume of this series. Superhero comics often build themselves up on an edifice of being concerned with "justice" as a concept, but Ostrander is one of those few who looks critically and analytically at what that means. Should superheroes concern themselves with environmental justice? Where does the line fall between justice and vengeance? What place does justice have in areas where conflict has become multi-generational? (this includes visits to both Northern Ireland and Israel in this volume)

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag this time around. Whereas there was a strong narrative thread that drove the story and mystery of the first volume, the main arc of this one seems to wane in parts and feel more disconnected. Mind you, The Spectre's judgment of a war zone was a stunning surprise. The last chapter felt tacked on and rushed. Felt like they were trying to channel some of The Dark Knight Returns, but end up making a poor man's version of it.

[Ben Guilfoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the first volume of Ostrander & Mandrake's "The Spectre" was an A+, 5-star book then this second volume slips a bit into B+, 4-star territory. A lot of the ideas at play here are fantastic, particularly Spectre's rage and depression over the death of his friend in the previous volume and how that feeds into his judgment of an entire country. But I think Ostrander stumbles a bit in the resolution there, knocking this one down a peg. Elsewhere, part of what I enjoyed about the first volume is how self-contained and separate it is from the larger DC universe. Here, Spectre runs afoul of a number of other major and minor DC characters, including Dr. Fate, Zatanna, Etrigan and even A-listers like Superman. This felt like a bit of a step down for me, personally, as the book starts to mention events happening in other series (like the Reign of the Supermen) and feels a bit less like it stands on its own two legs.

But I have to give a special mention to the absolutely amazing issue sandwiched in the middle of this book where Spectre intervenes in a race riot sparked by the death of a small child in New York. It's absolutely the standout chapter in this book and even if the rest of the volume pales a bit, this shows the series at its best and still very much worth reading.

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the most powerful of any/all extra-human beings, the Spectre (Jim Corrigan) is followed by few in the mainstream, and (thankfully), remains in the shadows where Hollywood spotlights cannot reach. The Spectre has one main goal in life: to wreak vengeance (terrible, violent, final) on bad people who have caused grievous harm to others who may not be able to defend themselves. He is pretty savage. I was looking for author Ostrander's Volume 1 trade paperback, but it's quite collectible -- even in trade version -- so, settled with V. 2. Strong story-telling/artwork.

[Roberto Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

All things must end

The first volume of this comic run left The Spectre in emotional shambles after the death of a dear friend and kind soul, and the choice he had to make. This volumes focus on the "coping" of an entity of that magnitude of power, and some ideas Ostrander has about the nature of justice. Mandrake in the art is good.

A gem of the post crisis DC, a product of its time indeed, but a good, and somewhat timely one.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake continue their Spectre run with more DC Universe characters and its done pretty well. The story has some strange tangents and each big moment seems to be undercut a couple pages later. The big plus for this collection is the amazing art, mostly by Mandrake. Creative page layouts and fine line work. Great stuff. Overall, a decent throwback read.

[Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid supernatural adventure in DC's house style as it was in the 1990s. This series sits at a mid point between traditional superhero action and the more esoteric titles (Sandman, Swamp Thing) that would eventually evolve into the Vertigo imprint.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent installment in the moral awakening of Jim Corrigan. Ostrander crafts morally complex tales, and Mandrake makes them look beautiful and terrifying.

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is the second volume reprinting the early 90s Spectre run .

[Justin Decloux · Rating 4 out of 5]

The shift to superhero vs supervillains will never be as satisfying as the first volume, but I still liked it. It's nice to see a bunch of C-listers take on an impossible force.

[Brian J. Shoopman · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Russell Pearce of Sector 2814 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very hot and cold book. There was issues that were a slog but others that were genuinely intriguing. I'm a big fan of Tom Mandrakes art, so it's aided greatly by that.

[John Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes on some big issues that it’s not really equipped to address.

[Gary Fortuin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess I just don't like the Specter as a character because I didn't like any of the stories in this collection. Oh well. The cover art for the individual issues was amazing. The stories themselves just fell flat. The final story arc with Superman getting corrupted by the spear of destiny was just plain bad.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really hope DC gets around to publishing the rest of this series in these reprints. Writer John Ostrander and artist Tom Mandrake took a longstanding DC character who was basically a cypher for whatever anyone needed for a given story, and gave him a purpose that encompassed the character's entire history. And despite the setting, the character never really acted like a superhero. He doesn't fight colorful villains, aside from Green Arrow foe Count Vertigo here, and he lasts all of ten seconds in the fight. Instead, it's a philosophical look at a being who was designed the Wrath of God, and what that meant.

This volume gives further backstory by showing the history of the Spectre and his predecessor Eclipso, going back to the book of Genesis (guess who was administering them Egyptian plagues!), as well as a fun issue where members of the Justice Society reflect on what it was like having that guy as a teammate. There's a Superman appearance (mullet-era 90s Superman!), some stuff involving the Spear of Destiny, and the first appearance in the series of Corrigan's friend and counselor, Father Craemer.

Actually, Ostrander tied the series into Vertigo stuff as well. There are some clear Sandman references and guest appearances, a mention of the events from The Books of Magic, the quickest look at John Constantine, and both Zatanna and the Phantom Stranger have looks reflecting their at-the-time Vertigo appearances. The content tends to be more mature as well. This is not a comic book for kids.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably 4.5. An enraged Spectre starts to think the whole world deserves to end in fire—can DC's supernatural masters (Phantom Stranger, Zatanna, etc.) reign him in? Like the first volume, this continues to explore the nature of both the Spectre and his mission and how it might work in the real world. Unfortunately it also shows the limits of that approach: after wiping out a fictitious country (because everyone had blood on their hands!) the Spectre goes to Northern Ireland and does ... nothing. It's hard to see any reason for that other than the DC Earth is supposed to look like ours and not have a big hole where Ireland used to be. That said, this was very good--I do hope we see more collections out.

[Francisco Becerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another blast collection of the Spectre, written masterfully by Ostrander. This time this Spectre WIPES OUT AN ENTIRE COUNTRY and then he has to deal with the consecuences. Then, the US government tries to assess the Spectre's weaknesses in one of the most creative ways: by interviewing his old partners in the JSA. Finally, who will lead the charge against the mighty Spectre? None other but Superman armed with the Spear of Destiny! Gosh, the only way this could be better is if it was written by Moore or Morrison, but Ostrander has all the credits by pulling this off in the most elegant way. Fantastic read!

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ostrander wrote a thinly veiled "Chick tract" comic... which added nothing to the moral dead ends we see in the Bible. How much more complex and rich would these ethical dilemmas presented be had DC modeled it more closely to Vertigo's Swamp Thing and Constantine at that time? Still, I find Spectre an intriguing character... just not as a stand in for all of us "sinners". Two stars, but only because it has Phantom Stranger and Etrigan.

[Valerio Pastore · Rating 5 out of 5]

E' difficile comprendere quanto sia rivoluzionario questo fumetto: un essere di fatto onnipotente ma limitato nel riuscire ad applicarlo quando davvero serve, il tormento di un'entità superiore limitata dalla propria umanità, e il tutto condito con dei disegni di un Mandrake in stato di grazia, in un contesto che mescola la cosmogonia supereroistica con il monoteismo occidentale -e senza cadere nel ridicolo!
Siete pregati di scoprire questo capolavoro!