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Summary  Dane (Jack Frost) is in 2012 recounting the encounter at the House of Fun to a man with blond hair. Jack protects himself from the Archon with a circle of ash, while Jim Crow shoots Zombies with the power of his erotic visualisations. Jack in his circle re-experiences the past and one of his ex-girlfriends - but the memory has been distorted and fouled by the Archon. He is succumbing when he experiences Barbelith - Boy and Mr Six find him in a trance in front of the body of the King-of-all-Tears. He can't be stirred, and while in the trance his future self talks to him about his role in the Universe and he becomes connected. But the abscess in reality is beginning to blow... Characters o Jack Frost o Unnamed Blond Man (Invisible?) o Boy o Mr Six o Ragged Robin o Jim Crow o King-of-all-Tears o King Mob o Lord Fanny o Sir Miles o Miss Dwyer Analysis o |
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Annotations The title is a reference to Nikos Kazantzakis' novel "The Last Temptation of Christ," which was adapted to film by Martin Scorcese. [JB] o [page 1] I might be wrong, but nonetheless: The guy with Dane is Gary. "Gaz". The missing member of the Croxteth Posse. Several years older, and lobotomized, but that's definitely Gary. [CGU] panel 2: According to 2.06, the man with Dane is the Buddha on the road. Who is he? [PV] I don't think the reference in 2.06 was to this guy. After all, since Jack is supposed to be the Buddha, it probably isn't this guy. In addition, there is the phrase "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him," which basically is a warning against false prophets and the like. But as to who the man is Jack's talking to, I have no idea. [CG] Dane is not "the" Buddha, he is *a* buddha. There is a gnostic concept in that we were once all God, but we've all forgotten it. Morrison is using Balbelith as the signpost we all created when we were God to lead us the way back... Check the early issues and it will confirm it. [JK] "Technoccult" poster: According to Robin, they're financed by the conspiracy. See 2.06 [CG] o [page 9] [panel 4] We can read Dane's complete name: Dane PAUL McGowan. Behind Dane's tomb there's a statue very similar to Superman. [PV] About Danes full name: on page 13 his gravestone is missing his middle name. This looks too big to be an error on the artist's part, but it's back on page 16. [L] o [page 14] For those not familiar with Buddhism, this issue draws very heavily on the story of how the Buddha attained enlightenment. I believe the gods tried to distract him from this task, first sending gods of lust to hold him to earth with erotic visions. This page corrseponds to that. [RD] o [pages 15-17] After lust failed to move the Buddha, the gods of death took over, taunting him with visions of his own doom. I think after that demonic armies were raised against him, to no avail. Also note that Dane is doing *exactly* what the Buddha did: sitting under a tree, saying nothing and doing nothing. [RD] [page 16] [panel 2] "I think it's V.SAD" What does this mean? [PV] Future-slang for 'very sad?' [BSI] o [page 20] [panel 1] The perfect human soul is a RED GLOBE. The omnipresent red globe. [PV] [panel 3] For those of us like Dane, Webster's says that a Manichaean is a believer in a syncretistic religious dualism originating in Persia in the 3rd century A.D. and teaching the release of the spirit from matter through asceticism. [RD] [panel 5] And again like the story of the Buddha, the enemy gods admit defeat, and the Buddha ascends to a higher understanding. [RD] o [page 21] [panel 1] More on Robin's bracelet in 2.01, page 7. [RL] panel 3: We learn Robin's Birthday: June 14, 1988. This is only a few months before Grant's first issue of Doom Patrol, with the first appearance of Crazy Jane, came out. We also learn they share the same name (Kay) in 2.2, pg 14. [BSI] o [page 23] [panel 1] "The cat in the hat": a children's book written by the late Dr. Seuss. [JB] "I knew who killed Prof. Plum in the kitchen with the fucking revolver": This is a reference to the board game "Clue." To win you have to find out who was the killer, which room the murder was committed in, and what weapon was used. [JB] So, did Dane win, or the King? [L] |
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