Reaction to 52 #34 (contains spoilers)

Okay, today there is no blog post. None. Zip. Nil. Nada.

I was going to type one, but I stumbled across a livejournal reaction to what happened with Osiris in #52 which can be paraphrased as "It's what happened with Max Lord all over again."

This naturally caused every logic-comprehending cell in my brain to overload in a simultaneous conbustion that amounted to a supernova in my cerebrum.

I like Osiris. I like him a lot. But dude...NOT THE SAME.

(The following contains spoilers!)

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1. Max Lord was a pre-established character. Osiris is a newbie. This is notable because while what happened to Max could debatably be categorized as "character assassination", we haven't had enough time to really get to know what kind of character Osiris IS.

2. Max Lord was portrayed as conscience-less and immoral before getting the old snapola. Osiris is a kid who went a little too far defending his sister.

3. Max Lord, while occasionally morally ambiguous, has shown enough of a difference in personality to make the change...startling, to say the least. Osiris has, thus far, been portrayed as an exciteable teenager very attached to his sister and not used to his powers.

4. Max Lord wasn't portrayed as redeemable. Osiris, very clearly, seems to be. It was, for all intents and purposes, an accident.

5. Max Lord was the mastermind of his own downfall. While 52 clearly indicates someone else orchestrating events. Thus Osiris is more of a victim than anything else.

6. Max Lord's evil revelation occurred at the end of Countdown. We've still got a good 16 issues to go for 52. That's more than enough time to make reparations. (He's still gotta be a Titan after all.)

Honestly, I think what happened in 52 should have very interesting consequences and could very well be ultimately a GOOD thing for the Osiris character. The Black Marvel Family hasn't particularly been known for their restraint. Osiris however has just slammed headfirst into the need for it. He seems like a good kid, really, and as we have reason to believe he doesn't just quit being a hero, he's clearly going to learn from this situation.

Besides, considering teenage impulsiveness combined with superpowers, I'm surprised this sort of thing hasn't happened more often.

It's actually really promising too. Osiris as he was before could never truly be more than an enthusiastic anti-hero type in the vein of Adam himself. A largely moral character but not one that follows conventional heroic mores and is willing to occasionally step over the line as needed. The trauma from this experience could set Osiris up as a truly heroic character though. One who understands that the ends NEVER justify the means.

Besides, if any comparison is valid, it isn't to Max Lord. It's to Superboy Prime. Both were portrayed as largely innocent kids before getting caught up in the heat of battle, underestimating their own power with tragic consequences.

The contrast is what's key though. Superboy Prime's first kill was accidental but he didn't stop. He kept killing and maiming and blaming everyone else for his failure. Osiris, on the other hand, made a tragic mistake and STOPPED. He's clearly horrified by what happened. He's not trying to blame someone else.

I think this was a necessary point in the poor kid's evolution. And it's the first time I've ever had an inkling of hope that the character might be allowed to survive and remain active after 52. I found him amusing before hand, but this is the very first time I've truly found him intriguing. He's finally being tested.

I want the next issue of 52. I want it NOW. I want to see the fall-out from this. I want to see what he does next. Besides. He has a crocodile. And that's just cool!

(Besides. Anyone who didn't see some sort of fall headed for a character named Osiris really ought to have their heads examined. Just sayin'. :-))