Guardian 3
From Barbelith
“Siege at Century Hollow”
Barbelith thread: Robots with rifles! Vulnerable human flesh! (http://www.barbelith.com/topic/20483/from/140).
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Background and General Commentary
Summary:
Pent-up resentment between two married roboticists leads to a deadly hostage situation at Century Hollow, New York City's most unusual science park. The Hollow is a scaled-down robotic model of the planet Earth with a population of 100, designed to demonstrate global demographics in action. When the robots are reprogrammed as resentful, violent terrorists, only The Manhattan Guardian and the Newsboy Army are on hand to save the terrified, tram-riding tourists. Jake Jordan must save the day while struggling with frustration in his personal life, where his relationship with Carla is in danger of falling apart. When Jake tells Ed he's throwing in the towel, Stargard's only chance to win Jake back may be the biggest story of his career: the true tale of the Seven Soldiers and the Original Newsboy Army.
General Commentary:
The Seige at Century Hollow parallels both events in Jake Jordan's personal life and the over-arcing story of the Sheeda attack that the Seven Soldiers must repel. Hannah Control says that "The Hollow is modelling a world where everyone is a terrorist," and "a world where unchecked weapons proliferation goes hand in hand with social breakdown." Simultaneously, Jake is dealing with a 'social breakdown' of his own. He has already lost Larry and with Carla threatening to leave him, he is in danger of losing his last family ties, the last of his support structures. He feels alone in the world and finds himself literally fighting off the population of the world. On a broader scale, the torching of Century Hollow by Jake and the Newsboys may foreshadow what the Sheeda intend to do to the Earth. According to Gloriana Tenebrae in Shining Knight #3, the purpose of the Harrowing is to reset civilization back to the stone age after global society has grown too corrupt and decadent. If the Sheeda have their way, all of Earth may burn amidst chaos and destruction in much the same way as Century Hollow.
Annotations
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Page 1
PANEL 2 - "We chose to t-transform the long neglected heart of architect Frank Lloyd Wright's magnificent Ellis Island Key into a breathtaking working model of world demographics!"
It turns out that "Frank Lloyd Wright's magnificent Ellis Island Key" has some basis in historical fact. It was a proposed architectural project that never came to be. There is a reference to it in this article (http://www.thecityreview.com/ellis.htm) about the history of the island and various redevelopment plans.
The following quote is from the book, The A.I.A. Guide to New York, Third Edition, (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988), by Elliot Willensky and Norval White.
"Among the sundry ideas for tampering with the island whose name is synonmous with the immigrant experience, several have come from noted architects. Based on some sketches made by Frank Lloyd Wright shortly before his death, the Taliesin group proposed a semicircular megacomplex of hotel and apartment towers called Key Project, which looked like an early attempt at a NASA space station in New York harbor."
For more information about the proposed, but unbuilt, architectural marvels Grant Morrison and his collaborators have added to their fictional version of New York City, check this recent article (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/31/arts/design/31star.html?8hpib) from the New York Times. (You will have to register on the site to view the full article.) The article includes the following mention of the Ellis Island Key:
"The opening panel of Manhattan Guardian's third issue, for example, featured Frank Lloyd Wright's domed futuristic complex Ellis Island Key, which the architect designed shortly before he died." (Starr, Alexandra. "It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Architecture!" The New York Times: July 31, 2005.)
Miniature worlds are a favorite of Grant Morrison - see JLA:Classified's infant universe of Qwewq, Atom #1000000's origin (where our own universe is a miniature within another) and The Filth #2.
Page 10
PANEL 1 - "...Storms show no sign of abating as hurricane Gloria reaches epic proportions off the coast of Hondoras..."
Chad - "Oh yeah. And we should paying attention to TV and radio in 7S/DCU... Mention of a 'Hurricane Gloria' means the Sheeda are affecting weather patterns."
As we saw in Guardian #1, radio and television broadcasts may contain references to events taking place in other Seven Soldier books. The name Gloria is similar to Gloriana Tenebrae, the villain in Shining Knight. Is there a connection? Only time will tell.
Hurricane Gloria will hit Florida around about the time of Mister Miracle #3.
It will move up the east coast and hit Philadelphia concurrently with Frankenstein #3.
Page 20
PANEL 5 - "I made you, Hanna Control!"
Mr Tricks - "Does anyone else suspect that the wife (Mrs Control) was/is actually one of those robots, and it was He that was having sex with the robots. Something about his parting words "I MADE you!" at the very end."
Is it possible Jorge is being literal? There is certainly something slightly robotic about Hanna's behavior. There's her slight stutter, her formal manner of speaking, and her unwavering adherence to her monologuing, tour-guide persona in the face of total chaos. Is Hanna Control simply a brilliant woman who has more fondness for machines than she does for human beings? Or did Jorge Control literally "make" her to be the perfect robot bride? If that is the case it would make her contempt for him even more painful.
Page 22
PANEL 2 - "This one's about the Seven Soldiers and the secret history of the original Newsboy Army!"
Editor Stargard reveals his true identity. Based on the solicitations for next issue, it appears that Ed is Baby Brains, a member of the original Newsboy Army, an organization whose members include Captain 7, Kid Scarface, Baby Brains, Ali-Ka-Zoom, Chop Suzi, Li’l Hollywood and Millions the Mystery Mutt. Ali-Ka-Zoom has appeared in Shining Knight and Zatanna. While Baby Brains grew up to be Ed Stargard, the reclusive publisher, Kid Scarface grew up to be the murderous mafioso, Vincenzo the Undying Don. Li'l Hollywood appears in Bulleteer #3.
And yes, contrary to what we may have seen on the big TV screen, Ed is bald.
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