Kane (1993) 31

Kane (1993) 31

Jun 2001

Killing the Hero!

by Paul Grist

A man and shoots and kills Mega Man. Kane is assigned to the case. Officer Perez points out that he met Mega Man once or twice and the dead man isn’t of the right stature to be Mega Man.

The investigation leads to Doctor Gosciny, a psychiatrist, who identifies the victim as Ned Stymer. He explains something about the experimental treatment that Stymer was undergoing and what dressing as Mega Man had to do with it. He also mentions that Ned Stymer was just one of 17 patients of his who were undergoing the same treatment.

Kane (1993) 30

Kane (1993) 30

Mar 2001

Day One

by Paul Grist

Kane meets his new partner, Dennis Harvey, and gets acquainted with his comrades at the 39th Precinct, during his first day on the job. He also gets a taste of what to expect in the months and years ahead as he witnesses firsthand the special treatment that Oscar Darke receives.

Thoughts

I could go into more detail but, as is frequently the case, that feels unnecessary. I think I have summed up the spirit of the story without getting terribly specific.

Kane (1993) 29

Kane (1993) 29

Jan 2001

Crime Night

by Paul Grist

Television reporter Dianne Scott spends a day with the men and women of the 39th Precinct of the New Eden Police Department. She asks lots of questions and follows the police around as they investigate the death of a 14-year-old boy named Ricky. He was playing with his brother Jake, age 4. Their mother is dead. Their older sister died of a drug overdose. Their father suspects a drug dealer who sells drugs very close to where they live. Jake is missing. The police find the drug dealer and later on they find Jake.

Kane (1993) 28

Kane (1993) 28

May 2000

Take Your Partner

by Paul Grist

Young Oscar Darke (see cover) kills a cop and enters into a business relationship with a blind man. Oscar Darke (in the present) meets with Grey, a representative from a criminal organization that is looking to move into Darke’s territory. The meeting takes place at City Limits, a burger joint. Darke isn’t impressed with Grey or his credentials.

Kane (1993) 27

Kane (1993) 27

Jan 2000

Partners in Crime

by Paul Grist

The Blind Man strikes again. This time he kills one of Oscar Darke’s righthand men.

An abandoned truck is claimed by Flagg, a four star general, who explains that the missing contents of the truck, the K-One-RBY power suit, could decimate an entire city. A prototype of the missing power suit wreaks havoc in the NEPD station house. 

Kate Felix goes to see Oscar Darke while wearing a body cam.

Kane (1993) 26

Kane (1993) 26

Sep 1999

Partners²

by Paul Grist

Mega Man helps Officer Perez capture a suspect and then quickly takes off. Perez and his partner let the suspect get away and pocket the cash he was carrying.

Denis Harvey confronts Oscar Darke after Kane gets knifed. Darke claims to know nothing about what happened. Harvey leads a raid on a suspect’s apartment only to find the man already dead from an overdose. 

Kane (1993) 25

Kane (1993) 25

May 1999

Partners

by Paul Grist

Kate Felix searches for Kane, her partner. She questions Oscar Darke but Darke claims to know nothing. Felix receives a phone call that tips her off as to where Kane can be found. 

Kane dreams of an encounter with Dennis Harvey, who used to be his partner. Kane wakes up in time to discover that the Blind Man has captured him. He fights back when the Blind Man gets distracted by the sound of an approaching police siren.

The Blind Man escapes. Kane collapses, after Felix finds him.

Kane (1993) 24

Kane (1993) 24

Mar 1999

Meyer Culpa

by Paul Grist

Detectives Lovett and Marsh interrogate Meyer, the bank employee who stole from the bank where he works (see Kane 5) and then presumably returned the money before anyone could figure out that it was missing.

They ask him all sorts of questions. He thinks about what happened but tells the detectives nothing. Meyer had dreams of stealing money from the bank and what it would buy him.

The police let him go after the actual bank robbers surface. He gets to return to his job at the bank, a hero. He could care less about that. His dreams of women, fast cars, and lots of money go out the window as the story ends and he returns to his miserable job at the bank

Kane (1993) 23

Kane (1993) 23

Jan 1999

Out of Into

by Paul Grist

Apr 21 - Detectives Kane and Felix investigate the fire at the Kitty Kat Klub. They talk to Oscar Darke and Rose Thawn, his attorney. They are pointed in the direction of Everett Moss, a known arsonist who was recently arrested. They talk to him but he has an unimpeachable alibi.

Wesley Lindsey confesses to torching the Kitty Kat Klub but a police report indicates that it was an electrical malfunction that caused the fire. 

Kane (1993) 22

Kane (1993) 22

Nov 1998

Fwankies Big Night Out

by Paul Grist

Frankie goes to the Kitty Kat Klub. Tony Angelo, the singer, is back in town. It’s been decades since he left New Eden. He’s there to sing but he’s also there, on behalf of an unnamed party, to see Oscar Darke.

Frankie sees Tabby, one of the waitresses, getting harassed by a customer. He steps in to do something about it. Todd, the customer, also turns out to be an employee of Mister Grainger, the owner of the Kitty Kat. Grainger sees what’s going on and breaks it up before things go very far. Frankie is satisfied that Tabby is okay but Todd is not satisfied and wants to repay Frankie for stepping into his business.

Todd and Frankie have more words. Mayor Dyson gets involved, as do Tabby and Tony Angelo. 

Kane (1993) 21

Kane (1993) 21

Apr 1998

Requiem for Rico

by Paul Grist

NEPD Officers Lucy Page and Liz Malone search for Queen Jane, a homeless woman who complained to the New Eden PD (see Kane 15) that someone was following her. Their search leads them to a monkey dressed in shorts and a vest. They have to chase the monkey in order to catch him. It leads them to a homeless man who is pushing around a shopping cart that looks the one Queen Jane had.

NEPD Detectives Lovett and Marsh visit Ed Streetz, a reporter who claims to know something about the murder of Rico Costas and the suicide of Officer Lou Stern. They strong arm him but don’t get anything out of him. He claims he doesn’t really know anything and made the story up.

The Blind Man visits Streetz after Lovett and Marsh have left. He also wants to know what Streetz knows. 

Kane (1993) 20

Kane (1993) 20

Feb 1998

Lies, Damn Lies and Lieutenant Wratz

by Paul Grist

Rico Costas is found dead in his cell the next day. There is no sign of the Blind Man. Lieutenant Wratz investigates the death of Rico. There is evidence that Rico was roughed up while in police custody including being sprayed in the eyes with mace. Wratz questions all the police officers at the New Eden police station.

Kane apprehends Ed Streetz, a reporter who is sneaking around the police station disguised as a cleaning person. Kate Felix doesn’t recognize Streetz’ face but she knows him by name. She blames him for something that happened to her father, Tony Felix. 

Kane (1993) 19

Kane (1993) 19

Nov 1997

A Touchy Subject

by Paul Grist

Rico Costas is put on trial. Rose Thawn, Oscar Darke’s lawyer, defends Rico. He is acquitted and leaves the courtroom with a restraining order preventing the New Eden Police from approaching him. Everything seems peachy for Rico but then he starts to receive hints that he should get out of town.

Rico panics after he gets home and finds that someone has search his apartment. He is afraid that the Blind Man, a hitman, is after him. Rico goes to the police and gets himself locked up again, where he will be safe from the Blind Man, or so he believes.

Kane (1993) 18

Kane (1993) 18

Sep 1997

Above & Below the Call of Duty

by Paul Grist

New Eden Police Officer Miguel Perez returns to duty. Donahue and Perez talk to a convenience store owner who chased off three gang members with his shotgun, Alice. Two of them were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds. Perez and Donahue find the third one. Perez shows no mercy once he has him cornered. He beats him after hitting him with their police car.

Art Bessiac hunts for an alligator in the sewers beneath New Eden. He finds it. He also finds Sergeant Nelson who wrestles with the gator and kills it with his bare hands. Bessiac shoots Nelson who seems at least half-crazed. 

The issue ends with the return of Kane. He is near the river. He’s there to investigate the death of a man who spent most of the issue fleeing from a blind man. 

Kane (1993) 17

Kane (1993) 17

Jun 1997

Fears to Tread

by Paul Grist

Sergeant Nelson, leader of the Assertive No-Go Emergency Liason (ANGEL) Squad goes in to Independence Park by himself. He orders everyone the rest of his team to stay out. He gets into a fight with three members of the Park Keeper Gang. He deals with them and and keepss going.

Leroy, another member of the Park Keeper Gang, holds Mayor Dyson hostage with a knife in the basement of Independence Park. Mister Floppsie Whoppsie, undercover police officers Liz and Lucy, television reporter Dianne Scott and her cameraman, Henry Jacobs, and the Plunderer are also in the basement. Things get a bit chaotic. Everyone tries to avoid getting stabbed by Leroy who stabbed Henry Jacobs in the previous issue.

Kane (1993) 16 (2)

Kane (1993) 16

Apr 1997

Chains

by Paul Grist

Captain Dexter of the New Eden Police Department watches a situation develop at Independence Park. Three years ago, a teenager, a member of the Keepers (a local gang), was killed by police officers after the teen pulled a toy gun on them. Riots broke out. Today, Independence Park is trying to celebrate a milestone. The celebration is organized by Henry Jacobs but before the day is over Jacobs has been stabbed by a member of the Keepers while standing up to a gang member who was threatening Mayor Dyson with a knife. 

Other stuff happens in this story. Mister Floppsie Whoppsie and the Plunderer are both at Independence Park but don’t cross paths with one another. The sniper strikes again. There’s a man trying to sell bulletproof vests. A police officer posing as a balloon lady is stuck in the middle of it all. Nelson, the head of the ANGEL Squad, badgers Captain Dexter as the situation at Independence Park evolves. Nelson offers to clear up the situation at Independence Park but it isn’t until after things really go south that Dexter gives Nelson the go ahead to move forward and clean things up. 

Kane (1993) 16 (1)

Kane (1993) 16

Apr 1997

Stripes (Part 2)

by Paul Grist

Detective Lovett breaks in to Manny Tate’s apartment while he is on the phone with Sergeant Max Anderson. Tate opens fire on Lovett but misses him. Marsh shows up. Tate is out of bullets. Marsh shoots and kills him.

Marsh picks up the phone. Anderson is still on the line but hangs up when Marsh starts speaking. Lovett points out that Tate couldn’t be the sniper because there is no rifle in his apartment. 

The story ends with (1) Anderson revealing to the reader that he didn’t squeal on Manny Tate back in the day and (2) Perez, who is still in the hospital, getting a visit from the same Internal Affairs detective that interviewed his partner is the previous issue. 

Kane (1993) 15

Kane (1993) 15

Feb 1997

Stripes

by Paul Grist

Sergeant Max Anderson of the New Eden Police Department tells the story of how he squealed to Internal Affairs when he learned that Detective Manny Tate was taking money from Oscar Darke. Manny Tate went to prison but he’s out now and calls Anderson to harass him.

Donahue visits Perez in the hospital. Donahue has his arm in a cast. Perez is conscious but in worse shape than Donahue. Perez tries to talk to Donahue about what happened that night (see Kane 13) but Donahue cuts him off. Donahue later is called in to talk to Internal Affairs.

Kane (1993) 14

Kane (1993) 14

Aug 1996

Officer Katie NEPD

by Paul Grist

Kate Felix flashes back to a childhood memory of the New Eden Police Department. It was the day that she first met Dennis Harvey. He was already a police officer at the time. 

Thoughts

The flashback fills up 24 of the 32 pages in this issue. The narrative doesn't jump back and forth between the present and the past, seven of the eight pages that are set in the present come at the end of the story, after the flashback.

Kane (1993) 13

Kane (1993) 13

May 1996

Point of View

by Paul Grist

Donahue, the young veteran, and Perez, his new partner, drive around New Eden. Donahue introduces Perez to some of the people with whom he’s familiar. They chase a few suspects, eat some donuts (from Hungry Howard), and talk about Precinct House, a TV police drama. 

Thoughts

It’s been six months since I last read Kane.