Oh yeah! It’s back, the column of the hour, the tower of power – The Triple M! Welcome to you all and I hope the Super-Bowl was good for all of you (as this is done in advance I have no idea how it was for me yet…… but I got a feeling Indianapolis pulled it out). Let’s get down with some Milestone Madness as we take a look at Static #4

(Click the cover for a larger version!)

Static #4 picks up in the aftermath of the Static/ Tarmack fight from last issue. Holocaust has shown up, and takes credit for sending Tarmack after Static. He tells Static that he sent Tarmack to test him, and that he didn’t think he would bug out and hurt people. Holocaust promises Static he will make good on repairs to Akkad’s and take care of anyone who was hurt. He offers Static two things, a ride in a nice stretch limo and a banana berry cola, as he gives Static a sales pitch on what it would be like to roll with Holocaust. He gives him the “Life According to Holocaust” speech as he compliments him on his brains getting him past Tarmack. He tells Static that for all the good work he does, he is missing the big picture. Holocaust’s worldview involves money & status, and he clues Static in on this. “Look at ‘em.” He tells Static “Can they fly? You risk your life every day for them? You gonna get something for it or give it away? These rich SOB’s, what they got that we don’t? Brains? Talent? It’s LUCK! It’s CONNECTIONS! Who you know. Who your Daddy know. It’s Birthright. Well WE got their Birthright beat all to hell.”

Holocaust brings Static to an abandoned theatre that he has obviously fixed up, filled with cars and TV’s and of course women:

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Holocaust has started Static on the road to “if you want it, take it” land, and their first pit stop is at Don Cornelius’ house. Holocaust takes his limo (which honestly looks like “Pimp My Ride” got their hands on it) and takes on the Don’s guards in a quest to talk to him. Static begins to see that Holocaust does not exactly use his power in a “responsible manner”. Holocaust heats up the guns in the guard’s hands, and Static has to yank them out of their grasps before someone is badly hurt. Holocaust takes that action as Static just watching his back like he asked him to, and he thanks him for saving him the effort in disarming the thugs. Static is floating near the limo thinking that things are moving way too fast, when guard dogs go on the attack!

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Holocaust is clearly a mean bastard, and is not afraid to use force to get his point across. Static just doesn’t know what to do at this point, he is obviously conflicted between Holocaust’s words and actions and his own conscience. He does agree to meet Holocaust back at the Don’s the next night where Holocaust promises to deliver his message for the Don personally. He needs to talk to someone though, so Static takes off for Frieda’s house for a quick chat to help him decide what to do. What he finds there is proof of Holocaust’s mission statement of “Like I always say, If you don’t take it someone else WILL.” He views his friend Larry and his erstwhile crush Frieda kissing on her front porch, and in a true “after school special” moment begins to freak out on the both of them. He can’t believe that after all he has told Frieda about his double life, and after taking Larry’s advice to shoot a gang member who was messing with him, that they would not be honest with him. He blasts Larry with a static shove (which Larry mistakes for a punch…. Thankfully it was a dark night to cover Virgil’s slip yup with his powers) and stalks away mad, Holocausts words ringing in his head as he proclaims that he cannot trust either one of this friends.

The next morning he is faced with the prospects of explaining his lack of employment to his Mother. Mama Hawkins is clearly ticked off at Virgil for losing yet another job, and yells at him for being worthless. She is ticked because Virgil knows they need the extra money, yet he can’t be responsible enough to keep any sort of employment. When Virgil protests that he worked hard, his mom fires back “Not lately from what I hear. I don’t know what it is you DO work hard on anymore”. Holocaust’s words “If you ain’t Takin’, you’re getting’ TOOK” ring in Virgil’s head again as his mother is letting him have it.

Holocaust’s words also hit Virgil hard when he hangs out with some of his friends, and the subject of Larry and Freida comes up. Apparently Virgil really was the last one to know about the two being a couple, as all of his friends knew about them already. Virgil is disgusted as he learns this and leaves the arcade, clearly at a crossroads in his life. He goes home and does some research on Don Cornelius. He discovers that his “new friend” was right, and feels he was right about a lot more than the Don’s criminal behavior. “SO my friends can’t be straight with me and Mom needs cash?” Virgil thinks as he gathers up his Static gear, “ I’ll just help my NEW friend bust a nut on some creep, get the creep’s cash, walk that home to moms, and I’m straight!”

Static and Holocaust then take on the Don once again. Static is ready to do some property damage to teach the Don that he can’t use his people and their money and get away with it. He trashes the Don’s living room, smashing some expensive pieces of art in the process. Holocaust feels that it’s a nice start, but decides to ramp it up a notch. The duo finds the Don and his family, and Holocaust starts to let his temper get the best of him. Holocaust tells the don that he insulted him by having one of his “mooks” tell him that “The Don got no time for Moolies”, that means that the Don has to suffer.

“I couldn’t kill your little girl, that’d be cruel” he tells the frightened Don, “I could kill your woman, but you wouldn’t hardly give a $&*#%. Now your Boy, y’now boys almost always grow up to be trouble. I’d practically be doin’ you a favor!” Holocaust then asks Static whether or not he should kill the frightened young boy, and Static has now idea how to respond or what to do at this point. Sweat is gathering under his mask and all he manages to do is sound nervous about the next move. Holocaust takes this response under advisement as he says “How ‘bout I just do his clothes ..”

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FINALLY, Static realizes this Holocaust guy is a big chump, and he does the right thing. Holocaust yells at Static that HE needs to do this, and he needs Static to just follow orders, show unity, and not ask any questions! Static tells him that he needs to get a grip, and Holocaust responds by telling him that he is clearly no longer worth his time and tells him to leave with what he came with. Static leaves, after seeing that the Don and his family will be safe, as he realizes that Holocaust is just a big loser/ bully playing a dangerous game with a different set of rules than him.

Virgil realizes, as the issue closes, that he was a little too hard on Larry and Frieda and decides to forgive them both. His mom asks him about the “job” he left for the previous night and whether it was a hoodlum kind of job. He of course tells her no, and she replies “Good. We raised you better than that.” Virgil, through his dealings with Holocaust, realizes the truth in that statement. He has shown this good upbringing by being the hero and not becoming “’lil Holocaust”.

This issue of Static showed our hero facing a huge moral dilemma both in his personal life and in his super-hero identity. He ends up doing the right thing, and learns the big lesson that friends are fallible and that there is no easy way to get by in life (despite Holocaust promising otherwise). Robert Washington and Dwayne McDuffie crafted an entertaining story, and the art by J.P. Leon was top notch as usual. All in all another great issue in my favorite (and obviously Bahlactus’ as well) of the Milestone books.

That’s it for today; check back next week for more Milestone action!

This entry was posted on Monday, February 5th, 2007 at 1:32 am and is filed under milestone mondays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.