Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Beware the Creeper # 4

By Koppy McFad
August 3, 2003 - 14:24

For those who came in late, this series has little connection to the old Steve Ditko character. It is set in 1920s Paris, during the rise of the avant-garde art scene. A mysterious, garishly-dressed woman called the Creeper has been committing various "art crimes" which have seized the imagination of the public while gaining the ire of the police.

There is a mystery over whom in the cast of characters, is really the Creeper. The "baddies" are a wealthy, aristocratic family, who stand for the old values threatened by the new age. Need I mention that the aristocrats have some weird habits of their own? No, I thought not.

This comic does succeed in taking the reader into a new world, one that is not set in modern-day America or in some fantasy universe. As far as I can tell, it is historically-convincing. Perhaps not totally accurate but it does convince the reader that this is how 1920s Paris was like.

There is an excess of topless women depicted in this issue but they have realistic proportions and are often depicted in less-than-titillating fashion. A scene pays a "tribute" to Jack Ryder. Old fan boys will either be amused or irritated.

After being embraced by the Paris smart set, who consider her some sort of hero, we discover that the Creeper can be genuinely destructive. Indeed, she may be closer to a terrorist than a merry prankster. The Creeper herself begins to fully realize the severity of her actions after one of her art crimes claims at least one life. Clearly, this series isn't due for a happy ending.

Chiang's art gives this series a look of both faded elegance and emerging decadence. For the city of lights, he makes Paris look rather menacing and dirty. His weakness may be his faces. Too many of his characters look similar, especially the women. This is a big problem in a series where the reader is being challenged to guess which of the women is really the Creeper.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12