Kingdom of The Blind (1990)

All illustrations are © Kevin O'Neill & Pat Mills

First edition

This 46 pages story, drawn, inked and colored by Kevin O'Neill, was first published by Apocalypse Ltd in 1990. It has been issued in two formats: larger magazine size in UK as Toxic! Present #1 (printed on newspaper quality paper), and in comics format in the USA (printed on glossy paper with hard cardboard cover). In term of content, the differences between these two editions are minimal: no third of cover and back cover dedicated to Marshal Law for the UK edition, but two additional small thumbnails in the second of cover. In terms of printing quality, the UK edition is murkier that the US edition.

larger UK edition

Above, cover and back cover of the US edition. Below comparison between the second of cover of the UK edition (left hand side) and US edition (right hand side).

third of cover US edition

Plot

The third in chronological order of publication, this story was originally intended to follow immediately the original miniseries (indeed we witness the funeral of the Public Spirit). Our favorite psychotic policeman has to face Scott Brennan, aka the Private Eye, a wealthy media mogul. Just like the Batman, Scott Brennan is a self proclaimed vigilant, but with more radical methods. Marshal Law is torn between his duty as a policeman, and his admiration for the Private Eye. He decides to tolerate his deeds further, but it is a choice that will cost him dearly.

Themes

There is a central and recurring character in the work of Pat Mills, Torquemada the inquisitor. Various incarnations of this villain (being sometimes the main character) are used as an archetype in many of Mills series: Nemesis The Warlock, Sha, Requiem Vampire Knight, The Reedemer, to name a few. It allows him to denounce and mock the hypocrisy of religious authorities and their zealots.

Torquemada from Nemesis The Warlock series

There are a lot of aspects of Torquemada in the personality of the Private Eye: a fake mystical righteousness associated with an extremely rigid morality, a steadfast will to punish any sinner, and a tendency to play God. We can add to the mix the desire for immortality in order to complete his work of purification. For further details, Pat Mills talks about his inspiration for Torquemada in his blog here.

Another figure uses by Mills, is the scientist/doctor that uses uncompassionate blind science as an excuse to perpetrate tortures on their subjects (animals or humans). It is one of the seven tutelary figures hunted down by the A.B.C. Warriors in the Khronicles of Khaos saga. Obviously these "not so good" physicians have their own cast in hell in Requiem Vampire Knight too. Here that figure is evoked through Scott Brennan's parents, who experiment on animals, and even on their own child.

Scott Brennan also embodies the power of media, when they are used to influence the general public, and here also to justify against all odds (or simply true facts) the cruel acts and crimes of a vigilant.

As often in Mills works, these themes are addressed frontally in the story ("If you have something to say, just say it"), in this case through a recurring debate between Marshal Law and his deputy Killoton. And the authors spokesperson is not necessarily the one we could have expected.

References

References to comic characters

This story clearly referred to the Batman character (celebrating his Fiftieth anniversary at the time that story was written), mostly the post Frank Miller's bad-ass one. Like the Dark Knight, Scott Brennan is a man with a mission, that will use any means necessary to reach his goal, except killing. But here, the authors push this idea much further, with a Private Eye that uses extremely drastic methods, including the mutilation and torture of his foes. The name Private Eye refers of course to one of Batman surname, the Detective.

We also find some perverted hints to the classical Batman mythology. Like Bruce Wayne, Scott Brennan is a billionaire who after allegedly witnessed the murder of his parents (in fact he has murdered them himself) has been raised by the family butler, and now cruises the streets of San Futuro in his "Private Eye-mobile". And if you ever wonder why Batman's Robins are always young teenagers, Mills and O'Neill have the perfect response to that question.

Biblical, religious and mythological references

Private Eye's chest symbol is the all-seeing eye, whose omnipresent imagery in the comic referred to the all-seeing God consciousness that follows Cain. In the same spirit, this Eye that represents Scott Brennan's control over the media, derived from George Orwell's Big Brother (1984 is a literal reference in the comic). The title of the story is another perfect reference, here to Machiavelli: "In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king".

Other References

The is also a strong association between the Private Eye and vampirism, referring as much to Dracula (Scott Brennan lives in a mausoleum and becomes the Private Eye by night, coming out of a coffin), or to the Countess Bathory (the desire for immortality fulfilled by baths in young boys' blood).

One can also find a small hint to The Pink Panther movie series (Blake Edwards), as Scott Brennan is cultivating the same relationship with his butler than Inspector Clouzot (Clouzot's butler Cato organizes surprise attacks every time Clouzot returns to his home).

Have you noticed?

Marshal Law, the Dark Knight triumphant?

Some juicy quotes

• From Marshal Law responding to Suicida's insults by quoting them: "Call me a fascist pig ... call me a leather-clap tinkerbelle ... call me a poseing ass-hole ... just don't call me a ... a... that word. Okay?" (that word being superhero).
• From the Private Eye urinating from the top of his mausoleum: "Yes, I've pissed on you all... And told you it is raining".
• From Alan Grant's introduction to the US TPB: "I'm truly shocked. I know Mills and O'Neill personally, and I always thought they were decent, God-fearing boys. This celebratory feast of depraved and disgusting ultra-violence shows just how wrong you can be. In a more enlighten society, what they've done to my own personal hero, The Batman, would be illegal!".
• An advert from Scott Brennan's yellow press newspaper:

Reprints

This story was reprinted in the USA by Dark Horse, in its Blood, Sweat, and Fears 1993 paperback, with a small, but hilarious introduction by Alan Grant (se above), and an exclusive montage cover.

Original cover (in its virgin form), as well as second, third and back cover of the original US edition are included (the latter printed with different coloring).

In 2003, Titan Books reissued the Dark Horse paperback on the UK market, with the same title but a different cover (although the Dark Horse cover is included inside the book), and different extra content. This time only the cover of the original US comics is included (again in its virgin form).

this TPB cover reused the cover for the Super Babylon comics

You can find the detailed content of these two books here.

Ten years latter, DC Comics have reprinted this story in its Marshal Law Deluxe Edition (hardcover edition in April 2013, softcover edition in December 2014).

HC edition

HC back cover

SC TPB edition

These reprints only lack the third of cover of Kingdom of The Blind, the original cover being reprinted in its virgin form, and the back cover reprinted with the different coloring of the Dark Horse TPB reprint. You can find the detailed content of these two books here.

International publications

Italian Edition

From October to December 1991, Italian publisher Granata Press has issued the story trough its magazine Nova Express (#6 and #7, perhaps the name of the magazine is a tribute to Watchmen). The larger size magazine is printed on good quality paper. Perhaps the colors are not as vivid as the original comic but its really not an issue. Oddly the story is published "by agreement with Zenda Edition", the french publisher, but Zenda never published any other material than Fear and Loathing. Thanks to Paolo Gugliuzza for pointing out to me the existence of this edition.

Nova Express #6

The translation is credited to Federico Zanettin. From the original comics, it lacks the back cover and third of cover.

issue #7

This story has been collected again in 2014 by RW edizioni, as part of the translation of the 2013 US DC Deluxe edition in three volumes (here in the second softcover volume). Therefore this reprint only lack the third of cover of Kingdom of The Blind, the original cover being reprinted in its virgin form, and the back cover reprinted with the different coloring of the Dark Horse TPB reprint.

The translation has been redone and is credited to Susanna Raule.

Spanish Edition

The US DC Deluxe edition has also been translated in Spanish by ECC ediciones in three volumes.  Kingdom of The Blind is included in the second volume, and just like the US edition this reprint only lack the third of cover of Kingdom of The Blind, the original cover being reprinted in its virgin form, and the back cover reprinted with the different coloring of the Dark Horse TPB reprint. The translation is credited to Albert Agut Iglesias.