“It doesn’t mean jump on my car, man!”
Solitaire #3
(can we really call this a jumping on point in the third issue?)
Malibu Comics/Ultraverse (February, 1994)
“Curse Of The Monkey Woman”
WRITER: Gerald Jones
PENCILER: Patrick Rolo
INKER: Bobby Rae
COLORING: Keith Conroy & Foodhammer!
LETTERER: Patrick Owsley
EDITOR: Hank Kanalz
Someone is killing people, and they’re smugglers tied to possibly sentient primates. Solitaire investigates, with his investigation being the focus of the story along with more of Solitaire’s backstory, when he first learned about his father’s operations and started secretly pushing back as Solitaire, using his father’s own money to start his operation. Tracking the smugglers down, our hero ends up being captured by the leader of the smuggling voodoo cult, the “Monkey Woman”. While Solitaire takes down the human villains the orangutans capture him as the Monkey Woman leaves him as a sacrifice to her “god” a very large and violent gorilla.
What they got right: We get to see more of Solitaire’s contacts and learn more of when and why he began this quest to bring down his own father’s criminal operations.
What they got wrong: Even in California, I have a tough time believing there’s no black people smuggling weapons, unless they’re talking about the quality of weapons, since nukes were brought up at one point. Also curious how these various breeds of primates are giving the Monkey Woman and at least one of her minions orders.
What I think overall: We won’t have to wait long for the conclusion. Thankfully the reading order list is going to let me read the next issue next time and see how this story ends. I guess they like Solitaire more than they do Prime.
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