“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Night Man #11

“Never a Power Ranger around when you really need one.”

The Night Man #11

Malibu Comics/Ultraverse (August, 1994)

“Turning On”

WRITER: Steve Englehart

PENCILER: John Dennis

INKER: Thomas Florimonte

COLORING: Mickey Rose & Foodhammer!

LETTERER: Kevin Cunningham

EDITOR: Roland Mann

In the year 451, a knight named Theoric prepares to take on the Huns, who took his wife and daughters. His son is ready to stand beside him, until his body is taken over by Boneyard, later enemy of Mantra’s reincarnated half. Theoric is killed, but his spirit remains in the armor until 1994, where it was being used to inspire the second Teknight. The Night Man was looking for TNTNT, but came across the Teknight armor at JD Hunt’s lab before being attacked by Tyrannosaurus, a dude in a dinosaur inspired suit. Teknight II’s pilot, Lance, gets in the armor, but Theoric’s spirit has transferred itself to Teknight. The Night Man manages to escape, but how will these events play out in the future.

What they got right: Much of the story is told from Theoric’s perspective, only rarely breaking into the normal perspective once Theoric’s spirit reawakens in his old armor before transferring to the Teknight armor. While I’m not a fan of the magical side of the Ultraverse, I appreciate the shared universe, plus if memory serves Teknight is tied more to Prototype than The Night Man.

What they got wrong: Meaning our hero is barely in his own story, with the focus on Theoric’s backstory tied to a different Ultraverse hero. It seems more suited for Prototype. Plus, Theoric’s conversation with his son and later Boneyard (meaning Mantra will probably be involved with this at some point even though he’s only responsible for past events) is kind of clunky, more to fill in the reader than make sense to that reader. You also have to know who Boneyard is to appreciate him being here, and I only know him because I gave Mantra a try and wasn’t into it.

What I think overall: More set-up than a proper story. We’ll have to see what comes of it to see how necessary the story was to The Night Man specifically or the Ultraverse in general.