Tigerman #2
Published and © by Atlas (Seaboard), June 1975
Title: “Stalker in a Concrete Jungle”
Synopsis: Revenge arrives from Africa in the form of the Blue Leopard, who stalks the streets of New York seeking Tiger-Man.
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Steve Ditko
Review: Seen through a contemporary lens, Tigerman suffers from its white-savior tropes and poorly done cultural appropriation – so much so that the Blue Leopard might now be seen as the protagonist of this story. But even in its time, this series fell short of its potential. Gerry Conway’s script isn’t awful, just flat; there is little here in the way of storytelling charms. Flat also describes Steve Ditko’s art, particularly when it comes to the physical environments. His anatomy is also stiff; this worked great for an awkward teen like Spidey, but less well on a character with a tiger’s grace.
Grade: C+
Cool factor: Umm, with Conway and Ditko is seems like there should be some cool in here somewhere. Hmm. Still looking.
Not-so-cool factor: Blue Leopard is a white guy in a blue costume on the cover, while inside he’s a black man in an orange costume. And this might actually be one of the more accurate Atlas (Seaboard) covers!
Notable: The logo and dialogue say Tiger-Man, but the indicia says Tigerman.
Character quotable: “In the name of heaven … where does the hero end, and the madman … begin?” – Tiger-Man, with a little self-reflection
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on July 10, 2020.
