Big Bang Chronological Part 8: Berzerker #4

The fourth and final Big Bang “try-out” story appeared in the back-up slot of Berzerker #4 in December 1993. By then we were planning and starting to create what would become the original Big Bang Comics mini-series from Caliber Press, in which we would establish the Golden, Silver and Modern Ages of the Big Bang universe.

This particular story was the introduction to Big Bang’s modern era and featured a character called Brother ‘Hood. It was both a prequel and sequel to the 4 issue Knight Watchman: Graveyard Shift mini-series, even though there was no sign of the Knight Watchman in this 8 page story, which

showed former cop Bob Locke returning to the streets of Midway City to wage an urban war against the most corrupt city in America.

Brother ‘Hood was conceived by Chris Ecker as an urban telling of the Robin Hood legend. The comatose Mayor Lionel Richards (originally Linus Richmond in Berzerker #4) was an avatar for King Richard the Lionhearted, Acting Mayor John Princeton for Prince John, and Father Tucker is obviously Friar Tuck. Oh yes, and Robert Locke was standing in for Robin of Locksley: Robin Hood.

Lt. Bob Locke was a rarity in the Midway City Police Department: an honest cop. When Mayor Richards was blown up in an assassination attempt, the corrupt Deputy Mayor John Princeton declared that Locke was part of the conspiracy and had him thrown into prison.

The events in Brother ‘Hood were published almost a year before Graveyard Shift #1 saw print, but actually take place after Graveyard Shift #4, when Locke had been cleared by the Knight Watchman but had declined to return to the police department. Brother ‘Hood became an urban guerrilla. He took from the rich and the corrupt and gave to the poor. His plan was to aid, mobilize and protect the ghetto dwellers and downtrodden elements of Midway City.

Unfortunately, only this one Brother ‘Hood story ever appeared. Big Bang moved from Caliber to Image Comics after the first two issues of Graveyard Shift were published. They were reissued with new covers and retro Knight Watchman back-up stories at Image, before issues 3 and 4 finally appeared. We never did get back to telling more of Bob Locke’s stories.

Just for the record, Berzerker #4 wasn’t Brother ‘Hood’s first appearance. There was a very limited edition promotional ashcan that was made available at the Chicago Comicon in the summer of 1993 and contained the entire 8 page story with a different cover. That’s it at the top of this story.

Chris Ecker just reminded me that Brother ‘Hood also appeared in Steve Darnall’s one shot comic Unkown Quantities which was a one-shot benefit anthology commemorating the 1999 March of Americas, benefitting the Kensington Welfare Rights Union. It also included the work of Alex Ross, Neil Gaiman, Rick Veitch, and Alan Moore.