A Glimpse of CRIME AND TERROR!

My favourite comic of 2010 was Scott Morse’s Strange Science Fantasy, a six-part miniseries published by IDW. Each issue of the series explored a different facet of pulpy B-movie sci-fi tropes—one dealt with hot rodders in a postapocalyptic future, another featured an amazing colossal soldier sent into space to battle invading cosmic gods…you get the idea. Morse, a Pixar animator in his day job, thrillingly channeled his love of big-idea SF into a form of cartoon storytelling that can only really be described as “pure comics”—not always totally linear or easy to explain, just a creator’s enthusiasm spilling out onto the page in fast & furious fashion. I found Morse’s enthusiasm infectious, and I suspect that enthusiasm will carry over into his new series, Crime And Terror, a new collaboration with writer Steve Niles (30 Days Of Night, Criminal Macabre).

Crime And Terror is said to be forthcoming in a series of original 80-page, self-published hardcovers, but I got my first taste in the form of a special limited edition preview book. This limited, signed edition is printed on cardboard pages with rounded edges in an oversized format, and features two short stories by Niles and Morse. The first, “The Bee’s Knees” follows a lovestruck duo of bank robbers on the run from the law, determined to live together forever—quite literally, it turns out, while the second, untitled story features an ever-shrinking group of survivors surrounded by an army of the living dead. Both of Niles’s stories have a similarly hard-boiled vibe, complete with first-person narration, brought to vivid life by Morse’s blocky, splashy artwork (someone once described his art as looking like a mix of Jack Kirby and Darwyn Cooke, high praise indeed).

I thought “The Bee’s Knees” worked a lot better than the second, but that could just be that I’m suffering from a bit of zombie overload these days (zombie comics, movies, and TV shows seem to be multiplying at a rate that makes their fictional counterparts look lazy!). The “crime and terror” promised by the title certainly can be found in the first story, but the second tale is pretty much just straight-ahead survival horror. Each revolves around a doomed romance, defiant in the face of overwhelming odds. Maybe this will be the thread that connects the future Crime And Terror stories? Based on this early taste, I’m definitely curious to find out.

O Captain! My Five Favourite CAPTAIN AMERICA Moments From The Comics

 The comic book movies I really love (the first Superman, the first Spider-Man, the first Iron Man, The Dark Knight) always send me back to the comics, and Captain America: The First Avenger was no exception. A faithful translation of a four-colour hero’s adventure leaves me jazzed about that character, and reminds me why I like ‘em in the first place. With that in mind, I decided to compile my five favourite Captain America moments from the comics. Keep in mind, these aren’t intended to be the best Cap moments, by any means—just the ones that always stuck in my mind and made him a favourite character of mine since I was a kid. They’re kind of odd choices—they’re not particularly exciting or badass or cool, in many cases. In at least one, they’re downright embarrassing. Still, I think that the basic elements of these scenes, which have always stayed with me for one reason or another, add up to help round out Cap as a standout character for me. So…

If It Ain’t Supposed To Be Broke, Then Fix It (From Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #12)

In the penultimate chapter of Marvel’s first big ensemble maxiseries, a Beyonder-powered Doctor Doom blasted all of the superheroes to bits with a bolt from the blue. However, in the series’ final chapter, Doom accidentally revived the heroes (with a little bit of subliminal suggestion from a Beyonder-possessed Klaw), and the good guys triumphed in the end. Unfortunately, Captain America’s prized shield was shattered by the blast that (temporarily) killed everybody, but that didn’t stop the Star-Spangled Avenger from leading everyone into battle with its fragmented remains. Anyway, as the heroes prepared to return home, they noticed that there were still some residual side effects of the Beyonder’s cosmic powers floating around—side effects that included paranormal wish fulfillment, like Spider-Man being able to restore Dr. Curt Conners from the dead. Cap decided to try and use some of this power to try and restore his most trusted asset from oblivion…

I love this whole sequence—the emotion Cap feels for an inanimate hunk of metal always got to me, even as an eleven-year old. And I love the look of sheer joy on his face when the shield is magically repaired.

Old Soldier (From Daredevil Vol. 1 #233)

The Born Again arc from Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli’s run on Daredevil is the gold standard by which I’ve always judged every DD run that’s come after it. It’s never been matched for storytelling power, grit, or just plain coolness ever since. But one of my favourite aspects of it is its treatment of Cap, who is never actually referred to by name in any of his appearances, and is simply called “the soldier” in the narrative captions. In this series, the Kingpin unleashes a maniacal washout from a failed super-soldier program—the drug-addled lunatic called Nuke—on Hell’s Kitchen, trying to flush out Daredevil. Nuke is defeated, but questions about his origin linger, and Captain America decides to investigate. Looking for Daredevil, he finds his alter ego Matt Murdock instead, who urges him to ask his bosses in Washington about where Nuke came from.

 

This last panel is such a beautifully short and simple distillation of Cap’s entire character—his idealism, how out of place he feels in today’s world—and it’s done with such a simple image and so few words.

3.     Red, White, and Blue Movie (From Incredible Hulk Vol. 1#417)

It’s perennial Marvel sidekick Rick Jones’ bachelor party, so with most of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four (plus numerous other heroes to boot), you know it’s gonna get crazy! Nick Fury kicks off the night by sending a stripper, then the gang settles in to watch a nudie flick. The Vision, like all good nerds, insists on running the projector…

…then he busts Cap for covering his eyes!

Stands to reason that the Marvel Universe’s biggest boy scout would feel embarrassed to be watching a dirty movie…although not as embarrassed as Rick Jones, when he discovers that the star of said movie is his bride-to-be, Marlo! But that’s another story.

Thanks For The Memories (From Avengers Vol. 1 #277)

I’ve written at length here before about my love for the Under Siege storyline from Roger Stern’s outstanding Avengers run. In it, Baron Zemo and his latest incarnation of the Masters Of Evil take over Avengers Mansion, holding several team members hostage while brutalizing others (Hercules is beaten into a coma by the Masters’ biggest bruisers, while poor Jarvis is tortured half to death by Mister Hyde). As always, the Avengers turn the tide and take the Mansion back from Zemo and his goons, but not before they’ve taken the time to trash a bunch of the heroes’ personal effects…including most of Cap’s pre-WWII memorabilia, like his original triangular shield and the only photo he has of his mother.

Man. What a bunch of jerks. Like the Daredevil appearance noted above, this one always drove home the pathos of Cap for me, and immeasurably deepened him as a character.

Sargasso? (From Avengers Vol. 1 #154)

This particular Avengers issue sticks out in my mind as being one of the first comic books I ever owned as a kid, so it obviously already has great meaning for me. It’s a pretty killer issue, starting off with the Vision being taken captive by a bunch of Atlantean renegades, and ending with their ally Tyrak the Treacherous invading Avengers Mansion (notice a theme here?) disguised as the Inhuman known as Triton. Scarlett Witch sees through his disguise, and all hell breaks loose. Unfortunately for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Tyrak is able to make short work of them—he takes out the Witch, Yellowjacket, and the Wasp with knockout gas, crushes Iron Man’s power pack (which renders his armor useless)…but that’s when Cap steps up to the plate, delivering this memorably salty line of dialogue:

Wow, only the Living Legend of World War II could spit that out with a straight face. And he means it, too! That is a guy I want on my side. Too bad Tyrak drops a wall on him a second later—only the Beast escapes to bring reinforcements for next issue’s rematch.

 So there you have it. I’m not sure why none of these scenes are actually from Cap’s own title—there are certainly lots of great moments to be found there—but these are, as I said, the ones that always stayed with me. And if you don’t like ‘em, feel free to shove them up your Sargasso…whatever the heck that means.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, A Mostly Spoiler-Free Review!

 This was starting to look like the summer that the superhero movies needed a superhero to save them. Thor was decent but hardly godlike, X-Men: First Class buried its promise beneath scores of uninteresting secondary characters, and Green Lantern was a forgettable, by-the-numbers affair at best. When it looked like all hope was lost, though, Captain America: The First Avenger roared in on a souped-up Harley and saved the day with an appealing lead, a winning supporting cast, and an affectionately retro sensibility.

 

Captain America begins with a present-day prelude that manages to evoke Aliens, The Thing, and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind all at once, with a research team finding a mysterious airship buried in the arctic ice. Within it is the perfectly-preserved body of a visitor from another era. From there, we flash back to the darkest days of World War II, where Hitler’s chief weapons designer, Johann Schimdt (Hugo Weaving) lays claim to a mysterious otherworldly cube, hoping to harness its powerful energy for his own evil schemes. Meanwhile, in the U S of A, a scrawny Brooklyn kid named Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is once again trying unsuccessfully to enlist in the army; the 98-pound weakling’s history of illness has him declared 4-F, but all he wants is to serve his country (seen in the film’s trailers, the effect of placing Evans’ face on a much smaller actor’s body is a startling but ultimately convincing effect). Catching the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), Rogers is eventually accepted and fast-tracked into a secret military project to create a series of super-soldiers who can defeat the Nazi menace. Injected with experimental formulas and bombarded with “vita-rays”, Rogers is transformed from a scrawny wimp into, well, Chris Evans. An assassin’s bullet ensures the project can never be duplicated, making Rogers a one-of-a-kind hero. Seen by the army as being too valuable to possibly lose in combat, Rogers is sent overseas in a star-spangled outfit and paraded around with showgirls in a series of USO performances. Still, Steve volunteered for the experiment so he would have the chance to save lives, so when he finds out that the platoon of his childhood pal Bucky Barnes has been captured by Schmidt’s nefarious Nazi sub-division, HYDRA, our hero rushes off to save the day, and the career of Captain America begins. Before long, he’s wearing a more practical version of his familiar outfit, and toting around an indestructible shield designed by Howard Stark (father of Tony, AKA Iron Man).

 

Directed with the same affection for the period he brought to The Rocketeer 20 years ago, Joe Johnston’s Captain America is full of earnest, gee-whiz spirit. It’s a colourful, humourous, action-packed blast, helped along by a robust score from Alan Silvestri (Back To The Future, Predator). Early detractors wondered whether or not Chris Evans would be right for the role, having already played a Marvel hero as the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four films. They needn’t have worried—he is an actor, after all, and the cocky Johnny Storm is nowhere to be seen (although longtime Marvel fans should keep their eyes peeled during the World’s Fair sequence for a reference to another Human Torch). His Steve Rogers is a likeable do-gooder, eager to save as many lives as he possibly can. It’s a refreshingly un-ironic performance; when asked by Dr. Erskine if he wants to kill Nazis, he responds, “I don’t want to kill anyone. I just don’t like bullies”. Hayley Atwell provides the love interest as British agent Peggy Carter, thankfully never reduced to the role of screaming damsel-in-distress, and Tommy Lee Jones enjoyably chews the scenery as Cap’s military overseer General Chester Phillips. Hugo Weaving is nice and dastardly as Johann Schmidt and his crimson-faced alter ego, the Red Skull, and Toby Jones snivels admirably as his sidekick, Dr. Arnim Zola.

 

It’s become a common complaint lately that the recent spate of Marvel movies (The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor) have all merely been trailers for 2012’s Avengers film, which will see the heroes team up for the first time. Captain America: The First Avenger had me leaving the theater much more excited at that prospect than any of the above-mentioned films did, but it also stood perfectly well on its own, even with its wraparound present-day sequence that brings the hero into the present day. I personally can’t wait to see how Evans’ Cap fits into the 21^st century, both in The Avengers and, hopefully, a solo Captain America sequel. Easily the best Marvel movie since the first Iron Man, and probably my personal favourite since the original 2002 Spider-Man, Captain America: The First Avenger makes the old-fashioned seem new again. Now let's just hope that Toby Jones' Arnim Zola shows up in a sequel looking like his comic-book counterpart: 

Criminal: Last Of The Innocent #1

It’s been a over week since Criminal: Last Of The Innocent #1 hit the stands at better comic shops everywhere, so I feel justified in discussing it freely—the high concept of this latest in Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ series-of-miniseries is one of its best selling points, but the reveal of it definitely merits a spoiler warning. So, if you just want to take my word for it that it was the best comic I read last week and proceed from there, then by all means, go buy it and then come back to read my thoughts on it. Otherwise, read on while I try to make a point about its greater relevance, both sudden and ongoing.

 Still with me? Or back after reading it? Okay, good. Criminal: Last Of The Innocent is about a guy named Riley Richards, once a fun-loving, all-American teen, returning to his hometown of Brookview to deal with his father’s terminal illness. In the years since he passed on the girl next door, Lizzie, to marry her rich rival, Felicity, Riley’s life has gone down the toilet—he’s in hock to the mob, and Felicity is cheating on him with another one of his childhood friends, Teddy. By the issue’s end, Riley is convinced that the only way to reclaim his fun-loving youth is to murder his cheating wife. Any of these characters sound familiar? Even if you don’t pick up on it right away, the cartoony flashbacks to the gang’s wayward youths spell it out for you pretty quickly—Last Of The Innocent is about what happens after Archie grows up and marries Veronica. If you have never read a Criminal comic before, it doesn’t matter; each of Brubaker and Phillips’ crime series stands alone, even if some of the characters have connections to the protagonists in the preceding series. All you need to enjoy Last Of The Innocent #1 is a love of a good story—particularly a good crime noir story—and a passing knowledge of Archie comics (a little familiarity with Richie Rich and Josie & The Pussycats doesn’t hurt either, but it’s far from essential).

 Last Of The Innocent #1 works on more than one level, as every good story should. As said, it works as a hard-boiled crime story, one where some poor sap who’s had a bad go of things decides that one unforgivable, irreversible act of violence will turn his life around. It also works on a postmodern level, examining what might have become of a group of beloved cartoon archetypes after they all graduated from high school and moved out of their parents’ houses (even if this took them over half a century, in publishing terms). And finally, it works on the level of satire—specifically, a satire of our current preoccupation with, and the inherent dangers of, nostalgia. Riley is so convinced that his childhood was wonderful and perfect that he’s willing to kill it to get it back, even though a) he can’t ever get it back, not really, and b) his childhood maybe wasn’t as wonderful as he thought—the cartoony flashback sequences always seem to have some kind of danger and/or general unwholesomeness lurking around (sex, drugs, and murder were a lot more common in Brookview than in Riverdale, it turns out).

 This is an especially relevant theme, these days. Woody Allen’s latest movie, Midnight In Paris, wrestles with the notion that the good old days were, in fact, highly overrated, and that nostalgia is something of a tender trap. This week, J.J. Abrams’ new film, Super 8 opens—a loving homage to late 1970s/early 1980s sci-fi films like E.T. and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind—and some critics have already accused it of being an empty exercise in Spielberg worship (the legendary director executive-produced Super 8). And, last week’s bombshell announcement that DC Comics plans to relaunch their entire superhero publishing line in September speaks to both the need to let go of the past (70-plus years of continuity will be largely ignored to provide a fresh start for potential new readers, or so we were told at first), while also confirming that, in fact, nostalgia is an inescapable strand of the DNA of comics fans (after early reports of a total reboot, DC’s steady stream of title announcements for the September relaunch reveal that most of these series maintain the previous continuity pretty much intact, despite the requisite costume redesigns and creative team rotations). Even for comic book publishers, it’s tough to let go of the good old days.

 Last Of The Innocent isn’t one of those wretched re-examinations of beloved comics characters that wallows in postmodernism by simply recasting old favourites as drug addicts, wife beaters, and fascists (although one of the thinly-veiled Riverdale gang is now saddled with a substance abuse problem). Brubaker and Phillips actually have something to say about the dangers of viewing the past through rose-coloured glasses, and their Archie pastiche provides an entertaining and insightful storytelling device with which to deliver it.  

Kirby: Genesis #0

 

More than just the most prolific and influential creative mind in comics history, Jack Kirby is pretty much a genre unto himself these days. Entire series have been devoted to trying to capture and distill his technomythological superhero adventure style (like Joe Casey and Tom Scioli’s Godland and Scioli’s own self-published The Myth Of 8-Opus), memorable issues of comics have paid loving tribute to his achievements (Supreme: The Return #6 by Alan Moore and Rick Veitch is probably the finest example), and his depictions of action, energy, and technology in superhero comics have led to entirely new terminologies being named after him (Kirby Krackle, Kirbytech). Of course, the entire Marvel Universe as we know it wouldn’t have existed without him, not to mention various still-viable sub-sections of the DC Universe. Now, in the new series Kirby: Genesis, Dynamite Publishing is laying claim to pretty much everything else that doesn’t fall under the purview of the Big Two—lesser-known Kirby creations like Captain Victory, Silver Star, Galaxy Green, and a whole host of other concepts still owned by the Kirby estate—and folding them all into a shared-universe adventure that kicked off with a $1 Issue Zero this past week. One might be tempted to accuse Dynamite of trying to cash in on the Kirby name, re-heating some leftovers that may not have been all that fresh to begin with (as fun as Kirby’s 1980s output was—his Super Powers series was my first exposure to his work as a kid—you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that would call that period their favourite). Even the announcement of Kurt Busiek as writer and Alex Ross as cover artist/art director wasn’t enough to dissuade my skepticism, initially at least. But if the Zero issue is any indication, Kirby: Genesis looks to be a fun, heartfelt tribute to the King of Comics, one that successfully captures the style and feeling of Kirby at his most cosmic.

 The series begins in a universe somewhat parallel to our own, where, in 1972, the Pioneer 10 Space Probe ventures out into the cosmos bearing a plaque illustrated by a familiar comics craftsman—a plaque that depicts humanity in the form of a male/female duo of Kirbyesque superbeings offering a friendly wave to whomever might greet the spacecraft (an afterword by Busiek explains this story point—Kirby was one of several artists asked by the Los Angeles Times how they might convey humanity to extraterrestrial beings via the Jupiter Probe, and this exact illustration was Kirby’s response). Reaching deep space, the Probe is sucked into a wormhole, and proceeds to zoom through a series of distant galaxies occupied by godlike superbeings engaged in various life-or-death struggles, all bearing the distinctive design tropes of the King of Comics. Among these are the aforementioned Captain Victory, Galaxy Green, and Silver Star, but eagle-eyed Kirby acolytes will also be able to pick out Destroyer Duck and several characters from the short-lived Kirbyverse of the early Nineties as well (not to mention various other unused Kirby concepts straight out of his sketchbooks, some of which were originally intended for his magnum opus, The New Gods). As the Probe finally begins making its way back to Earth, its passage is noted and followed by a pair of divine beings named Jerek and Spring, setting the stage for Kirby: Genesis #1.  

 More than anything, this book positively glows with affection for the life and work of Jack Kirby, and for a devotee like myself, that goes a long way. However, Busiek’s script uses that anecdote about the Pioneer Probe to hang an intriguing story idea on, one that is appropriately, wildly cosmic, but has a human element to ground it (after the Probe’s launch, we are briefly introduced to the series’ human protagonists, a couple of stargazing inner-city youths named Bobbi and—of course—Kirby). This melding of the fantastic and the real was the key to the success of both of Busiek and Ross’s previous collaborations, Marvels and Astro City, and it’s a formula that seems to bring out the best in both creators. The paintings of Alex Ross have always done a remarkable job of adding a patina of believability to Kirby’s designs, and his work here is no exception. While Ross mainly provides covers and art direction, the lion’s share of the interior artwork is handled by newcomer Jack Herbert, whose solid work here recalls the art of Astro City penciller Brent Anderson (with just a hint of Norm Breyfogle). The lead story feels fairly packed, despite being only 12 pages, but it’s hopefully a good indication of what’s to come. I’m fairly excited to see where this story goes, but I’m hoping it will stay contained to the pages of Kirby: Genesis—rapid overexpansion seems to be a fatal mistake for the comics industry in general and Dynamite Publishing in particular (Green Hornet, anyone? Project: Superpowers?). I’d hate to see this promising series diluted by a slew of spinoffs; the onslaught of variant covers promised for issue #1 is overkill enough. Still, if the quality of this Zero issue can be maintained into the regular series, it’ll make for a welcome return of the King.

Dave's Faves of 2010! Well Into 2011, Even!

This should have ideally been finished and posted somewhere around, oh, December, but general holiday craziness (and ongoing work on my comic Slam-A-Rama, on sale now!) kept me from compiling a list of my favourite comics of 2010. Better late than never, eh? Anyways, here goes. In no particular order...

 

STRANGE SCIENCE FANTASY By Scott Morse (IDW): Definitely not for everybody, but this six-part mini almost single-handedly restored my faith in single-issue comic books in 2010. Genres collide in this loving mash-up of sci-fi, film noir, and any number of other styles and tropes that might have at one point or other influenced Morse. The perfect antidote to Big Two event fatigue (see my original review here).

 

ELMER By Gerry Alanguilan (SLG): This absurdist fable imagines a world where chickens have gained the ability to think and speak, and chronicles their ensuing struggle for civil rights. Alanguilan's highly detailed, expressive artwork perfectly realizes the concept's equal potential for both humour and horror (see my original review here).

 

SET TO SEA By Drew Weing (Fantagraphics Books): A gentle giant of a poet is abducted into a life of high-seas adventure, with scary and ultimately uplifting results. This handsome little hardcover tells a story in full-page illustrations, in an intricately-detailed style reminiscent of conflicting influences like Tony Millionaire, Eric Shanower, Craig Thompson, and Steve Purcell. A special LBW shout-out goes to my pal Chris MacLaren to recommending this one to me after it initially flew under my radar.

 

THE SIXTH GUN By Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt (Oni Press): The weird, wild West comes alive in this supernatural oat opera. A roguish thief and an innocent young girl join forces to prevent the forces of evil from taking possession of six magically-endowed pistols, possibly at the cost of their own souls. A more rewarding monthly read than most offerings from the big two, but the first six are available in trade paperback form now too.

 

PARKER: THE OUTFIT By Darwyn Cooke (IDW): It’s hard to imagine how Cooke could have stepped up his game any further after his initial Richard Stark adaptation, The Hunter (see my review here), but this latest Parker caper effortlessly blows its predecessor away. Parker’s criminal fraternity wages war on the organized crime cartel of the book’s title, and the myriad of cons and stick-ups are presented in a dazzling array of different artistic styles.

 

THOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER By Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee (Marvel): I hate that I live in a world where a book as charming and fun as this can’t even get a lousy twelve-issue commitment from its publisher. Marvel would likely blame it on the poor sales of all-ages books, but I’m gonna say it has more to do with the roughly eighteen zillion other Thor titles this book had to compete with for shelf space and reader dollars. It’s a damn shame, because this is easily the best of them. This freshly reimagined origin story for the Thunder God is a true "all ages" book--meaning, it's a great read for anybody, no matter their age or gender.

 

OFFICER DOWNE By Joe Casey and Chris Burnham (Image): The hyper-violent offspring of books like Judge Dredd and Marshal Law, this double-sized Image one-shot, starring an unkillable (or, at least, easily resuscitated) supercop, takes the prize for intricately-drawn carnage (see my original review here).

 

WILSON By Daniel Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly): Soon to be a film from Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt), this chronicle of an aging, disaffected loner trying desperately to connect with his estranged wife and daughter deepens with every re-reading. Come for the one-page Sunday Funnies styles, stay for the crippling emotional despair! (See my original review here.)

 

ATLAS By Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman (Marvel): I figure this latest relaunch of the revived 1950s-superteam-that-never-was (which I previously praised here) probably suffered as much from having a “Heroic Age” banner atop it as its previous incarnation (Agents of Atlas) did from having a “Dark Reign” banner atop it (take a note, Marvel, line-wide banners don’t encourage new readers, they drive them away!). Either way, five issues isn’t nearly enough to savour the globe-spanning fun of a team that featured a talking gorilla, a spaceman, and a 3D Man (among others). Let’s hope these guys make their way back into the spotlight sooner rather than later.

 

"Snapshot: Revelation!" from DC UNIVERSE: LEGACIES #8, By Len Wein and Frank Quitely (DC): A reasonably faithful 10-page retelling of NEW GODS #1 (with some other assorted Fourth World recaps thrown in for good measure). For straight-up clarity, call it the anti-FINAL CRISIS. And Quitely drawing Kirby's New Gods? Get outta my dreams, DC UNIVERSE: LEGACIES! Kudos to Mr. Quitely for drawing the most hideous “true face” of Orion I’ve ever seen—dude looks like he just snuck a peek into the Ark of the Covenant: