For arguably the most powerful character in the Marvel Universe, The Living Tribunal always had an odd design for me. I never really got the whole "blanket covering multiple faces" look. I think it may have some kind of literary or historical reference, but I'm not sure. Sure, Spectre is wearing booties and a speedo, but somehow he makes it work.
This cover comes about as the result of a suggestion by Ken Roskos, a Patron of this Blog. Thanks, Ken!
I think the fully covered face is supposed to represent the unknown future and the half-covered face, the unpredictability of the present.
ReplyDeleteI never really understood the name. Are there any dead tribunals? "The Cosmic Tribunal." "The Singular Tribunal." Those I would understand. I think we ordinarily would just take "living" as granted.
ReplyDeleteI gave up comics (mainly due to the expense) in 2007.
ReplyDeleteDid DC ever think of an Elseworlds story in which Bruce Wayne was killed along with his parents, or on his first try at being Batman--and became the host for the Spectre?
According to an issue of Silver Surfer, the three sides represent Vengeance, Necessity and Equity.
ReplyDeleteSpectre and LT did meet in Marvel vs DC representing their respective universes (and were key in creating the Amalgam Universe)
They (almost) met in an issue of X-Men Adventures, the only comic to feature the "twins" representing the universes...
Delete@JH3: I think the word "tribunal" originally signified a three-man panel of judges. So, in this case, the adjective "living" is supposed to signify that he's a sentient personification of the concept.
ReplyDelete@Kid Charlemagne's actually got a pretty solid idea there. Bruce becoming the Spectre....so Bat hood or no?
ReplyDeleteI think in Hinduism on of Brahma's faces was burned of my Shiva.
ReplyDeleteWell now the Tribunal has been killed the Spectre can avenge it if he is willing to work in other universes.
ReplyDeleteWasn't one of the Norns of Asgard supposed to be veiled because she represented the future?
ReplyDeleteOr what if the Waynes hadn't been rich, and poor little Bruce was living on the streets, selling newspapers to survive -- until the day that a mysterious stranger in a trenchcoat led him into an abandoned subway tunnel...
ReplyDeleteI don't see the two fighting each other as in the first DC vs Marvel mini-series it was revealed they were 2 sides of the same coin and it was how the 2 universes were brought together.
ReplyDelete@Scott Cummins: that sounds like something I once read in a D&D-style adventure novel.
ReplyDelete"Justice and revenge are but differently-named sides of the same two-headed coin."
P.S. (@ Ross): how about a sequel where those two Brothers turn out to be Stan Lee and Julie Schwartz?
ReplyDeleteOr, at least, the cosmic analogs of same.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ross, I appreciate your extra effort, even though I didn't know there was an actual crossover in the comics. Hard to keep up with everything being published these days.
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