#53 - Kyle Abbot and Whisper a'Daire
First Appearance: Detective Comics #743 (Apr 2000)
" I believe in the dark faith, Miss Kane. Just not their interpretation of it." ~Kyle Abbot
People often point to No Man's Land as a major turning point for Batman sales, going from a weak era to a massive success, but it really wouldn't be without the often overlooked Contagion event that No Man's Land and Cataclysm would get much of their publicity, and that's thanks to the also-overlooked duo of a'Daire and Abbot. a'Daire was originally a mind controlling seductress who used a serum bestowed on her by Ra's al Ghul to not only shapeshift herself into a were-snake, but Abbot into a werewolf. Together, in return for their newfound powers, the team attempted to poison the entirety of Gotham, and had some success. However, their efforts were thwarted, and they escaped.
Years later in 52, the duo was back, working for Bruno Mannheim as disciples of the Crime Bible. I really loved seeing them back, because in the absence of Batman (and most of his villains and heroic counterparts), we got to see some great underutilized characters stretch their legs in battle. Not only did a'Daire and Abbot serve as great antagonists under the umbrella of Intergang, but Abbot's excellent slow change of heart reached a beautiful climax, as he chose to prevent Mannheim's main plans. Eventually, the duo split because of Abbot's choices, but Abbot started a new cult around the Crime Bible and a'Daire has since battled with the entirety of the Justice League (controlling Superman's mind is not an easy feat).
I loved the primal, animalistic behavior of this partnership, with a relationship that felt primitive and wild; in the end, the fact that Abbot rose above his animalistic tendencies was a great and dynamic turning point with a nice deeper meaning that has left a definite impact on me.
Greatest Abbot/a'Daire Story Ever Told:52. Seriously one of the most inventive and brilliant series ever conceived, with the greatest writing team ever put together. Go read, jerks.
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