Questions

Gargoyles #12 by David Nakayama

"Cold Comfort" is the twelfth issue of the Gargoyles comic by Dynamite Entertainment. It was released March 20th, 2024. [1]

Crew
Writer/Creator: Greg Weisman Pencil Artist: George Kambadais Color Artists: Giovanna La Pietra & Valeria Verdi Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry Editor: Nate Cosby Main Cover Artist: David Nakayama

Solicitation

At last, the Manhattan Clan is reunited! And it’s a good thing, too, as they’re going to need all hands on deck to prevent New York’s crime bosses from combining their resources to wreak havoc on the city! It’s the FINAL ISSUE of this series — as well as the prelude to new adventures to come!

The Story

Coldstone reminds a confidant that, as an undead cyborg brought back to life by science and sorcery, perhaps its in his nature not to be optimistic of the Manhattan Clan's current situation, as much as he would like to be. After all, humanity has granted them "a victory of sorts" – referring to Goliath's Hearing – but he doesn't have much faith in their continued generosity. Still, he recognizes this to be a critical moment for gargoyles everywhere.

Coldstone tells his confidant how he observed Goliath returning to the Eyrie Building just before sunrise, his Rhydderch's faith in humanity confirmed. Looking at them from above, he spots the Trio and Gnash also returning. Hudson congratulates Goliath for his success at the courthouse while Angela and Katana ask how Brooklyn's mission went. Gnash declares that they "rocked" it: Lexington elaborates that the bad guys were defeated and Broadway shares that the hostages were rescued. Coldfire is pleased to see the Manhattan Clan reunited.

Elisa tries to pull Goliath's aside to talk, but before she can make any headway, the Sun has risen and, save for Coldstone and Coldfire, all the Manhattan Clan turns to stone. Coldstone rockets down to Coldfire and the others as Elisa resigns to having to wait until dusk.

Meanwhile in East Harlem, Rosie Sanchez tries to convince her father, Huracán, that Pete was forced to pose for the "insurance" photo by the men that kidnapped them both. Huracán is unconvinced; he wants to know who these men were. Meanwhile, in Chinatown, Pete tries to convince his aunt, Choi Yingpei, the same thing. She too, wants to know who these kidnappers are. Rosie tells her father that she doesn't know who the kidnappers were, but they wore gargoyle masks. Pete tells his aunt that they were saved by actual gargoyles. Huracán and Yingpei have their minds made up: time to contact Izaak Slaughter.

At the Park Manor Hotel, Dino Dracon slams his Brooklyn mask down on the coffee table, frustrated that his captives escaped just hours earlier and venting to Glasses, Antoinette, and Dominic how the gargoyles are being an irritation. Glasses asks what Dino's next move is going to be. Dino counts up his adversaries, noting "Five Families. Six Gangs". But then he figures in a seventh gang: the NYPD. Supposing that the other five gangs attacked the police, the consequences would be intense. Glasses doesn't see much difficulty in another frame job, but brings up the "eighth gang": the gargoyles. As far as Glasses is concerned, "they're the real problem". Picking up his Brooklyn mask once more, Dino assures Glasses that he has that covered. Turns out he found someone who hates the gargoyles more than the Dracons: John Castaway. Antoinette asks about Slaughter's Summit that evening. Dino's content with Pal Joey taking Dominic to represent the Dracons. He asks the old gangster if he can handle the task, and Dominic briefly stumbles his response before insisting that of course he could handle it and not to insult him for suggesting otherwise. Antoinette volunteers to watch over her grandfather at the Summit, but Dino grabs her arm and pulls her aside, telling her not to go anywhere near the Summit, given that he's "kinda fond" of her. Antoinette is disturbed at the implication.

Sunset. Coldstone waits by the sleeping Goliath to awaken. When he bursts from his rest, he asks his rookery brother if they can speak.

With the others awake as well, Angela and Broadway wish to ask Katana, Brooklyn, and Lexington a question while Katana and Brooklyn have their own to ask. Broadway lets Katana and Brooklyn go first. While Katana holds Egwardo as Brooklyn explains that while Gnash was "born on the road", his only parents were him and Katana, but for their second egg it'll be different. With that, Brooklyn shares his and Katana's desire that Broadway, Lexington, and Angela join them as Egwardo's rookery parents. The three are thrilled and honored.

Elisa arrives shortly after, wondering what she missed. Angela is glad to see her and asks both the detective and Katana if the two will be her Seconds at her and Broadway's Commitment Ceremony. They both agree to, with Elisa asking if she'll need wings for the role. Broadway asks Brooklyn and Lexington if they'll be his Seconds and, with Lexington and Brooklyn all too thrilled to accept the invitation, Hudson beams at his rookery children's comradery.

As for Hudson's older rookery children, Goliath sees something is troubling Coldstone. Coldstone explains how dangerous it is to allow humanity to "define success or failure for the Clan". He asks Goliath what would have happened if their verdict was different – would he have been content to remain imprisoned? In short: he surrendered to a "potential enemy". Coldstone asks him is that how a Rhydderch leads. Goliath begins to mull over his rookery brother's concerns. "Perhaps . . . not," he admits. But as Goliath tries to explain his rationale in wanting to test his beliefs when it came to humanity, he is interrupted by Elisa. As she reminds them how they need to talk as well, Goliath apologizes to Coldstone, promising to continue their conversation soon. Coldstone shares to his confidant how frustrating it is that "another human took him away", but remembers that he has witnessed the love Goliath and Elisa have for another . . . .

Finally with a moment to themselves, Goliath and Elisa embrace, kiss, and stroke one another's hair. He then tells her that while her testimony during the hearing meant much to him, he fears the repercussions Elisa is bound to face. Elisa dismisses the fallout, having kept that secret (among the others) for far too long. Sensing she's holding something back, Goliath asks her as much and learns that Captain Chavez is still figuring out how long Elisa's suspension from her duties will be. Shocked, Elisa assures him that the good news is that she's not being fired, and has come away with her meeting with the Captain believing that being fired is largely off the table. At least, that depends on Goliath's reaction to the NYPD's offer she's about to share with him. But before she can divulge the details of this offer, Goliath is once more pulled away for another conversation, this time by Brooklyn, with Broadway and Antoinette Dracon at his side.

Coldstone relays to his confidant that what Antoinette shared with the Manhattan Clan was "surprisingly comprehensive": Evidently, she explained that Dino had placed time bombs throughout Manhattan at five separate police precincts. The targets were chosen as the locations closest to the headquarters of the five rival gangs Dracon was in conflict with. With that, Coldfire, Angela, Hudson, Katana, and Gnash were dispatched to each of the five precincts and were able to take the explosives (hidden in a briefcase, satchel, duffel bag, purse, and lunch box) and detonate them over the Hudson and East Rivers.

Hearing the explosions from where Slaughter's Summit is taking place, Dominic asks his granddaughter if its Fourth of July. Antoinette reminds him that its only May. Dominic then remembers that Pal Joey was supposed to be the one taking him to the Summit, but Antoinette explains that she could do a better job. With that, Izaak commences with their emergency meeting. The two Dracons position themselves at the round table between Brod's and Sanchez's peoples, directly across from Izaak. Choi Yingpei and Grisha Volkov sit to his right and left. Izaak points out that their attendance demonstrates is proof that they've "gangland" violence been party to has been bad for business. Unbeknownst to many in the room, their is one last time bomb – in the chandelier above them.

Outside the building, the Manhattan Clan make their arrival, leaving Dino Dracon, who also makes his arrival (and masked in his rubber Brooklyn mask once more), incredulous. Lexington, Brooklyn, Broadway, Coldstone, and Goliath burst through the glass façade, and guns are instantly drawn out by associates from each syndicate. Just as quickly, Izaak orders them all to hold their fire. Goliath directs Coldstone to find the explosive, and Coldstone's scan spots it in the chandelier. An additional scan for vulnerabilities is enough for the cyborg to neutralize the bomb with his arm-cannon, with only minutes to spare. With that, Goliath echoes Izaak's sentiments for the gangs to end their rivalries, but Grisha is accusatory, pointing out that the bomb was hidden at a location of Izaak's choosing. Slaughter's associate, Alphabet vouches for his boss, and Coldstone points out that if it wasn't for the gargoyles, none of the six gangs would have survived, including Izaak Slaughter. The incident has rattled Huracán's associate, Jayla, and Yingpei agrees, thinking it best to leave now and reconvening another day. Huracán Sanchez, grows impatient, preferring to "finish" this now, but Brooklyn dismisses his suggestion, declaring that the "Gargoyle Gang" insists for "an end to all hostilities". One of Brod's associates, Cenek, isn't ready for the gargoyles to be calling the shots, but Lexington chimes in, insisting that it is, given that both the Sanchez and Choi families owe it to the gargoyles for saving their loved ones the previous night. Lexington also points out how, just days earlier, they also saved Izaak Slaughter from a hit. Antoinette chimes in, pointing out how Goliath protected Tony Dracon while they were both imprisoned at Rikers Island, and Jack Dane admits that Goliath saved Tomas Brod too. Broadway then asks point blank: do gangsters honor their debts or not? Volkov singles himself out as the only not to owe the gargoyles favors – in fact, Goliath's efforts just wound up getting his son arrested, again. Goliath then steps in, making it clear their presence at the Summit isn't to "make friends", and that after tonight, the Manhattan Clan will do all that they can to continue to protect New York from their collective criminal activities. But, as Brooklyn assures them, for now, their agendas align. Everyone in the room wants and needs the infighting to stop. "Brooklyn" then insists he can stop it.

No wait, it's Dino Dracon, standing atop the shattered glass façade with another bomb, this time with a dead man's switch. He guarantees that the explosion will take out everyone with him, gargoyles included. He can't help but remark how often the Manhattan Clan knows where to show up to foil his plans, but upon noticing Antoinette's in attendance (despite his earlier warning to her), he begins to put two and two together. At any rate, Dino figures he'd still come out of this alive if he chucks the bomb at the gangsters and gargoyles while diving into the river below. Dominic asks his son if Dino intends to kill him too, and perhaps with moments to live, tells his son to take off the rubber mask. Dino takes the mask off, the bomb held at his side. Face to face, Dominic declares his disappointment in Dino. This is not how Dracons do business. In fact, Dominic is confident that Dino's brother Anthony would never behave this way, but is cut off by Dino: "Anthony?! Anthony?!! GOLDEN BOY ANTHONY?!!! ANTHONY'S DEAD, POP!! I KNOW BECAUSE I'M THE GUY WHO TOOK HIM OUT!!"

While Dominic and Antoinette are stunned into silence, Goliath signals to Coldstone to scan the final bomb for vulnerabilities, but, as Coldstone later shares to his confidant, he need not have bothered. Foaming at the mouth now, the "howitzer with a hair-trigger" figures its best his father learned the truth before the end, but Dominic suddenly draws his own gun and aims at his own son: "Whose end, Dino?" Shot in the chest, Dino is thrown out the window he entered in, and loses his grip on the dead man's switch. The bomb goes off, exploding halfway from Dino's four-story fall into the river. Coldstone would later remark that no sign of Dino Dracon was ever found.

Also in a sharing mood, Antoinette Dracon explains that the Dracon family, finally acknowledging its weakened status, gave territories to Brod's gang in return for a ten percent tithe, a tithe that the other families agreed to pay to the Dracons as well. She also explains that the Six Families agreed to make Dominic Dracon "Pater Familias" once again (the evening ending with Jack Dane finally returning to the fold and kissing Dominic Dracon's ring). As they leave the Summit in their limousine, Dominic asks his granddaughter what just happened. She assures him that all he needs to know is that the other families were paying their respects to him. Still unsure, he replies, "Okay, Toni. Sounds good." She reminds him not to call her that. So in short, Dominic runs the gangs. And with Tony and Dino out of the picture, Antoinette runs her grandfather.

In the same room as Antoinette, Coldstone divulges that he made "a half-hearted attempt" to talk with Goliath once more, but he claims there were too many distractions. Most significantly, the fact that Goliath considered the NYPD's offer to join the Gargoyle Taskforce, and accepted the position during a large public announcement on the steps of the 23rd Precinct, standing alongside Matt Bluestone and Captain Chavez. Elisa Maza was also in attendance, but off-duty, having received (in exchange for Goliath's cooperation) a four-month suspension without pay, something she herself called "a slap on the wrist", all things considered. Still, despite Goliath's belief that his actions will not only protect Manhattan but demonstrate how gargoyles are "allies, not enemies", Coldstone tells his confidant that Goliath has only "furthered the surrender of his honor and authority to the humans".

Impressed with how things unfolded, Antoinette tells their mutual confidant – Demona – that the gangs of New York are, in fact, actually hers to control. Believing Demona to have been right about Goliath, Coldstone also pledges his loyalty, promising to serve his rookery sister for as long as the Manhattan Clan remains unharmed.

"Was there ever any doubt?", Demona, Mater Familias of New York, gloats.

Review

Here in Manhattan concludes in this issue, and brings the Manhattan Clan's latest adventure, and Dino Dracon's schemes to dominate the organized crime scene in New York, to a dramatic conclusion.

Coldstone is the narrator, giving the reader much insight into his perspective. He is clearly uneasy over the turn of events for the gargoyles; while they have won a victory at Goliath's hearing, it seems to come at the cost of their autonomy, making them more subordinates to the humans than equals. He is also frustrated by how one event after another prevents him from discussing these matters with Goliath, leading to a fateful decision revealed only at the very end of the issue.

Dino Dracon makes one last attempt at destroying his competition – and his strategy suggests that, underneath his seemingly more cunning approach, he's just as bloodthirsty and violent as before. His scheme is to both blow up the five police stations nearest the headquarters of the rival organized crime factions, to make it look as if they were responsible – while also blowing up a summit held by the leaders of the crime families to sort out their rivalries with a bomb concealed in the chandelier. Fortunately, thanks to a timely alert from a still-suspicious Antoinette Dracon, the gargoyles prevent the explosions. Dino makes one last attempt to blow them all up in person – while boasting that he was the one who killed Anthony Dracon (Tony and Antoinette's father, his brother), only to be shot by a horrified Dominic. Dino seemingly dies the way he lived – I say "seemingly", because his body is never found.

(We learn, also, that Dino is hoping for Castaway to handle the gargoyles. This is just a brief mention, and we never see Castaway on stage in the issue, but it holds the promise of other clashes to come - besides what we got in "Trick-Or-Treat".)

Antoinette restores order in the aftermath of the failure of Dino's schemes, though in a way that makes it clear that she'll be the "power behind the throne" with Dominic as her figurehead. As for Goliath, the NYPD requests that he join the Gargoyle Taskforce, giving its name a different meaning than when it was first founded, and offering a major step forward in human-gargoyle relations (though, Coldstone fears, in a way that will weaken the clan's independence, as mentioned above).

But the big twist comes at the end, when we learn that both Antoinette and Coldstone are now working for Demona, giving her control over the gangs of New York, and an "inside gargoyle" in the clan. Which is all the more ominous, in light of the Demona-centered Gargoyles: Quest, coming next. It made a very effective surprise.

My only regret is that we didn't see Broadway and Angela's Commitment Ceremony, despite the build-up throughout the series. Fortunately, Dynamite isn't done with the Manhattan clan yet, and a later story may give us the opportunity to "attend" this event. (And we do get more set-up for it, as well as Brooklyn and Katana hoping that the clan will be parents to Egwardo when he or she hatches, as per the Gargoyle Way.) This aside, it makes a fine conclusion to the gargoyles' first new arc in many years.

Featured Characters

Gargoyles

Humans

Coldstone Goliath Brooklyn Lexington Broadway Gnash Hudson Bronx Coldfire Katana Egwardo Angela Fu-Dog Demona

Elisa Maza Rosaria Sanchez Peter Choy Huracán Sanchez Choi Yingpei Dino Dracon Glasses Dominic Dracon Antoinette Dracon Tomas Brod (Mentioned Only) John Castaway (Mentioned Only) Pal Joey (Mentioned Only) Cenek Belinsky Jack Dane Jayla Réal Izaak Slaughter Jimmy Tan Alphabet City Grisha Volkov Sidor Sidorov Tony Dracon (Mentioned Only) Wolf (Mentioned Only) Anthony Dracon (Mentioned Only) Matt Bluestone Maria Chavez

Places	Miscellaneous
Summit Building	Independence Day (Mentioned Only)

Tidbits

• Goliath's badge number: 92994 is a reference to the world premiere of Gargoyles in Orlando, Florida on September 29th, 1994.

• Coldstone calls Goliath the clan's "Rhydderch", making this that term's first mention outside Dark Ages.

Cover Gallery

See Also

<< Previous Episode: "Here In Manhattan" Chapter Eleven: "Young At Heart"

Next Episode: "Quest" Chapter One: "Questions">>