The Mask (comic book): Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

'''''The Mask''''' is an American [[dark comedy]]-[[Comedy-horror|horror]] [[supervillain]] [[comic book]] [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] written by [[John Arcudi]] and illustrated by [[Doug Mahnke]]. Published by [[Dark Horse Comics]] as the first installment of the [[Anthology series|semi-anthological]] [[The Mask (comics)|self-titled comic book series of the same name]] and [[The Mask (franchise)|the resulting franchise]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 27, 2021|title=''The Mask'' Movie vs. Comic Comparison|url=https://screenrant.com/mask-comic-vs-movie-comparison-differences|access-date=December 27, 2021|website=[[Screen Rant]]|last=Armitage|first=Helen|language=en-US}}</ref> the series chronicles the events following the death of [[Stanley Ipkiss|Stan Ipkiss]], as [[police detective]] Mitch Kellaway uses the titular mask to become a new "Big Head", attempting to clean up the city of its criminals.<ref name=":TPB">{{Cite comic|writer=[[John Arcudi]]|artist=[[Doug Mahnke]]|title=The Mask|date=May 1, 1993|publisher=[[Dark Horse Comics]]|location=[[Milwaukie, Oregon]]|url=https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/92-776/The-Mask-TPB|access-date=May 1, 1993}}</ref>

The first half of the story (collected as Issue #0) was originally published in the four-issue anthology series ''Mayhem'', between May and September 1989, with the four-issue miniseries following on from its events being published between July and December 1991, all receiving a generally positive critical reception,<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 10, 2012|title=''The Mask'' Review: Comic Fandom! Why Have You Kept This From Me?|url=https://childrenoftheblazingfist.com/2012/08/10/the-mask-review-comic-fandom-why-have-you-kept-this-from-me|access-date=August 10, 2012|website=Children of the Blazing Fist|last=Raines|first=Franklin|language=en-US}}</ref> with a sequel, ''[[The Mask Returns]]'', being published from 1992 to 1993, and [[The Mask (1994 film)|a loose film adaptation]] releasing in 1994.

== Overview ==

In the [[prologue]] (originally published in ''Mayhem''),<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 23, 2023|title=Retro Review: ''The Mask'' #0 (December 1991)|url=https://majorspoilers.com/2023/04/23/retro-review-the-mask-0-december-1991|access-date=July 7, 2023|website=Major Spoilers|last=Peterson|first=Matthew|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Stanley Ipkiss|Stanley "Stan" Ipkiss]] discovers a supernatural mask that grants the wearer nearly limitless power, he uses to enact great violence against those he hates in life, becoming the [[serial killer]] "Big Head", before his girlfriend Kathy Matthews puts on the mask herself and kills him. In the main events of the series, Detective Mitch Kellaway obtains the mask from Kathy, and on realising what it does on putting it on, decides to use the power of "Big Head" to attempt to take down the city's crime lords, constantly opposed by the impossibly-strong [[henchman]] Walter.<ref name=":TPB" />

== Premise ==

=== ''Mayhem'' (''The Mask'' #0) ===

{{anchor|Mayhem|The Mask #0}}In an [[antique]]s shop, a weak, [[neuroticism|neurotic]] man named [[Stanley Ipkiss|Stanley "Stan" Ipkiss]] shops for a gift to give to his girlfriend, Kathy Matthews. At the store he purchases an old [[jade]] mask which begins to speak to him. When Stan wears it, he is transformed into a wacky super-powered being with an abnormally large, bald, green-skinned head and a mouthful of large teeth. After exploring his new abilities, Ipkiss goes on a rampage, taking revenge on those with whom he has a grudge, and earns the nickname Big Head.

After taking the mask off, Stan begins to realize what has been happening. His acts as Big Head begin to take an emotional toll on him. He becomes verbally abusive toward Kathy. She kicks him out, but keeps the mask since it was a gift from Stan.

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* Mitch Kellaway – A [[police detective]] who wears the mask in an effort to take down [[American Mafia|the mob]].

* Kathy Matthews – A woman who uses the mask to kill her violent boyfriend before giving it to Kellaway.

* [[Stanley Ipkiss|Stanley "Stan" Ipkiss]] – Kathy's boyfriend who initially discovered the mask and used it for violence as "Big Head".

; The Mob

* Walter Avery – A behemoth-sized mob muscle-man who never speaks, and undertakes a vendetta against Big Head.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 22, 2019|title=Behind {{‘}}''The Mask''{{’}}|url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2019/7/22/20698088/the-mask-jim-carrey-comic-book-origins|access-date=July 22, 2019|website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]|last=McGovern|first=Kyle|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=February 17, 2020|title=''The Mask'': 5 Differences From The Comic That Made It Better (& 5 That Made It Worse)|url=https://screenrant.com/the-mask-movie-comic-differences-comparison|access-date=February 17, 2020|website=[[Screen Rant]]|last=Trinos|first=Angelo Delos|language=en-US}}</ref>

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==Adaptations==

In 1994, a [[The Mask (1994 film)|film adaptation of the first half of ''The Mask'']] was released, starring [[Jim Carrey]] as [[Stanley Ipkiss|Stanley Ipkiss / The Mask]], with [[Peter Riegert]] portraying Mitch Kellaway and [[Jim Doughan]] portraying Doyle, the roles of Kathy, Scully, and Vitelli becoming Tina Carlyle (portrayed by [[Cameron Diaz]]), Dorian Tyrell (portrayed by [[Peter Greene]]), and Niko (portrayed by [[Orestes Matacena]]), respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Verheiden|first=Mark|title=''The Mask'' (1994)|url=https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/uploads/scripts/the-mask-1994.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=Script Slug|archive-date=June 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604200618/https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/uploads/scripts/the-mask-1994.pdf}}</ref> After that, the film entered [[development hell]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Jankiewicz|first=Pat|date=September 1994|title=Masks of Time|url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-206|magazine=[[Starlog]]|issue=206|pages=40–45|access-date=September 9, 2017}}</ref>

While there were early efforts to make a comic-book accurate version of the comic as a [[Horror film|"dark horror" film]] at [[New Line Cinema]] (as a replacement for their fading ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)|A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' franchise),<ref>{{cite web|last=Squires|first=John|url=http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3440285/mask-originally-going-horror-movie|title={{'}}''The Mask''{{'}} Was Originally Going to Be a Horror Movie?!|publisher=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|date=June 5, 2017|access-date=January 26, 2018}}</ref> it was never completely intended as a "dark horror" picture.<ref name="Weiss">{{cite web|last=Weiss|first=Josh|title=A Ssssmokin! Oral History Of {{'}}''The Mask''{{'}} On The Film's 25th Birthday|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshweiss/2019/07/29/a-smoooooookin-oral-history-of-the-mask-on-the-films-25th-birthday|website=[[Forbes]]|date=July 29, 2019|quote=I think going with a much darker vision, darker even than the comics, would be fun to see. Horror mixed with comedy is much more common today than it was back in 1994.}}</ref> the film was ultimately redeveloped as a [[comedy film]], with Ipkiss being portrayed as a hero versus the villain of the comic. The film also spawned a [[The Mask (franchise)|multimedia franchise]], including a spin-off [[The Mask (video game)|video game adaptation]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/snes/588472-the-mask/data|title=''The Mask''|publisher=[[CBS Interactive|CBS Interactive Inc.]]|access-date=15 March 2016}}</ref> an [[The Mask: Animated Series|animated television series]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Erickson|first=Hal|title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopaedia, 1949 Through 2003|date=2005|edition=2nd|publisher=McFarland & Co|isbn=978-147666-5993|pages=533–534}}</ref> and a [[Son of the Mask|stand-alone sequel]];<ref>{{cite web|author-link=Roger Ebert|last=Ebert|first=Roger|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/son-of-the-mask-2005|title={{'}}''Son of the Mask''{{'}} fails even cartoon logic test|publisher=Ebert Digital LLC|date=February 17, 2005|access-date=March 15, 2016}}</ref> the Stanley Ipkiss version of the Mask would also cameo in the 2021 film ''[[Space Jam: A New Legacy]]''.