My fourth Forbidden Geek mystery box actually is sort of my fifth. The fourth got lost in transit. Realizing it was not going to come when Forbidden Geek was setting up the next shipment, I contacted the company, which responded promptly and shipped a replacement box immediately. That was cool of them!
The resulting box had a Funko statue from Shazam! (I think it was Eugene), a copy of the Batman/Superman: Their Greatest Battles trade collection (a duplicate for me, so I earmarked it as another eventual gift for one of my nephews in Maine, whenever I get to see them and/or ship off the stuff I've been collecting for them), and the following comics:
(Nothing older than 2011 this time, but that's okay.)
Ame-Comi Girls #1 (DC)
from December 2012
The bulk of this is the Palmiotti/Gray/Palmer version of Wonder Woman's origin, with Amanda Palmer happily on art. Until, for whatever reason, a far inferior artist fills out the issue. I've mentioned before how inexplicably terrible I find the title of this series, but the contents are good.
Batman: Arkham Knight #8 (DC)
From November 2015
One of several Howard Porter covers in this selection. Even though Tomasi is writing, I don't really care about this one.
Before Watchmen: Moloch #1 (DC)
from January 2013
I love being a fan who isn't pissed off that Before Watchmen happened. I have a theory that the New 52 wasn't officially written off by fans until Before Watchmen happened. Anyway, I was very happy to see this comic in the selection, as I'm pretty sure I didn't read either issue of Moloch on original release. The creative team is J. Michael Straczynski and Eduardo Risso (a typically strong team for Before Watchmen, typically performing at peak capacity). This first issue explains Moloch's origins, how being treated as a freak (because of those ears, chiefly) led him astray, and how he entered a path of redemption. Until, y'know. At its best, Before Watchmen brilliantly expanded (rather than needlessly duplicated) Watchmen lore (here I'm thinking of Comedian, which I recently reread), and Moloch, it seems, was Before Watchmen at its best. I'm not always Straczynski's biggest fan, but this really is him functioning at peak potential.
Birds of Prey #12 (DC)
from July 2011
One of the 2011s! I'll get back to the significance of this a little later, but as for this comic: Gail Simone. I'm just not a fan.
Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands #4 (DC)
from April 2018
Because blogging, I somehow ended up following Tony Isabella's blog. Isabella is Black Lightning's creator, and is still basically all he's known for, including his periodic revisits of the character (including a great-looking '90s run that I still want to check out). If not this issue specifically, then this mini-series was featured on his blog just before I got the box, so it was pretty fortuitous when I opened it up and found this comic. But, alas, I didn't much care about its contents. Sort of like the CW series (although it was still great to see the character finally show up in the Arrowverse during Crisis).
Earth 2 #24 (DC)
from August 2014
Still one of my favorite things from the New 52, this issue is from the Tom Taylor period (years before he wowed readers with DCeased), already proving his dynamic understanding of DC lore. This issue is pretty neat, as it features both the new Earth 2 Batman (Thomas Wayne) and Superman (Val-Zod), which sort of stole the thunder from the quasi-Justice Society but still made for fantastic developments in that continuity.
The Flash #55 (DC)
from November 2018
The other Howard Porter cover in the selection (this time a variant), featuring the budding expanded "forces" concept Josh Williamson brought to the Scarlet Speedster, sort of his version of the emotional spectrum in Green Lantern lore.
Green Lantern Corps #19 (DC)
from June 2013
The final issue in the Green Lantern family of titles before Geoff Johns' final issue of Green Lantern, as "Wrath of the First Lantern" weaves its way through them. Volthoom! Still a great name, right up there with Larfleeze. I'm not kidding! (I still want another Larfleeze series!)
Red Robin #21 (DC)
from May 2011
Tim Drake borrowing the name and costume from Dick Grayson's Kingdome Come future, but it's not all one-way, as the issue also features an appearance of a version of the red variant of his own costume Nightwing was going to sport in the New 52. Don't think I didn't notice, DC!
Superman #20 (DC)
from July 2013
Clearly DC thought this issue was going to leave a far bigger impact than it did (hyped in the "News Channel 52" feature as it was, a war between Wonder Woman's "two suitors"), as the Man of Steel clashes with Orion! But it's a fun story all the same, which makes the New Gods' lackluster presence in the New 52 all the more painful. There was such potential!
The Unwritten #29 (Vertigo)
from November 2011
I just read the two collections from The Unwritten: Apocalypse, the sequel series that ended this saga, so it was great to get a further glimpse into more of what happened previously (someday I will probably read the whole thing). But more importantly: 2011! So here it is. Just before the New 52 era, DC tried a few things to lure fans back, including "drawing the line at $2.99" and...bringing back letters columns! Which means, all three comics from 2011 featured...letters columns! DC quickly dropped them again with the New 52, which was kind of disappointing, but not before making it clear that they did have their value, a concentrated forum for fans (not angry internet people) to share knowledge and appreciation (which again, not angry internet people). I remember visiting DC's official message boards when they had switched from letters columns to the belief that the internet somehow replaced them, and that's where I found the fans hopelessly devoted the return of Hal Jordan as a clear-cut good guy (I think there was even a dorky name for the movement, but I don't remember what it would have been). I just don't think anyone realizes what's lost when there are big shifts in how things are done, that it matters that some things are lost even while other things are gained. I never understand the rush to shuck off old things, things that can't be replaced, no matter how much change improves things. On the other hand, we now live in an era where the margin for success is wider than ever, that things with a smaller audience can still thrive for years, where they would've been aborted quickly before. So the more things change, the more they stay...interesting. I bet DC brings letters columns back, again, at some point. After all, the more things change, the more they stay the same, too. Sometimes you just have to wait. Like those Hal Jordan fans.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Watching the Walmart Giants 5 "December 2019"
The distributor apparently woke up sooner than normal, so I got December's selections sooner than what's been the norm lately.
Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant #1
The two new tales are actually pretty worthwhile to the whole Arrowverse Crisis experience. The first gives a little more spotlight to Nash Wells/Pariah. Nash is the latest multiverse variant of Harrison Wells in The Flash, the only Arrowverse series I've watched regularly (and soundly enjoyed). Wells, in the first season, turned out to not even be Harrison Wells, but Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash, who'd taken over Wells' body. All of the Wells variants are played by Tom Cavanagh, for whom I developed a deep affection when he was playing a bowling alley lawyer in Ed. His quirky Wells turns have been just one of the many things I love about Flash.
The second expands on Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor, who has appeared in Supergirl. Cryer is known for many things at this point, including Ducky, Two and a Half Men, and his appearance in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. His Luthor is almost an apology for that one, and he plays the role quite effectively, complete with a distinct look for the character, which is easily distinguished by Grummett in the new story.
(It's great seeing Grummett working on a Superman comic again. Ah, the '90s!)
I watched, quite eagerly, the first three TV installments of Crisis, between Supergirl, Batwoman, and Flash. Naturally, I liked the Flash installment best, not just because of the fateful final run of John Wesley Shipp, but because the production values, as they usually are, were so much better. I don't belong to the cult of Kevin Conroy (even though in the '90s I was a big fan of his Batman cartoon), so his appearance as the mock Dark Knight Returns Bruce Wayne did nothing for me. I loved the Smallville coda! Just perfect. Arrowverse was riffing as much on Crisis as it was Avengers: Endgame and Justice League (complete with a hero resurrection). Constantine played very well! I realize the guy had his own series for a split second, but this portrayal works really well however it ends up onscreen. I missed a few of the cameos for one reason or another, but it was pretty funny when spastic Kevin Smith cut off Robert Wuhl just as he was about to bash the Snyder movies. Smooth! It was nice that the CW sprang for the aftershow thing that's become a staple of cable genre shows, helped make it that much bigger a deal.
Can't wait for the final installments next month!
Superman Giant #1
Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant #1
- new story from Marv Wolfman & Marc Guggenheim, with art from Tom Derenick. Right from the start it's clear this is a riff on the TV Arrowverse Crisis, same as:
- new story from Marv Wolfman & Marc Guggenheim, with art from Tom Grummett.
- reprint of Crisis #1
- reprint of Crisis #7 (death of Supergirl)
The two new tales are actually pretty worthwhile to the whole Arrowverse Crisis experience. The first gives a little more spotlight to Nash Wells/Pariah. Nash is the latest multiverse variant of Harrison Wells in The Flash, the only Arrowverse series I've watched regularly (and soundly enjoyed). Wells, in the first season, turned out to not even be Harrison Wells, but Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash, who'd taken over Wells' body. All of the Wells variants are played by Tom Cavanagh, for whom I developed a deep affection when he was playing a bowling alley lawyer in Ed. His quirky Wells turns have been just one of the many things I love about Flash.
The second expands on Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor, who has appeared in Supergirl. Cryer is known for many things at this point, including Ducky, Two and a Half Men, and his appearance in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. His Luthor is almost an apology for that one, and he plays the role quite effectively, complete with a distinct look for the character, which is easily distinguished by Grummett in the new story.
(It's great seeing Grummett working on a Superman comic again. Ah, the '90s!)
I watched, quite eagerly, the first three TV installments of Crisis, between Supergirl, Batwoman, and Flash. Naturally, I liked the Flash installment best, not just because of the fateful final run of John Wesley Shipp, but because the production values, as they usually are, were so much better. I don't belong to the cult of Kevin Conroy (even though in the '90s I was a big fan of his Batman cartoon), so his appearance as the mock Dark Knight Returns Bruce Wayne did nothing for me. I loved the Smallville coda! Just perfect. Arrowverse was riffing as much on Crisis as it was Avengers: Endgame and Justice League (complete with a hero resurrection). Constantine played very well! I realize the guy had his own series for a split second, but this portrayal works really well however it ends up onscreen. I missed a few of the cameos for one reason or another, but it was pretty funny when spastic Kevin Smith cut off Robert Wuhl just as he was about to bash the Snyder movies. Smooth! It was nice that the CW sprang for the aftershow thing that's become a staple of cable genre shows, helped make it that much bigger a deal.
Can't wait for the final installments next month!
Superman Giant #1
- new story from Robert Venditti & Paul Pelletier. It's a Parasite story, a villain I find particularly tiresome, but by the end of it Venditti has found something useful to say. I always like seeing Pelletier art!
- reprint of Supergirl #54 (2010)
- reprint of Action Comics #866 (2008, the start of Geoff Johns, Richard Donner & Gary Frank's excellent "Brainiac" arc)
- reprint of Superman #8 (2016, from Tomasi, Gleason & Mahnke)
Back Issue Bin 125 "Exit Stage Left, Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown, and other comics"
A clerk walked up to me and whispered into my ear, "You know, they're five for a dollar at the moment," and that's why I got a bunch of old comics recently.
Air #1 (Vertigo)
from October 2008
I still fondly remember getting into G. Willow Wilson's Air. My interest at first was tentative, but then it became one of my favorite comics. I still think it's Wilson's best comics work, which she doesn't seem to have been in too much of a rush to replicate, even after finding popular success years later with Ms. Marvel. I've never added it to my graphic novel collection, though, so revisiting it was a long time coming, so it was great to find the first issue itself. And I still enjoyed it.
Azrael #40 (DC)
from April 1998
I always find it funny to be reminded of comics I decided not to read, and there were some in the '90s that in retrospect really leave me scratching my head. Even if I had no interest in Azrael itself, it's still strange to think there were rematches between the one-time Batman and Bane that didn't feel important enough to catch. About seven years back I read other encounters in the series between them (and maybe even this one?), so it was fun to do it again. That the series lasted a hundred issues seems incomprehensible today, whether or not I was reading it myself. But then, companies back then didn't have as itchy a trigger finger as they do now, constantly rebooting the big ones much less being patient with the smaller ones. You can see how Azrael's lack of appearances in recent years would bode for any new attempt at a solo book. The best of this issue is being reminded how long the original depiction of Bane managed to stick around, before subsequent generations screwed him up (well after the clownish version in Batman & Robin). Thank goodness Christopher Nolan and Tom King came around! This is a legitimately great character, with even greater potential still possible, which seems even more unlikely for a villain seemingly created just to provoke one of those endless '90s crises.
Batman and the Signal #3 (DC)
from June 2018
Duke Thomas was at one time pegged to be the next Robin, at least as far as fans expected, but eventually he assumed his own heroic identity, the Signal (Scott Snyder can be remarkably insular in his imaginative thought). This was his first spotlight with the new handle. Cully Hamner seems somehow less assured than usual on art, which was kind of strange.
DC Sampler (um, DC?)
from 1983
Ha! A few years before Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC seemed pretty assured of its comics line. This was a freebie they sent out with creative teams giving a small taste of what to expect from most of the titles at the time. For flimsy reasons, it omits some pretty significant titles: Justice League of America, Green Lantern, and Camelot 3000 (one of the projects the company used to heavily promote alongside Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, and the slightly less forgotten Ronin).
Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles #5 (DC)
from July 2018
I've been talking about Mark Russell quite a bit here lately, and with good reason: He's struck me as one of the most significant creators to emerge in recent years, and in recent years, he's finally started cementing his reputation. And for intents and purposes, that reputation begins with Exit Stage Left.
Using as its central conflict the familiar McCarthy Red Scare witch trials of the '50s, Russell reimagines a familiar Hanna-Barbera cartoon property as an allegory for the struggles of the LBGTQ community to find mainstream acceptance. It was immediately picked up on by observers that Russell had struck upon a compelling concept. I never had a chance to read it myself, having fallen into a black hole of sporadic comics reading at the time, and the later collection has been impossible to find in places other than the interwebs. Now I think I may have to finally go that route, because more than Prez, more than Flintstones, it seems Exit Stage Left pushes Russell beyond the concept of social commentary into truly great writing, and finds him at his very best, just as the reports have had it.
The Red Scare is always going to be a fascinating concept in and of itself, what it was, what it provoked, and the general response to it, whether or not we learned anything from it, or might still have a chance to. Clearly Russell believes it still has things to teach us, and as far as I'm concerned, he was absolutely right. What emerges is at least the perception of an effect on society similar to the Nazis in Germany, which is an interpretation that history normally flattens into "naming names," something that seemingly only affected Hollywood. DC itself has used the trials to explain what happened to the Justice Society after WWII, which the same flat interpretation.
Bottom line is, Russell created something that far exceeded a simple Hanna-Barbera nostalgia comic, into something that's valuable in a truly transcendent manner. It should be a lot easier to find.
Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown #1 (Marvel)
from 1988
What I really like discovering are comics I didn't even know existed but turn out to be far more interesting than such a fate suggests. This is obviously one of those.
From the husband-and-wife writing team of Walt and Louise Simonson (the latter of which I'd really only previously seen in the pages of Superman: The Man of Steel) and featuring art from Jon J. Muth (whom I'd previously seen in Grant Morrison's Mystery Play), this seems like another of Marvel's inexplicably lost evergreens. The biggest difference between Marvel and DC that I've seen is that where DC actively celebrates its best stories, Marvel is most content basking in its great legacy. Even the X-Men have gradually lost their once-celebrated memory for their '80s heyday.
And this is part of it, perhaps the best part of it. Wolverine, the poster child for breakout '80s X-Men success, and Havok (you know, Cyclops' brother). (Oh, wait, you probably don't. Because Havok has a tiny legacy.)
The Simonsons spend part of the story recounting the then-recent Chernobyl disaster (as recently depicted in a much-celebrated TV mini-series, called Chernobyl). That was itself fun to read, real history unfolding in the pages of a comic that subsequently has great historic value.
Of course, Muth's art is spectacular in and of itself. I have no idea, without researching, why Muth didn't make a much bigger name for himself, but it's not for lack of breathtaking talent.
Of course, at its heart Meltdown is a buddy adventure, and Wolverine & Havok play well off each other, in a story that's far removed from typical superhero comics material.
Marvel obviously knew it was a worthwhile project at some point: it was published in the prestige format. It would be nice for Marvel to remember at some point, so fans can, too. But thanks to whatever idiot gave up a treasure like this so I could discover it.
Justice League United #16 (DC)
from February 2016
I got this as much to see where the series had gone as astonishment that it had actually lasted that long, because it melted pretty much into oblivion, and I was just interested to see an issue from that late in the game (really only a few months before Rebirth).
JSA Classified #25 (DC)
from June 2007
I loved that DC expanded its Legends of the Dark Knight concept for a number of titles, between this, the JLA (Classified) and Batman and Superman (both Confidential), giving the company some anthology platforms. This issue has the spotlight on the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott.
Legends of the DC Universe #9 (DC)
from October 1998
This is another '90s series I'm surprised I mostly skipped completely over, and of course it's a precursor to what I was just talking about, with this issue revisiting the classic team-up of Green Lantern (in this instance, Hal Jordan) and Green Arrow, with a tale of how they first met.
Legion of Super-Heroes #88 (DC)
from January 1997
I'm really sure I didn't read this issue when it was originally published, even though 2019 Tony thought it was an immediate necessity, as it features Impulse on the cover, and obviously a guest appearance by him inside, which 1997 should have been far more interested in, as I was a big fan of Bart Allen, and have since begun considering Mark Waid's Impulse perhaps a better overall experience than his Flash, which was itself one of my favorite '90s comics. And I was happy to discover, even at the late date of 2019, that Impulse still amuses me. This was a great spotlight for the character.
Marvel Boy: The Plutonian #1 (Marvel)
from March 2010
I thought this was another great discovery. And I mean, it's interesting, but...Not as much as Havok & Wolverine. I demand a Havok & Wolverine movie. Or TV mini-series! Starring Jared Harris! As, I don't know, Wolverine!
Millennium #2, 3, 4, 6 & 8 (DC)
from 1987
Yey gods...I had never read Millennium, one of the event comics DC did after the great success of Crisis on Infinite Earths, but was pretty familiar with the concept, the Manhunters story where various characters were revealed to be infiltrators of the nefarious robot predecessors to the Guardians' Green Lantern Corps. Now I wish I still had never read Millennium, because it's...dreck. A totally botched event comic. By the end, it feels like one of DC's perennial excuses to try and introduce a new generation of superheroes. And absolutely none of them made it past Millennium itself. At least as far as I can tell. I had never heard of any of them until I saw their would-be spectacular debuts in the final issue. And even I, who pride myself in being able to see great potential where others usually can't, couldn't imagine rehabilitating. Any of them...
Mister X #1 (Vortex)
from June 1984
Mister X: Razed #4 (Dark Horse)
from May 2015
I had a great affinity for Dean Motter's Mister X. I didn't discover it in that first issue from 1984, but rather years later, in a reprint collection, when interest was just beginning to surface again, leading to the Dark Horse revivals. I got into Dean Motter comics, including finally reading Terminal City, which Motter had done for DC, and became a pretty big fan. But Mister X itself is a somewhat peculiar beast. The whole concept is almost only a concept, in which a character who's never really anything but a background character in his own comic exists mostly for a backstory, in a comic that looks spectacularly designed, regardless of who's drawing it (the original wasn't even written or drawn by Motter). Yet strangely, I remain attached to it, even as I grow detached from my original excitement. Seems almost like a secret handshake for true comics aficionados. One I'm proud to be a part of.
Primal Force #12 (DC)
from October 1995
DC made the curious decision to publish a lot of titles that would've fit nicely with the original Vertigo conceit (an offbeat look at superheroes) under the regular DC label, and I think a lot of great material got buried as a result. It only occurred to me that Primal Force is a part of that strange distinction upon this latest revisiting. I didn't read this one at the time, either, of course, but I discovered and devoured it years later, and am always happy to be reminded of it. I wish more fans understood what it accomplished, too, so that DC could add it to the trade collections always in-print.
The Sandman #4 (DC)
from September 1975
As you can see from its publication stamp above, not the Neil Gaiman comic! (Which of course I didn't read in the '90s!) This is the earlier one, which at least as of this issue featured Jack Kirby art! And exclamation points! After! Every! Utterance! Interestingly, features an add for a DC line expansion that includes Warlord (who endures in random appearances to this day) and Claw (who resurfaced in Primal Force and...doesn't endure to this day).
Seaguy#2 (Vertigo)
from August 2004
A lie! A vicious lie! Some jerk slipped this cover onto an issue of Fables. I didn't discover this until I had already brought it home. Some customers would probably bring it back and demand satisfaction. I am not one of those costumers. Makes for a better write-up here, anyway.
Starman #30 (DC)
from May 1997
Of course I didn't read Starman in the '90s. What were you thinking, even wondering? But I like to revisit it every now and then.
Titans #30 (DC)
from August 2001
Hard to think of any date immediately preceding 9/11 without thinking of 9/11 (even though, as time stamps in comics go, this was actually released probably in June 2001, well ahead of that day). Anyway, as Roy Harper comics go, at this point he was pretty much exclusively associated with Cheshire, the Elektra to his Daredevil, and this tale actually pivots more accurately on Cheshire herself, as she awaits the verdict for a trial concerning her villainous ways. And then Roy Harper dies in Heroes in Crisis, and all anyone can fixate on is what Tom King did to poor Wally West. What about Roy, fans. What about Roy?
Air #1 (Vertigo)
from October 2008
I still fondly remember getting into G. Willow Wilson's Air. My interest at first was tentative, but then it became one of my favorite comics. I still think it's Wilson's best comics work, which she doesn't seem to have been in too much of a rush to replicate, even after finding popular success years later with Ms. Marvel. I've never added it to my graphic novel collection, though, so revisiting it was a long time coming, so it was great to find the first issue itself. And I still enjoyed it.
Azrael #40 (DC)
from April 1998
I always find it funny to be reminded of comics I decided not to read, and there were some in the '90s that in retrospect really leave me scratching my head. Even if I had no interest in Azrael itself, it's still strange to think there were rematches between the one-time Batman and Bane that didn't feel important enough to catch. About seven years back I read other encounters in the series between them (and maybe even this one?), so it was fun to do it again. That the series lasted a hundred issues seems incomprehensible today, whether or not I was reading it myself. But then, companies back then didn't have as itchy a trigger finger as they do now, constantly rebooting the big ones much less being patient with the smaller ones. You can see how Azrael's lack of appearances in recent years would bode for any new attempt at a solo book. The best of this issue is being reminded how long the original depiction of Bane managed to stick around, before subsequent generations screwed him up (well after the clownish version in Batman & Robin). Thank goodness Christopher Nolan and Tom King came around! This is a legitimately great character, with even greater potential still possible, which seems even more unlikely for a villain seemingly created just to provoke one of those endless '90s crises.
Batman and the Signal #3 (DC)
from June 2018
Duke Thomas was at one time pegged to be the next Robin, at least as far as fans expected, but eventually he assumed his own heroic identity, the Signal (Scott Snyder can be remarkably insular in his imaginative thought). This was his first spotlight with the new handle. Cully Hamner seems somehow less assured than usual on art, which was kind of strange.
DC Sampler (um, DC?)
from 1983
Ha! A few years before Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC seemed pretty assured of its comics line. This was a freebie they sent out with creative teams giving a small taste of what to expect from most of the titles at the time. For flimsy reasons, it omits some pretty significant titles: Justice League of America, Green Lantern, and Camelot 3000 (one of the projects the company used to heavily promote alongside Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, and the slightly less forgotten Ronin).
from July 2018
I've been talking about Mark Russell quite a bit here lately, and with good reason: He's struck me as one of the most significant creators to emerge in recent years, and in recent years, he's finally started cementing his reputation. And for intents and purposes, that reputation begins with Exit Stage Left.
Using as its central conflict the familiar McCarthy Red Scare witch trials of the '50s, Russell reimagines a familiar Hanna-Barbera cartoon property as an allegory for the struggles of the LBGTQ community to find mainstream acceptance. It was immediately picked up on by observers that Russell had struck upon a compelling concept. I never had a chance to read it myself, having fallen into a black hole of sporadic comics reading at the time, and the later collection has been impossible to find in places other than the interwebs. Now I think I may have to finally go that route, because more than Prez, more than Flintstones, it seems Exit Stage Left pushes Russell beyond the concept of social commentary into truly great writing, and finds him at his very best, just as the reports have had it.
The Red Scare is always going to be a fascinating concept in and of itself, what it was, what it provoked, and the general response to it, whether or not we learned anything from it, or might still have a chance to. Clearly Russell believes it still has things to teach us, and as far as I'm concerned, he was absolutely right. What emerges is at least the perception of an effect on society similar to the Nazis in Germany, which is an interpretation that history normally flattens into "naming names," something that seemingly only affected Hollywood. DC itself has used the trials to explain what happened to the Justice Society after WWII, which the same flat interpretation.
Bottom line is, Russell created something that far exceeded a simple Hanna-Barbera nostalgia comic, into something that's valuable in a truly transcendent manner. It should be a lot easier to find.
from 1988
What I really like discovering are comics I didn't even know existed but turn out to be far more interesting than such a fate suggests. This is obviously one of those.
From the husband-and-wife writing team of Walt and Louise Simonson (the latter of which I'd really only previously seen in the pages of Superman: The Man of Steel) and featuring art from Jon J. Muth (whom I'd previously seen in Grant Morrison's Mystery Play), this seems like another of Marvel's inexplicably lost evergreens. The biggest difference between Marvel and DC that I've seen is that where DC actively celebrates its best stories, Marvel is most content basking in its great legacy. Even the X-Men have gradually lost their once-celebrated memory for their '80s heyday.
And this is part of it, perhaps the best part of it. Wolverine, the poster child for breakout '80s X-Men success, and Havok (you know, Cyclops' brother). (Oh, wait, you probably don't. Because Havok has a tiny legacy.)
The Simonsons spend part of the story recounting the then-recent Chernobyl disaster (as recently depicted in a much-celebrated TV mini-series, called Chernobyl). That was itself fun to read, real history unfolding in the pages of a comic that subsequently has great historic value.
Of course, Muth's art is spectacular in and of itself. I have no idea, without researching, why Muth didn't make a much bigger name for himself, but it's not for lack of breathtaking talent.
Of course, at its heart Meltdown is a buddy adventure, and Wolverine & Havok play well off each other, in a story that's far removed from typical superhero comics material.
Marvel obviously knew it was a worthwhile project at some point: it was published in the prestige format. It would be nice for Marvel to remember at some point, so fans can, too. But thanks to whatever idiot gave up a treasure like this so I could discover it.
Justice League United #16 (DC)
from February 2016
I got this as much to see where the series had gone as astonishment that it had actually lasted that long, because it melted pretty much into oblivion, and I was just interested to see an issue from that late in the game (really only a few months before Rebirth).
JSA Classified #25 (DC)
from June 2007
I loved that DC expanded its Legends of the Dark Knight concept for a number of titles, between this, the JLA (Classified) and Batman and Superman (both Confidential), giving the company some anthology platforms. This issue has the spotlight on the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott.
Legends of the DC Universe #9 (DC)
from October 1998
This is another '90s series I'm surprised I mostly skipped completely over, and of course it's a precursor to what I was just talking about, with this issue revisiting the classic team-up of Green Lantern (in this instance, Hal Jordan) and Green Arrow, with a tale of how they first met.
Legion of Super-Heroes #88 (DC)
from January 1997
I'm really sure I didn't read this issue when it was originally published, even though 2019 Tony thought it was an immediate necessity, as it features Impulse on the cover, and obviously a guest appearance by him inside, which 1997 should have been far more interested in, as I was a big fan of Bart Allen, and have since begun considering Mark Waid's Impulse perhaps a better overall experience than his Flash, which was itself one of my favorite '90s comics. And I was happy to discover, even at the late date of 2019, that Impulse still amuses me. This was a great spotlight for the character.
Marvel Boy: The Plutonian #1 (Marvel)
from March 2010
I thought this was another great discovery. And I mean, it's interesting, but...Not as much as Havok & Wolverine. I demand a Havok & Wolverine movie. Or TV mini-series! Starring Jared Harris! As, I don't know, Wolverine!
Millennium #2, 3, 4, 6 & 8 (DC)
from 1987
Yey gods...I had never read Millennium, one of the event comics DC did after the great success of Crisis on Infinite Earths, but was pretty familiar with the concept, the Manhunters story where various characters were revealed to be infiltrators of the nefarious robot predecessors to the Guardians' Green Lantern Corps. Now I wish I still had never read Millennium, because it's...dreck. A totally botched event comic. By the end, it feels like one of DC's perennial excuses to try and introduce a new generation of superheroes. And absolutely none of them made it past Millennium itself. At least as far as I can tell. I had never heard of any of them until I saw their would-be spectacular debuts in the final issue. And even I, who pride myself in being able to see great potential where others usually can't, couldn't imagine rehabilitating. Any of them...
Mister X #1 (Vortex)
from June 1984
Mister X: Razed #4 (Dark Horse)
from May 2015
I had a great affinity for Dean Motter's Mister X. I didn't discover it in that first issue from 1984, but rather years later, in a reprint collection, when interest was just beginning to surface again, leading to the Dark Horse revivals. I got into Dean Motter comics, including finally reading Terminal City, which Motter had done for DC, and became a pretty big fan. But Mister X itself is a somewhat peculiar beast. The whole concept is almost only a concept, in which a character who's never really anything but a background character in his own comic exists mostly for a backstory, in a comic that looks spectacularly designed, regardless of who's drawing it (the original wasn't even written or drawn by Motter). Yet strangely, I remain attached to it, even as I grow detached from my original excitement. Seems almost like a secret handshake for true comics aficionados. One I'm proud to be a part of.
Primal Force #12 (DC)
from October 1995
DC made the curious decision to publish a lot of titles that would've fit nicely with the original Vertigo conceit (an offbeat look at superheroes) under the regular DC label, and I think a lot of great material got buried as a result. It only occurred to me that Primal Force is a part of that strange distinction upon this latest revisiting. I didn't read this one at the time, either, of course, but I discovered and devoured it years later, and am always happy to be reminded of it. I wish more fans understood what it accomplished, too, so that DC could add it to the trade collections always in-print.
The Sandman #4 (DC)
from September 1975
As you can see from its publication stamp above, not the Neil Gaiman comic! (Which of course I didn't read in the '90s!) This is the earlier one, which at least as of this issue featured Jack Kirby art! And exclamation points! After! Every! Utterance! Interestingly, features an add for a DC line expansion that includes Warlord (who endures in random appearances to this day) and Claw (who resurfaced in Primal Force and...doesn't endure to this day).
Seaguy#2 (Vertigo)
from August 2004
A lie! A vicious lie! Some jerk slipped this cover onto an issue of Fables. I didn't discover this until I had already brought it home. Some customers would probably bring it back and demand satisfaction. I am not one of those costumers. Makes for a better write-up here, anyway.
Starman #30 (DC)
from May 1997
Of course I didn't read Starman in the '90s. What were you thinking, even wondering? But I like to revisit it every now and then.
Titans #30 (DC)
from August 2001
Hard to think of any date immediately preceding 9/11 without thinking of 9/11 (even though, as time stamps in comics go, this was actually released probably in June 2001, well ahead of that day). Anyway, as Roy Harper comics go, at this point he was pretty much exclusively associated with Cheshire, the Elektra to his Daredevil, and this tale actually pivots more accurately on Cheshire herself, as she awaits the verdict for a trial concerning her villainous ways. And then Roy Harper dies in Heroes in Crisis, and all anyone can fixate on is what Tom King did to poor Wally West. What about Roy, fans. What about Roy?
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Reading Comics 238 "Flashpoint Batman, Far Sector, Second Coming, & more"
I haven't been to an actual comic book store in about half a year, so I decided it was time to visit one, given the opportunity, and found some good stuff:
Batman #84 (DC)
And now there's one issue to go. Ironically or not, but the longer Tom King's run went, the less fans really cared. The obvious tipping point was when the wedding didn't actually happen. Fans felt cheated. They wanted something truly big to happen, and King seemed to promise exactly that. Instead the reaction has solidified on...pretty much how all of King's DC material has been received, as so much awkward navel-gazing. The irony here is that when he did it for Marvel (The Vision), everyone lauded him as a new genius, perhaps because Marvel so seldom publishes reflective material, let alone seems to realize that it has, and that it's worth celebrating.
I still can't think of any comic book writer I've so consistently admired, who has so often grasped the potential of DC's landscape. His accomplishments go far beyond anyone else's for the fact of delivering on nearly everything he's done, dating back to Omega Men, when he was entrusted with his first spotlight work. That goes back to 2015. Half a decade of excellence, and one long stellar run on a major title.
This particular issue harkens back to his first standout mainstream accomplishment, Grayson: Futures End, where I first came to discover King's remarkable talents. Grayson was a series he typically wrote in conjunction with Tim Seeley, but for the Futures End one-shot, he wrote solo, and even beyond the clever coding gimmick, it was brilliant character-based storytelling.
So in the issue, he basically extrapolates the Flashpoint Batman's complete story, which is all the more remarkable because that story was already brilliantly told in Flashpoint itself and the acknowledged best mini-series that spun out of it. And in doing so, explains his whole purpose for the Batman run he's been doing all along. This is a master class, not only in itself but in the fruitful extension of someone else's ideas. When all is said and done, it's something that will need to be included not only in the legacy of Batman, but Flashpoint, and superhero comics in general.
Collapser #5 (DC/Young Animal)
I like to try and discover interesting new material, too, when I visit a comics shop. Granted, this was far easier when I used to spend far more money on comics (money that I, ah, didn't technically...have?), but now I have to use the old "it looks interesting" approach, or even risk taking recommendations (these don't always pan out, naturally, but then, it's how I discovered Young Avengers). And Collapser #5 had an interesting cover, and it was a Young Animal comic. I love the Young Animal imprint, even if fans in general seem strangely apathetic about it. Such is life. The results this time were adequate, if not sensational. I didn't regret buying and/or reading it. Yay!
Copra #3 (Image)
Ah! So Copra is being published by Image now! The last time I can think of that Image picked up a popular self-published comic was Bone. Probably not the only example, but the only one I really care about. And Copra is another great acquisition! It may look crude, compared to the slick packages of virtually every other Image comic (but that goes with the name, right?), but Copra remains a good read.
Doctor Mirage #4 (Valiant)
I've sort of let Valiant's comics slip from my radar in recent years, but I like to keep tabs. Apparently they finally continued Doctor Mirage's adventures! Sadly, not under the title The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage, much less written by Jen Van Meter, but it's still nice to see!
Far Sector #1 (DC/Young Animal)
Ah! It's almost like reading King's Omega Men all over again! Insofar as it's another Green Lantern tale, without "Green Lantern" in the title, that turns out to be a brilliant new interpretation of what a Green Lantern comic can be! Far Sector features yet another new human Green Lantern, but N.K. Jemisin doesn't linger (at least in this debut issue) on that aspect so much as the murder mystery she's tossed into, in about as grand a miasma as King's Omega Men featured. Some readers might complain that Jemisin tries to be too hip, but I think it works, and it makes me want to not only keep tabs on Far Sector, but read some of Jemisin's books. It doesn't always work, but finding talent outside the usual comic book circles has the potential to find a Jemisin or a Tom King. And apparently awesome new Green Lantern comics. Love it!
Flash Forward #1 (DC)
After all the complaints about Heroes in Crisis, I loved when DC announced Flash Forward, a new Wally West tale. Several issues have been released at this point, but I figured I should see how it began. And I love it. Scott Lobdell, who has quietly become one of DC's one reliable character writers, captures a Wally who's even more traumatized than readers by his actions, but thrust all the same into a wild new adventure. Juxtaposing Wally's arc with another wild ride into the multiverse is itself another interesting choice, but I think Lobdell can avoid duplicating what ultimately happened to Booster Gold when he attempted a career revision in similar fashion (and in the process helped form the foundation of the TV series Legends of Tomorrow, which he inexplicably has never factored into).
Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (DC)
I've never been a devoted Legion fan, but I've read enough Legion comics to have built up an interest, and this is Brian Michael Bendis, still firing on all cylinders in his new DC digs, so of course I dig it.
Second Coming #5 (Ahoy)
Wow. So I haven't read anything but this issue, but I'm glad this comic exists. It's exactly what Mark Russell should be writing. The guy made his name writing stuff like this, so I'm glad he returned to the well. This particular issue is God and Satan having an awkward attempt at reconciliation, which is itself brilliant, plus the Second Coming Superman analog struggling at another kind of reconciliation, whether or not he'll ever have a child, which '90s Superman (in the comics and Lois & Clark on TV wondered about, too) was also concerned about, although since then we've gotten two versions of Superman's son. I'm in love with Russell again. I continue to hope that, even as his profile has risen greatly in recent years, it can go higher still.
X-Men #1 (Marvel)
Jonathan Hickman, riding high from great acclaim for his X-Men universe relaunch, begins to settle in, and I still enjoy the results.
Young Justice #11 (DC/Wonder Comics)
Here's Bendis again, integrating Naomi into the greater landscape. I love that he's helped Tim Drake finally follow in Dick Grayson (and Jason Todd's! and even Stephanie Brown's!) footsteps and assume an identity that doesn't have "Robin" in it. I know some fans complain that it's...Drake, which is...already his last name. But realistically, his secret identity is still firmly intact. And at the moment, his adventures are so wild, he's far removed from the common element, so it hardly matters. But I want it to stick. I want a Drake comic. (And a comic for everyone in this book! I wasn't totally committed to the Peter David version of the team. But I'm glad it's made a comeback.) And I'm glad Naomi is getting a chance to expand her emerging legacy. I hope she sticks around for years.
Batman #84 (DC)
And now there's one issue to go. Ironically or not, but the longer Tom King's run went, the less fans really cared. The obvious tipping point was when the wedding didn't actually happen. Fans felt cheated. They wanted something truly big to happen, and King seemed to promise exactly that. Instead the reaction has solidified on...pretty much how all of King's DC material has been received, as so much awkward navel-gazing. The irony here is that when he did it for Marvel (The Vision), everyone lauded him as a new genius, perhaps because Marvel so seldom publishes reflective material, let alone seems to realize that it has, and that it's worth celebrating.
I still can't think of any comic book writer I've so consistently admired, who has so often grasped the potential of DC's landscape. His accomplishments go far beyond anyone else's for the fact of delivering on nearly everything he's done, dating back to Omega Men, when he was entrusted with his first spotlight work. That goes back to 2015. Half a decade of excellence, and one long stellar run on a major title.
This particular issue harkens back to his first standout mainstream accomplishment, Grayson: Futures End, where I first came to discover King's remarkable talents. Grayson was a series he typically wrote in conjunction with Tim Seeley, but for the Futures End one-shot, he wrote solo, and even beyond the clever coding gimmick, it was brilliant character-based storytelling.
So in the issue, he basically extrapolates the Flashpoint Batman's complete story, which is all the more remarkable because that story was already brilliantly told in Flashpoint itself and the acknowledged best mini-series that spun out of it. And in doing so, explains his whole purpose for the Batman run he's been doing all along. This is a master class, not only in itself but in the fruitful extension of someone else's ideas. When all is said and done, it's something that will need to be included not only in the legacy of Batman, but Flashpoint, and superhero comics in general.
Collapser #5 (DC/Young Animal)
I like to try and discover interesting new material, too, when I visit a comics shop. Granted, this was far easier when I used to spend far more money on comics (money that I, ah, didn't technically...have?), but now I have to use the old "it looks interesting" approach, or even risk taking recommendations (these don't always pan out, naturally, but then, it's how I discovered Young Avengers). And Collapser #5 had an interesting cover, and it was a Young Animal comic. I love the Young Animal imprint, even if fans in general seem strangely apathetic about it. Such is life. The results this time were adequate, if not sensational. I didn't regret buying and/or reading it. Yay!
Copra #3 (Image)
Ah! So Copra is being published by Image now! The last time I can think of that Image picked up a popular self-published comic was Bone. Probably not the only example, but the only one I really care about. And Copra is another great acquisition! It may look crude, compared to the slick packages of virtually every other Image comic (but that goes with the name, right?), but Copra remains a good read.
Doctor Mirage #4 (Valiant)
I've sort of let Valiant's comics slip from my radar in recent years, but I like to keep tabs. Apparently they finally continued Doctor Mirage's adventures! Sadly, not under the title The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage, much less written by Jen Van Meter, but it's still nice to see!
Far Sector #1 (DC/Young Animal)
Ah! It's almost like reading King's Omega Men all over again! Insofar as it's another Green Lantern tale, without "Green Lantern" in the title, that turns out to be a brilliant new interpretation of what a Green Lantern comic can be! Far Sector features yet another new human Green Lantern, but N.K. Jemisin doesn't linger (at least in this debut issue) on that aspect so much as the murder mystery she's tossed into, in about as grand a miasma as King's Omega Men featured. Some readers might complain that Jemisin tries to be too hip, but I think it works, and it makes me want to not only keep tabs on Far Sector, but read some of Jemisin's books. It doesn't always work, but finding talent outside the usual comic book circles has the potential to find a Jemisin or a Tom King. And apparently awesome new Green Lantern comics. Love it!
Flash Forward #1 (DC)
After all the complaints about Heroes in Crisis, I loved when DC announced Flash Forward, a new Wally West tale. Several issues have been released at this point, but I figured I should see how it began. And I love it. Scott Lobdell, who has quietly become one of DC's one reliable character writers, captures a Wally who's even more traumatized than readers by his actions, but thrust all the same into a wild new adventure. Juxtaposing Wally's arc with another wild ride into the multiverse is itself another interesting choice, but I think Lobdell can avoid duplicating what ultimately happened to Booster Gold when he attempted a career revision in similar fashion (and in the process helped form the foundation of the TV series Legends of Tomorrow, which he inexplicably has never factored into).
Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (DC)
I've never been a devoted Legion fan, but I've read enough Legion comics to have built up an interest, and this is Brian Michael Bendis, still firing on all cylinders in his new DC digs, so of course I dig it.
Second Coming #5 (Ahoy)
Wow. So I haven't read anything but this issue, but I'm glad this comic exists. It's exactly what Mark Russell should be writing. The guy made his name writing stuff like this, so I'm glad he returned to the well. This particular issue is God and Satan having an awkward attempt at reconciliation, which is itself brilliant, plus the Second Coming Superman analog struggling at another kind of reconciliation, whether or not he'll ever have a child, which '90s Superman (in the comics and Lois & Clark on TV wondered about, too) was also concerned about, although since then we've gotten two versions of Superman's son. I'm in love with Russell again. I continue to hope that, even as his profile has risen greatly in recent years, it can go higher still.
X-Men #1 (Marvel)
Jonathan Hickman, riding high from great acclaim for his X-Men universe relaunch, begins to settle in, and I still enjoy the results.
Young Justice #11 (DC/Wonder Comics)
Here's Bendis again, integrating Naomi into the greater landscape. I love that he's helped Tim Drake finally follow in Dick Grayson (and Jason Todd's! and even Stephanie Brown's!) footsteps and assume an identity that doesn't have "Robin" in it. I know some fans complain that it's...Drake, which is...already his last name. But realistically, his secret identity is still firmly intact. And at the moment, his adventures are so wild, he's far removed from the common element, so it hardly matters. But I want it to stick. I want a Drake comic. (And a comic for everyone in this book! I wasn't totally committed to the Peter David version of the team. But I'm glad it's made a comeback.) And I'm glad Naomi is getting a chance to expand her emerging legacy. I hope she sticks around for years.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Watching the Walmart Giants 4 "November 2019"
I see that there's very little interest in finding out what's in these things, but I'll continue plugging away anyway. It's the internet! Nobody cares! Until they do! Passionately!
And to compound things, my closest Walmart didn't seem to actually get any of the November releases, but I happened to be across town and visited the other one, and that's how I got these:
Batman Giant #2
And to compound things, my closest Walmart didn't seem to actually get any of the November releases, but I happened to be across town and visited the other one, and that's how I got these:
Batman Giant #2
- New from Michael Grey & Ryan Benjamin, featuring Poison Ivy. Best appreciated for the Ryan Benjamin art.
- New from Andrea Shea & Neil Edwards, featuring the Signal (Duke Thomas). I love that Signal gets a spotlight, which is basically only his second ever (after the three-issue mini-series), following Duke's earlier incarnation as a quasi-Boy Wonder in We Are Robin.
- Batman #2 from the New 52 Snyder era. Coincidentally I recently got a copy of the first collection in that run, Court of Owls, marking the first time I've read the complete opening arc. I wasn't overly impressed.
- Detective Comics #854, featuring the continuation of the first extended Batwoman spotlight.
- Nightwing #2 from Rebirth, featuring the continued Raptor arc (as referenced in the title of the later collected edition, Better Than Batman, naturally).
- New from Margaret Stohl & Laura Braga, featuring the first team-up of the duo. Since I haven't actually read a lot of Batwoman comics, this was my introduction to her twin sister & archnemesis Alice (a sort of Lisbeth Salander vibe going on there, or Data/Lore, if you're a Star Trek fan).
- New from Sanya Anwar & Giant favorite Chad Hardin, featuring Batwoman. It's great to see Hardin in a new context, and he's a complete natural, probably a better overall experience.
- New from Andrea Shea & Mike Norton, featuring Supergirl, trading heavily on the Supergirl TV show continuity. I don't know if the comics have been doing that, too (I guess I don't read a lot of Supergirl comics, either...), but clearly this particular giant is being directed at fans of the TV shows, anyway, so it makes sense.
- Batwoman: Rebirth #1
- Supergirl: Rebirth #1
- Batwoman #0, the series that began just before the New 52, but experienced enough delays that it sort of was drafted into the New 52. It's sort of amazing to think that the character has now had three spotlight runs (thanks to linewide relaunches), all of which are being reflected in these giants. She's clearly the most successful and lasting element of my much-beloved 52, and that's nice to see.
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