No, not all comics featured in this feature were literally bought in a quarter bin. But these were.
The Flash #93 (DC)
From August 1993.
From the files of Mark Waid's excellent run on The Flash comes this second issue of Bart Allen's introduction. Waid was literally the guru of the Speed Force, and if any character greater embodied his philosophy than Wally West, it was Bart, who would variously be known as Impulse, Kid Flash, and even the Flash himself (it...didn't go particularly well, however). Bart was the grandchild of Barry and Iris Allen, raised in the future but mistakenly caught up in a program that sought to study him, which accidentally accelerated his growth because no one actually knew what to do with him. (Waid cleverly explains that in this issue.) Later the star of Waid's second Flash series, Impulse, Bart would appear in a more sinister version within the pages of the New 52's Teen Titans (which was one of the many things that angered fans about the New 52). I revisited this issue hoping for some sweet art from the late Mike Wieringo, but if I'd read the cover more closely, I'd have noticed that Carlos Pachelo was filling in for him. Somewhat ironically, while Ringo gained a massive cult following before and following his untimely death, the letters column for this issue features a decidedly cautious interest in his work.
Generation X #25, -1 (Marvel)
From March and July 1997.
Scott Lobdell's contributions to '90s X-Men lore have largely been marginalized in recent years, mostly because fans have generally marginalized '90s X-Men in general. His Generation X (which famously forced Gen 13 to come up with its alternate title, which didn't stop it from becoming one of Image's signature '90s hits) introduced, as the title may indicate, a new generation of mutants, who have since largely vanished. I just don't get it. Lobdell has been working with DC since the New 52, and he still doesn't get any credit, even though he's generally one of the best character-driven storytellers in the business. The "-1" issue was Marvel's response to the "0" issue phenomenon, part of a whole flashback month. Neither issue actually features the new generation too directly, but that was okay. It was still good stuff. James Robinson wrote the "-1" issue, and Carlos Pachelo, in his first signature work, was on art for both.
Guy Gardner #1, 2 (DC)
From October and November 1992.
Gerard Jones was absolutely on fire with the Green Lantern franchise during this period. He not only dominated it, but expanded it as never before. Besides the lead series, there was also Green Lantern: Mosaic (previously discussed here), and Guy Gardner, which launched with Guy having just acquired Sinestro's yellow ring, but would later feature him gaining different powers entirely. Geoff Johns would expand on the mythology of the yellow ring, but at the moment, it was just something that wasn't a Green Lantern ring, and still allowed Guy to run roughshod on the concept of superheroes. Basically, Guy was one of DC's answers to the burning '90s topic of breaking from tradition, and boy was his ready for it, even if his nifty new ring, in these issues, didn't feel like fully cooperating.
Harley Quinn and Power Girl #6 (DC)
From February 2016.
The creative team of Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Justin Gray had previously collaborated on a pre-New 52 Power Girl ongoing series (which featured the dubious distinction of Vartox's debut), and so it was nice to see them taking the opportunity provided by Harley Quinn's massive popularity to reprise the act (with Vartox!). This is irreverent storytelling pure and simple, with Harley literally acting the part of the jester as Power Girl tries to once and for all end her Leela/Zapp Brannigan relationship with Vartox. Good luck with that...
Hunter's Fortune #4 (Boom!)
From January 2010.
As with Skipper Martin and Drew Melbourne, Caleb Monroe was a budding creator I came across a decade ago, and when he scripted this series I enjoyed watching him find success. (Despite how it can sometimes seem, I don't actively wish ill on any creators. Everyone's work has an audience.) The concept, developed by Andrew Crosby, is basically Indiana Jones/National Treasure/Lara Croft without a sensational lead character. Hunter is merely the recipient of a fortuitous bequeathal. Monroe's signature gift to his fellow budding creators was setting up a list of submission guidelines, which was above and beyond what you'd expect from someone basically at the same level as you. He's remained active in comics, at least as of two years ago, when he was still writing stuff for Boom!, and that was good to see.
Showing posts with label Gerard Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gerard Jones. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Quarter Bin 76 "Automatic Kafka, and other stuff"
A lot of comics bought from an actual quarter bin. Don't say it never happens...
Automatic Kafka #2 (WildStorm)
From October 2002.
Joe Casey was one of the big names in comic at that time, but then he split off with a couple of his fellow luminaries to form Man of Action, which produced hit concepts like Ben 10 and Big Hero 6. But before he left, he left a splash, with stuff like Automatic Kafka. Chances are if he hadn't left, Kafka would have a lasting memory. Like a lot of Casey and WildStorm's efforts from that time, it was a post-millennial superhero deconstruction project, although today it looks like a precursor to Matt Kindt's MIND MGMT, which to my mind is a very good thing. So it was certainly a pleasure to read some of it, and I certainly wouldn't mind reading more. It was certainly the most pleasant discovery of this particular lot, although there was plenty of other good stuff, such as:
Batman: Futures End #1 (DC)
From November 2014.
The Futures End specials were such a rich creative opportunity, and I love checking out what the more adventurous ones attempted. This one wasn't an attempt, it was Scott Snyder, with Ray Fawkes scripting, revisiting his fascinating vision of the future Batman, so obsessed with his mission that he sets up a series of clones who will continue it indefinitely. It was easily Snyder's richest Batman concept, and one seen otherwise only sparingly, from a short story in the pages of the anniversary Detective Comics #27. I didn't read this special when it was originally released, because I didn't imagine that Snyder would revisit the concept, and fan reactions at the time didn't catch on to the significance of the issue, but I eventually read it digitally, and so now I've got a physical copy as well. This is the origin of the clone initiative, an older Batman who defies the odds and breaks into Lex Luthor's secret lab to get what he needs for it. I'd love if Snyder eventually returned again to the concept, but a small collection of these two stories wouldn't be out of order, either, so fans know they exist...
Bone Holiday Special (Hero)
From 1993.
This was something of an unbelievable find, a Hero magazine special from the early days of Jeff Smith's Bone. In it is an exclusive story, plus an interview (Smith comes off as less than impressive, alas), and reprints of early strips predating Bone, back when it was called Thorn. Bone is an endlessly charming memory, one of my all-time favorite comics, and Smith has proven to be an enduring talent as well, with RASL and Tuki (an ongoing project) also under his belt by this point.
Cerebus #201 (Aardvark-Vanaheim)
From December 1995.
Dave Sim is such a unique character in comics lore. He was a virtual god of the indy press at his prime, but since Cerebus ended fans have tended to reflect more on his alleged shortcomings than on what he accomplished. This issue begins the "Guys" arc, and seems to feature parodies of George Harrison and Ringo Starr (and virtually incomprehensible dialogue to match their accents). I have no idea how representative it is of Cerebus as a whole, but it was certainly unique reading. Sim includes an origin of Cerebus (and the name of its publisher, Aardvark-Vanaheim) in an essay, so that was pretty lucky for a guy who's not usually lucky enough to find an issue...
Chosen #2 (Dark Horse)
One of Mark Millar's formative projects (he's since retitled it American Jesus, and plans on further volumes) features a boy who may or may not be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. It's actually pretty interesting.
Empire #3 (DC)
From November 2003.
Mark Waid was my favorite '90s comic book writer. Eventually, he started to try and figure out how he was going to follow up all the stuff he'd accomplished in that decade, and everything he's done since has been a continuation of that. Empire was his first shot at what the kind of superhero storytelling he later developed in his Irredeemable comics. The concept was, What if the bad guy wins? This issue features the superhero who the villain only wants the world to think died. I don't know, maybe my lackluster opinion of Waid in the last few decades colors my impression of Empire, but it's hard to see now why fans were so wild about it. But they've consistently been wild about a lot of minor work from Waid. I should know. I knew his work when it was great...
Green Lantern: Mosaic #6 (DC)
From November 1992.
1992 was from the era I last saw bargain packs all over the place, and how I first discovered Green Lantern: Mosaic. This was, as I know understand it, the Vertigo version of Green Lantern. Gerard Jones ruled the whole Green Lantern landscape at that time, and it was surprisingly expansive landscape at that time. Mosaic was the big gamble. I guess I couldn't really appreciate how big a gamble it was until I read its letters column. The first issue of the series was the first issue I read, and for decades remains the only issue. But I loved that issue. Eventually, I caught another issue, and then even the arc from Green Lantern where it originated. Turns out, fans really didn't know what to make of it, and Jones didn't go out of his way to make it any easier. I mean, this was a Vertigo title. And it seriously needs to be rediscovered. It's pretty much the Green Lantern version of Grant Morrison's Animal Man. And this is how you make John Stewart relevant.
Haven: The Broken City #9 (DC)
From October 2002.
A couple of upstart creators were given a shot at creating something new at DC. This was a time of pretty wild experimentation at DC, and so it was as good a time to let upstart creators try their thing as any. The result is better than its complete lack of impact indicates. I caught the first issue from the same quarter bin a little while back, so it only seemed appropriate that I caught the last issue, too. Bookending the series were two specials featuring the Justice League. I don't really know what happened, why the upstarts vanished and the whole thing forgotten. But it didn't really deserve that fate.
Hawkeye #3 (Marvel)
From December 2012.
But then again, the much better established Matt Fraction couldn't help this series make a bigger impact...
Infinite Vacation #5 (Image)
Back when I thought I was going to continue to be a big fan of Nick Spencer, I caught the first issue of this one, and so reading the last one seemed like it would finally be appropriate. In hindsight Infinite Vacation may be remembered, if anything, for helping launch Image's continuing obsession with really bold coloring. This is the era of colorists, folks.
Infinity Man and the Forever People: Futures End #1 (DC)
From November 2014.
This Futures End special is pretty good, too, and is the first time I actually read this New Gods series. I think its only shortcoming is that it...really doesn't seem all that relevant a New Gods concept. But it's still a good read!
Justice League Europe #36 (DC)
From March 1992.
Gerard Jones again, this time helping smooth the transition from the Giffen/DeMatteis era to the Jurgens era, as he dismantles the old Bwa-Ha-Ha League (a lot of the members in this issue join Jurgens' Justice League America).
The Mice Templar: Volume IV - Legend #3 (Image)
From June 2013.
I was such a fan of Mice Templar, but I kind of got...tired of it after a while. The black and white art doesn't help, because it's hard to distinguish characters, especially since they're all rodents. But it was such an ambitious concept, and eventually ran for, I think, forty-two issues across five mini-series. This is actually a pretty good issue, and the new essay writer explains the history of anthropomorphic storytelling, which is kind of handy. So it was a good random issue to help revisit the concept. Plus, the Salmon of Knowledge!
Moon Knight #16 (Marvel)
From August 2015.
Predictably, Cullen Bunn features the least imaginative version of Marvel's project to make Moon Knight its second most interesting character (actual storytelling results may vary), after Deadpool. Although I hear Jeff Lemire is doing some truly killer work with the concept at the moment...
Promethea #22 (ABC)
From November 2002.
Alan Moore is the comics genius (so proclaimed by at least one whole generation of fans) I consider more lackluster than not. Promethea was his project with future superstar J.H. Williams III, who later collaborated with Neil Gaiman on a new Sandman. Speaking of which, this issue reads like a lackluster, Alan Moore version of Sandman. And speaking of which...
Sandman #63 (Vertigo)
I've been trying to catch up with Gaiman's seminal comics saga for a while (as evidenced by my annotations of The Annotated Sandman, a project that will continue at some point). This issue is from late in the series and, more specifically, "The Kindly Ones." It is not, however, particularly an issue to hold against counterfeit Alan Moore Sandman. It's a pretty busy issue, and certainly better than Moore's effort, but not an easy issue to laud among the greater Gaiman material available...
Smax #3 (ABC)
From December 2003.
"ABC," by the way, stands for "America's Best Comics." Which these really aren't. They were pretty popular at the time, and Alan Moore's last real stab at popular work (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen came from this era), and the funny thing is, they were all variations on stuff he originally did for Rob Liefeld. It makes sense somehow. Anyway, if Moore weren't so completely obsessed with sex, he might do better work. That's my theory, anyway...
Superman/Wonder Woman Annual #2 (DC)
From February 2016.
This is pretty much how the romance ends. It's kind of sad.
The New Titans #66 (DC)
From May 1990.
The cover of this later issue from the seminal Wolfman/Perez collaboration features Raven...not making out with Dick Grayson. It only looks that way. Raven's meddling in Dick's love life would come a little later in Wolfman's run (a development that's routinely overlooked by fans, by the way). It's worth noting that George Perez is not on art duties this issue, but rather co-scripting (the beginning, perhaps, of his writing career). The art, rather, comes from the formative pen of Tom Grummett, whose style is somewhat evident in this early work. If memory serves me right, he's also drawing when Wolfman has Raven crash Dick's would-be nuptials with Starfire...
The Legend of Will Power #1, 2 (Primal Paper)
From March, August 2011.
A local comics creator produced these comics (it's always worth sampling the native talent, which includes Drew Moss, who was in the store sketching once, and complaining about his publisher complaining about him...). This isn't Moss, however, but Vince White, and the reason I picked up these issues was because I had the suspicion there might be some Green Lantern in these pages. But the utter lack of connection between the superhero and his name (which is actually his real name) shows the disconnect between White's ambitions and his actual talent. He's a better artist. He needed a co-writer. Live and learn?
Automatic Kafka #2 (WildStorm)
From October 2002.
Joe Casey was one of the big names in comic at that time, but then he split off with a couple of his fellow luminaries to form Man of Action, which produced hit concepts like Ben 10 and Big Hero 6. But before he left, he left a splash, with stuff like Automatic Kafka. Chances are if he hadn't left, Kafka would have a lasting memory. Like a lot of Casey and WildStorm's efforts from that time, it was a post-millennial superhero deconstruction project, although today it looks like a precursor to Matt Kindt's MIND MGMT, which to my mind is a very good thing. So it was certainly a pleasure to read some of it, and I certainly wouldn't mind reading more. It was certainly the most pleasant discovery of this particular lot, although there was plenty of other good stuff, such as:
Batman: Futures End #1 (DC)
From November 2014.
The Futures End specials were such a rich creative opportunity, and I love checking out what the more adventurous ones attempted. This one wasn't an attempt, it was Scott Snyder, with Ray Fawkes scripting, revisiting his fascinating vision of the future Batman, so obsessed with his mission that he sets up a series of clones who will continue it indefinitely. It was easily Snyder's richest Batman concept, and one seen otherwise only sparingly, from a short story in the pages of the anniversary Detective Comics #27. I didn't read this special when it was originally released, because I didn't imagine that Snyder would revisit the concept, and fan reactions at the time didn't catch on to the significance of the issue, but I eventually read it digitally, and so now I've got a physical copy as well. This is the origin of the clone initiative, an older Batman who defies the odds and breaks into Lex Luthor's secret lab to get what he needs for it. I'd love if Snyder eventually returned again to the concept, but a small collection of these two stories wouldn't be out of order, either, so fans know they exist...
Bone Holiday Special (Hero)
From 1993.
This was something of an unbelievable find, a Hero magazine special from the early days of Jeff Smith's Bone. In it is an exclusive story, plus an interview (Smith comes off as less than impressive, alas), and reprints of early strips predating Bone, back when it was called Thorn. Bone is an endlessly charming memory, one of my all-time favorite comics, and Smith has proven to be an enduring talent as well, with RASL and Tuki (an ongoing project) also under his belt by this point.
Cerebus #201 (Aardvark-Vanaheim)
From December 1995.
Dave Sim is such a unique character in comics lore. He was a virtual god of the indy press at his prime, but since Cerebus ended fans have tended to reflect more on his alleged shortcomings than on what he accomplished. This issue begins the "Guys" arc, and seems to feature parodies of George Harrison and Ringo Starr (and virtually incomprehensible dialogue to match their accents). I have no idea how representative it is of Cerebus as a whole, but it was certainly unique reading. Sim includes an origin of Cerebus (and the name of its publisher, Aardvark-Vanaheim) in an essay, so that was pretty lucky for a guy who's not usually lucky enough to find an issue...
Chosen #2 (Dark Horse)
One of Mark Millar's formative projects (he's since retitled it American Jesus, and plans on further volumes) features a boy who may or may not be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. It's actually pretty interesting.
Empire #3 (DC)
From November 2003.
Mark Waid was my favorite '90s comic book writer. Eventually, he started to try and figure out how he was going to follow up all the stuff he'd accomplished in that decade, and everything he's done since has been a continuation of that. Empire was his first shot at what the kind of superhero storytelling he later developed in his Irredeemable comics. The concept was, What if the bad guy wins? This issue features the superhero who the villain only wants the world to think died. I don't know, maybe my lackluster opinion of Waid in the last few decades colors my impression of Empire, but it's hard to see now why fans were so wild about it. But they've consistently been wild about a lot of minor work from Waid. I should know. I knew his work when it was great...
Green Lantern: Mosaic #6 (DC)
From November 1992.
1992 was from the era I last saw bargain packs all over the place, and how I first discovered Green Lantern: Mosaic. This was, as I know understand it, the Vertigo version of Green Lantern. Gerard Jones ruled the whole Green Lantern landscape at that time, and it was surprisingly expansive landscape at that time. Mosaic was the big gamble. I guess I couldn't really appreciate how big a gamble it was until I read its letters column. The first issue of the series was the first issue I read, and for decades remains the only issue. But I loved that issue. Eventually, I caught another issue, and then even the arc from Green Lantern where it originated. Turns out, fans really didn't know what to make of it, and Jones didn't go out of his way to make it any easier. I mean, this was a Vertigo title. And it seriously needs to be rediscovered. It's pretty much the Green Lantern version of Grant Morrison's Animal Man. And this is how you make John Stewart relevant.
Haven: The Broken City #9 (DC)
From October 2002.
A couple of upstart creators were given a shot at creating something new at DC. This was a time of pretty wild experimentation at DC, and so it was as good a time to let upstart creators try their thing as any. The result is better than its complete lack of impact indicates. I caught the first issue from the same quarter bin a little while back, so it only seemed appropriate that I caught the last issue, too. Bookending the series were two specials featuring the Justice League. I don't really know what happened, why the upstarts vanished and the whole thing forgotten. But it didn't really deserve that fate.
Hawkeye #3 (Marvel)
From December 2012.
But then again, the much better established Matt Fraction couldn't help this series make a bigger impact...
Infinite Vacation #5 (Image)
Back when I thought I was going to continue to be a big fan of Nick Spencer, I caught the first issue of this one, and so reading the last one seemed like it would finally be appropriate. In hindsight Infinite Vacation may be remembered, if anything, for helping launch Image's continuing obsession with really bold coloring. This is the era of colorists, folks.
Infinity Man and the Forever People: Futures End #1 (DC)
From November 2014.
This Futures End special is pretty good, too, and is the first time I actually read this New Gods series. I think its only shortcoming is that it...really doesn't seem all that relevant a New Gods concept. But it's still a good read!
Justice League Europe #36 (DC)
From March 1992.
Gerard Jones again, this time helping smooth the transition from the Giffen/DeMatteis era to the Jurgens era, as he dismantles the old Bwa-Ha-Ha League (a lot of the members in this issue join Jurgens' Justice League America).
The Mice Templar: Volume IV - Legend #3 (Image)
From June 2013.
I was such a fan of Mice Templar, but I kind of got...tired of it after a while. The black and white art doesn't help, because it's hard to distinguish characters, especially since they're all rodents. But it was such an ambitious concept, and eventually ran for, I think, forty-two issues across five mini-series. This is actually a pretty good issue, and the new essay writer explains the history of anthropomorphic storytelling, which is kind of handy. So it was a good random issue to help revisit the concept. Plus, the Salmon of Knowledge!
Moon Knight #16 (Marvel)
From August 2015.
Predictably, Cullen Bunn features the least imaginative version of Marvel's project to make Moon Knight its second most interesting character (actual storytelling results may vary), after Deadpool. Although I hear Jeff Lemire is doing some truly killer work with the concept at the moment...
Promethea #22 (ABC)
From November 2002.
Alan Moore is the comics genius (so proclaimed by at least one whole generation of fans) I consider more lackluster than not. Promethea was his project with future superstar J.H. Williams III, who later collaborated with Neil Gaiman on a new Sandman. Speaking of which, this issue reads like a lackluster, Alan Moore version of Sandman. And speaking of which...
Sandman #63 (Vertigo)
I've been trying to catch up with Gaiman's seminal comics saga for a while (as evidenced by my annotations of The Annotated Sandman, a project that will continue at some point). This issue is from late in the series and, more specifically, "The Kindly Ones." It is not, however, particularly an issue to hold against counterfeit Alan Moore Sandman. It's a pretty busy issue, and certainly better than Moore's effort, but not an easy issue to laud among the greater Gaiman material available...
Smax #3 (ABC)
From December 2003.
"ABC," by the way, stands for "America's Best Comics." Which these really aren't. They were pretty popular at the time, and Alan Moore's last real stab at popular work (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen came from this era), and the funny thing is, they were all variations on stuff he originally did for Rob Liefeld. It makes sense somehow. Anyway, if Moore weren't so completely obsessed with sex, he might do better work. That's my theory, anyway...
Superman/Wonder Woman Annual #2 (DC)
From February 2016.
This is pretty much how the romance ends. It's kind of sad.
The New Titans #66 (DC)
From May 1990.
The cover of this later issue from the seminal Wolfman/Perez collaboration features Raven...not making out with Dick Grayson. It only looks that way. Raven's meddling in Dick's love life would come a little later in Wolfman's run (a development that's routinely overlooked by fans, by the way). It's worth noting that George Perez is not on art duties this issue, but rather co-scripting (the beginning, perhaps, of his writing career). The art, rather, comes from the formative pen of Tom Grummett, whose style is somewhat evident in this early work. If memory serves me right, he's also drawing when Wolfman has Raven crash Dick's would-be nuptials with Starfire...
The Legend of Will Power #1, 2 (Primal Paper)
From March, August 2011.
A local comics creator produced these comics (it's always worth sampling the native talent, which includes Drew Moss, who was in the store sketching once, and complaining about his publisher complaining about him...). This isn't Moss, however, but Vince White, and the reason I picked up these issues was because I had the suspicion there might be some Green Lantern in these pages. But the utter lack of connection between the superhero and his name (which is actually his real name) shows the disconnect between White's ambitions and his actual talent. He's a better artist. He needed a co-writer. Live and learn?
Friday, January 11, 2013
Quarter Bin #46. "Excavating the Past"
Disclaimer: Comics featured in "Quarter Bin" are not necessarily from an actual quarter bin. This is a column about back issues.
Doom Patrol #50 (DC)
From December 1991:
Until now I'd never read Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol, which serves as an important piece in his mainstream canon, one of the titles that helped make his name in American comics after Animal Man and before The Invisibles and JLA. Doom Patrol was part of the era where DC was formulating its Vertigo line, although it carried the classic DC bullet, and has since been considered a Vertigo series. As such, because the prevailing theme of Vertigo at the time was a surreal approach to established if obscure DC properties, Morrison had his first chance to be as surreal as possible. Moreso than even the famous Buddy Baker meeting his maker moment (Grant Morrison himself), this was Morrison establishing his reputation as a maverick creator. This particular issue is all about drug culture, both the creation of LSD and the effects of a person's perception of reality. Although the team faces a version of the foes originally confronted in the memorably titled collection The Painting That Ate Paris, that's what dominates the story, which is part and parcel of the occult reputation Morrison was actively creating for himself at the time. It might be noted that Doom Patrol was DC's X-Men before Marvel even had X-Men, much as the Challengers of the Unknown were DC's Fantastic Four before Marvel had Fantastic Four. This particular story isn't the best way to be introduced to the team, though it's certainly amusing if you have enough knowledge about both Doom Patrol and Morrison. Although if you simply like your comics weird, you will appreciate it anyway.
Green Lantern: Mosaic #14 (DC)
From July 1993:
Gerard Jones may have been the most valuable writer that DC had that no one but DC ever appreciated. He was the major writer of the Green Lantern franchise before anyone properly appreciated the fact that Green Lantern was a major DC franchise. He spearheaded the first Hal Jordan revival (in other words the series that was in effect when Hal went Parallax in "Emerald Twilight"), made Guy Gardner into a solo star, and also wrote Green Lantern: Mosaic. I'm not sure how many fans still exist who obsess over Mosaic, and I'm not even sure I can properly identify myself as one of them, but a quirk of fate has kept me fascinated by it for years. Prior to this, I had only ever read the first issue, which by that quirk and how I was reading comics at the time (in giant and really awesome monthly roundup collections from Sam's Club and smaller but equally awesome ones from Toys 'R' Us) I found myself in the possession of two copies. It's a rare comic that I read several times. It was completely unlike anything else I was reading at the time. After reading this issue, I think I finally can intepret exactly what Mosaic was really like. It was as mainstream a Vertigo title as fans ever got. (Well, except in the New 52.) That's what it really was. It was Gerard Jones making himself a Vertigo series based on the Green Lantern franchise. And this realization makes it that much easier for me to request that Mosaic finally be rediscovered and appreciated for the experience it really was. I can only imagine what Green Lantern fans thought at the time. Mosaic starred John Stewart, the Green Lantern constantly riddled with self-doubt, on special assignment, trying to govern a melting pot community on Oa, filled with the most exotic alien species imaginable. It was truly Jones at the height of his powers. Unfortunately, this is also one of the last issues, because as I suggested, fans really didn't know what to make of it. Would Mosaic have succeeded if it'd had the Vertigo imprint on the cover? Well, as I said, it's never too late to find out.
Guy Gardner Reborn #3 (DC)
From 1992:
At this point Guy Gardner was far better known as a pesky member of the Justice League whom Batman knocked out with one punch (a moment Geoff Johns revisited in Green Lantern: Rebirth) than as a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Still, Gardner was a Green Lantern when he was in the League during that memorable time, and he was also a part of the revival of Green Lantern (after several years of Green Lantern Corps and no Green Lantern), as Hal Jordan struggled in his first comeback. Guy Gardner Reborn features Guy without a ring, until this issue, which is pretty historic. It features him claiming Sinestro's yellow ring for himself. This was before Geoff Johns explained the exact significance of the yellow ring, so for the next few years Guy and the yellow ring was just Guy slinging yellow constructs instead of green ones. He was just Guy. He didn't have anything in particular to do with fear. Sinestro at the time appeared to be dead. He was dead again when Hal snapped his neck, and made a memorable appearance from the grave during Hal's Spectre, well before Geoff's own revival and elevation. This issue also features a full-scale Qwardian invasion of Oa featuring the Thunderers, and appearances by signature members of the Corps as it was at that time. Guy also wears a belly shirt for some reason. Did I mention that this was written by Gerard Jones? Like I said, the dude deserves a lot more recognition than he gets, even if Green Lantern did not become popular until Parallax, Ron Marz and Kyle Rayner. Jones laid the foundation for what was lost in "Emerald Twilight." And he literally made a franchise, and quite a fascinating one. Guy's series lasted far longer than Mosaic, and saw him eventually ditch the yellow ring in favor of alien DNA that gave him a new set of powers as well as the new name Warrior. And then of course he later rejoined the Corps, where he remains the lovable hothead.
Hawkman #19 (DC)
From November 2003:
Just as he currently writes Justice League and Aquaman, Geoff Johns ten years earlier wrote JSA and Hawkman. His run on Hawkman has been overlooked by history, possibly because Hawkman as a property is memorable but forgettable at the same time. He's the hero the nineteenth century would have loved, but more contemporary fans have a hard time wrapping their heads around. Hawkman is connected to Egyptian mythology, he and Hawkgirl reincarnated lovers throughout the ages (a bit like the film Hancock) who also have ties to the Thanagarians, and thus an odd mix of sci-fi and mythology no writer has successfully blended. (Ironically, this is the exact thing Geoff has done in Aquaman.) At the time, Hawkman was merely a spin-off from Geoff's success making the Justice Society relevant again, featuring the famous bruiser with wings and a mace in his own adventures, his return one of the biggest stories of JSA. I chose this issue to sample because it features Black Adam, who was one of the main reasons why 52 became my favorite comic book of all time, the villain turned antihero who tried redeeming himself for the sake of love, but in his own context and on his own terms. Actually, Black Adam was another character Geoff helped elevate in JSA, and the start of the arc concluded in 52 began there and continued in this issue, as Hawkman visits his Middle East nation and witnesses as Black Adam makes the first vow on the road to his most distinguished period. (There was a Black Adam mini-series that followed 52 that was equally fascinating, but suffice to say I would read more Black Adam in a heartbeat, and not just in the Shazam backup feature in Geoff's Justice League.) This issue actually does a pretty good job of selling the series, making it more distinguished and interesting than its lack of reputation suggests. I suppose that since Geoff was also working on JSA, The Flash, and even The Avengers at the time, some fans simply assumed he didn't have much left to say in Hawkman. They were wrong.
Doom Patrol #50 (DC)
From December 1991:
Until now I'd never read Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol, which serves as an important piece in his mainstream canon, one of the titles that helped make his name in American comics after Animal Man and before The Invisibles and JLA. Doom Patrol was part of the era where DC was formulating its Vertigo line, although it carried the classic DC bullet, and has since been considered a Vertigo series. As such, because the prevailing theme of Vertigo at the time was a surreal approach to established if obscure DC properties, Morrison had his first chance to be as surreal as possible. Moreso than even the famous Buddy Baker meeting his maker moment (Grant Morrison himself), this was Morrison establishing his reputation as a maverick creator. This particular issue is all about drug culture, both the creation of LSD and the effects of a person's perception of reality. Although the team faces a version of the foes originally confronted in the memorably titled collection The Painting That Ate Paris, that's what dominates the story, which is part and parcel of the occult reputation Morrison was actively creating for himself at the time. It might be noted that Doom Patrol was DC's X-Men before Marvel even had X-Men, much as the Challengers of the Unknown were DC's Fantastic Four before Marvel had Fantastic Four. This particular story isn't the best way to be introduced to the team, though it's certainly amusing if you have enough knowledge about both Doom Patrol and Morrison. Although if you simply like your comics weird, you will appreciate it anyway.
Green Lantern: Mosaic #14 (DC)
From July 1993:
Gerard Jones may have been the most valuable writer that DC had that no one but DC ever appreciated. He was the major writer of the Green Lantern franchise before anyone properly appreciated the fact that Green Lantern was a major DC franchise. He spearheaded the first Hal Jordan revival (in other words the series that was in effect when Hal went Parallax in "Emerald Twilight"), made Guy Gardner into a solo star, and also wrote Green Lantern: Mosaic. I'm not sure how many fans still exist who obsess over Mosaic, and I'm not even sure I can properly identify myself as one of them, but a quirk of fate has kept me fascinated by it for years. Prior to this, I had only ever read the first issue, which by that quirk and how I was reading comics at the time (in giant and really awesome monthly roundup collections from Sam's Club and smaller but equally awesome ones from Toys 'R' Us) I found myself in the possession of two copies. It's a rare comic that I read several times. It was completely unlike anything else I was reading at the time. After reading this issue, I think I finally can intepret exactly what Mosaic was really like. It was as mainstream a Vertigo title as fans ever got. (Well, except in the New 52.) That's what it really was. It was Gerard Jones making himself a Vertigo series based on the Green Lantern franchise. And this realization makes it that much easier for me to request that Mosaic finally be rediscovered and appreciated for the experience it really was. I can only imagine what Green Lantern fans thought at the time. Mosaic starred John Stewart, the Green Lantern constantly riddled with self-doubt, on special assignment, trying to govern a melting pot community on Oa, filled with the most exotic alien species imaginable. It was truly Jones at the height of his powers. Unfortunately, this is also one of the last issues, because as I suggested, fans really didn't know what to make of it. Would Mosaic have succeeded if it'd had the Vertigo imprint on the cover? Well, as I said, it's never too late to find out.
Guy Gardner Reborn #3 (DC)
From 1992:
At this point Guy Gardner was far better known as a pesky member of the Justice League whom Batman knocked out with one punch (a moment Geoff Johns revisited in Green Lantern: Rebirth) than as a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Still, Gardner was a Green Lantern when he was in the League during that memorable time, and he was also a part of the revival of Green Lantern (after several years of Green Lantern Corps and no Green Lantern), as Hal Jordan struggled in his first comeback. Guy Gardner Reborn features Guy without a ring, until this issue, which is pretty historic. It features him claiming Sinestro's yellow ring for himself. This was before Geoff Johns explained the exact significance of the yellow ring, so for the next few years Guy and the yellow ring was just Guy slinging yellow constructs instead of green ones. He was just Guy. He didn't have anything in particular to do with fear. Sinestro at the time appeared to be dead. He was dead again when Hal snapped his neck, and made a memorable appearance from the grave during Hal's Spectre, well before Geoff's own revival and elevation. This issue also features a full-scale Qwardian invasion of Oa featuring the Thunderers, and appearances by signature members of the Corps as it was at that time. Guy also wears a belly shirt for some reason. Did I mention that this was written by Gerard Jones? Like I said, the dude deserves a lot more recognition than he gets, even if Green Lantern did not become popular until Parallax, Ron Marz and Kyle Rayner. Jones laid the foundation for what was lost in "Emerald Twilight." And he literally made a franchise, and quite a fascinating one. Guy's series lasted far longer than Mosaic, and saw him eventually ditch the yellow ring in favor of alien DNA that gave him a new set of powers as well as the new name Warrior. And then of course he later rejoined the Corps, where he remains the lovable hothead.
Hawkman #19 (DC)
From November 2003:
Just as he currently writes Justice League and Aquaman, Geoff Johns ten years earlier wrote JSA and Hawkman. His run on Hawkman has been overlooked by history, possibly because Hawkman as a property is memorable but forgettable at the same time. He's the hero the nineteenth century would have loved, but more contemporary fans have a hard time wrapping their heads around. Hawkman is connected to Egyptian mythology, he and Hawkgirl reincarnated lovers throughout the ages (a bit like the film Hancock) who also have ties to the Thanagarians, and thus an odd mix of sci-fi and mythology no writer has successfully blended. (Ironically, this is the exact thing Geoff has done in Aquaman.) At the time, Hawkman was merely a spin-off from Geoff's success making the Justice Society relevant again, featuring the famous bruiser with wings and a mace in his own adventures, his return one of the biggest stories of JSA. I chose this issue to sample because it features Black Adam, who was one of the main reasons why 52 became my favorite comic book of all time, the villain turned antihero who tried redeeming himself for the sake of love, but in his own context and on his own terms. Actually, Black Adam was another character Geoff helped elevate in JSA, and the start of the arc concluded in 52 began there and continued in this issue, as Hawkman visits his Middle East nation and witnesses as Black Adam makes the first vow on the road to his most distinguished period. (There was a Black Adam mini-series that followed 52 that was equally fascinating, but suffice to say I would read more Black Adam in a heartbeat, and not just in the Shazam backup feature in Geoff's Justice League.) This issue actually does a pretty good job of selling the series, making it more distinguished and interesting than its lack of reputation suggests. I suppose that since Geoff was also working on JSA, The Flash, and even The Avengers at the time, some fans simply assumed he didn't have much left to say in Hawkman. They were wrong.
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