Pandemic Comics #9 “Ronin, and Team Sports!”

More comics from the Mile High mystery boxes! (Shocked myself when I realized there are only two more batches to go through after this one! Time flies!)

Outsiders #46
“Pay As You Go,” an arc I somewhat remember, at least certainly the title, apparently dealing with the fallout, at least as of this issue, of Black Lightning being a part of President Luthor’s cabinet, now locked up at Iron Heights and requiring extraction. This incarnation of the team included his daughter, so yeah, there are a few passionate advocates for getting that done, although some of them, being superheroes, think it’s a bad idea. Pretty sure this was the end of this particular incarnation. The Outsiders in general have a somewhat nebulous history, periodically reverting back to Batman’s Personal Team, as it was in the ‘80s. Otherwise no one’s really managed to nail down what exactly makes them relevant. Seldom actually composed of “outsiders,” though leaning into that would be...relevant?

Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho and Aquaman
Didn’t notice when I was unpacking the boxes that this was written by G. Willow Wilson, who at this point in history was still known mostly for the graphic novel Cairo and Vertigo series Air, which only an obscure chap named Tony Laplume thought was brilliant. This one-shot leading to the next iteration of Outsiders allows Wilson, perhaps, to lean into her Muslim faith for the first time, although she needs a supporting character to do so, as neither Metamorpho nor this incarnation of Aquaman (who was quickly tossed to the scrap heap of history) can help out with that. I was reading these one-shots, and invested in that Aquaman, at the time, so there’s a chance this is a second read. But I experienced it as a first. This time more interested in Metamorpho, at any rate.

The Power Company #2
Kurt Busiek definitely wrote this more as a Marvel book than as a DC book, which might explain why it vanished so quickly (but as a rule, most modern new concepts go that way). Better appreciated, by me, for the Tom Grummett art. Grummett was a ‘90s Superman staple, but ended up being more closely associated with Superboy specifically, and in recent years has continued working with Superboy collaborator Karl Kesel, which I’m always happy to be reminded.

Robin #166
Sort of the awkward period where Tim Drake’s solo adventures had reached their zenith and no one wanted to admit it.

Ronin #1
Ah! One of the Frank Miller projects that used to be heavily touted! But eventually fell out of favor once Miller became best known for Daredevil, Dark Knight Returns, Sin City, 300, and fans hating him trying to do more with Dark Knight Returns! DC has long been very good at “evergreens,” keeping their celebrated and best work in print, probably something that sprang from ensuring Watchmen stayed in print. For the longest time Ronin was kept in print, too, and celebrated equally among Miller’s other achievements. I don’t know if it was the backlash alone to Miller’s later work that took it off the slate, or that it became harder to categorize, as it wasn’t part of the DC landscape nor connected to Vertigo nor a superhero tale in general, or DC just got caught up trying to redeem Miller’s reputation by fishing for a Dark Knight Returns sequel fans didn’t actively hate and legitimately forgot about Ronin, but forgot it was. And I never got around to reading it, nor getting any real idea of what it was.

Well, now I’ve read this first installment. As the title suggests, it’s heavily relevant to the Daredevil portions of Miller’s legacy, and the art style, since this began in 1983, looks more like his Daredevil than his later work (fans are always saying how his work degenerated over the years, but it was clearly always changing). And the story weaves between a past and a future, linked by a magic sword and two warriors locked in mortal combat (if this were a podcast I would be playing the theme song to a certain video game/movie right now). And it’s very interesting! And absolutely does not deserve to be forgotten. At some point I will read the rest of it. Miller’s a treasure through and through. The back cover includes praise from Klaus Jansen, Walt Simonson, and Will Eisner, all of whom champion Miller’s innovative instincts, an emerging master of the craft. That’s exactly how it began, folks. Eisner’s endorsement is probably the most significant, and out of everyone Miller probably came to see him in particular as his peer. And rightfully so. I later read a book of conversations between them. Priceless history and insight.

Seven Soldiers of Victory #1
The conclusion of Grant Morrison’s innovative modular team book, which in hindsight might even be considered a template of the MCU; both are composed of individual spotlights converging on limited team experiences. Morrison’s imagination can be overwhelming; it’s in full epic scale here, and I’m almost ashamed to admit I haven’t always been able to remember how great it is. I became a fan of Morrison only with JLA, and somehow found it easy to walk away from him as I did comics in general at the turn of the millennium. I knew all about the wild expectations for his New X-Men, which Marvel expected only to duplicate his JLA, but ended up being...more ambitious. The moment Morrison left Marvel gleefully deconstructed everything he’d accomplished. And I never felt overly compelled at the time to see what was happening. It wasn’t until Seven Soldiers happened that I became interested in Morrison again. A lot of fans were baffled by the whole thing. Morrison himself saw it as his take on Jack Kirby’s approach to the New Gods, multiple series presenting multiple viewpoints on the same general landscape. But Kirby’s New Gods famously got cut off before he could reach an ending, and creators (including Kirby himself at one point) have been chasing that ever since. In some respects Seven Soldiers was Morrison’s dry run at his own attempt, Final Crisis, safely obscured in the Mister Miracle material by the many other moving parts around it, but in hindsight it’s pretty obvious. But I don’t think Morrison has allowed himself to be this wild since, even with Multiversity, which is as much a shame as what happened to Kirby’s New Gods. But Morrison, at least, still has plenty of time and opportunity...

Shadowpact #2
Shadowpact #7
Funny how time can change things. I enjoyed reading this series at the time, but find now that it’s virtually impossible to get back into.

Watching the Walmart Giants 8 "February 2020"

Just when I thought I was out...Recently on Facebook there've been announcements about releases and I've been reading and contributing to the comments section.  Seems fans are finally discovering these things exist, and are happy about it.  And the giants keep finding ways to interest me, even though I'm becoming a little jaded (King/Bendis Withdrawal Syndrome).

Ah!  Before I go any further, let me just acknowledge the news that Dan DiDio, erstwhile longtime Publisher at DC, has been fired.  Apparently he was ruffling too many editorial feathers recently.  But speculation is only beginning.  It's suspected that the "G5" initiative, which hasn't even happened yet, might be responsible.  Anyway, sad to see him go. 

From Beyond the Unknown Giant #1

• New story from Dave Wielgosz and Kenneth Rocafort (!!) featuring Green Lantern Hal Jordan being given an object lesson in paying attention to Earth at the expense of his duties to Sector 2814 (to be fair, very little has been done by any writer to expand the idea of the whole sector, which if given an opportunity would probably be one of my priorities).  Love to see Rocafort doing work in these giants, a huge coup (although I'd also love for him to get a big new assignment).
• New story from Tom Sniegoski and Eric Gapstur featuring Kamandi.  Excellent story with a robot butler sort of upstaging Kamandi.  Sniegoski is another welcome presence in these giants, familiar from work relating to Jeff Smith's Bone.
• New story from Dan Jurgens featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, in a fine spotlight.
• Reprint of DC Comics Presents #3 (from 1974!!) featuring Superman and Adam Strange (cover feature).
• Reprint of The Brave and the Bold #113 (from 1978!!) featuring Batman and the Metal Men.
• Reprint from Green Lantern Annual #3 (written by Alan Moore, from 1987!!). 

These giants are finally pushing well past 2003 (I think the previous earliest reprint point).  The collection ads have also gotten an upgrade.  Tom King is finally being put in the spotlight (the giants were slow to acknowledge even his Batman), with one page featuring Mister Miracle, Heroes in Crisis, Grayson and Omega Men (though a misprint identifies it as Batman Vol. 1: I Am Gotham), plus a Batman/Catwoman page spotlighting an 80th anniversary, plus King's Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar?, Batman Vol. 7: The Wedding, and Batman/Catwoman: The Wedding Album.  There are also ads featuring the work of Jack Kirby and Darwyn Cooke, among others, plus Tomasi/Gleason's Batman & Robin.

Titans Giant #1

• New story from Phil Hester (always great to see new work from him) and Scott Koblish (and Tom Grummett), featuring the adult Titans.
• New story from Marc Guggenheim (big giants favorite at the moment) and Steve Pugh featuring Raven.
• Reprint from Teen Titans #50 (from 1977) featuring the expanded old school Titans.
• Reprint from Starfire #1.
• Reprint of Adventures of the Super Sons #1.

Watching the Walmart Giants 7 "Crisis On Infinite Earths Giant #2"

Pretty sure this was shipped to Walmart in January, but I only caught it last weekend:

Crisis On Infinite Earths Giant #2

• New from Marv Wolfman, Marc Guggenheim & Tom Derenick, continuing a story from the previous issue, in which Felicity Smoak somewhat obnoxiously (it seems to be my word of the day) tries to petition for her needs to be greater than anyone else's as she mourns the death of Oliver Queen and demands he be brought back.  Probably intended to be read before the final two installments of the Arrowverse Crisis, but I guess it doesn't hurt to read it after.  Featuring an appearance (advertised on the cover) from the Green Lantern Corps, led by Sinestro (will be interesting if the forthcoming TV series will follow such continuity).
• New from Wolfman, Guggenheim & Tom Grummett, likewise continuing a story from the previous issue, featuring Lex Luthor(s).  Still great to see Grummett doing Superman art again, and if anything, he seems more comfortable this time, and as if he never missed a beat (I like when there's continuity in an artist's work, especially if they have arrived at a definitive style, over long periods of time).
• Reprint of Crisis #8, as represented by the cover of the Giant, featuring the death of Barry Allen.
• Reprint of Crisis #11, which in this reading, at least for me, seems much more weirdly to anticipate Geoff Johns' Infinite Crisis than I remember.
• Reprint of DCU: Legacies #6, which is like an Astro City take on Crisis.

I'm still kicking myself for missing the crucial moment in the Arrowverse Crisis Arrow installment in which Grant Gustin's Flash meets DCEU Ezra Miller's Flash, by far the coolest cameo of the whole thing, and by far the most unexpected.  As I'm writing this, Birds of Prey just underperformed in its opening weekend, but hopefully DC movies (such as, yes, Miller's Flash) aren't much affected by it.  (Tonight will also reveal how many, if any, Oscars Joker wins.)  I loved pieces of Arrowverse Crisis quite a bit.  Biggest win of these crossovers almost by default, and a fun way to celebrate the screen legacy of DC superheroes. 

Reading Comics 231 "Midtown Comics"

I had a bad habit of spending money I didn’t have, a decade ago, ordering comics from Midtown.  When I placed my most recent order, it was money I did have, so it was a fine thing to revisit the old habit.  Here’s what I got:

Doomsday Clock #11 (DC)

The penultimate issue, leading to the much-anticipated encounter between Superman and Doctor Manhattan, lays out what exactly Geoff Johns was doing all along, including finally explaining what Saturn Girl has been doing in the Rebirth era (somewhat ironically, for her).  This is probably some of the best stuff Johns has ever written.

The Green Lantern #11 (DC)

Back when I was at my blogging height, I collected a number of blogs I thought would be worth reading on a regular basis, but more often than not I was wrong.  One of them is a comics blog that has continued to review new comics every week, and…I just don’t give a wit about the guy’s opinions.  He seems positively allergic to any real ambition in comics.  So: he doesn’t like Grant Morrison’s Green Lantern.  I think you have to be an idiot not to like a Morrison comic, especially when he’s obviously applying himself and having a great old time.  And he’s clearly doing exactly that in this comic.  And in this issue alone, he does what no one since Geoff Johns has really been able to nail and that’s introduce another forgotten element of Green Lantern lore, and it doesn’t hurt that he deliberately draws on Don Quixote to do it (this has sort of been my Year of Don Quixote).  Anyway, while I don’t love everything Grant Morrison has ever done, this whole run is going to sit very proudly alongside my collection of his works.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #1 (DC)

Wow.  So, Brian Michael Bendis, folks.  The dude has been a tireless creative dynamo since coming to work for DC, not just with the creator-owned material he either brought with him or began, but the stuff he’s been imagining with familiar characters, and everything fans expected him to do, he just keeps coming up with curveballs.  This comic, for instance, actually centers on Rose & Thorn, a concept I came across in ‘90s Superman comics, but which Bendis makes his own, brilliantly.  Now I want to read a comic based on her, forget about the returning Legion!  But I’ll take the Legion, too, because I’m pretty convinced that if anyone can pull off a relevant new Legion, it’s Bendis.  I’ve never enjoyed him as much as I am now.  I haven’t always been a fan, per say, but I’ve enjoyed him in the past.  But he’s operating on an entirely new level now.  It’s, dare I say, amazing…

Section Zero #6 (Image)

Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett are basically reprising their old Superboy comics, which to my mind is a very good thing, with this one.  I bought the Stuart Immonen variant cover, naturally.

Spawn #300 (Image)

I’m pretty sure the creator-owned landmark Spawn is matching this issue and passing with the next one is Cerebus, which was much-celebrated in times past but much-criticized today.  Now, given that there’re 300 issues of Spawn to be accounted for and maybe the first few years that most fans are actually going to remember, someone had the bright idea to reboot back to the continuity, basically, of those early years for this occasion.  It’s only just occurred to me that Spawn as a concept seems to have copy-and-posted almost directly from Venom, as far as being a symbiotic costume thing.  Todd McFarlane explains how he came up with the character in the ‘70s, obviously before Venom or the black Spider-Man costume ever existed, but I wonder how much of what ended up being Spawn was envisioned back in the day and how much when McFarlane went off to help found Image on the back of all the money he and his fellow pirate artists were making at the time.  In fact, reading (or sort of reading) those Demon Etrigan comics from Forbidden Geek sort of put Spawn further in perspective: He’s sort of exactly Venom, but envisioned by DC. 

Star Trek: Discovery – Aftermath #1 (IDW)

I’m a fan of the series itself, so I didn’t mind revisiting it in comics form, and this comic is a good way to do so, and even harkens back to the best of IDW’s Star Trek comics.

Superman: Up in the Sky #3 (DC)

This is the comic book store reprint series of the Walmart Superman Giant material from Tom King and Andy Kubert, which I thought I’d get at least one issue of, calculating (correctly, as it happily turned out), that this one would feature the “controversial” installment featuring the many deaths of Lois Lane.  And rereading this material was as equally pleasurable as the first time, as I hoped, so that was also good to see.

Reading Comics 230 "First Forbidden Geek Mystery Box"

Recently I delved back into the crate phenomenon, the mystery box thing that’s become a whole cottage industry, even finding its way into Walmart and Target (plus kids toys! of course!), with Forbidden Geek.  At the moment, I’m officially a subscriber, so I will be getting a new box every month.  I got my first one recently.  I opted for a bonus pack of comics, which apparently, unlike the more official set, don’t come with bags and boards (which is fine by me), and those will be the first batch I write about:

Black Science #1 (Image)

This was the Image Firsts $1 reprint edition of the Rick Remender series.  Remender became one of those one-man creative industries (Fraction, Lemire, Millar) that’s been happening in recent years, and as the trend has been, helped make his name at the Big Two.  Black Science, as it turns out, is sort of his creator-owned version of Fantastic Four, not in the way Image was doing this sort of thing at the beginning, shamelessly and little creative spark, but the full-blown modern imaginative revamp.  So that was nice to see.

The Demon #37 (DC)

It’s funny that Forbidden Geek ended up sending me two issues of The Demon, and only a few issues apart.  But the results, for me, ended up being pretty much the same.  This was an era in which DC was still trying to hold onto the early Vertigo vibe of using familiar characters in a more edgy manner (which itself was an impulse from the horror comics of the ‘70s, where the Vertigo instinct originated, not from the British Invasion, as is popularly assumed).  But a little more on this in the second batch.

Infinity Inc. #12 (DC)

One of my earliest comics was actually an issue of All-Star Squadron, which was sort of an Earth 2 Justice Society.  Infinity Inc. is a spin-off featuring the offspring of the original guard, which in Earth 2 continuity means Batman is included (in that continuity he not only actually married Catwoman but died) and his daughter is the Huntress (which is where, basically, that version of the character depicted in the short-lived Birds of Prey TV series came from).  It’s funny to read a version of Jade and Obsidian who aren’t automatically associated with Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott, because later, when they were absorbed into DC proper, they’re accepted as his kids.  There’s also Fury, Wonder Woman’s daughter.  I had an idea once of making that part of continuity again.  Just imagine…!

Uncanny Inhumans #7 (Marvel)

Marvel fans became maniacally opposed to the whole idea of the Inhumans once they decided Marvel was trying to use them to replace the X-Men in a bid to devalue the mutant property until the movies could be brought into the studio fold.  In the end, it doesn’t really matter if that was the intention or not (the X-Men did get acquired, and the fans were so happy they gleefully decided the last Fox movie, Dark Phoenix, was a bomb before they ever saw it), they missed out on a lot of great comics.  (Forget about appearances in Agents of SHIELD or an aborted show of their own.)  And Charles Soule was the biggest loser.  Here was a major writing talent given what seemed like a plush assignment: a major title with a big push.  So it’s always funny to read Soule’s comics and enjoy them so much and imagine fans seething at the very thought of them existing, regardless of the actual quality. 

Kingpin #1 (Marvel)

Speaking of irrational hatred for Inhumans, this comic spun out of Civil War II, an excellent event comic that not only cleverly revolved around them, but was written by Brian Michael Bendis when Marvel fans apparently suddenly decided he didn’t matter anymore (the joke turned out to be on them).  Charles Soule later used Wilson Fisk as a kind of Trump stand-in when he wrote Daredevil, but here he’s in his classic role, apparently returning to his old New York haunts after adventures on the west coast (West Coast Kingpin), in one of those crime comics that some fans like so much.

Leave It to Chance #6 (Image)

James Robinson, at the time basking in the critical success of Starman, was also writing a creator-owned comic, which I never got around to reading, although its name was familiar enough to me.  Maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more, then (although I didn’t get into Starman then, either), but now it just reads like a generic all-ages kind of comic. 

Mae #1 (Dark Horse)

Gene Ha signs all his covers as, “ha!” which along with his actual artwork tends to help identify his work.  This was an attempt to draw and write his own work.  But not all artists can write, too, and I think, as far as I’m concerned, Gene Ha is one of those. 

Sisters of Mercy #2 (Maximum Press)

Maximum was one of several attempts by Rob Liefeld for a spin-off company from his early Image days.  All of them were basically the same (probably the best material was published when he had dubbed the company Awesome, which is pretty appropriate), and none particularly permanent, obviously, since Liefeld seems to be somewhat allergic to commitment.  As far as Sisters of Mercy is concerned, that was probably a good thing.  This was apparently its second and last issue with Maximum, but I don’t know how or why it had even one.  Basically one of the many, many “bad girl” comics of the ‘90s, gratuitously featuring women in as little costuming as possible (in this issue, with strategic covering, one girl is nude for…reasons).  But the art is terrible.  Forget the writing.  Writing in this era of Image(ish) comics was notoriously weak.  But the whole point of the Image era was extreme emphasis on art (to the point where Image had defined a whole style of art, the most exaggerated figures, male and female, imaginable).  So to feature bad art….?  Again, why was this even accepted by Liefeld to begin with?

The Adventures of Superman #484 (DC)

Happily, I had far less of a problem with the art in this comic, as it’s early Tom Grummett, about a year before “Death of Superman” made this Superman era famous, before Grummett fell upon his signature work with the new Superboy.  Funny enough, it’s tough to identify Grummett as artist, since he hadn’t yet streamlined his style, so it’s really just the few appearances of Superman before he sticks a ridiculous contraption onto his head, created by Emil Hamilton (a defining supporting character from the era who later made an appearance in Man of Steel), that leads to a forgotten Superman crossover event called “Blackout.”  Grummett didn’t get to contribute the cover; that honor went to Jerry Ordway, who is otherwise the writer of the issue.

Weirdworld #2 (Marvel)

I honestly don’t know who came up with the idea first at this point, but I always perceived it as Marvel shamelessly jumping on something DC was doing at the time: DC’s Convergence event led to a series of comics that revisited various eras, and then Marvel’s Secret Wars…led to a series of comics that revisited various eras (or more accurately, famous storylines).  DC’s was an excuse to use fill-in creators while it moved offices from New York to California, and its nostalgia comics lasted two months.  Marvel’s ran longer.  Anyway, Secret Wars was basically Jonathan Hickman’s big blow-off to his Fantastic Four saga, with Doctor Doom getting his big triumph and remaking the world in his image, so theoretically its spin-off features that Doom reality in some way (although my favorite was the Charles Soule version of a Civil War follow-up that could easily be enjoyed for its own merits).  Weirdworld was written by Jason Aaron.  I have no particular knowledge of whatever it was supposed to be drawing on, but it’s another instance where post-Scalped Aaron has never really clicked with me.  Although, in the final pages Crystar, the Crystal Warrior, shows up. I had a Crystar action figure as a kid.  So there’s that.

Before I jump into the second batch, here’s an excerpt from an editorial written by Dick Giordano found within the pages of Infinity Inc. #12, originally published in 1984 (which also features an ad for “DC Universe: Crisis On Infinite Earths"):

“I take some series proposal scripts from my bulging portfolio and settle back to read.  I read two…and they’re mind-bogglers!  I rarely find two proposals a month that are interesting enough to consider publishing.  To find two in the same morning that I like so much is a rare bonanza […] The first is a proposal from Alan Moore, Swamp Thing scripter, for a maxi-series starring the super-heroes we recently obtained from Charlton.  The idea is gutsy, grittily realistic, and explores aspects of the super-hero never really dealt with before.  Unfortunately, I can’t really consider it for the Charlton heroes.  For one thing, certain aspects of the plotline do things with and to these characters that would make it difficult for us to use some, if not all, of them after the series was over.  Secondly, I’d already made plans, now pretty far along, to publish Charlton heroes in tandem with some current and past DC favorites in a weekly comic book format.  I like the idea so much, though, that I’m going to suggest that Alan create new characters for this maxi-series (in place of the Charlton heroes) and tell his story! … It’s a wonderful concept!  (Note: since this was written, Alan has enthusiastically agreed with my scheme and is hard at work.  Dave Gibbons is slated to illustrate.  With luck, it will be a 1985 release tentatively titled “Watchman.”)  Incidentally, Alan is a pleasure.  His scripts are liberally dotted with asides, bits of humor, relevant background information, and clever insights into his feelings about pivotal sequences or events that make it easy for the artist(s) to share his vision.  Alan Moore is one of the more creative writers in comics.  The ideas fairly bubble forth from his fertile imagination, and I am delighted that at least some of his unbelievable production will be for DC Comics.  The other series proposal is no less exciting.  It’s the outline for book #1 of a proposed 48-page, deluxe-format limited series.  We’ve talked about this idea and the talks excited me, but nowhere near the excitement engendered by the script.  It is written by Frank Miller.  And I love it!  And I can’t say much more until Mr. Miller puts his John Hancock on a contract.  I can say that it is a very special story about one of the most popular super-heroes ever!”

Ah, you may’ve heard of the comics that resulted.

Anyway, here’s the stuff Forbidden Geek included in the official mystery box (aside from a Kid Flash, by way of the Flash TV series, Funko statue and a softcover copy of Teen Titans Earth One Vol. 1, which coincidentally I finally read for the first time earlier this year):

Ame-Comi Girls #6 (DC)

The name of the comic is somewhat unnecessarily convoluted, but it’s basically an all-girls comic and actually a pretty good read.   

All-Star Batman #4 (DC)

Scott Snyder continued writing Batman comics in the early days of Tom King’s Batman, but they weren’t treated with as much fanfare as his New 52 run.  Two-Face (who, if the series did continue Snyder’s New 52 comics, was technically probably actually dead, at least as far as Tomasi & Gleason’s Batman & Robin was concerned) is the villain.  John Romita Jr., whose work has never been as embraced by DC fans as it was at Marvel or Kick-Ass, is on art.

Batman Eternal #11 (DC)

This was a series that frequently showed up in the Walmart mystery packs, so it was amusing to find in this collection, too, but at least there was far greater variety otherwise.  This issue spotlights Stephanie Brown, one of my favorite supporting characters from Batman comics.

Booster Gold #26 (DC)

Ted Kord!  Him and Elongated Man still seem to have been buried in the post-Flashpoint comics, but at least Ted gets to show up now and then.  He got a new incarnation in the New 52 (who never really went anywhere), at least.  This Blackest Night tie-in zombie appearance is pre-Flashpoint.  It’s still funny to think that Booster Gold, despite getting as big a spotlight as he ever had in 52, ended up back in obscurity despite this relatively long-running spotlight, which theoretically led to the Legends of Tomorrow TV show, which…decided, inexplicably, not to feature him.  For…reasons.

The Demon #42 (DC)

Oh, here’s Demon again!  But this time, it’s from Garth Ennis and John McCrea.  I was never an Ennis guy.  He’s sort of Alan Moore if he never had a Silver Age fetish, just a guy who wrote superhero comics because at the time it was the best way to make a name for himself, who later wrote The Boys as if to prove how much he hated them, despite not understanding them a single wit.  (But I guess that’s generally why you hate something.)  But Demon, amazingly, reads exactly the same under Ennis as Alan Grant in the previous issue.  I hate when letterers use cursive.  It’s virtually impossible to read.  Yet both issues feature angels speaking in cursive (like Thor, the special lettering is supposed to help them stand out as Not Human).  And I just gave up trying to care.  The Demon Etrigan famously speaks in rhymes, which is fun to read in a limited capacity, but incredibly difficult to care about reading for longer stretches.  So I don’t know why there was an audience who put up with it for so long.  But not so hard to figure out why he hasn’t carried a series since.

Fate #8 (DC)

This was one of the series that debuted during DC’s original Zero Month, following the Zero Hour soft reboot.  And some of the series launched at that time looked like shameless Image rip-offs (looking at you, Manhunter), but it also seemed to be another attempt by DC to reintegrate the original Vertigo vibe back into the fold.  Fate is one such example, as it turns out.  (Starman, meanwhile, seemed to lead directly to what Vertigo became later.)  This was a reinvention of Doctor Fate to make him more edgy (the ‘90s were big on “edgy”), but with more credible creative results than its short run may have suggested.  I think part of it was that the whole Vertigo phenomenon was misunderstood from the start, that it diverged from its roots so rapidly that any attempt to replicate them have invariably met with, at best, fan apathy, including the more recent Young Animal imprint.  Part of that was because Sandman, which actually had some superhero connections early on, so dramatically departed from them that fans no longer thought of superheroes as relevant to the idea, so any further attempts to present superheroes in a more complex manner seemed to be asking too much. 

Green Arrow Annual #6 (DC)

Part of the “Eclipso: The Darkness Within” crossover from the 1992 annuals, this issue eventually puts the spotlight on Black Canary, but also features a guest appearance from Batman.  I have a particular nostalgia for these annuals, since they were happening just as I was beginning to read comics regularly for the first time.  Given the opportunity, I’d probably collect them in the same fashion as I have been with the theme months from the New 52, which were tremendous creative successes too little celebrated (or not at all) by fans. 

Justice League #23 (DC)

Ah, but which version of the title?  The Rebirth era, the first series from the Rebirth era…The League is probably the worst example within DC of endless reboots, which at Marvel happens to every series just about every six months or so.  And it’s funny that beginning with the New 52, any title attempting to supplement the main series is even more prone to a short shelf life…Anyway, the post-Johns League has been particularly hard hit.  This issue, featuring a cover with characters not even featured in the issue, much less the one in the spotlight, revolves around Green Lantern Jessica Cruz, which like all Jessica Cruz tales revolves around her inability to avoid fear (funny, for a Green Lantern).  I liked the act in the pages of Green Lanterns, as it and she were paired with Simon Baz, but to have it once again being the only defining quality worth writing about…Anyway, it’s clear why DC once again rebooted the series this time, since the concept was spiraling the drain until Scott Snyder revisited the widescreen concept from the old Grant Morrison days.  (Of course, I think, as with most Snyder stories, he attempts to go too big too soon too often…)

Legion of Super-Heroes #291 (DC)

It’s forgotten today, but the New Teen Titans and the X-Men had a rival in popular during the ‘80s with the Legion, and this issue, luckily enough for me, comes from its most famous story arc, “The Great Darkness Saga,” which until this I’d never actually read anything from (alas, unlike the Titans and X-Men, reprints haven’t been anymore kind to the Legion than fan memory).  This second installment makes it clear that the villain of the arc was kept hidden early on, but: Darkseid.  And since it’s a Legion story, everyone’s worried about who’s going to be elected next leader of the team. 

Northlanders #1 (Vertigo)

From Brian Wood.  I’m not a Brian Wood guy.  This is his Viking comic.  The write-up for the concept was more interesting than what I skimmed in the comic itself.

Swamp Thing #3 (DC)

Scott Snyder’s series from the New 52, y’know, the one fans didn’t really care about, ultimately, even though they remained gaga over Snyder’s Batman.  I got into the series later when it was being written by Charles Soule (part of how I became such a fan of his), but never got around to reading Snyder’s run.  The Walmart Swamp Thing Giant was serializing it, but I wasn’t interested in reading that particular giant regularly.  So it was interesting to read a little more.  I think Snyder actually did more relevant character work here than with Batman.  But what do I know?

Until the next box…

Quarter Bin 120 "BX Thor!"

Thor (Marvel)
from 2013

One of the neat things about being associated with the military over the years has been sporadic access to the comics specifically for it.  This is the latest Marvel comic I've seen from the tradition.  What made it particularly interesting was that the art was from Tom Grummett, whom I know best from his Superman and Superboy work.  His last notable mainstream comic was Justice League #52 (the final New 52 issue) with Dan Jurgans.  Otherwise he seems to have done a lot of stuff like this, as well as media tie-in giveaways.  Hey, sometimes it's whatever work you can get, and at least he's still working.  But Grummett definitely seems like he should have had a better fate.  Maybe I just don't know how this medium treats its veterans well enough.

This Thor issue, at any rate, was the sixteenth such release by Marvel, with more that followed, and one of several with art from Grummett.  The story is pretty basic, with actually a lot more focus on Jarvis (the Avengers butler) than Thor (whose scenes are incredibly repetitive, especially the utterances of the frost giant he's battling).

Well, it's just nice they're making them for the military.

Quarter Bin 112 "Teen Titans Turning Points"

Tales of the Teen Titans #59, 78 (DC)
The New Titans #71 (DC)
Teen Titans #16 (DC)
from November 1985, June 1987, November 1990, November 2004

Each of these issues kind of encapsulates a turning point for the Teen Titans, so that was pretty neat.  Tales #59 is a reprint of their first adventure under Marv Wolfman and George Perez, the start of a wildly popular run that rivaled the X-Men in the '80s.  Tales #78, meanwhile, features the team apparently splitting up.  New Titans #71, as you can tell from the cover, is an anniversary celebration.  Teen Titans #16 kind of once again reintegrates Superboy into Legion lore (long complicated history, there).

I don't think the Wolfman/Perez run ages particularly well.  I've read "The Judas Contract," and that did age well, but a lot of the soap opera elements that made the run so popular don't work as well today.  Reading Geoff Johns' Teen Titans again is always interesting, because that was one of the runs where he cut his teeth, that and JSA, as DC's resident continuity guy, which is funny because his Titans drastically revamped characters like Superboy [insert classic anecdote about the letter here] and Kid Flash while also giving the team its first successful run in more than a decade.

New Titans #71 also has the distinction of having Tom Grummett art.  Grummett went on to be a Superman artist, and in that way helped introduce the modern Superboy.  By 1990, apparently, his style was already set, so there was no trouble recognizing his work.

It's kind of amazing that Wolfman thought in the '80s that a Titans movie was imminent, which is far more humbling in 2017 than Stan Lee hyping a Spider-Man movie in the '90s.  But that's one of the many reasons to read back issues, to see what people were thinking back in the day...

Reading Comics 191 "DC Rebirth Week Four, Divinity II, Totally Awesome Hulk, Justice League, Robin"

Covered this edition: Divinity II #3, The Flash #1, The Totally Awesome Hulk #7, Justice League #52, Robin: Son of Batman #13, Action Comics #958, and Wonder Woman #1.

Divinity II #3 (Valiant)
Matt Kindt continues the second volume of his visionary superhero saga, in which Russian cosmonauts Abram Adams and Myshka engage in the ultimate duel, across time and reality, as they attempt to determine whose will triumphs in this high-stakes game of god-like beings.  For the second straight issue, it seems the villainous Myshka has once again come out on top, but there's a telling moment when Abram visits the young Myshka, years before the mission that was to change their lives and the whole world, and whispers something into her ear.  Abram has taken great pains in explaining to the adult Myshka that you can't change the past. The suggestion is that whatever he said to the girl is more crucial than the adult currently realizes.  I assume something of that sort will be involved in the conclusion next issue...

The Flash #1 (DC)
My name is Tony Laplume, and I am the happiest Flash fan alive.  Well, maybe one of them, because this debut issue of the series proper lives up to the promise of the Rebirth preview, as Josh Williamson sets up a bold new arc in which the gift of the Speed Force starts spreading around.  Williamson's best bit of storytelling is actually the whole issue, which starts out explaining Barry Allen's origin again, while inserting a key new player, who by the end of the issue is the first (there will be others) to experience the expansion of speedsters.  This series is in excellent hands.

The Totally Awesome Hulk #7 (Marvel)
Easiest some of the best Marvel comics I ever read were Incredible Hercules and its several continuations, which featured Amadeus Cho as the Hulk's (and yes, Herc's) biggest fan.  This shouldn't have worked, right?  In the modern era, the "kid sidekick" idea is passe, but Cho's enthusiasm, not to mention his smarts, puts him in a league all his own.  And in this era where every Marvel superhero is being replaced by their biggest cheerleader (of various extractions), this is the best variation possible.  But the issue actually puts the focus on Bruce Banner, who is totally free of the Hulk for the first time ever, and he's struggling to deal with it.  You'd think it would be a good thing, but when you're Bruce Banner, it's much more complicated than that.  If you like your Hulk to be good for something other than smashing (although that's good, too), then this is a good time to be a fan.  Spearheading this new era is Greg Pak, who knows a thing or two about the big green guy.

Justice League #52 (DC)
The final issue of the series strangely harkens back to the very beginning, as a new hero is introduced to the world.  This time it's Lex Luthor, presenting his version of Superman.  The writer is Dan Jurgens, providing a bridge between where Geoff Johns left off with Luthor and where Jurgens picks up again in the pages of Action Comics.  Lex Luthor was one of the characters who benefited greatly from the New 52, and Justice League.  It's only appropriate to give him the nod like this.  What I love perhaps even more is that the artist is Tom Grummett, making this a mini '90s Superman reunion. 

Robin: Son of Batman #13 (DC)
The final issue of the series, which I decided to read so I could say I was fair to the creators not named Patrick Gleason who worked on it.  (Okay, so technically it would have been more fair to read more than one issue, but still...)  As it turns out, Ray Fawkes is once again better than I seem to have given him credit for, as his version of Damian and friends fits in wonderfully with Gleason's, and even serves as a truly fitting finale.  Nice one, Fawkes.  I'll try to remember next time.

Action Comics #958 (DC)
Jurgens, Lex Luthor, and Superman, and Doomsday, and Clark Kent, oh my!  Clearly there are things going on that aren't quite what they seem, but I love, love, love that Jurgens is getting the chance to further expand on his Superman legacy, which admittedly he's had many chances to do over the years.  I think he's really nailed it this time.

Wonder Woman #1 (DC)
I thought Greg Rucka would be fixating somewhat exclusively on Wonder Woman's origins, despite the alternating storylines ahead, but this issue presents a wrinkle in that idea, as the end of the issue reveals that she's been locked out of Themyscira, and she's had to turn to Cheetah, of all people, for help.  I also like Rucka's characterization of Wonder Woman's reluctance to fight, and Steve Trevor's reclassification back into a military guy.  All around good stuff here.

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?

Quarter Bin 70 "McGraw & Immonen's Legion, Kesel & Grummett's Superboy"

This is a back issues feature.  The comics featured were not actually purchased with quarters.  Although technically, I guess they were, just not with the number of them you were thinking...

Legion of Super-Heroes #53 (DC)
From January 1994.
Tom McGraw doesn't get near enough credit for the exceptional contributions he made to Legion lore.  Between Legion of Super-Heroes and Legionnaires, he wrote or co-write some two hundred issues of the 30th century superteam, and I have yet to read a bad one.  In fact, the more I realize that, the more I wonder why I never became a regular reader.  This is one of those good issues, and I picked it up because I didn't realize Stuart Immonen made his name with the Legion (because I naturally assumed he made it with Superman, where I discovered him), and I wanted to see more of his Legion work, naturally.  Turns out it's typically excellent.  McGraw cleverly provides a subplot featuring a history of the Legion by way of their battles with a particular foe, and it, well, fascinating.  The greater story of the issue somewhat eludes me, dropping in from the middle of nowhere, but it seems pretty grandiose, even by the standards with which my memory judges McGraw's Legion.  So now that I've collected all of Immonen's Superman (except one Secret Files) (which is something I did by ordering the rest from the Internet after some fruitful finds in various comic books stores), I may have to start collecting his Legion.  And possibly McGraw's.  Or, you know, DC could finally acknowledge the work both these guys did, and unveil some collections...

Superboy #79 (DC)
From October 2000.
Sometimes I get the itch to see where the creators I loved from the '90s left the runs I loved reading so much.  Some time ago I read Mark Waid's farewell from The Flash (which was slightly disappointing), and now I've finally read Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett's finale in Superboy.  Kesel and Grummett created this version of Superboy during their overall run in the Superman comics, thanks to the whole "Reign of the Supermen" arc (imagine if that ever made it into the movies...!), and had two separate runs in the ongoing series that followed.  As time went on, Kesel indulged more and more of his Jack Kirby fixation, especially in the second run.  This last issue features a Kirby-esque villain, and a Superboy who has a shield (like Captain America, and the Guardian).  The upsetting part of this is that the letters column clearly promises that after a creative team fill-in next issue, Kesel and Grummett would return.  But they never did.  Eventually, Dan DiDio began his DC tenure co-writing Superboy, but the series lasted only another twenty issues before being consolidated into Geoff Johns' Teen Titans in a new direction (famously suggested by Johns' own letter in the pages of Superboy).  Whether Kesel knew it or not already, he provided a farewell statement in the issue all the same, which was great to see.  I'll always be a fan of the Kesel/Grummett Superboy...

Convergence: Speed Force #1 (DC)

writer: Tony Bedard

artist: Tom Grummett

You have no idea how much I love reading those two sentences in a comic book.  "My name is Wally West.  I'm the fastest man alive."  For me, it's like "My name is Inigo Montoya.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die."

I geek out.  I totally geek out.

So it's great to see them in a comic again.  Context doesn't matter.  Not in the slightest bit.  But as context goes, of course this is Convergence, and the context of Speed Force is the later Mark Waid era, when Wally has his two kids, Iris and Jai. along for the ride, one big superhero family.  Waid had made a name for himself creating a speedster family, the real meaning of the whole Speed Force idea, but when he returned years later he lacked the same edge he'd exhibited so well previously.  If he'd done the family concept before, with the rest of the Speed Force family around Wally, things might have been different.

As it is, Speed Force keeps the focus on Wally and kids.  So, no Max Mercury, say (*sigh*).  This isn't really such a bad thing.  I liked the Wally West family era.  Not as much as the Speed Force era, but if Wally's legacy must be evoked at all, it probably should be, at this point, an era fans feel less nostalgic about, because this is where his story ended, certainly where Waid's ended, and that is kind of the whole point behind Convergence and its spin-offs.  To have Tony Bedard writing it is also appropriate, because Bedard was always an excellent curator, who received far too little credit in that regard.

And seriously, why would you not want to read a Flash comic in a wider story that so closely evokes the famous "Flash of Two Worlds"?  Convergence is also happening because of Flashpoint, remember.

Maybe it would have taken a more clever writer to write those reflections directly into the story, but you can't expect everyone to realize everything that could have been done for this auspicious occasion.  There will always be possibilities.  And that's the whole point, right?

The artist is Tom Grummett, who has long been a favorite of mine, especially in his many adventures with Superboy.  Always nice to see him again.

Quarter Bin #10 "Superboy: Losin' It"

In the last edition of this particular column, I mentioned the work of Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett on the character of Superboy. Good timing, since this edition will be all about it, with a launching pad of:

SUPERBOY #25-30 (DC)
From March through August 1996.

I don’t know how many fans will recognize this detail, but these issues comprise the “Losin’ It” arc, something I was unlucky enough to miss the first time around. I don’t remember how or why, because I was definitely reading comics regularly at this point, but collecting this arc was an obsession for years. If you’re a Green Lantern fan, think of it almost like “The Sinestro Corps War,” something Geoff Johns had been building toward ever since GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH, a story that resonated backward and forward in the grand design of a maestro.

“Losin’ It” might not sound like a terrifically dramatic title for such an important arc, but trust me, even after fifteen years, I was still thrilled, both to finally read it and while actually reading it, not out of some nostalgia, liking it because I always believed I would (and certainly not because a lot of people had constantly been raving about it, because that was simply not the case). For years I’d hoped DC would make a trade collection of it, to make it easier (and acknowledge its importance, I guess). I knew, though, that it was a foolish wish. Very few people ever held SUPERBOY in quite the same esteem I did. It was a necessary spin-off of an acclaimed and popular arc, a durable one that lasted a hundred issues (then again, so did the original AZRAEL), and even garnered a spin-off of its own (the even better SUPERBOY AND THE RAVERS, which I will at some point in the future obsessively document). It’s hard even these days to achieve something like that, unless you have “Bat,” “X,” or “Avengers” in your name (or you shamelessly hope to flood the market with Deadpool for god knows what reason). Still, there wasn’t a lot of respect, much less trade collections, even in SUPERBOY’s prime. (If you need any further proof of this, and discounting legal matters that had a hand in altering his fate, Superboy in short order lost his trademark costume and, even though his story drove the early issues of Geoff Johns’ TEEN TITANS, never seemed to seriously merit another run, and even when he finally did, all his previous continuity was completely ignored. Harsh.)

What great sin did Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett accomplish? Nothing short of excellence. “Losin’ It” concerns Superboy’s climactic tangling with Knockout, who would eventually stand reveal as a fugitive of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World, which alienates him from all his friends, especially Supergirl, who in those days was the source of an unrequited crush, someone he looked up to with almost as much fervor as Superman. His “S” shield was literally ripped from his chest! Aside from the Superman family of books themselves, Mark Waid’s THE FLASH, and Ron Marz’s GREEN LANTERN, no one was doing better character-based material. Okay, so I wasn’t reading James Robinson’s STARMAN. The point is, Kesel and Grummett were doing this with the least likely character imaginable, a punk kid who couldn’t seem to realize there was anyone else in the whole world besides him, who played fast and loose even with people he respected, and treated every girl as if they were just an inevitable conquest. It was Knockout, and “Losin’ It,” that changed everything. If you want to know how Superboy eventually developed the maturity to handle finding out he shared DNA with Lex Luthor, look no further. If Superboy’s editors at the time hadn’t laughed Geoff Johns out of the letters column at the time (seriously!), this would have been a natural for Kesel and Grummett to handle.

Sure, they began to take their Kirby fixation a little more seriously in later years (and darn if I wouldn’t mind DC allowing them to do so again, even if it has nothing to do with the Boy of Steel; Kamandi returned in the pages of COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS, after all), but they also helped launch the concept of Hypertime, which heralded the return of the multiverse. They could look backward and forward. They were always keeping their eye on the future of Superboy. Their run in its scope far exceeded the grasp of the continuity commentary that was Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley’s ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN.

And again, I have to point at “Losin’ It” as a prime example. (Before you actually track these issues down for yourself, let me just say for the record that I know Grummett didn’t provide the art for every issue. That’s beyond the point here.)

All of this is to say, Superboy demands more respect. Don’t make me explain it in greater detail…