I don't think I ever mentioned this here, but I was a finalist in a Flash memories contest over at Speed Force. This was several months ago, but I did win a prize! I feel a little guilty reading their e-mail updates, since I haven't read The Flash since Geoff Johns left the pre-New 52 book just before Flashpoint. The neat thing, however, is that they've been doing a series on "The Trial of the Flash," something I know a thing or two about. If you click on the first link, you'll see how my memories involved Mark Waid's run with Wally West, which included the debut of the Speed Force concept that gives the site its name. While a lot of fans consider it a black mark on the New 52 that West still has yet to appear, his legacy in previous continuity is so distinct, and tied into his succeeding Barry Allen as The Flash, that it's a little difficult to picture how the two could co-exist at a time when Allen is still being re-established. The Flash isn't like Green Lantern. Waid crafted a whole legacy of speedsters, but that was a different time. Fans enjoyed two ongoing series (The Flash and Impulse, both of which were written by Waid, sort of like Irredeemable and Incorruptible), partly because Bart Allen was rebelling against tradition in much the way Robin and Nightwing did when they received their first series. Now, maybe that's what it would take, reimagining Wally West to be the exact opposite of what he was known for in his best era, but who would want that?
Another thing I haven't mentioned is that my entire Wally West/Mark Waid collection that is not in trade collection format, along with every comic I bought from 1992 to 2011 (to Flashpoint) was sold at the end of August in the interests of helping me with a transition. It was an extremely painful if necessary decision. There are a great many regrets, comics that I wish I could save, but if I had, it would only have complicated it. The simple answer in this case was the best one. I still have the memories, and that's what counts. I may at some point write about the best of the lost comics, gems I hope their new owners can appreciate. But, as I'll never know, there's no point speculating about that. It was a considerable milestone in my life, however, and well worth mentioning on a blog I run dedicated to my comics experience. I simply did not want to get maudlin about it. Readers who sift through the archives already know that in the early days of Comics Reader I was in a transition I thought would create a split between me and the new comics reading experience. That lasted about half a year. Things change all the time. It's our ability to adapt that keeps things interesting.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Quarter Bin #43 "Brother's Blitz, Part 1"
Disclaimer: Comics featured in this column do not necessarily come from a quarter bin. The ones in the "Brother's Blitz" series, however, in all likelihood were got for a good price. The following are the contents of several boxes given to me as presents more than a decade ago, which I did not read until recently.
The A-Team #1 (Marvel)
From March 1984:
Better to watch the Joe Carnahan film than bother with this comic book, fool!
The Adventures of Superman #450 (DC)
From January 1989,
The Adventures of Superman #452
From March 1989:
From Jerry Ordway (#450) and Dan Jurgens (#452), two creators who defined Superman in the '90s had their start following the famous John Byrne Man of Steel reboot. These were the comics that fans at the time of Superman's death in 1992 were familiar with, an exile from Earth that would lead to Mongul (well, you'll see).
Aquaman #2 of 4 (DC)
From March 1986:
In this attempt at making Aquaman relevant, he sports a blue version of the red costume Aqualad would sport years later as Tempest. The writer is legend Neal Pozner.
Avengelyne #1 (Maximum Press)
From May 1995,
Avengelyne #2
From June 1995:
Some genuine '90s artifacts here, complete with a gimmick cover and a bad girl and one of Rob Liefeld's attempts to have his own comics publisher. That's pretty much it.
Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet (DC)
From 1997:
I remember this being one of the few comics I was excited to find in those boxes when I originally got them, because 1) it was something I would have gotten by my own druthers, and 2) it's a Robin story. More importantly, it's a Year One Dick Grayson story, his initiation as the Boy Wonder. It's one of those prestige format one-shots, which is another thing that was big in the '90s, something I wish DC was still doing.
Cable #39 (Marvel)
From January 1997,
Cable #44 (Marvel)
From June 1997:
I think one of the reasons that Cable is close to a nonentity these days is that he was so closely associated with the '90s X-Men. If you were to look at the art for these issues, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know what the X-Men editors were thinking, but at least we got Age of Apocalypse, which lives again today. That's worth remembering. The actual X-Men books from the time, including Cable's adventures, aren't so much.
Conspiracy #2 (Marvel)
From February 1998:
If you use the "Conspiracy" tag you'll see what resulted from my second read of this issue. You may remember that I loved this comic so much that I tracked down the first issue. In some ways, I shouldn't have bothered. This one's the money shot. From Dan Abnett, who usually writes with Andy Lanning, comes a a fable about the interconnectedness of classic Marvel origin stories, something the Avengers film franchise has embraced in earnest, making this something of a lost treasure and ancestor text to one of the highest grossing movies in history. I still wholeheartedly endorse this one. Dig up the dirt for yourself.
Crimson Dawn - Pyslocke & Archangel #3 (Marvel)
From October 1997:
Uh-oh! Another "classic" '90s X-Men story!
The Crow: Wild Justice #1 of 3 (Kitchen Sink)
From October 1996,
The Crow: Wild Justice #3 of 3 (Kitchen Sink)
From December 1996:
In pop culture, The Crow is better known from the Brandon Lee film than from the comics, but that's where the character came from. It's a little surprising that although everyone and their mother attempted to exploit The Crow after the notoriety of the film (Lee infamously died on the set) through various screen spinoffs of increasingly dubious quality, the comics were mostly left in the dust. This was one of the efforts, and is probably more interesting than all the movies and TV shows put together, reads like an exceptional indy comic from today, and even features art from Charlie Adlard, artist of The Walking Dead. That makes two things about this entry that bears remembering.
Damned #1 (Homage)
From June 1997,
Damned #2
From July 1997:
Pretty generic for a '90s comic, indy or otherwise. That's all you need to know.
Daydreamers #3 (Marvel)
From October 1997:
Features work from J.M. DeMatteis and Todd Dezago, but also starring such luminaries as Franklin Richards (the Fantastic son only recently developed past embarrassing by Jonathan Hickman) and Howard the Duck. Akin to Impulse (Mark Waid's brilliant spinoff from The Flash featuring young Bart Allen, who would one day officially adopt Kid Flash as his moniker) in its final, uninspired days.
DV8 #11 (Image)
September 1997:
Remember when Gen13 was huge? Well, there was a time when they were. This was a spinoff, a darker version.
Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs #2 (Warp Graphics)
From September 1993:
Elfquest was kind of a huge fantasy franchise. It's not anymore.
The Flash #17 (DC)
From October 1988:
Before Mark Waid, Wally West languished for years. This is nothing against William Messner-Loebs or Greg LaRocque, but anything before Waid's debut some forty issues later can be skipped.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #17 (Marvel)
From November 1983,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #33
From March 1984,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #44
From February 1985,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #60
From June 1986,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #64
From October 1986,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #66
From December 1986,
G.I. Joe Yearbook #2
From March 1986,
G.I Joe: Special Missions #1
From October 1986:
So! A whole bunch of G.I. Joe comics! The most notable issue from this bunch is #33, which features young Billy's attempted assassination of his father, Cobra Commander, a pivotal moment in franchise lore. Writer Larry Hama got to continue this series with IDW, but including these issues I've never really read a good G.I. Joe comic other than Action Force (which was a Canadian reprint series I guess I got all the good issues from), DDP's America's Elite, and IDW's Cobra. Especially the last one. Special Missions #1 was a special treat to find, though. For years I only knew it from some G.I. Joe trading cards, so it was nice to finally see in person. Reading, not so special.
Generation X #1 (Marvel)
From November 1994,
Generation X #3
From January 1995,
Generation X #4
From February 1995,
Generation X #6
From August 1995,
Generation X #30
From September 1997:
The forgotten X-Men legacy of the '90s is actually Generation X, a new class of mutants led by Jubilee (no doubt still riding the fame of the classic cartoon in which she was a prominent character) takes the lead. The whole basis of my interest in Scott Lobdell's major inclusion in the New 52 was because of reading these issues. It's truly good stuff, and his recent work on Red Hood and the Outlaws has been comparable. I don't get why Marvel has since buried this stuff. The last issue is actually written by James Robinson!
Genesis #3 (DC)
From October 1997:
One of DC's patented annual crossover events from the '90s, from John Byrne and heavily featuring Jack Kirby's Fourth World (the New Gods), which Byrne was handling on a monthly basis at the time (highly recommended for fans). Some might consider it a poor substitute for its '80s predecessor, Legends, but I've always had a soft spot for it. When done properly, the Fourth World has few equals.
Green Arrow #4 of 4 (DC)
From August 1983:
There was a time when Green Arrow didn't have a monthly series. This was one of the steps that helped change that. Otherwise not terribly notable.
Green Lantern #194 (DC)
From November 1985,
Green Lantern #195
From December 1985:
Current fans may be forgiven to believe that John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Hal Jordan somehow always juggled representing Earth in the Green Lantern Corps. These issues can help alleviate the confusion. Jordan is on a break from the Corps, Stewart is the ringbearer, Crisis on Infinite Earths is happening, and Gardner is finagling his way back into the fold. There's a bumpy ride from this point, too! Green Lantern becomes Green Lantern Corps, is cancelled; Green Lantern is relaunched, Jordan returns; Gardner discovers his yellow ring, becomes Warrior; Stewart joins the Darkstars; Jordan goes crazy; Kyle Rayner becomes the last Green Lantern; Jordan redeems himself, comes back; Corps is reignited; all four humans become regular, simultaneous members!
Journey into Mystery #514 (Marvel)
From November 1997:
The series that launched Thor staged a comeback in the '90s (why not?), returned to its anthology roots. This issue features Shang-Chi, Marvel's Bruce Lee.
Justice Society: America vs. the Justice Society #4 of 4 (DC)
From April 1985:
I don't know for certain (though I could easily look it up), but this is likely the last appearance of the venerated team before the '90s, featuring Roy Thomas explaining how the team came to an end (at the time), including the famed House Un-Americans Committee showdown.
Legends #1 of 6 (DC)
From November 1986,
Legends #2
From December 1986:
Ah! Well remember Genesis from a few comics ago? This is what I was referring to, and as it happens also the inspiration for the arc from Smallville's final season concerning Darkseid and various cronies attempting to discredit superheroes. The all-star collaborators for this event included John Ostrander, Len Wein, John Byrne (surprise!), and Karl Kesel.
Legion of Super-Heroes #11 (DC)
From June 1985,
Legion of Super-Heroes #25
From August 1986,
Legionnaires #29
From September 1995:
The Legion has been a staple at DC for decades, partly because of its ties to Superboy (the version that was simply a young Superman), and also because along with New Teen Titans, it was a verifiable bestseller in the '80s. Much of what fans know about the Legion today, however, was established in the '90s, when it supported two ongoing series, as it does today. (Don't worry, I've got more Legion coming up!)
Machine Man #3 of 4 (Marvel)
From December 1984:
The character was pretty interesting in Earth X. Not so much here. Written by Tom DeFalco.
Ms Mystic #1 (Continuity)
From October 1987:
From legend Neal Adams, so pretty interesting.
The New Mutants #63 (Marvel)
From May 1988:
Generation X this is not. Still, from Chris Claremont (who owned the X-Men franchise for years) and Louis Simonson (who owned Superman: The Man of Steel for years).
ROM #24 (Marvel)
From November 1981,
ROM #37
From December 1982:
Marvel has tried a long time to make its space-faring stories interesting. This was one of those efforts. Note I did not say "success."
Sensei #4 (First)
From December 1989:
Not much to look at here. Move along.
Shi: Senryaku #1 of 3 (Crusade)
From August 1995:
Assuming you're still reading, you now get a huge reward! The anti-bad girl created by William Tucci was only big during the...same time the bad girls were popular. She's the star of this comic, naturally, but the true significance of this issue is that it inspired much of what I did with the manuscript for Yoshimi, my fourth completed manuscript. Tucci includes the classic 36 Stratagems of war, which I subsequently incorporated into Yoshimi, much as he does here. Yes, I stole from Bill Tucci. I hoping he'll be flattered. Yoshimi is not the only reason I would easily consider this one of the best comics I've ever read. Score another point for the Brother's Blitz!
Shi #3 (Crusade)
From October 1997:
I've got nothing much to say about this one, however.
Silver Surfer #18 (Marvel)
From December 1988:
See my comments on ROM above. Features art from Ron Lim!
Sovereign Seven #30 (DC)
From January 1998:
After a hot debut, interest in this series quickly cooled, though I was an avid fan all the way through. Chris Claremont's great original creation, survivors of alien worlds band together and eventually add Power Girl to their ranks (in the interest of attempting to reclaim a mainstream audience, because otherwise it doesn't make too much sense). Features art from Ron Lim!
Spectacular Spider-man #-1 (Marvel)
From July 1997:
Usually gimmick issues were a DC thing in the '90s, but this was a rare opportunity for Marvel to get in on the action, "Flashback" stories (hence the negative number count). This one's written by J.M. DeMatteis (there he is again!) and features a young Peter Parker's struggles with "Flash" Thompson. The reader gets to see the human side of a classic comics bully!
Star Trek #16 (DC)
From July 1985,
Star Trek #36
From March 1987:
That's an Andorian on the cover of #16!
Star Wars: A New Hope - The Special Edition #2 of 4 (Dark Horse)
From February 1997:
For the record, includes events from the destruction of Alderaan to the death of Ben Kenobi! So yes, this is an adaptation of the first film, from the special edition released that year. Some fans believe George Lucas tinkering with his own movies is blasphemous. I find that reaction to be humorous.
Star Wars - X-Wing Rogue Squadron: Requiem for a Rogue #2 of 4 (Dark Horse)
From April 1997:
Rogue Squadron notably included Wedge Antilles.
Suicide Squad #17 (DC)
From September 1988:
When DC puts a team of villains together, there's no hiding the fact that they're villains. Your move, Marvel.
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #241 (DC)
From July 1978,
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #242
From August 1978:
By the way, there's more Legion to come!
Superman #32 (DC)
From June 1989:
Ah! So remember when I said Mongul was coming up? Yeah, well I did. Superman's quest in space leads him to the big yellow world conqueror. The writer this time is Roger Stern, another classic '90s Superman creator. Mongul is best known for the classic Alan Moore story "For the Man Who Has Everything," plus aligning with Cyborg Superman and breaking Hal Jordan's arm (and the whole destruction-of-Coast-City that affected Jordan just a tad more).
Superman #129 (DC)
From November 1997:
Another time capsule from the '90s, this issue features Electric Superman. I liked these stories. I also liked Scorn, who came from this era's version of Kandor, the bottle city from Krypton. He was one of those monster characters that populated a lot of '90s comics, and dawned a Superman outfit at one point. A real sweat and charming fellow. I'd love for him not to be forgotten. From Dan Jurgens, by the way.
Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #346 (DC)
From April 1987,
Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #347
From May 1987:
More Legion! Not all of these were written by Paul Levitz, but Levitz has easily written more Legion stories than anyone else. He's doing it again in the New 52!
Turok, Dinosaur Hunter #1 (Valiant)
From July 1993:
Turok is one of those characters (along with Solar, Man of the Atom) who gets relaunched every few years from different publishers. I think he got a video game in the '90s.
Tzu the Reaper #1 (Murim)
From September 1997:
Features work from Jae Lee. But not the right Jae Lee.
V #5 (DC)
From June 1985,
V #6
From July 1985:
If you're still wondering why they rebooted V as a TV series a few years back, it's because it was popular back in the day. It got its own comic. Written by legend Cary Bates.
Vampirella/Dracula: The Centennial (Harris)
From October 1997,
Vengeance of Vampirella #4
From July 1994,
Vengeance of Vampirella #16'
From July 1995:
The poster girl of the '90s bad girls. Basically wears red dental floss for a costume. Centennial features work from Warren Ellis, Alan Moore, Gary Frank, and James Robinson, among others. Vengeance is written by Tom Sniegoski, who's one of the few collaborators Jeff Smith has worked with in his Bone franchise.
Wheel of Worlds #0 (Tekno)
From July 1995:
Neil Gaiman subsequently distanced himself from the project, but this debut/preview has him written all over it, and the results are completely fascinating. What was meant to become a whole Neil Gaiman franchise for the upstart publisher (which also worked on books with Leonard Nimoy, Gene Roddenberry's estate, and others), instead sort of washed out after a while, which as I've suggested is hugely unfortunate. If you can get your hands on this issue, you'll see what I mean. The third big find of the Blitz!
Who's Who #9 (DC)
From January 1986:
Featuring characters from Icicle to Jonni Thunder, as well as five heroes named Johnny, the Joker, the original I Vampire, Jade, and others. DC doesn't really do this sort of thing anymore, though the New 52 could probably use one by next year.
X-Factor #36 (Marvel)
From January 1989,
X-Factor #137
From September 1997:
Peter David has basically been writing X-Factor since 2004. So incredibly, neither of this issues were from him. The first one's from Louis Simonson, though!
X-Man #30 (Marvel)
From September 1997:
Well, like I said, '90s X-Men. This "X-Man" is an alternate version of Cable. Figures.
The A-Team #1 (Marvel)
From March 1984:
Better to watch the Joe Carnahan film than bother with this comic book, fool!
The Adventures of Superman #450 (DC)
From January 1989,
The Adventures of Superman #452
From March 1989:
From Jerry Ordway (#450) and Dan Jurgens (#452), two creators who defined Superman in the '90s had their start following the famous John Byrne Man of Steel reboot. These were the comics that fans at the time of Superman's death in 1992 were familiar with, an exile from Earth that would lead to Mongul (well, you'll see).
Aquaman #2 of 4 (DC)
From March 1986:
In this attempt at making Aquaman relevant, he sports a blue version of the red costume Aqualad would sport years later as Tempest. The writer is legend Neal Pozner.
Avengelyne #1 (Maximum Press)
From May 1995,
Avengelyne #2
From June 1995:
Some genuine '90s artifacts here, complete with a gimmick cover and a bad girl and one of Rob Liefeld's attempts to have his own comics publisher. That's pretty much it.
Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet (DC)
From 1997:
I remember this being one of the few comics I was excited to find in those boxes when I originally got them, because 1) it was something I would have gotten by my own druthers, and 2) it's a Robin story. More importantly, it's a Year One Dick Grayson story, his initiation as the Boy Wonder. It's one of those prestige format one-shots, which is another thing that was big in the '90s, something I wish DC was still doing.
Cable #39 (Marvel)
From January 1997,
Cable #44 (Marvel)
From June 1997:
I think one of the reasons that Cable is close to a nonentity these days is that he was so closely associated with the '90s X-Men. If you were to look at the art for these issues, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know what the X-Men editors were thinking, but at least we got Age of Apocalypse, which lives again today. That's worth remembering. The actual X-Men books from the time, including Cable's adventures, aren't so much.
Conspiracy #2 (Marvel)
From February 1998:
If you use the "Conspiracy" tag you'll see what resulted from my second read of this issue. You may remember that I loved this comic so much that I tracked down the first issue. In some ways, I shouldn't have bothered. This one's the money shot. From Dan Abnett, who usually writes with Andy Lanning, comes a a fable about the interconnectedness of classic Marvel origin stories, something the Avengers film franchise has embraced in earnest, making this something of a lost treasure and ancestor text to one of the highest grossing movies in history. I still wholeheartedly endorse this one. Dig up the dirt for yourself.
Crimson Dawn - Pyslocke & Archangel #3 (Marvel)
From October 1997:
Uh-oh! Another "classic" '90s X-Men story!
The Crow: Wild Justice #1 of 3 (Kitchen Sink)
From October 1996,
The Crow: Wild Justice #3 of 3 (Kitchen Sink)
From December 1996:
In pop culture, The Crow is better known from the Brandon Lee film than from the comics, but that's where the character came from. It's a little surprising that although everyone and their mother attempted to exploit The Crow after the notoriety of the film (Lee infamously died on the set) through various screen spinoffs of increasingly dubious quality, the comics were mostly left in the dust. This was one of the efforts, and is probably more interesting than all the movies and TV shows put together, reads like an exceptional indy comic from today, and even features art from Charlie Adlard, artist of The Walking Dead. That makes two things about this entry that bears remembering.
Damned #1 (Homage)
From June 1997,
Damned #2
From July 1997:
Pretty generic for a '90s comic, indy or otherwise. That's all you need to know.
Daydreamers #3 (Marvel)
From October 1997:
Features work from J.M. DeMatteis and Todd Dezago, but also starring such luminaries as Franklin Richards (the Fantastic son only recently developed past embarrassing by Jonathan Hickman) and Howard the Duck. Akin to Impulse (Mark Waid's brilliant spinoff from The Flash featuring young Bart Allen, who would one day officially adopt Kid Flash as his moniker) in its final, uninspired days.
DV8 #11 (Image)
September 1997:
Remember when Gen13 was huge? Well, there was a time when they were. This was a spinoff, a darker version.
Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs #2 (Warp Graphics)
From September 1993:
Elfquest was kind of a huge fantasy franchise. It's not anymore.
The Flash #17 (DC)
From October 1988:
Before Mark Waid, Wally West languished for years. This is nothing against William Messner-Loebs or Greg LaRocque, but anything before Waid's debut some forty issues later can be skipped.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #17 (Marvel)
From November 1983,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #33
From March 1984,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #44
From February 1985,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #60
From June 1986,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #64
From October 1986,
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #66
From December 1986,
G.I. Joe Yearbook #2
From March 1986,
G.I Joe: Special Missions #1
From October 1986:
So! A whole bunch of G.I. Joe comics! The most notable issue from this bunch is #33, which features young Billy's attempted assassination of his father, Cobra Commander, a pivotal moment in franchise lore. Writer Larry Hama got to continue this series with IDW, but including these issues I've never really read a good G.I. Joe comic other than Action Force (which was a Canadian reprint series I guess I got all the good issues from), DDP's America's Elite, and IDW's Cobra. Especially the last one. Special Missions #1 was a special treat to find, though. For years I only knew it from some G.I. Joe trading cards, so it was nice to finally see in person. Reading, not so special.
Generation X #1 (Marvel)
From November 1994,
Generation X #3
From January 1995,
Generation X #4
From February 1995,
Generation X #6
From August 1995,
Generation X #30
From September 1997:
The forgotten X-Men legacy of the '90s is actually Generation X, a new class of mutants led by Jubilee (no doubt still riding the fame of the classic cartoon in which she was a prominent character) takes the lead. The whole basis of my interest in Scott Lobdell's major inclusion in the New 52 was because of reading these issues. It's truly good stuff, and his recent work on Red Hood and the Outlaws has been comparable. I don't get why Marvel has since buried this stuff. The last issue is actually written by James Robinson!
Genesis #3 (DC)
From October 1997:
One of DC's patented annual crossover events from the '90s, from John Byrne and heavily featuring Jack Kirby's Fourth World (the New Gods), which Byrne was handling on a monthly basis at the time (highly recommended for fans). Some might consider it a poor substitute for its '80s predecessor, Legends, but I've always had a soft spot for it. When done properly, the Fourth World has few equals.
Green Arrow #4 of 4 (DC)
From August 1983:
There was a time when Green Arrow didn't have a monthly series. This was one of the steps that helped change that. Otherwise not terribly notable.
Green Lantern #194 (DC)
From November 1985,
Green Lantern #195
From December 1985:
Current fans may be forgiven to believe that John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Hal Jordan somehow always juggled representing Earth in the Green Lantern Corps. These issues can help alleviate the confusion. Jordan is on a break from the Corps, Stewart is the ringbearer, Crisis on Infinite Earths is happening, and Gardner is finagling his way back into the fold. There's a bumpy ride from this point, too! Green Lantern becomes Green Lantern Corps, is cancelled; Green Lantern is relaunched, Jordan returns; Gardner discovers his yellow ring, becomes Warrior; Stewart joins the Darkstars; Jordan goes crazy; Kyle Rayner becomes the last Green Lantern; Jordan redeems himself, comes back; Corps is reignited; all four humans become regular, simultaneous members!
Journey into Mystery #514 (Marvel)
From November 1997:
The series that launched Thor staged a comeback in the '90s (why not?), returned to its anthology roots. This issue features Shang-Chi, Marvel's Bruce Lee.
Justice Society: America vs. the Justice Society #4 of 4 (DC)
From April 1985:
I don't know for certain (though I could easily look it up), but this is likely the last appearance of the venerated team before the '90s, featuring Roy Thomas explaining how the team came to an end (at the time), including the famed House Un-Americans Committee showdown.
Legends #1 of 6 (DC)
From November 1986,
Legends #2
From December 1986:
Ah! Well remember Genesis from a few comics ago? This is what I was referring to, and as it happens also the inspiration for the arc from Smallville's final season concerning Darkseid and various cronies attempting to discredit superheroes. The all-star collaborators for this event included John Ostrander, Len Wein, John Byrne (surprise!), and Karl Kesel.
Legion of Super-Heroes #11 (DC)
From June 1985,
Legion of Super-Heroes #25
From August 1986,
Legionnaires #29
From September 1995:
The Legion has been a staple at DC for decades, partly because of its ties to Superboy (the version that was simply a young Superman), and also because along with New Teen Titans, it was a verifiable bestseller in the '80s. Much of what fans know about the Legion today, however, was established in the '90s, when it supported two ongoing series, as it does today. (Don't worry, I've got more Legion coming up!)
Machine Man #3 of 4 (Marvel)
From December 1984:
The character was pretty interesting in Earth X. Not so much here. Written by Tom DeFalco.
Ms Mystic #1 (Continuity)
From October 1987:
From legend Neal Adams, so pretty interesting.
The New Mutants #63 (Marvel)
From May 1988:
Generation X this is not. Still, from Chris Claremont (who owned the X-Men franchise for years) and Louis Simonson (who owned Superman: The Man of Steel for years).
ROM #24 (Marvel)
From November 1981,
ROM #37
From December 1982:
Marvel has tried a long time to make its space-faring stories interesting. This was one of those efforts. Note I did not say "success."
Sensei #4 (First)
From December 1989:
Not much to look at here. Move along.
Shi: Senryaku #1 of 3 (Crusade)
From August 1995:
Assuming you're still reading, you now get a huge reward! The anti-bad girl created by William Tucci was only big during the...same time the bad girls were popular. She's the star of this comic, naturally, but the true significance of this issue is that it inspired much of what I did with the manuscript for Yoshimi, my fourth completed manuscript. Tucci includes the classic 36 Stratagems of war, which I subsequently incorporated into Yoshimi, much as he does here. Yes, I stole from Bill Tucci. I hoping he'll be flattered. Yoshimi is not the only reason I would easily consider this one of the best comics I've ever read. Score another point for the Brother's Blitz!
Shi #3 (Crusade)
From October 1997:
I've got nothing much to say about this one, however.
Silver Surfer #18 (Marvel)
From December 1988:
See my comments on ROM above. Features art from Ron Lim!
Sovereign Seven #30 (DC)
From January 1998:
After a hot debut, interest in this series quickly cooled, though I was an avid fan all the way through. Chris Claremont's great original creation, survivors of alien worlds band together and eventually add Power Girl to their ranks (in the interest of attempting to reclaim a mainstream audience, because otherwise it doesn't make too much sense). Features art from Ron Lim!
Spectacular Spider-man #-1 (Marvel)
From July 1997:
Usually gimmick issues were a DC thing in the '90s, but this was a rare opportunity for Marvel to get in on the action, "Flashback" stories (hence the negative number count). This one's written by J.M. DeMatteis (there he is again!) and features a young Peter Parker's struggles with "Flash" Thompson. The reader gets to see the human side of a classic comics bully!
Star Trek #16 (DC)
From July 1985,
Star Trek #36
From March 1987:
That's an Andorian on the cover of #16!
Star Wars: A New Hope - The Special Edition #2 of 4 (Dark Horse)
From February 1997:
For the record, includes events from the destruction of Alderaan to the death of Ben Kenobi! So yes, this is an adaptation of the first film, from the special edition released that year. Some fans believe George Lucas tinkering with his own movies is blasphemous. I find that reaction to be humorous.
Star Wars - X-Wing Rogue Squadron: Requiem for a Rogue #2 of 4 (Dark Horse)
From April 1997:
Rogue Squadron notably included Wedge Antilles.
Suicide Squad #17 (DC)
From September 1988:
When DC puts a team of villains together, there's no hiding the fact that they're villains. Your move, Marvel.
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #241 (DC)
From July 1978,
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #242
From August 1978:
By the way, there's more Legion to come!
Superman #32 (DC)
From June 1989:
Ah! So remember when I said Mongul was coming up? Yeah, well I did. Superman's quest in space leads him to the big yellow world conqueror. The writer this time is Roger Stern, another classic '90s Superman creator. Mongul is best known for the classic Alan Moore story "For the Man Who Has Everything," plus aligning with Cyborg Superman and breaking Hal Jordan's arm (and the whole destruction-of-Coast-City that affected Jordan just a tad more).
Superman #129 (DC)
From November 1997:
Another time capsule from the '90s, this issue features Electric Superman. I liked these stories. I also liked Scorn, who came from this era's version of Kandor, the bottle city from Krypton. He was one of those monster characters that populated a lot of '90s comics, and dawned a Superman outfit at one point. A real sweat and charming fellow. I'd love for him not to be forgotten. From Dan Jurgens, by the way.
Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #346 (DC)
From April 1987,
Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #347
From May 1987:
More Legion! Not all of these were written by Paul Levitz, but Levitz has easily written more Legion stories than anyone else. He's doing it again in the New 52!
Turok, Dinosaur Hunter #1 (Valiant)
From July 1993:
Turok is one of those characters (along with Solar, Man of the Atom) who gets relaunched every few years from different publishers. I think he got a video game in the '90s.
Tzu the Reaper #1 (Murim)
From September 1997:
Features work from Jae Lee. But not the right Jae Lee.
V #5 (DC)
From June 1985,
V #6
From July 1985:
If you're still wondering why they rebooted V as a TV series a few years back, it's because it was popular back in the day. It got its own comic. Written by legend Cary Bates.
Vampirella/Dracula: The Centennial (Harris)
From October 1997,
Vengeance of Vampirella #4
From July 1994,
Vengeance of Vampirella #16'
From July 1995:
The poster girl of the '90s bad girls. Basically wears red dental floss for a costume. Centennial features work from Warren Ellis, Alan Moore, Gary Frank, and James Robinson, among others. Vengeance is written by Tom Sniegoski, who's one of the few collaborators Jeff Smith has worked with in his Bone franchise.
Wheel of Worlds #0 (Tekno)
From July 1995:
Neil Gaiman subsequently distanced himself from the project, but this debut/preview has him written all over it, and the results are completely fascinating. What was meant to become a whole Neil Gaiman franchise for the upstart publisher (which also worked on books with Leonard Nimoy, Gene Roddenberry's estate, and others), instead sort of washed out after a while, which as I've suggested is hugely unfortunate. If you can get your hands on this issue, you'll see what I mean. The third big find of the Blitz!
Who's Who #9 (DC)
From January 1986:
Featuring characters from Icicle to Jonni Thunder, as well as five heroes named Johnny, the Joker, the original I Vampire, Jade, and others. DC doesn't really do this sort of thing anymore, though the New 52 could probably use one by next year.
X-Factor #36 (Marvel)
From January 1989,
X-Factor #137
From September 1997:
Peter David has basically been writing X-Factor since 2004. So incredibly, neither of this issues were from him. The first one's from Louis Simonson, though!
X-Man #30 (Marvel)
From September 1997:
Well, like I said, '90s X-Men. This "X-Man" is an alternate version of Cable. Figures.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Sagas
Aquaman #12 (DC)
writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Ivan Reis
Chapter Six of "The Others," in which Johns explores a different kind of mythology for Aquaman, who has been marginalized in pop culture as "the dude who talks to fish." Unlike other creators, Johns doesn't just see the character as a fish out of water or connected to undersea kingdoms, but in connection to an intricate mythology that embraces arch foe Black Manta as never before and creates a web of allies that redefines Aquaman's greater scope. The Others (not to be confused with the good folks from Lost) are a network of world superheroes unrelated to the Justice League. As of this issue, Manta has killed two of them now in his efforts to lay claim to a scepter, one of seven relics of an older world destined to be possessed by Aquaman, but instead claimed by Manta. Aquaman has been avoiding both the Others and his Justice League pals, not to mention Mera, his mate. He thinks it's safer for everyone if he finally puts Manta behind him on his own. After this issue, maybe everyone will understand?
Green Lantern Corps #12 (DC)
writer: Peter J. Tomasi
artist: Fernando Pasarin
Green Lantern #12 (DC)
writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Renato Guedes, Jim Calafiore
Green Lantern: New Guardians #12 (DC)
writer: Tony Bedard
artist: Tyler Kirkham
Green Lantern Annual #1 (DC)
writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Ethan Van Sciver, Pete Woods
I had a recommendation that the twelfth issue of the Green Lantern books (which also include Red Lanterns) were worth checking out. As they're soon to launch into "Rise of the Third Army" (which the Annual previews), chances are that they were at least reaching a boiling point. In Tomasi's Corps, the Guardians are building Guy Gardner's confidence up, because a cocky Guy is a careless Guy. Guy Gardner is already the cockiest Green Lantern, human or otherwise. In this issue, he completes a rescue of John Stewart, whom the Guardians have destabilized by once again playing on his fears of inadequacy. The obstacle is the Alpha Lanterns, whom the Guardians previously created as Manhunter versions of their Green Lanterns. The Manhunters, by the way, were the First Army, the Lanterns the second. The Alpha Corps has been a plague since Final Crisis, a huge hassle that has proven time and again to be more trouble than it's worth. In Bedard's New Guardians, Kyle Rayner (the fourth human to hold a green ring from Oa) finally gets to the bottom of troubles his fledgling alliance of members from the Blue Lanterns, Red Lanterns, Sinestro Corps, Indigo Tribe, Star Sapphire, and crazy Larfleeze (easily the best creation of the Geoff Johns era) has been experiencing, and why Ganthet originally made him the torchbearer, because he alone can wield the power of the whole spectrum.
Johns as head writer of the franchise gets to write the big guns, Hal Jordan and Sinestro, the two most famous Green Lanterns, and the ones the Guardians absolutely need out of the way in order to enact their plans for a Third Army that will unquestionably and effectively obey them (removing free will, and thus making the Green Lantern Corps obsolete, as it is entirely powered by will). Jordan and Sinestro have been trying to handle Black Hand, emissary of the Black Lanterns, a quirk that introduced the zombie craze to DC. In both the ongoing series and annual, this proves increasingly complicated. From the Book of the Black, it's revealed that Jordan is meant to become the greatest Black Lantern (that's the shock of Green Lantern #12). The Guardians facilitate their plans by tapping into the power of the imprisoned First Lantern, and use Black Hand to apparently permanently eliminate Jordan and Sinestro (that's from Green Lantern Annual). All in all, big things continue to develop in this franchise.
Justice League #12 (DC)
writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Jim Lee, Ivan Reis, David Finch
Closing out the saga of the mad David Graves has some great features to it. For one, each member of the League is forced to confront some hard truths about their pasts, loved ones they would rather still have in their lives. There's a twist that may seem like it guts this element, but it's still worthwhile. For another, we learn that Steve Trevor is in fact not dead, but that doesn't simplify his relationship with Wonder Woman, though at least on her end there's finally a reckoning and resolution. For a third, well, there's been a lot of media attention to Wonder Woman's other relationship from this issue, the bond she realizes exists with Superman. It's on the cover and everything. Another development, meanwhile, sees Hal Jordan (Green Lantern, in a continuity that exists outside of the Green Lantern books, it should be noted) leaves the team, realizing that from the public perception side of things, he's something of a problem, having sparked a fight among several members of the team and thus helped everyone question its continuing effectiveness. I've been surprised at the tepid reception to this series, since it's been a favorite of mine since the launch of the New 52 last fall. It's precisely Johns' ability to see the humans in the mythic team that I've enjoyed so much, something Brad Meltzer previously tried to do (succeeding with Red Tornado but overlooking everyone else). The series has arguably done far better working with the characters than throwing Grant Morrison-level threats at them. Maybe that's something of what fans have lamented. But the main thing is, Johns has managed to do something with the team that no one else has, and that's something you want for any creator trying to leave a mark on something as big as the Justice League.
Saga #s 4-6 (Image)
writer: Brian K. Vaughan
artist: Fiona Staples
As you may or may not recall, I previously wrote about this series in a roundup of significantly hyped new series from established creators, and it was my pick for the best of them. I didn't realize how much I loved what I'd read until I had the chance to read more of it. Three additional issues of Saga is more than enough for me to establish my love for this book. It's a little like Grant Morrison doing Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In books like Seaguy and The Filth, Morrison has certainly come close. But not as close as Saga. Vaughan has previously done stellar work in Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina, and has now come up with a third totally distinctive world that's impossible to overlook. The work of Staples should not be overlooked, either. Her art is astounding, from the iconic covers to interior art that surprises with every panel. There are a number of plotlines converging so far, from the relationship between Marko and Alana to The Will and Prince Robot IV, both of whom are looking for the fugitives, like a version of Farscape that isn't just a tad precious. Constantly evolving, it's the best science fiction epic to come along in a while. Considering that this is a genre that's (at least to my mind) notoriously hard to pull off in comics, that's saying something.
The Shade #11 (DC)
writer: James Robinson
artist: Frazer Irving
Featuring a main character who is entirely ambiguous, neither good nor evil (though he's been known as the latter in the past), this has been a rare opportunity for comics to be existential, and Robinson has embraced it wholeheartedly. This is the last issue that attempts to pretend that there was ever any other point than simply exploring The Shade, wrapping up a quick struggle with Egyptian gods recruited by the descendant who tried to have him killed at the start of the series. Proving that he's smarter than them, our protagonist does what he does best, talk himself out of a problem, using his powers less as a means to get something achieved than because he has them.
Velvet Garden #1 (RC)
writer: Ryan Davis
artist: Gunther Goltz
Not a fantastic book, but worth checking out. Based on an arcade game that was notoriously pulled from the general public for its destructive effects (Polybius, for the record), it's a mystery adventure I bought on the strength that it's from some local creators.
Wasteland #39 (Oni)
writer: Antony Johnston
artist: Sandy Jarrell
A fascinating glimpse into the mythology of the series. Ten years (instead of the usual hundred) after the apocalyptic event known as the Big Wet, we meet Michael, Marcus, and Mary as children wandering through territory already on the savage side. Michael is the Ruin Runner who's been the main protagonist of the book, while Marcus runs Newbegin with an iron fist, and has recently gained Mary as an ally. All three of them (along with Abbi, our other protagonist, who is currently searching for the mythic A-Ree-Yass-I with Michael) have special abilities, though they don't each have all the same gifts. That's one of the things that becomes a problem in this formative trio, not to mention the fact that both Marcus and Michael have an interest in Mary, whom they think is dead by the end of the issue. As always, one of the best books being published today.
writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Ivan Reis
Chapter Six of "The Others," in which Johns explores a different kind of mythology for Aquaman, who has been marginalized in pop culture as "the dude who talks to fish." Unlike other creators, Johns doesn't just see the character as a fish out of water or connected to undersea kingdoms, but in connection to an intricate mythology that embraces arch foe Black Manta as never before and creates a web of allies that redefines Aquaman's greater scope. The Others (not to be confused with the good folks from Lost) are a network of world superheroes unrelated to the Justice League. As of this issue, Manta has killed two of them now in his efforts to lay claim to a scepter, one of seven relics of an older world destined to be possessed by Aquaman, but instead claimed by Manta. Aquaman has been avoiding both the Others and his Justice League pals, not to mention Mera, his mate. He thinks it's safer for everyone if he finally puts Manta behind him on his own. After this issue, maybe everyone will understand?
Green Lantern Corps #12 (DC)
writer: Peter J. Tomasi
artist: Fernando Pasarin
Green Lantern #12 (DC)
writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Renato Guedes, Jim Calafiore
Green Lantern: New Guardians #12 (DC)
writer: Tony Bedard
artist: Tyler Kirkham
Green Lantern Annual #1 (DC)
writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Ethan Van Sciver, Pete Woods
I had a recommendation that the twelfth issue of the Green Lantern books (which also include Red Lanterns) were worth checking out. As they're soon to launch into "Rise of the Third Army" (which the Annual previews), chances are that they were at least reaching a boiling point. In Tomasi's Corps, the Guardians are building Guy Gardner's confidence up, because a cocky Guy is a careless Guy. Guy Gardner is already the cockiest Green Lantern, human or otherwise. In this issue, he completes a rescue of John Stewart, whom the Guardians have destabilized by once again playing on his fears of inadequacy. The obstacle is the Alpha Lanterns, whom the Guardians previously created as Manhunter versions of their Green Lanterns. The Manhunters, by the way, were the First Army, the Lanterns the second. The Alpha Corps has been a plague since Final Crisis, a huge hassle that has proven time and again to be more trouble than it's worth. In Bedard's New Guardians, Kyle Rayner (the fourth human to hold a green ring from Oa) finally gets to the bottom of troubles his fledgling alliance of members from the Blue Lanterns, Red Lanterns, Sinestro Corps, Indigo Tribe, Star Sapphire, and crazy Larfleeze (easily the best creation of the Geoff Johns era) has been experiencing, and why Ganthet originally made him the torchbearer, because he alone can wield the power of the whole spectrum.
Johns as head writer of the franchise gets to write the big guns, Hal Jordan and Sinestro, the two most famous Green Lanterns, and the ones the Guardians absolutely need out of the way in order to enact their plans for a Third Army that will unquestionably and effectively obey them (removing free will, and thus making the Green Lantern Corps obsolete, as it is entirely powered by will). Jordan and Sinestro have been trying to handle Black Hand, emissary of the Black Lanterns, a quirk that introduced the zombie craze to DC. In both the ongoing series and annual, this proves increasingly complicated. From the Book of the Black, it's revealed that Jordan is meant to become the greatest Black Lantern (that's the shock of Green Lantern #12). The Guardians facilitate their plans by tapping into the power of the imprisoned First Lantern, and use Black Hand to apparently permanently eliminate Jordan and Sinestro (that's from Green Lantern Annual). All in all, big things continue to develop in this franchise.
Justice League #12 (DC)
writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Jim Lee, Ivan Reis, David Finch
Closing out the saga of the mad David Graves has some great features to it. For one, each member of the League is forced to confront some hard truths about their pasts, loved ones they would rather still have in their lives. There's a twist that may seem like it guts this element, but it's still worthwhile. For another, we learn that Steve Trevor is in fact not dead, but that doesn't simplify his relationship with Wonder Woman, though at least on her end there's finally a reckoning and resolution. For a third, well, there's been a lot of media attention to Wonder Woman's other relationship from this issue, the bond she realizes exists with Superman. It's on the cover and everything. Another development, meanwhile, sees Hal Jordan (Green Lantern, in a continuity that exists outside of the Green Lantern books, it should be noted) leaves the team, realizing that from the public perception side of things, he's something of a problem, having sparked a fight among several members of the team and thus helped everyone question its continuing effectiveness. I've been surprised at the tepid reception to this series, since it's been a favorite of mine since the launch of the New 52 last fall. It's precisely Johns' ability to see the humans in the mythic team that I've enjoyed so much, something Brad Meltzer previously tried to do (succeeding with Red Tornado but overlooking everyone else). The series has arguably done far better working with the characters than throwing Grant Morrison-level threats at them. Maybe that's something of what fans have lamented. But the main thing is, Johns has managed to do something with the team that no one else has, and that's something you want for any creator trying to leave a mark on something as big as the Justice League.
Saga #s 4-6 (Image)
writer: Brian K. Vaughan
artist: Fiona Staples
As you may or may not recall, I previously wrote about this series in a roundup of significantly hyped new series from established creators, and it was my pick for the best of them. I didn't realize how much I loved what I'd read until I had the chance to read more of it. Three additional issues of Saga is more than enough for me to establish my love for this book. It's a little like Grant Morrison doing Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In books like Seaguy and The Filth, Morrison has certainly come close. But not as close as Saga. Vaughan has previously done stellar work in Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina, and has now come up with a third totally distinctive world that's impossible to overlook. The work of Staples should not be overlooked, either. Her art is astounding, from the iconic covers to interior art that surprises with every panel. There are a number of plotlines converging so far, from the relationship between Marko and Alana to The Will and Prince Robot IV, both of whom are looking for the fugitives, like a version of Farscape that isn't just a tad precious. Constantly evolving, it's the best science fiction epic to come along in a while. Considering that this is a genre that's (at least to my mind) notoriously hard to pull off in comics, that's saying something.
The Shade #11 (DC)
writer: James Robinson
artist: Frazer Irving
Featuring a main character who is entirely ambiguous, neither good nor evil (though he's been known as the latter in the past), this has been a rare opportunity for comics to be existential, and Robinson has embraced it wholeheartedly. This is the last issue that attempts to pretend that there was ever any other point than simply exploring The Shade, wrapping up a quick struggle with Egyptian gods recruited by the descendant who tried to have him killed at the start of the series. Proving that he's smarter than them, our protagonist does what he does best, talk himself out of a problem, using his powers less as a means to get something achieved than because he has them.
Velvet Garden #1 (RC)
writer: Ryan Davis
artist: Gunther Goltz
Not a fantastic book, but worth checking out. Based on an arcade game that was notoriously pulled from the general public for its destructive effects (Polybius, for the record), it's a mystery adventure I bought on the strength that it's from some local creators.
Wasteland #39 (Oni)
writer: Antony Johnston
artist: Sandy Jarrell
A fascinating glimpse into the mythology of the series. Ten years (instead of the usual hundred) after the apocalyptic event known as the Big Wet, we meet Michael, Marcus, and Mary as children wandering through territory already on the savage side. Michael is the Ruin Runner who's been the main protagonist of the book, while Marcus runs Newbegin with an iron fist, and has recently gained Mary as an ally. All three of them (along with Abbi, our other protagonist, who is currently searching for the mythic A-Ree-Yass-I with Michael) have special abilities, though they don't each have all the same gifts. That's one of the things that becomes a problem in this formative trio, not to mention the fact that both Marcus and Michael have an interest in Mary, whom they think is dead by the end of the issue. As always, one of the best books being published today.
Terminal Motter
Dean Motter is one of those comic book creators that you will never know exists until you stumble across him yourself. He doesn't fit into the mainstream or indy scene, and isn't a name like Howard Chaykin or Frank Miller who somehow combines them. He's his own brand. Brand X, as it were.
He originally gained notice creating Mister X in the '80s, and to a certain extent that's exactly what Motter is still known for today. Dark Horse has in recent years actively joined the effort to spread Mister X awareness, the second company to reissue the original stories and actually allow him to publish new ones.
Motter also worked on Terminal City for DC's Vertigo imprint. His more recent Electropolis was originally meant to be a third volume of these stories, but he ended up working on that project at Image (though it was subsequently reprinted through Dark Horse). Like all his stories, Terminal City is about retrofuturism, or in other words the shared vision of tomorrow as conceived in the early 20th century, whose footprints can be found in The Jetsons and Futurama, among notable popular interpretations.
In The Compleat Terminal City, both the original nine issues and the five issue followup Aerial Graffiti explore a population existing in the remains of the Brave New World's Fair (we're several generations removed from the relevance of World's Fairs, but they used to be the Olympics of culture). Motter chooses to put the narrative thrust on daredevils whose relevance fell apart as the boldness of the vision for the future started to fade. As the vision lingers, so do these daredevils, notably Cosmo Quinn, the so-called Human Fly who once scaled terrific heights merely for the thrill and spectacle of it but now to clean the windows of skyscrapers.
His notable compatriot and greater exile is Monty Vickers, who's the last great anthropologist, who locates living specimens of humanity's evolutionary past, and exploits them like P.T. Barnum getting his hands on King Kong.
There's a host of supporting characters and subplots, though few of them receive satisfactory arcs, and perhaps that's the point, that there will always be a hole in this story. It's all an illusion, something Motter conjured from the broken pieces of someone else's dreams.
Is it worth visiting Terminal City? Absolutely. It's arguably Motter's most complete vision. Yes, he's playing with the toys of other people, but in such a whimsical fashion (with Mister X he's always grim; in Electropolis traditionally hardboiled) that you can't help but be sucked in.
Perhaps all his nostalgia limits Motter's audience, but it also helps locate one. Once you discover Dean Motter, it's hard not to love him.
He originally gained notice creating Mister X in the '80s, and to a certain extent that's exactly what Motter is still known for today. Dark Horse has in recent years actively joined the effort to spread Mister X awareness, the second company to reissue the original stories and actually allow him to publish new ones.
Motter also worked on Terminal City for DC's Vertigo imprint. His more recent Electropolis was originally meant to be a third volume of these stories, but he ended up working on that project at Image (though it was subsequently reprinted through Dark Horse). Like all his stories, Terminal City is about retrofuturism, or in other words the shared vision of tomorrow as conceived in the early 20th century, whose footprints can be found in The Jetsons and Futurama, among notable popular interpretations.
In The Compleat Terminal City, both the original nine issues and the five issue followup Aerial Graffiti explore a population existing in the remains of the Brave New World's Fair (we're several generations removed from the relevance of World's Fairs, but they used to be the Olympics of culture). Motter chooses to put the narrative thrust on daredevils whose relevance fell apart as the boldness of the vision for the future started to fade. As the vision lingers, so do these daredevils, notably Cosmo Quinn, the so-called Human Fly who once scaled terrific heights merely for the thrill and spectacle of it but now to clean the windows of skyscrapers.
His notable compatriot and greater exile is Monty Vickers, who's the last great anthropologist, who locates living specimens of humanity's evolutionary past, and exploits them like P.T. Barnum getting his hands on King Kong.
There's a host of supporting characters and subplots, though few of them receive satisfactory arcs, and perhaps that's the point, that there will always be a hole in this story. It's all an illusion, something Motter conjured from the broken pieces of someone else's dreams.
Is it worth visiting Terminal City? Absolutely. It's arguably Motter's most complete vision. Yes, he's playing with the toys of other people, but in such a whimsical fashion (with Mister X he's always grim; in Electropolis traditionally hardboiled) that you can't help but be sucked in.
Perhaps all his nostalgia limits Motter's audience, but it also helps locate one. Once you discover Dean Motter, it's hard not to love him.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Superman & Wonder Woman (and Peter Parker & Gwen Stacy)
So, hopefully by now you've heard all about how Justice League #12 featured the big reveal of the romance between Superman and Wonder Woman.
If not, well, that just happened.
Superman went steady with Lois Lane for seven decades. They made a TV show about it. When DC Comics launched the New 52 last fall, one of the first things done in the pages of the Superman relaunch was the end of that relationship. It wasn't even important to Action Comics, arguably the more significant of the two comics.
For many years, Lois was incredibly important to Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego. Yes, in Lois & Clark, it was all about human lives. In Smallville, Lois popped up several season in and became a staple. But there was a shift, even then. This was a Clark who constantly battled with his powers, who was more defined by a gradual transformation into Superman than being human.
For a long time now, a lot of people who are not fans of Superman claimed it was too difficult to care about him because he was too powerful, too remote. It was exactly his relationship with Lois that was supposed to humanize him. Perhaps someone realized that this no longer worked.
Wonder Woman is a character whose significance begins and basically ends as the most significant female character in comics. It's always been difficult to define her beyond that. Batman is the consummate human. Superman is the consummate immigrant. Wonder Woman is the consummate...ambassador? Some writers have even tried to make that compelling, especially in the knotty times following the straining of international alliances following the launch of the Iraq War.
Since its launch last summer, Justice League has made one of its main elements Wonder Woman's relationship with Steve Trevor. As the team became more widely recognized, Trevor found himself increasingly marginalized. What could an ordinary guy do to matter in a life like Wonder Woman's?
In a lot of ways, that's the story that couldn't be told with Lois Lane. In the '90s, she finally married Clark. (They married in the TV show, too. No one cared about it after that.) In some of the franchises, the New 52 retained old continuity, but mostly with Batman and Green Lantern. Action Comics began with something of an origin story, set five years in the past. Superman was set in the new present. The main split from old continuity was established with a new costume.
And the fact that Lois Lane was no longer the stalwart girlfriend, much less wife, of Superman.
The possibility of romance between Superman and Wonder Woman was most famously breached previously in the pages of Kingdom Come, set in an alternate future where the Joker murdered Lois and unleashed a chaotic series of events that brought allies together and forced a climactic war between heroes. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman continued to stand tall by the end of it, having realized anew their true significance in the world. Notably, this included a romance, and child, between Superman and Wonder Woman (Batman was the godfather). Kingdom Come was about seeing the mythic vision of DC characters. Even simply an alliance between Superman and Wonder Woman was enough to establish in the story. As perennial allies in the Justice League, they had certainly worked together before. But it was only when they realized that that they needed each other's support that they realized they needed each other.
That's something of what underlines the development in Justice League #12, something that will be explored still more in the coming months.
The Amazing Spider-Man was released in theaters this summer, and instead of focusing on Peter Parker's relationship with Mary Jane Watson, as with the three Sam Raimi films before it, the new movie features Gwen Stacy, whom some fans still consider Peter's true love.
In recent years, Marvel did the same thing DC just did between Lois and Clark, ending Peter's long-term relationship (and marriage) to MJ. Gwen was featured in Raimi's third film as a rival, but in the comics, it was the exact opposite. She was Peter's first love. If you pay attention to the end of Amazing Spider-Man, you'll have a strong indication of her ultimate fate. In the comics, she is eventually a victim, very infamously, of Spider-Man's war with the Green Goblin.
If you only know Spider-Man from his movies, you may assume he's another character who can only be defined by his relationships, and perhaps sometimes that's exactly the case. Yet he's also something of a consummate loner, something Amazing Spider-Man does depict well. He's not a loser like in Raimi's version, but someone who just doesn't fit in, who's basically already Spider-Man before he's ever bitten by a spider, but not yet good enough to get away with it. But it's not the powers that gives Peter the will to succeed, but finally learning the truth about his father, and gaining confidence, and a true sense of responsibility.
This is a Spider-Man who significantly decides to keep being Spider-Man because he has to take the villain down, not because he just has to keep being Spider-Man. His relationship with Gwen is about finding a kindred spirit, not unrequited love.
Superman spent years loving Lois Lane. Spider-Man spent years loving Mary Jane. But that doesn't mean that these were the only ways they could ever find love.
If not, well, that just happened.
Superman went steady with Lois Lane for seven decades. They made a TV show about it. When DC Comics launched the New 52 last fall, one of the first things done in the pages of the Superman relaunch was the end of that relationship. It wasn't even important to Action Comics, arguably the more significant of the two comics.
For many years, Lois was incredibly important to Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego. Yes, in Lois & Clark, it was all about human lives. In Smallville, Lois popped up several season in and became a staple. But there was a shift, even then. This was a Clark who constantly battled with his powers, who was more defined by a gradual transformation into Superman than being human.
For a long time now, a lot of people who are not fans of Superman claimed it was too difficult to care about him because he was too powerful, too remote. It was exactly his relationship with Lois that was supposed to humanize him. Perhaps someone realized that this no longer worked.
Wonder Woman is a character whose significance begins and basically ends as the most significant female character in comics. It's always been difficult to define her beyond that. Batman is the consummate human. Superman is the consummate immigrant. Wonder Woman is the consummate...ambassador? Some writers have even tried to make that compelling, especially in the knotty times following the straining of international alliances following the launch of the Iraq War.
Since its launch last summer, Justice League has made one of its main elements Wonder Woman's relationship with Steve Trevor. As the team became more widely recognized, Trevor found himself increasingly marginalized. What could an ordinary guy do to matter in a life like Wonder Woman's?
In a lot of ways, that's the story that couldn't be told with Lois Lane. In the '90s, she finally married Clark. (They married in the TV show, too. No one cared about it after that.) In some of the franchises, the New 52 retained old continuity, but mostly with Batman and Green Lantern. Action Comics began with something of an origin story, set five years in the past. Superman was set in the new present. The main split from old continuity was established with a new costume.
And the fact that Lois Lane was no longer the stalwart girlfriend, much less wife, of Superman.
The possibility of romance between Superman and Wonder Woman was most famously breached previously in the pages of Kingdom Come, set in an alternate future where the Joker murdered Lois and unleashed a chaotic series of events that brought allies together and forced a climactic war between heroes. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman continued to stand tall by the end of it, having realized anew their true significance in the world. Notably, this included a romance, and child, between Superman and Wonder Woman (Batman was the godfather). Kingdom Come was about seeing the mythic vision of DC characters. Even simply an alliance between Superman and Wonder Woman was enough to establish in the story. As perennial allies in the Justice League, they had certainly worked together before. But it was only when they realized that that they needed each other's support that they realized they needed each other.
That's something of what underlines the development in Justice League #12, something that will be explored still more in the coming months.
The Amazing Spider-Man was released in theaters this summer, and instead of focusing on Peter Parker's relationship with Mary Jane Watson, as with the three Sam Raimi films before it, the new movie features Gwen Stacy, whom some fans still consider Peter's true love.
In recent years, Marvel did the same thing DC just did between Lois and Clark, ending Peter's long-term relationship (and marriage) to MJ. Gwen was featured in Raimi's third film as a rival, but in the comics, it was the exact opposite. She was Peter's first love. If you pay attention to the end of Amazing Spider-Man, you'll have a strong indication of her ultimate fate. In the comics, she is eventually a victim, very infamously, of Spider-Man's war with the Green Goblin.
If you only know Spider-Man from his movies, you may assume he's another character who can only be defined by his relationships, and perhaps sometimes that's exactly the case. Yet he's also something of a consummate loner, something Amazing Spider-Man does depict well. He's not a loser like in Raimi's version, but someone who just doesn't fit in, who's basically already Spider-Man before he's ever bitten by a spider, but not yet good enough to get away with it. But it's not the powers that gives Peter the will to succeed, but finally learning the truth about his father, and gaining confidence, and a true sense of responsibility.
This is a Spider-Man who significantly decides to keep being Spider-Man because he has to take the villain down, not because he just has to keep being Spider-Man. His relationship with Gwen is about finding a kindred spirit, not unrequited love.
Superman spent years loving Lois Lane. Spider-Man spent years loving Mary Jane. But that doesn't mean that these were the only ways they could ever find love.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Quarter Bin #42 "Knightcontinues"
Disclaimer: "Quarter Bin" does not always feature comics from an actual quarter bin. The quarter in the title is for inflation purposes. This is my two cents worth on older comics.
I don't normally link to the material that helped inspire what I sometimes write about here at Comics Reader, but as it happens, the subject and specific comics came up with another blogger I follow, PT Dilloway, who wrote about the same general topic here. I originally heard about this story thanks to History of Comics on Film, which wrote about it in this survey.
Okay! So let's print up the marquee:
AZRAEL #s 37-38 (DC)
from January-February 1998
These issues are part of a greater arc (including the ones before and after) called "Angel and the Bane," which constitute a rematch five years in the making, after the climactic Batman #500, in which Jean-Paul Valley, having succeeded Bruce Wayne as the Dark Knight and donned his armored Batsuit for the first time, defeats the man who broke Wayne's back. A cool logo, probabl cooler than the ones used during the "Knightfall" saga, is created for these issues and everything!
I should note that Azrael #36 was available, too, but not having an exact outline of the issues I needed, I couldn't be sure, because it was one of those Faces of DC covers that the company released across its line for releases dated December 1997. It was one of those initiatives that certainly makes a mark,but it also doesn't provide any details about the story inside the actual comic, so double-edged sword there.
Anyway, "Angel and the Bane" is not a major story, except maybe for Azrael, so it's not strictly essential to have read the whole story anyway. It's very much indicative of what Azrael as a whole did for a hundred issues. This is not to say that legendary writer Denny O'Neil wasted his time, but that he created a very insulated experience, which is odd, because for a time, Jean-Paul Valley was very much mainstream. He was, after all, Batman.
Then again, that's usually the fate of fairly random characters trying to replace icons. Ever try to keep track of the guys not named Steve Rogers who have been Captain America? Even Ed Brubaker won't be able to keep Bucky Barnes relevant as the Winter Soldier. Arguably the only replacements who won't be forgotten are Dick Grayson (who has pinch-hitted for Batman twice, but has also well-established himself both as Robin and Nightwing) and the three human Green Lanterns not named Hal Jordan (Guy Gardner, who became an icon as an atypically coarse hero; John Stewart, one of the most enduring black heroes; and Kyle Rayner, who after all had the weight of the whole Oan legacy on his shoulders for a while). You could also argue Wally West as the second Flash (Jay Garrick belongs to a separate tradition, though he is routinely included in the same franchise), though recent years have seen him completely forgotten in favor of his predecessor and mentor, Barry Allen.
Anyway, what separates Azrael from most heroes and probably helped O'Neil stick him in a distinct corner for so long is that all his skills are completely artificial, programmed into him by a fanatical religious order. For that reason, he has a lot more in common with Bane than might be appreciated on the surface. In the comics, Bane is still best known for the steroid Venom, which is green and made him a hulking menace, though he used his brains to overcome Batman. For many fans and writers, no matter how often Bane is shown to have overcome and come to completely despise Venom, he is inextricably associated with it. In a way, it's Bane's own programming, something he must continually overcome.
That makes the dynamic between Bane and Azrael more compelling than simply the strange dance Bane took with two men named Batman. By the time he realized that the Batman who beat him (mostly thanks to clipping the hoses connecting and feeding Venom to him) wasn't the original, Bane probably came to think of Azrael in a whole new light. Since I haven't read the complete "Angel and the Bane," I don't know how much O'Neil spent philosophizing on this, but to Bane, the concept of Azrael must have been irresistibly compelling, in much the way Batman was when he was first trying to make his name (successfully, at least to start). Here's a man who like I've said was also induced by artificial means to become something more than what he was.
(Here I should note that while growing up in the prison pit from the comics and Dark Knight Rises, Bane is not the weakling suggested in Batman and Robin before being injected with Venom for the first time. That may go over well with Captain America, but Bane only survives, and is in fact selected for the procedure, because he's already amply physically capable. The actual weaklings died because their bodies couldn't handle it.)
In "Angle and the Bane," he uses a modified version of Venom as a tool of control, a marketable asset, to try and restart his empire. He targets Azrael as a test subject, curious to see what will happen when this curious individual is pumped full with it, and whether withdrawal will kill him. I didn't read the final issue, as I said, nor the apparent subsequent "No Man's Land" tie-in followups, but suffice to say, the hero in the title of the series prevails, which can be assumed thanks to the fact that there are sixty issues yet to go.
This is not, then, a story about a rematch. That's not what Bane wants or needs, and not what Azrael wants or needs, either. Azrael, in fact, seems to be an incredibly reluctant hero throughout this series, who is at the margins of Batman's world, though seven issues after this arc, the series is newly subtitled Agent of the Bat; this seems to have no noticeable impact.
In comics characters can be created and discarded with equal ease. I'm no stranger to finding some creations more fascinating than their publishing history suggests. On the whole, Bane has been able to weather his "Knightfall" legacy better than Azrael, who has become a footnote (even replaced with a totally new character, Michael Lane, for a time, though using the same name and backstory), even if he must continually fight the perception that he's only worthwhile if hopped up on Venom, or at least somehow thinking about it.
In Dark Knight Rises, Venom is entirely removed from the equation, but then Bane is also reduced, in the end, to being a henchman to a higher power (a relationship to Ra's al Ghul derived from the comics). Mr. Dilloway and me have debated what exactly that means to his overall role in the movie, whether it truly diminishes his other accomplishments in bringing Gotham to its knees. I don't mean to say that Bane didn't, in fact, do that, but for me, he's a character who's most fascinating when he uses his mind. He has turned his body into a weapon, to be sure, with or without the use of Venom, but his original defeat of Batman had nothing to do with his body (except for the whole back thing) and everything to do with his mind. That's something that was quickly forgotten, even by the time Jean-Paul Valley beat him, and something every writer, even those with the best intentions, have never really gotten back to since.
"Angel and the Bane" is a sincere attempt by O'Neil to reclaim that territory. Personally, I would have very much appreciated in this strange relationship had lasted a little longer, if Bane hadn't simply slipped away and Azrael continued doing whatever it was he did for another sixty issues. Azrael begged for concrete context, just as much as Bane did. Bane could never be a Lex Luthor. The sad part is, two years after "Knightfall," DC turned another bruiser into a calculating menace, Blockbuster, who went on to trouble Nightwing...for a hundred issues. Imagine if Bane had ever been used with that level of commitment.
Maybe the stuttering attempts to use Bane since "Knightfall" helped make Dark Knight Rises possible. Maybe a poor publishing history also paradoxically helped keep the Azrael property viable. Jean-Paul Valley maybe doesn't have the same staying power as the suit he wears. In the later incarnation, the suits literally gobbles up its wearers, uses them up and spits them out. For Valley, that ended up being exactly what replacing Batman was like. Maybe that was something of the point of that story, too. It takes a will like Bruce Wayne's to make that work.
For a lot of heroes, legacies are an incredibly hard thing to come by. You know Batman, you know the Avengers, but there are others like Azrael who slip through the cracks, even if they make a spectacular splash at some point. For villains like Bane, legacies can be a hard thing to live down. So it's only appropriate when something like "Angel and the Bane" happens, even if it leaves very little impact at all. If you care about the characters, you'll check it out, and see exactly why it happened, and what it meant. It could inspire someone to do something even greater in the future.
I don't normally link to the material that helped inspire what I sometimes write about here at Comics Reader, but as it happens, the subject and specific comics came up with another blogger I follow, PT Dilloway, who wrote about the same general topic here. I originally heard about this story thanks to History of Comics on Film, which wrote about it in this survey.
Okay! So let's print up the marquee:
AZRAEL #s 37-38 (DC)
from January-February 1998
These issues are part of a greater arc (including the ones before and after) called "Angel and the Bane," which constitute a rematch five years in the making, after the climactic Batman #500, in which Jean-Paul Valley, having succeeded Bruce Wayne as the Dark Knight and donned his armored Batsuit for the first time, defeats the man who broke Wayne's back. A cool logo, probabl cooler than the ones used during the "Knightfall" saga, is created for these issues and everything!
I should note that Azrael #36 was available, too, but not having an exact outline of the issues I needed, I couldn't be sure, because it was one of those Faces of DC covers that the company released across its line for releases dated December 1997. It was one of those initiatives that certainly makes a mark,but it also doesn't provide any details about the story inside the actual comic, so double-edged sword there.
Anyway, "Angel and the Bane" is not a major story, except maybe for Azrael, so it's not strictly essential to have read the whole story anyway. It's very much indicative of what Azrael as a whole did for a hundred issues. This is not to say that legendary writer Denny O'Neil wasted his time, but that he created a very insulated experience, which is odd, because for a time, Jean-Paul Valley was very much mainstream. He was, after all, Batman.
Then again, that's usually the fate of fairly random characters trying to replace icons. Ever try to keep track of the guys not named Steve Rogers who have been Captain America? Even Ed Brubaker won't be able to keep Bucky Barnes relevant as the Winter Soldier. Arguably the only replacements who won't be forgotten are Dick Grayson (who has pinch-hitted for Batman twice, but has also well-established himself both as Robin and Nightwing) and the three human Green Lanterns not named Hal Jordan (Guy Gardner, who became an icon as an atypically coarse hero; John Stewart, one of the most enduring black heroes; and Kyle Rayner, who after all had the weight of the whole Oan legacy on his shoulders for a while). You could also argue Wally West as the second Flash (Jay Garrick belongs to a separate tradition, though he is routinely included in the same franchise), though recent years have seen him completely forgotten in favor of his predecessor and mentor, Barry Allen.
Anyway, what separates Azrael from most heroes and probably helped O'Neil stick him in a distinct corner for so long is that all his skills are completely artificial, programmed into him by a fanatical religious order. For that reason, he has a lot more in common with Bane than might be appreciated on the surface. In the comics, Bane is still best known for the steroid Venom, which is green and made him a hulking menace, though he used his brains to overcome Batman. For many fans and writers, no matter how often Bane is shown to have overcome and come to completely despise Venom, he is inextricably associated with it. In a way, it's Bane's own programming, something he must continually overcome.
That makes the dynamic between Bane and Azrael more compelling than simply the strange dance Bane took with two men named Batman. By the time he realized that the Batman who beat him (mostly thanks to clipping the hoses connecting and feeding Venom to him) wasn't the original, Bane probably came to think of Azrael in a whole new light. Since I haven't read the complete "Angel and the Bane," I don't know how much O'Neil spent philosophizing on this, but to Bane, the concept of Azrael must have been irresistibly compelling, in much the way Batman was when he was first trying to make his name (successfully, at least to start). Here's a man who like I've said was also induced by artificial means to become something more than what he was.
(Here I should note that while growing up in the prison pit from the comics and Dark Knight Rises, Bane is not the weakling suggested in Batman and Robin before being injected with Venom for the first time. That may go over well with Captain America, but Bane only survives, and is in fact selected for the procedure, because he's already amply physically capable. The actual weaklings died because their bodies couldn't handle it.)
In "Angle and the Bane," he uses a modified version of Venom as a tool of control, a marketable asset, to try and restart his empire. He targets Azrael as a test subject, curious to see what will happen when this curious individual is pumped full with it, and whether withdrawal will kill him. I didn't read the final issue, as I said, nor the apparent subsequent "No Man's Land" tie-in followups, but suffice to say, the hero in the title of the series prevails, which can be assumed thanks to the fact that there are sixty issues yet to go.
This is not, then, a story about a rematch. That's not what Bane wants or needs, and not what Azrael wants or needs, either. Azrael, in fact, seems to be an incredibly reluctant hero throughout this series, who is at the margins of Batman's world, though seven issues after this arc, the series is newly subtitled Agent of the Bat; this seems to have no noticeable impact.
In comics characters can be created and discarded with equal ease. I'm no stranger to finding some creations more fascinating than their publishing history suggests. On the whole, Bane has been able to weather his "Knightfall" legacy better than Azrael, who has become a footnote (even replaced with a totally new character, Michael Lane, for a time, though using the same name and backstory), even if he must continually fight the perception that he's only worthwhile if hopped up on Venom, or at least somehow thinking about it.
In Dark Knight Rises, Venom is entirely removed from the equation, but then Bane is also reduced, in the end, to being a henchman to a higher power (a relationship to Ra's al Ghul derived from the comics). Mr. Dilloway and me have debated what exactly that means to his overall role in the movie, whether it truly diminishes his other accomplishments in bringing Gotham to its knees. I don't mean to say that Bane didn't, in fact, do that, but for me, he's a character who's most fascinating when he uses his mind. He has turned his body into a weapon, to be sure, with or without the use of Venom, but his original defeat of Batman had nothing to do with his body (except for the whole back thing) and everything to do with his mind. That's something that was quickly forgotten, even by the time Jean-Paul Valley beat him, and something every writer, even those with the best intentions, have never really gotten back to since.
"Angel and the Bane" is a sincere attempt by O'Neil to reclaim that territory. Personally, I would have very much appreciated in this strange relationship had lasted a little longer, if Bane hadn't simply slipped away and Azrael continued doing whatever it was he did for another sixty issues. Azrael begged for concrete context, just as much as Bane did. Bane could never be a Lex Luthor. The sad part is, two years after "Knightfall," DC turned another bruiser into a calculating menace, Blockbuster, who went on to trouble Nightwing...for a hundred issues. Imagine if Bane had ever been used with that level of commitment.
Maybe the stuttering attempts to use Bane since "Knightfall" helped make Dark Knight Rises possible. Maybe a poor publishing history also paradoxically helped keep the Azrael property viable. Jean-Paul Valley maybe doesn't have the same staying power as the suit he wears. In the later incarnation, the suits literally gobbles up its wearers, uses them up and spits them out. For Valley, that ended up being exactly what replacing Batman was like. Maybe that was something of the point of that story, too. It takes a will like Bruce Wayne's to make that work.
For a lot of heroes, legacies are an incredibly hard thing to come by. You know Batman, you know the Avengers, but there are others like Azrael who slip through the cracks, even if they make a spectacular splash at some point. For villains like Bane, legacies can be a hard thing to live down. So it's only appropriate when something like "Angel and the Bane" happens, even if it leaves very little impact at all. If you care about the characters, you'll check it out, and see exactly why it happened, and what it meant. It could inspire someone to do something even greater in the future.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Catching Up On Some Recent Comics
Action Comics #12 (DC)
Grant Morrison rounds out the first year of the New 52 Action Comics by pitting Superman against Captain Comet, one of DC's cosmic superheroes, in an epic showdown. Hey, it's the most relevant Comet's been in years!
Aquaman #11 (DC)
Geoff Johns continues the saga he may be only spending a little while longer on, if recent reports are to be believed. Still, if it's true, he's still done far more to make Aquaman a vital character than anyone in the dozens of attempts over the years. If nothing else, this will make an epic, massive collection, and be put right alongside Brightest Day, where Johns and Peter S. Tomasi previously worked on the character.
Atomic Robo and the Flying She-Devils of the Pacific #2 of 5 (Red 5)
A better issue than the previous one, filled with Brian Clevinger's trademark wit, and Robo's hapless reactions to the insanity around him.
Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #5 (Red 5)
The latest issue of this anthology series is highlighted by Robo's confrontation with the man who killed Nikola Tesla (in this comics iteration), who was the creator of Atomic Robo (in the comics).
Batman: Earth One - Special Preview Edition (DC)
Yes, I bought and reviewed the full graphic novel last month, but I thought it'd be fun to see what it might feel like as a monthly-installment-sized edition. Yes, this only covers the first fifteen pages, but it really does have a different feel. There's a bonus preview of Scott Snyder's New 52, but the provided content is practically impenetrable, and certainly doesn't sell the Court of Owls concept, even though that's the name of the collection the preview is hawking.
Batman Incorporated #3 (DC)
The horrific shooting in Aurora, CO, delayed release of this book, though not necessarily shipments. Morrison brings back Matches Malone, Bruce Wayne's underworld alter ego, while we learn what's really going on with Damian, who has for now assumed the identity of Redbird (which was also the name of Tim Drake's Robin-mobile).
Batman and Robin #12 (DC)
Tomasi concludes his Terminus arc with a big bang, which is a little disappointing in that Terminus didn't quite receive enough time to develop as a villain. Long story short, the series was better earlier this year.
Before Watchmen: Comedian #2 of 6 (DC)
I read elsewhere that Edward Blake's introduction to Vietnam seemed a little generic. I guess I haven't saturated myself with enough Vietnam fiction, since I found it to be pretty fascinating. On the one hand, the Comedian considers this battlefield to be just another battlefield. On the other hand, this is a guy whose best friend was just assassinated. He has a right to be a little cynical, have an impulse to let loose a little. That's my perspective, anyway. Brian Azzarello also provides a fascinating insight into the possible origins of the emerging drug culture we still live in today, playing along the same notes as the second issue of Silk Spectre. (If you need a little perspective on it, Before Watchmen is an unlikely but certainly welcome forum.)
Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #2 of 4 (DC)
Whatever else I might have had to say about this issue is kind of overshadowed by the recent passing of comics legend Joe Kubert, who inked this series over son Andy's art. I'm not a historian of the craft, but I can certainly appreciate Kubert's huge legacy, and it's a shame that he had to die in the middle of his last great contribution. As I said in my thoughts for the first issue, Joe's inking made a definite impact on Andy's art in this book, one that spoke to the generational nature of the project. Where some people have only been able to view Before Watchman through the Alan Moore controversy, I've relished it as a chance to view comic books in their most pure and relevant form, something creators like Kurt Busiek and James Robinson have been trying to do ever since, well, Watchmen. Comics have, for better or worse, come to be defined by superheroes and legacies, and that's something Before Watchmen fully embraced, what the original stories were all about, in fact. And Joe Kubert had a huge role in developing that. Sorry to see you go.
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 6 (DC)
The genius of Before Watchmen can also be explained this way: we're finally going to see Ozymandias and Comedian on equal terms. That's something the original stories surprisingly avoided. At the end of this particular issue, we begin to see a rectification.
Creator-Owned Heroes #1 (Image)
Image has slowly become the go-to home for every conceivable comic book project, and while the founders envisioned a forum to create superheroes that would contend with the popularity of the books they left behind, the projects that've come along over the past decade have redefined the company as a catch-all for creators who would otherwise look for a place in small presses. Which has in essence made Image a large small press. Sometimes a book like The Walking Dead can happen, but that's very much the exception to the rule. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, regular writing partners who regularly work for the Big Two, join forces with Steve Niles (best known for his horror efforts) in launching a new anthology format, almost magazine-like offering, working on dream projects. The problem is that the format short-changes those dreams. To be frank, the examples in this debut issue don't feel like they were worth the effort. But maybe they're better with commitment.
Demon Knights #12 (DC)
Paul Cornell may be writing this series for the trades. I think that's the best thing to say about it. I love Demon Knights, and I also wish it could be something more. It's a rolling, sometimes rollicking adventure, but every time it seems like we're finally getting somewhere...it's the end of the issue. So, Cornell may be writing for the trades. This is not a complaint.
Earth 2 #4 (DC)
James Robinson continues his chronicle of the alternate Justice Society, in which everything old is new again. This now includes Al Pratt, the original Atom, who in this version of events is a soldier in the world army that sprang up in response to the Apokolips apocalypse.
Green Lantern #11 (DC)
Black Hand puts together a creepy family reunion and Sinestro brings Hal Jordan to his own personal Batcave, allowing us our first glimpse of the next Green Lantern. Seriously, Geoff Johns could write this franchise forever.
National Comics: Eternity (DC)
The first of a series of one-shots reimagining various DC properties ("National Comics" is what the company was before it embraced the Detective in one of its flagship titles). Jeff Lemire sees Kid Eternity basically as a Ghost Whisperer. That's as much as there is to see here.
Peter Parker, Spider-Man #156.1 (Marvel)
I guess Marvel is releasing Point One issues of cancelled Spider-Man series to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the web-slinger. This one is written by Roger Stern, a veteran I know best from 1990s Superman (but he's been around!).
RASL #15 (Cartoon)
The final issue of Jeff Smith's second comic book opus (his first being, of course, Bone), and finally an explanation for the title (an acronym for Romance at the Speed of Light, which was also the name of the third collection, and title of the eighth issue). Things've boiled down to Rob's need to destroy the journals of Nikola Tesla (yes, the same dude as the comics creator of Atomic Robo) in order to save the universe, lest they be used to destroy it (which in fairness to Rob is a process that was already started across several alternate realities). The big problem Rob gets to overcome in the finale is the revelation that Maya, the source of the eponymous tattoo and motivating factor in so many ways for Rob's journey throughout the series, is also his biggest threat. He's been running the whole time toward this moment. It's still disappointing that the series only lasted fifteen issues, but as Smith himself pointed out elsewhere, that still adds up to a lot of pages for any collection, and one way or another, this will sit proudly next to Bone on any discerning reader's shelf. Perhaps like Demon Knights, it will read better and last longer in the memory in trade format.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #11 (DC)
Again, I have to say how different this series is from just about anything else, not just because of the distinctive art from Kenneth Rocafort, but because of Scott Lobdell's writing, which moves along at its own pace, a little like Grant Morrison's. It is, then, any wonder that Lobdell and Rocafort have been tapped as the latest replacements in Superman? Perhaps this will solve two issues. This is a book that deserves to stand out, but it's also one that can be alienating (much like the heroes in the book themselves, who are all alienated), as has been proven since its launch last fall. Perhaps more a little more convention will help readers discover how awesome it is. This issue, by the way, features some familiar and unfamilar backstory for Koriand'r, better known as Stargirl. Apparently she has some Farscape in her.
Grant Morrison rounds out the first year of the New 52 Action Comics by pitting Superman against Captain Comet, one of DC's cosmic superheroes, in an epic showdown. Hey, it's the most relevant Comet's been in years!
Aquaman #11 (DC)
Geoff Johns continues the saga he may be only spending a little while longer on, if recent reports are to be believed. Still, if it's true, he's still done far more to make Aquaman a vital character than anyone in the dozens of attempts over the years. If nothing else, this will make an epic, massive collection, and be put right alongside Brightest Day, where Johns and Peter S. Tomasi previously worked on the character.
Atomic Robo and the Flying She-Devils of the Pacific #2 of 5 (Red 5)
A better issue than the previous one, filled with Brian Clevinger's trademark wit, and Robo's hapless reactions to the insanity around him.
Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #5 (Red 5)
The latest issue of this anthology series is highlighted by Robo's confrontation with the man who killed Nikola Tesla (in this comics iteration), who was the creator of Atomic Robo (in the comics).
Batman: Earth One - Special Preview Edition (DC)
Yes, I bought and reviewed the full graphic novel last month, but I thought it'd be fun to see what it might feel like as a monthly-installment-sized edition. Yes, this only covers the first fifteen pages, but it really does have a different feel. There's a bonus preview of Scott Snyder's New 52, but the provided content is practically impenetrable, and certainly doesn't sell the Court of Owls concept, even though that's the name of the collection the preview is hawking.
Batman Incorporated #3 (DC)
The horrific shooting in Aurora, CO, delayed release of this book, though not necessarily shipments. Morrison brings back Matches Malone, Bruce Wayne's underworld alter ego, while we learn what's really going on with Damian, who has for now assumed the identity of Redbird (which was also the name of Tim Drake's Robin-mobile).
Batman and Robin #12 (DC)
Tomasi concludes his Terminus arc with a big bang, which is a little disappointing in that Terminus didn't quite receive enough time to develop as a villain. Long story short, the series was better earlier this year.
Before Watchmen: Comedian #2 of 6 (DC)
I read elsewhere that Edward Blake's introduction to Vietnam seemed a little generic. I guess I haven't saturated myself with enough Vietnam fiction, since I found it to be pretty fascinating. On the one hand, the Comedian considers this battlefield to be just another battlefield. On the other hand, this is a guy whose best friend was just assassinated. He has a right to be a little cynical, have an impulse to let loose a little. That's my perspective, anyway. Brian Azzarello also provides a fascinating insight into the possible origins of the emerging drug culture we still live in today, playing along the same notes as the second issue of Silk Spectre. (If you need a little perspective on it, Before Watchmen is an unlikely but certainly welcome forum.)
Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #2 of 4 (DC)
Whatever else I might have had to say about this issue is kind of overshadowed by the recent passing of comics legend Joe Kubert, who inked this series over son Andy's art. I'm not a historian of the craft, but I can certainly appreciate Kubert's huge legacy, and it's a shame that he had to die in the middle of his last great contribution. As I said in my thoughts for the first issue, Joe's inking made a definite impact on Andy's art in this book, one that spoke to the generational nature of the project. Where some people have only been able to view Before Watchman through the Alan Moore controversy, I've relished it as a chance to view comic books in their most pure and relevant form, something creators like Kurt Busiek and James Robinson have been trying to do ever since, well, Watchmen. Comics have, for better or worse, come to be defined by superheroes and legacies, and that's something Before Watchmen fully embraced, what the original stories were all about, in fact. And Joe Kubert had a huge role in developing that. Sorry to see you go.
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 6 (DC)
The genius of Before Watchmen can also be explained this way: we're finally going to see Ozymandias and Comedian on equal terms. That's something the original stories surprisingly avoided. At the end of this particular issue, we begin to see a rectification.
Creator-Owned Heroes #1 (Image)
Image has slowly become the go-to home for every conceivable comic book project, and while the founders envisioned a forum to create superheroes that would contend with the popularity of the books they left behind, the projects that've come along over the past decade have redefined the company as a catch-all for creators who would otherwise look for a place in small presses. Which has in essence made Image a large small press. Sometimes a book like The Walking Dead can happen, but that's very much the exception to the rule. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, regular writing partners who regularly work for the Big Two, join forces with Steve Niles (best known for his horror efforts) in launching a new anthology format, almost magazine-like offering, working on dream projects. The problem is that the format short-changes those dreams. To be frank, the examples in this debut issue don't feel like they were worth the effort. But maybe they're better with commitment.
Demon Knights #12 (DC)
Paul Cornell may be writing this series for the trades. I think that's the best thing to say about it. I love Demon Knights, and I also wish it could be something more. It's a rolling, sometimes rollicking adventure, but every time it seems like we're finally getting somewhere...it's the end of the issue. So, Cornell may be writing for the trades. This is not a complaint.
Earth 2 #4 (DC)
James Robinson continues his chronicle of the alternate Justice Society, in which everything old is new again. This now includes Al Pratt, the original Atom, who in this version of events is a soldier in the world army that sprang up in response to the Apokolips apocalypse.
Green Lantern #11 (DC)
Black Hand puts together a creepy family reunion and Sinestro brings Hal Jordan to his own personal Batcave, allowing us our first glimpse of the next Green Lantern. Seriously, Geoff Johns could write this franchise forever.
National Comics: Eternity (DC)
The first of a series of one-shots reimagining various DC properties ("National Comics" is what the company was before it embraced the Detective in one of its flagship titles). Jeff Lemire sees Kid Eternity basically as a Ghost Whisperer. That's as much as there is to see here.
Peter Parker, Spider-Man #156.1 (Marvel)
I guess Marvel is releasing Point One issues of cancelled Spider-Man series to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the web-slinger. This one is written by Roger Stern, a veteran I know best from 1990s Superman (but he's been around!).
RASL #15 (Cartoon)
The final issue of Jeff Smith's second comic book opus (his first being, of course, Bone), and finally an explanation for the title (an acronym for Romance at the Speed of Light, which was also the name of the third collection, and title of the eighth issue). Things've boiled down to Rob's need to destroy the journals of Nikola Tesla (yes, the same dude as the comics creator of Atomic Robo) in order to save the universe, lest they be used to destroy it (which in fairness to Rob is a process that was already started across several alternate realities). The big problem Rob gets to overcome in the finale is the revelation that Maya, the source of the eponymous tattoo and motivating factor in so many ways for Rob's journey throughout the series, is also his biggest threat. He's been running the whole time toward this moment. It's still disappointing that the series only lasted fifteen issues, but as Smith himself pointed out elsewhere, that still adds up to a lot of pages for any collection, and one way or another, this will sit proudly next to Bone on any discerning reader's shelf. Perhaps like Demon Knights, it will read better and last longer in the memory in trade format.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #11 (DC)
Again, I have to say how different this series is from just about anything else, not just because of the distinctive art from Kenneth Rocafort, but because of Scott Lobdell's writing, which moves along at its own pace, a little like Grant Morrison's. It is, then, any wonder that Lobdell and Rocafort have been tapped as the latest replacements in Superman? Perhaps this will solve two issues. This is a book that deserves to stand out, but it's also one that can be alienating (much like the heroes in the book themselves, who are all alienated), as has been proven since its launch last fall. Perhaps more a little more convention will help readers discover how awesome it is. This issue, by the way, features some familiar and unfamilar backstory for Koriand'r, better known as Stargirl. Apparently she has some Farscape in her.
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