Sunday Marvel Sunday "Captain America #6 (2019)"

Captain America #6

Let's start this off by remarking that I'm apparently making labels not only for the writer (Ta-Nehisi Coates) but the artist (Leinil Francis Yu) as well.  I'm more surprised by the latter, as Yu is a well-established comics superstar I've enjoyed on a number of projects over the years, and his continued presence at Marvel has been one of the big lies fans have had to swallow in recent years when complaining that "all the good artists left." 

Coates himself has been a hugely prominent literary figure in recent years, not just among black readers but in general; last year's The Water Dancer has been widely hailed as one of 2019's best books.  I haven't read him outside of a few comics, including his Black Panther, and now this.

Ironically, this particular issue could just as easily have been written by Ed Brubaker.  During his historic run, Brubaker, as least as far as I was concerned, often seemed as if he wasn't interested in Captain America himself so much as...anything around him, even before the Civil War death.  Coates actually uses a Brubaker villain(s family) to achieve the effect, the Russian Lukins (including one brought back from the grave). 

There was some concern, when Coates took over the title, that he wouldn't be the right fit for Cap, being as he is primarily interested in the black perspective.  Such concerns were probably already racist, and at any rate have been proven baseless, given how, as noted, he delivers an issue like this that could've easily been part of someone else's (and notably a white dude who writes primarily white dude comics) run.

The next issue promised to continue the plot, another of those "Man Without a Country" arcs Cap has enjoyed repeatedly over the years.  So yeah, I think Coates fits in nicely with Captain America.

Reading Comics 240 "Batman #85, Doomsday Clock #12, and more"

Because there were a few comics I had to read at the end of the year, I put in another order at Midtown, and this is what I got:

Batman Annual #2 (DC)

This isn’t the issue I was aiming for, but it was nice to revisit all the same, as it demonstrates Tom King’s lyrical grace, a quality that seemed to have eluded many of his readers, or at least his many critics.  But if something like this escapes them, I suppose it doesn’t matter whether or not they approve.  At the end is a coda for King’s whole conception of Batman, and Catwoman, and it is beautiful.

Batman #85 (DC)

Here’s King’s grand finale, which splits time between defeating Thomas Wayne/Flashpoint Batman, and tying everything up, how the whole thing flowed from Batman’s theory of a “good death” at the start of King’s run, how he finally reconciled the death of his parents and what that meant about the existence of Batman, and his continued existence, and how his relationship with Catwoman confirms all of it.  I think it’s brilliant, but then I think just about everything Tom King does is brilliant.  He has no contemporary equal.  He may in fact be the best superhero comics writer ever.  And he has set the bar very high indeed.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #3 (DC)

A Batman finale of a different order, this is Scott Snyder and Greg Capulo’s farewell.  As I was reading it, it suddenly occurred to me that if there’s any logic Snyder has followed all these years, it’s probably Dan Jurgens’.  Dan is famously the guy who in the final analysis is responsible for the death of Superman.  He further contributed to DC ‘90s lore with Zero Hour, an event that’s frequently overlooked but is probably one of the greatest event comics ever written, a “Crisis in Time” that expanded on Hal Jordan’s fall from grace to truly epic proportions and offered a plausible reshaping of continuity that hit a very soft reset button.  But Jurgens more often writes his superheroes in broader strokes.  His ideas are seldom as grounded in grace as his best stories (sort of like Mark Waid), and so he’s kind of easy to dismiss as the comics great that he ultimately is, at his best.  Snyder, meanwhile, has so often leaned on the assistance of cowriters it’s probably easy to forget that he has relied so often on them, when his legacy has shrunk to the “one great thing to come out of the New 52.”  He needs someone to temper his crazier instincts.  He’s the kind of writer who looks at the examples other writers have set, and considered only that they look like the most outrageous thing that could’ve been done, and so what he needs to do is the most outrageous thing he can come up with, and the logic will explain itself.  And his ideas are sound, but the execution always beggars the imagination of the reader more than convincingly tells a story.  His big finale, as he seemed to decide after coming up with the Court of Owls in his original Batman comics, centers around Batman’s relationship with the Joker.  As far as the Joker is concerned, everything he has ever done was meant to make Batman the best he could be.  But I don’t think Batman would ever be comfortable with that assessment, even in a scenario where he’s confronted with a version of himself that’s the worst he could be (and even there, Snyder doesn’t adequately account for how Batman could end up wanting to take over the whole world; that’s a story that would contrast Batman with Lex Luthor, not himself, much less Joker) (and while we’re on the subject, Snyder really, really missed a trick with his current projects when he called his upgraded Luthor “Apex Lex,” when, since the rhyme is already there, the logic clearly dictates calling him “Apex Luthor).  As far as Snyder’s own logic goes, I suppose this is as appropriate a finale as he could’ve envisioned.  This isn’t what I thought the original cloning concept he introduced way back in Detective Comics #27 (the New 52 edition), but at least he did something with it.

Doomsday Clock #12 (DC)

The second grand finale I wanted to catch (the above Snyder was merely incidental, not something I had intended to go out of my way to catch), or at least read for myself, since I had allowed the internet to spoil it for me.  Naturally, the internet was most interested in Geoff Johns outlining the theoretical future of DC lore.  I don’t think anyone at DC seriously expects this material to be followed (considering one of the stories referenced is apparently another crossover with Marvel, a situation always fraught with complications, as the long development of JLA/Avengers proved).  The sentiment itself represents the central thesis that DC follows Superman, that wherever he goes, his new continuity is the foundation of DC’s new continuity, even going so far as to suggest that if comics are still being made in 3020, a thousand years from now, the age of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superman’s origin will take place then, and continuity will resettle around him once again, even though the Legion took its inspiration from the exploits of Superboy a thousand years earlier.  I think the whole project is justified.  It gives Doctor Manhattan a far more satisfying arc than he got in Watchmen (although I think Zack Snyder corrected that in his movie, too), removing the cynicism of Alan Moore himself and allowing a man who can see everything (except his ultimate fate) to adequately comprehend it, given the opportunity to make a decision, or in this instance, rethink a decision.  Which may also have been the point.

Family Tree #2 (Image)

I wanted to have a look at this latest Jeff Lemire project.  The guy is the most prolific creator in comics!  The art is from Phil Hester, whom I always love to see pop up with new work.  A fine variation on familiar Lemire themes.

Flash Forward #4 (DC)

I had already read what happened in this one, too, but wanted a chance to experience it for myself: Wally West meets Lightspeed, Linda Park!  But, of course, a Linda Park from an alternate reality, and who doesn’t particularly care what a counterpart made of Wally.  But the comic is also toying with Wally reuniting with his kids, which is something I’ve become much more fond of in the years since Mark Waid first introduced them in his return to Wally’s adventures, which were sort of a soft launch of the Tomasi/Gleason Superman, which wasn’t as good as their Batman & Robin, but still well worth existing.  And I think most fans will agree, if Wally is back, his whole family ought to get to join him, too.  Hopefully this comic has a truly happy ending.

Incoming! (Marvel)

Basically a tour of the current Marvel landscape, another visit with the Masked Raider (I don’t know if this guy, that name, and his gunslinging costume, is destined for greatness, but he’s nice to hang these stories on), and the push for the upcoming Kree/Skrull invasion of Earth!  The movies are probably headed somewhere in that direction, too, so it’s nice for the comics to get there first, for a change (a lot of recent comics belatedly obsessed over Thanos, which seemed way too obvious at that point), picking up where a famous, but forgotten-except-by-diehards-because-Marvel-can’t-keep-its-defining-stories-in-print Avengers epic left off way back in the ‘70s (or ‘60s? but I think ‘70s).  And central to all this?  My 2005 inner Marvel nerd is excited that it’s characters from Young Avengers! 

Invisible Kingdom #8 (Dark Horse)

Lately I’ve been feeling kind of bad about not caring that G. Willow Wilson has enjoyed so much success in recent years, since Air was such a favorite of mine from when nobody else cared, so I checked out an issue of this project.  It’s okay. 

Joker: Killer Smile #2 (DC)

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino once again reunite for a tale of a psychiatrist’s descent into madness when he believes he can figure out the Clown Prince.  A bit obvious, but a sort of welcome companion to Lemire’s brilliant Moon Knight.

Klaus: The Life & Times of Joe Christmas (Boom!)

I haven’t had much luck reading the annual Christmas follow-ups to Grant Morrison and Dan Mora’s original Klaus, so I was pleased to order (because as I’ve come to understand, I just won’t be able to find it in an actual comics shop) the latest.  This one’s sort of in the model of a calendar, which counts up from December 1 and ends on the 25^th.  And there is no dialogue, only a chronicle of the life and adventures of Joe Christmas, who sort of becomes Klaus’s sidekick.  I almost choked up when I realized the cat had died.  Great comic.  Might singlehandedly justify Morrison’s whole concept of making Santa Claus a superhero.  Years from now someone could write a whole series around Joe Christmas based on this one comic, or maybe they could base a movie on it.  (Hint hint.)

The Old Guard: Force Multiplied #1 (Image)

I read the original miniseries in trade paperback at the library, and was immediately smitten, so I was extremely glad to discover this follow-up.  Perhaps moreso than the story itself is value of the Greg Rucka essay at the end detailing his thoughts about the origins and emerging legacy of Old Guard, including an upcoming Netflix movie version.  I’m glad things are working out this way.

The Amazing Spider-Man #36 (Marvel)

I was suckered into buying this issue because the solicitation listed Pat Gleason as the artist.  He was not.  But I subsequently picked up a slightly earlier issue, and he was. 

Superman Smashes the Klan #2 (DC)

Gene Luen Yang writes perhaps his most important Superman and/or DC comic, at last, detailing a group of kids’ experiences with Superman as he, well, battles the Klan, centering around a Chinese perspective, not in the way Hollywood has been catering to the massive Chinese market in recent years, but because Yang has more immediate ties, the kind that stretch across American history.  We tend to forget, except for all that Chinese food that was actually invented in America, how long the Chinese have been here, and how complicated their lives have been here.  Thankfully Yang is here to help fill in the gaps.  Included is an essay detailing Superman history that’s both familiar and also relevant to Yang’s perspective and intentions.

Sunday Marvel Sunday "Captain America #696"

Captain America #696

After Nazi Rogers happened, fans acted as if they had...never read a comic book before.  It was one of the most bizarre things that ever happened in comics.  Steve Rogers, thanks to a fragment of the Cosmic Cube, existed in a reality where he was raised as a loyal agent of Hydra.  Avengers: Endgame kind of cleverly played into that in the reprise of the excellent Captain America: Winter Soldier elevator sequence (probably, for me, best moment of both movies, really).  But then comic book logic undid it, of course, and Captain America wasn't a secret agent of Hydra anymore.

The whole thing was an exercise in the pointless outrage culture.  Of course, a lot of Golden Age comic book creators, including Cap's, were Jewish, so it was considered particularly offensive, even for a storytelling stunt, to create Nazi Rogers.  But, again, this is comic books we're talking about.  If there's a single mainstream superhero who has never undergone an outrageous crisis, I'd really know who it is. 

And Secret Empire was a brilliant story.  Taking a paragon of virtue and making him the face of the enemy, it was fresh territory, which is a hard thing to do in superhero comics.

But everyone panicked, and Marvel thought taking an abrupt turnaround was in order.  And so was brought in Mark Waid, that guy who made his name being a huge fan who knew everything, but eventually broke out taking existing Flash lore and greatly expanding it.  Turns out Waid was only capable of doing that once.  So he fell back on being a being a huge fan who knew everything.  And basically producing feel-good comics with Marvel properties like the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and yes, Captain America.

His idea of Cap's comeback tour was literally a tour, in itself not an entirely original idea in comics, of America, just trying to step away from the grind.  And of course learning along the way that the regular folk do still love him. 

Kind of on the nose, of course, but that's been my impression of all Waid's Marvel work.  I don't know if he burned out, like James Robinson did writing Starman, on trying to do big things.  The longer he wrote Flash, the harder he found it to hit the high notes, and perhaps as a result, fans today still don't really appreciate what he accomplished.  His was basically the template Geoff Johns later followed.  And ironically, Johns was doing Waid's Marvel act until he figured out how to do Waid's Flash act.  And has never looked back.

Waid continues to grasp for relevance.  He did Flash.  He did Kingdom Come.  He even did Strange Fruit.  Fans can believe whatever they like about his best work.  But it's really Waid who seems incapable of understanding his best instincts.

Sunday Marvel Sunday "Avengers #2 (2018)"

Avengers #2
December 2018

I got a bunch of packs of Marvel comics late last year at Walmart, and will be talking about them individually here every Sunday.  Here's the first one!

I clarified in the title which year this came out, because Marvel has relaunched all its major titles about a billion times.  Helpfully, this black and white fifth printing includes a legacy numbering of #692, which was also helpful.

The creators are Jason Aaron, who just finished up a near-decade chronicling the adventures of Thor, and Ed McGuinness, who was a major name at the start of the millennium but has inexplicably slipped below superstar status since moving his horse to Marvel, where one of his first projects was Red-Hulk with Jeph Loeb.  I knew he was still in the doghouse when fans were complaining about the cover art from the first issue, as if they had never heard of McGuinness before, but I guess it shouldn't be surprising from the kind of community I've also seen this kind of reception from the likes of Matt Wagner, as if nobody had seen his work before.

The comic itself is quip-heavy, which seems to lean into the Avengers of the movies, which is solid enough thinking, considering how insanely popular the movies are, although technically this mindset probably comes from the comics, the Bendis revival that made the team relevant again, if not the Ultimates version that inspired a few movie elements like Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury (since they kind of cast him in that role first).

She-Hulk, as depicted by McGuinness, is looking like Banner Hulk these days, even though she's more traditionally depicted as a well-developed regular body-type.  That's her in the lower corner.

Captain Marvel is there doing her modern Captain Marvel thing, which annoys fans because she's only been doing it for a few years and the other guys have been doing it for decades.  It would perhaps be more helpful if she were an entirely new character, but entirely new characters haven't done so well in recent decades.

The new Ghost Rider has a car.  Nic Cage probably would've loved that version, circa Gone In 60 Seconds ("Driiiive!"), but then he still did two movies of the classic biker version.  I still think a lot of non-MCU Marvel movies are wildly unappreciated, especially since the MCU phenomenon hit full-stride.  Nic Cage is an excellent Ghost Rider.  (Haven't actually seen the second one.  Don't think Eva Mendes is in it.  Seems less important.)

Yadda yadda yadda, Loki shows up, saves the issue from generic villains with vaguely Kirbyesque designs.  The end.

Reading Comics 239 "My Fourth Forbidden Geen Mystery Box"

My fourth Forbidden Geek mystery box actually is sort of my fifth.  The fourth got lost in transit.  Realizing it was not going to come when Forbidden Geek was setting up the next shipment, I contacted the company, which responded promptly and shipped a replacement box immediately.  That was cool of them!

The resulting box had a Funko statue from Shazam! (I think it was Eugene), a copy of the Batman/Superman: Their Greatest Battles trade collection (a duplicate for me, so I earmarked it as another eventual gift for one of my nephews in Maine, whenever I get to see them and/or ship off the stuff I've been collecting for them), and the following comics:

(Nothing older than 2011 this time, but that's okay.)

Ame-Comi Girls #1 (DC)
from December 2012

The bulk of this is the Palmiotti/Gray/Palmer version of Wonder Woman's origin, with Amanda Palmer happily on art.  Until, for whatever reason, a far inferior artist fills out the issue.  I've mentioned before how inexplicably terrible I find the title of this series, but the contents are good.

Batman: Arkham Knight #8 (DC)
From November 2015

One of several Howard Porter covers in this selection.  Even though Tomasi is writing, I don't really care about this one.

Before Watchmen: Moloch #1 (DC)
from January 2013

I love being a fan who isn't pissed off that Before Watchmen happened.  I have a theory that the New 52 wasn't officially written off by fans until Before Watchmen happened.  Anyway, I was very happy to see this comic in the selection, as I'm pretty sure I didn't read either issue of Moloch on original release.  The creative team is J. Michael Straczynski and Eduardo Risso (a typically strong team for Before Watchmen, typically performing at peak capacity).  This first issue explains Moloch's origins, how being treated as a freak (because of those ears, chiefly) led him astray, and how he entered a path of redemption.  Until, y'know.  At its best, Before Watchmen brilliantly expanded (rather than needlessly duplicated) Watchmen lore (here I'm thinking of Comedian, which I recently reread), and Moloch, it seems, was Before Watchmen at its best.  I'm not always Straczynski's biggest fan, but this really is him functioning at peak potential.

Birds of Prey #12 (DC)
from July 2011

One of the 2011s!  I'll get back to the significance of this a little later, but as for this comic: Gail Simone.  I'm just not a fan.

Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands #4 (DC)
from April 2018

Because blogging, I somehow ended up following Tony Isabella's blog.  Isabella is Black Lightning's creator, and is still basically all he's known for, including his periodic revisits of the character (including a great-looking '90s run that I still want to check out).  If not this issue specifically, then this mini-series was featured on his blog just before I got the box, so it was pretty fortuitous when I opened it up and found this comic.  But, alas, I didn't much care about its contents.  Sort of like the CW series (although it was still great to see the character finally show up in the Arrowverse during Crisis).

Earth 2 #24 (DC)
from August 2014

Still one of my favorite things from the New 52, this issue is from the Tom Taylor period (years before he wowed readers with DCeased), already proving his dynamic understanding of DC lore.  This issue is pretty neat, as it features both the new Earth 2 Batman (Thomas Wayne) and Superman (Val-Zod), which sort of stole the thunder from the quasi-Justice Society but still made for fantastic developments in that continuity.

The Flash #55 (DC)
from November 2018

The other Howard Porter cover in the selection (this time a variant), featuring the budding expanded "forces" concept Josh Williamson brought to the Scarlet Speedster, sort of his version of the emotional spectrum in Green Lantern lore.

Green Lantern Corps #19 (DC)
from June 2013

The final issue in the Green Lantern family of titles before Geoff Johns' final issue of Green Lantern, as "Wrath of the First Lantern" weaves its way through them.  Volthoom!  Still a great name, right up there with Larfleeze.  I'm not kidding!  (I still want another Larfleeze series!)

Red Robin #21 (DC)
from May 2011

Tim Drake borrowing the name and costume from Dick Grayson's Kingdome Come future, but it's not all one-way, as the issue also features an appearance of a version of the red variant of his own costume Nightwing was going to sport in the New 52.  Don't think I didn't notice, DC!

Superman #20 (DC)
from July 2013

Clearly DC thought this issue was going to leave a far bigger impact than it did (hyped in the "News Channel 52" feature as it was, a war between Wonder Woman's "two suitors"), as the Man of Steel clashes with Orion!  But it's a fun story all the same, which makes the New Gods' lackluster presence in the New 52 all the more painful.  There was such potential! 

The Unwritten #29 (Vertigo)
from November 2011

I just read the two collections from The Unwritten: Apocalypse, the sequel series that ended this saga, so it was great to get a further glimpse into more of what happened previously (someday I will probably read the whole thing).  But more importantly: 2011!  So here it is.  Just before the New 52 era, DC tried a few things to lure fans back, including "drawing the line at $2.99" and...bringing back letters columns!  Which means, all three comics from 2011 featured...letters columns!  DC quickly dropped them again with the New 52, which was kind of disappointing, but not before making it clear that they did have their value, a concentrated forum for fans (not angry internet people) to share knowledge and appreciation (which again, not angry internet people).  I remember visiting DC's official message boards when they had switched from letters columns to the belief that the internet somehow replaced them, and that's where I found the fans hopelessly devoted the return of Hal Jordan as a clear-cut good guy (I think there was even a dorky name for the movement, but I don't remember what it would have been).  I just don't think anyone realizes what's lost when there are big shifts in how things are done, that it matters that some things are lost even while other things are gained.  I never understand the rush to shuck off old things, things that can't be replaced, no matter how much change improves things.  On the other hand, we now live in an era where the margin for success is wider than ever, that things with a smaller audience can still thrive for years, where they would've been aborted quickly before.  So the more things change, the more they stay...interesting.  I bet DC brings letters columns back, again, at some point.  After all, the more things change, the more they stay the same, too.  Sometimes you just have to wait.  Like those Hal Jordan fans.

Watching the Walmart Giants 5 "December 2019"

The distributor apparently woke up sooner than normal, so I got December's selections sooner than what's been the norm lately. 

Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant #1

• new story from Marv Wolfman & Marc Guggenheim, with art from Tom Derenick.  Right from the start it's clear this is a riff on the TV Arrowverse Crisis, same as:
• new story from Marv Wolfman & Marc Guggenheim, with art from Tom Grummett.
• reprint of Crisis #1
• reprint of Crisis #7 (death of Supergirl)

Now, some expanded thought.

The two new tales are actually pretty worthwhile to the whole Arrowverse Crisis experience.  The first gives a little more spotlight to Nash Wells/Pariah.  Nash is the latest multiverse variant of Harrison Wells in The Flash, the only Arrowverse series I've watched regularly (and soundly enjoyed).  Wells, in the first season, turned out to not even be Harrison Wells, but Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash, who'd taken over Wells' body.  All of the Wells variants are played by Tom Cavanagh, for whom I developed a deep affection when he was playing a bowling alley lawyer in Ed.  His quirky Wells turns have been just one of the many things I love about Flash.

The second expands on Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor, who has appeared in Supergirl.  Cryer is known for many things at this point, including Ducky, Two and a Half Men, and his appearance in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.  His Luthor is almost an apology for that one, and he plays the role quite effectively, complete with a distinct look for the character, which is easily distinguished by Grummett in the new story.

(It's great seeing Grummett working on a Superman comic again.  Ah, the '90s!)

I watched, quite eagerly, the first three TV installments of Crisis, between Supergirl, Batwoman, and Flash.  Naturally, I liked the Flash installment best, not just because of the fateful final run of John Wesley Shipp, but because the production values, as they usually are, were so much better.  I don't belong to the cult of Kevin Conroy (even though in the '90s I was a big fan of his Batman cartoon), so his appearance as the mock Dark Knight Returns Bruce Wayne did nothing for me.  I loved the Smallville coda!  Just perfect.  Arrowverse was riffing as much on Crisis as it was Avengers: Endgame and Justice League (complete with a hero resurrection).  Constantine played very well!  I realize the guy had his own series for a split second, but this portrayal works really well however it ends up onscreen.  I missed a few of the cameos for one reason or another, but it was pretty funny when spastic Kevin Smith cut off Robert Wuhl just as he was about to bash the Snyder movies.  Smooth!  It was nice that the CW sprang for the aftershow thing that's become a staple of cable genre shows, helped make it that much bigger a deal.

Can't wait for the final installments next month!

Superman Giant #1

• new story from Robert Venditti & Paul Pelletier.  It's a Parasite story, a villain I find particularly tiresome, but by the end of it Venditti has found something useful to say.  I always like seeing Pelletier art! 
• reprint of Supergirl #54 (2010)
• reprint of Action Comics #866 (2008, the start of Geoff Johns, Richard Donner & Gary Frank's excellent "Brainiac" arc)
• reprint of Superman #8 (2016, from Tomasi, Gleason & Mahnke)

Back Issue Bin 125 "Exit Stage Left, Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown, and other comics"

A clerk walked up to me and whispered into my ear, "You know, they're five for a dollar at the moment," and that's why I got a bunch of old comics recently.

Air #1 (Vertigo)
from October 2008

I still fondly remember getting into G. Willow Wilson's Air.  My interest at first was tentative, but then it became one of my favorite comics.  I still think it's Wilson's best comics work, which she doesn't seem to have been in too much of a rush to replicate, even after finding popular success years later with Ms. Marvel.  I've never added it to my graphic novel collection, though, so revisiting it was a long time coming, so it was great to find the first issue itself.  And I still enjoyed it.

Azrael #40 (DC)
from April 1998

I always find it funny to be reminded of comics I decided not to read, and there were some in the '90s that in retrospect really leave me scratching my head.  Even if I had no interest in Azrael itself, it's still strange to think there were rematches between the one-time Batman and Bane that didn't feel important enough to catch. About seven years back I read other encounters in the series between them (and maybe even this one?), so it was fun to do it again.  That the series lasted a hundred issues seems incomprehensible today, whether or not I was reading it myself.  But then, companies back then didn't have as itchy a trigger finger as they do now, constantly rebooting the big ones much less being patient with the smaller ones.  You can see how Azrael's lack of appearances in recent years would bode for any new attempt at a solo book.  The best of this issue is being reminded how long the original depiction of Bane managed to stick around, before subsequent generations screwed him up (well after the clownish version in Batman & Robin).  Thank goodness Christopher Nolan and Tom King came around!  This is a legitimately great character, with even greater potential still possible, which seems even more unlikely for a villain seemingly created just to provoke one of those endless '90s crises.

Batman and the Signal #3 (DC)
from June 2018

Duke Thomas was at one time pegged to be the next Robin, at least as far as fans expected, but eventually he assumed his own heroic identity, the Signal (Scott Snyder can be remarkably insular in his imaginative thought).  This was his first spotlight with the new handle.  Cully Hamner seems somehow less assured than usual on art, which was kind of strange.

DC Sampler (um, DC?)
from 1983

Ha!  A few years before Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC seemed pretty assured of its comics line.  This was a freebie they sent out with creative teams giving a small taste of what to expect from most of the titles at the time.  For flimsy reasons, it omits some pretty significant titles: Justice League of America, Green Lantern, and Camelot 3000 (one of the projects the company used to heavily promote alongside Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, and the slightly less forgotten Ronin).

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles #5 (DC)
from July 2018

I've been talking about Mark Russell quite a bit here lately, and with good reason: He's struck me as one of the most significant creators to emerge in recent years, and in recent years, he's finally started cementing his reputation.  And for intents and purposes, that reputation begins with Exit Stage Left.

Using as its central conflict the familiar McCarthy Red Scare witch trials of the '50s, Russell reimagines a familiar Hanna-Barbera cartoon property as an allegory for the struggles of the LBGTQ community to find mainstream acceptance.  It was immediately picked up on by observers that Russell had struck upon a compelling concept.  I never had a chance to read it myself, having fallen into a black hole of sporadic comics reading at the time, and the later collection has been impossible to find in places other than the interwebs.  Now I think I may have to finally go that route, because more than Prez, more than Flintstones, it seems Exit Stage Left pushes Russell beyond the concept of social commentary into truly great writing, and finds him at his very best, just as the reports have had it.

The Red Scare is always going to be a fascinating concept in and of itself, what it was, what it provoked, and the general response to it, whether or not we learned anything from it, or might still have a chance to.  Clearly Russell believes it still has things to teach us, and as far as I'm concerned, he was absolutely right.  What emerges is at least the perception of an effect on society similar to the Nazis in Germany, which is an interpretation that history normally flattens into "naming names," something that seemingly only affected Hollywood.  DC itself has used the trials to explain what happened to the Justice Society after WWII, which the same flat interpretation.

Bottom line is, Russell created something that far exceeded a simple Hanna-Barbera nostalgia comic, into something that's valuable in a truly transcendent manner.  It should be a lot easier to find.

Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown #1 (Marvel)
from 1988

What I really like discovering are comics I didn't even know existed but turn out to be far more interesting than such a fate suggests.  This is obviously one of those.

From the husband-and-wife writing team of Walt and Louise Simonson (the latter of which I'd really only previously seen in the pages of Superman: The Man of Steel) and featuring art from Jon J. Muth (whom I'd previously seen in Grant Morrison's Mystery Play), this seems like another of Marvel's inexplicably lost evergreens.  The biggest difference between Marvel and DC that I've seen is that where DC actively celebrates its best stories, Marvel is most content basking in its great legacy.  Even the X-Men have gradually lost their once-celebrated memory for their '80s heyday. 

And this is part of it, perhaps the best part of it.  Wolverine, the poster child for breakout '80s X-Men success, and Havok (you know, Cyclops' brother).  (Oh, wait, you probably don't.  Because Havok has a tiny legacy.)

The Simonsons spend part of the story recounting the then-recent Chernobyl disaster (as recently depicted in a much-celebrated TV mini-series, called Chernobyl).  That was itself fun to read, real history unfolding in the pages of a comic that subsequently has great historic value.

Of course, Muth's art is spectacular in and of itself.  I have no idea, without researching, why Muth didn't make a much bigger name for himself, but it's not for lack of breathtaking talent.

Of course, at its heart Meltdown is a buddy adventure, and Wolverine & Havok play well off each other, in a story that's far removed from typical superhero comics material.

Marvel obviously knew it was a worthwhile project at some point: it was published in the prestige format.  It would be nice for Marvel to remember at some point, so fans can, too.  But thanks to whatever idiot gave up a treasure like this so I could discover it.

Justice League United #16 (DC)
from February 2016

I got this as much to see where the series had gone as astonishment that it had actually lasted that long, because it melted pretty much into oblivion, and I was just interested to see an issue from that late in the game (really only a few months before Rebirth).

JSA Classified #25 (DC)
from June 2007

I loved that DC expanded its Legends of the Dark Knight concept for a number of titles, between this, the JLA (Classified) and Batman and Superman (both Confidential), giving the company some anthology platforms.  This issue has the spotlight on the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott.

Legends of the DC Universe #9 (DC)
from October 1998

This is another '90s series I'm surprised I mostly skipped completely over, and of course it's a precursor to what I was just talking about, with this issue revisiting the classic team-up of Green Lantern (in this instance, Hal Jordan) and Green Arrow, with a tale of how they first met.

Legion of Super-Heroes #88 (DC)
from January 1997

I'm really sure I didn't read this issue when it was originally published, even though 2019 Tony thought it was an immediate necessity, as it features Impulse on the cover, and obviously a guest appearance by him inside, which 1997 should have been far more interested in, as I was a big fan of Bart Allen, and have since begun considering Mark Waid's Impulse perhaps a better overall experience than his Flash, which was itself one of my favorite '90s comics.  And I was happy to discover, even at the late date of 2019, that Impulse still amuses me.  This was a great spotlight for the character.

Marvel Boy: The Plutonian #1 (Marvel)
from March 2010

I thought this was another great discovery.  And I mean, it's interesting, but...Not as much as Havok & Wolverine.  I demand a Havok & Wolverine movie.  Or TV mini-series!  Starring Jared Harris!  As, I don't know, Wolverine!

Millennium #2, 3, 4, 6 & 8 (DC)
from 1987

Yey gods...I had never read Millennium, one of the event comics DC did after the great success of Crisis on Infinite Earths, but was pretty familiar with the concept, the Manhunters story where various characters were revealed to be infiltrators of the nefarious robot predecessors to the Guardians' Green Lantern Corps.  Now I wish I still had never read Millennium, because it's...dreck.  A totally botched event comic.  By the end, it feels like one of DC's perennial excuses to try and introduce a new generation of superheroes.  And absolutely none of them made it past Millennium itself.  At least as far as I can tell.  I had never heard of any of them until I saw their would-be spectacular debuts in the final issue.  And even I, who pride myself in being able to see great potential where others usually can't, couldn't imagine rehabilitating.  Any of them...

Mister X #1 (Vortex)
from June 1984

Mister X: Razed #4 (Dark Horse)
from May 2015

I had a great affinity for Dean Motter's Mister X.  I didn't discover it in that first issue from 1984, but rather years later, in a reprint collection, when interest was just beginning to surface again, leading to the Dark Horse revivals.  I got into Dean Motter comics, including finally reading Terminal City, which Motter had done for DC, and became a pretty big fan.  But Mister X itself is a somewhat peculiar beast.  The whole concept is almost only a concept, in which a character who's never really anything but a background character in his own comic exists mostly for a backstory, in a comic that looks spectacularly designed, regardless of who's drawing it (the original wasn't even written or drawn by Motter).  Yet strangely, I remain attached to it, even as I grow detached from my original excitement.  Seems almost like a secret handshake for true comics aficionados.  One I'm proud to be a part of.

Primal Force #12 (DC)
from October 1995

DC made the curious decision to publish a lot of titles that would've fit nicely with the original Vertigo conceit (an offbeat look at superheroes) under the regular DC label, and I think a lot of great material got buried as a result.  It only occurred to me that Primal Force is a part of that strange distinction upon this latest revisiting.  I didn't read this one at the time, either, of course, but I discovered and devoured it years later, and am always happy to be reminded of it.  I wish more fans understood what it accomplished, too, so that DC could add it to the trade collections always in-print.

The Sandman #4 (DC) 
from September 1975

As you can see from its publication stamp above, not the Neil Gaiman comic!  (Which of course I didn't read in the '90s!)  This is the earlier one, which at least as of this issue featured Jack Kirby art!  And exclamation points!  After!  Every!  Utterance!  Interestingly, features an add for a DC line expansion that includes Warlord (who endures in random appearances to this day) and Claw (who resurfaced in Primal Force and...doesn't endure to this day).

Seaguy#2 (Vertigo)
from August 2004

A lie!  A vicious lie!  Some jerk slipped this cover onto an issue of Fables.  I didn't discover this until I had already brought it home.  Some customers would probably bring it back and demand satisfaction.  I am not one of those costumers.  Makes for a better write-up here, anyway.

Starman #30 (DC)
from May 1997

Of course I didn't read Starman in the '90s.  What were you thinking, even wondering?  But I like to revisit it every now and then. 

Titans #30 (DC)
from August 2001

Hard to think of any date immediately preceding 9/11 without thinking of 9/11 (even though, as time stamps in comics go, this was actually released probably in June 2001, well ahead of that day).  Anyway, as Roy Harper comics go, at this point he was pretty much exclusively associated with Cheshire, the Elektra to his Daredevil, and this tale actually pivots more accurately on Cheshire herself, as she awaits the verdict for a trial concerning her villainous ways.  And then Roy Harper dies in Heroes in Crisis, and all anyone can fixate on is what Tom King did to poor Wally West.  What about Roy, fans.  What about Roy?