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The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 03
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET - ISSUE #3 - JULY 1994
AN ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE FAMILY OF SUPERMAN CHARACTERS
All characters and locales are copyright and/or trademark DC Comics
CONTENTS
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Section 1: From the Editor
Miscellaneous information and notes, by Jeff Sykes
Death and Superman Comics: A Survey
A study on the violence levels in several periods
of Superman comics, by Deborah McKee
The S.C.U. Files
Mr. Mxyzptlk, that 5th-dimensional imp,
by Chris Jarocha-Ernst
Section 2: Just the FAQs
ÒWho is Superboy?Ó by David Thomas Chappell
Coming Attractions
September issues, a new video game, and advance news
of a new Elseworlds project.
Section 3: Reviews
The Triangle Titles
Action Comics #701, by Jose R. Galan
Superman: The Man of Steel #36, by Anatole Wilson
Superman #92, by Arthur LaMarche
Adventures of Superman #515, by Arthur LaMarche
Specials and Guest Appearances
Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey Book 3, by ReneÕ Gobeyn
Adventures of Superman Annual #6, by Arthur LaMarche
Steel Annual #1, by Steve Wells
Section 4: Reviews (cont)
Worlds Collide
Blood Syndicate #16, by ReneÕ Gobeyn
Worlds Collide #1, by ReneÕ Gobeyn
Superboy #7, by Victor Chan
Hardware #18, by ReneÕ Gobeyn
Icon #16, by ReneÕ Gobeyn
Steel #7, by Arthur LaMarche
Contest #2 results
Fan Favorites Survey
Tell us which are YOUR favorites!
Section 5: Looking Back
Post-Byrne
Superman #21, by Mark Lamutt
Pre-Byrne
Action Comics #1, by Ken McKee
Superman #135, by Patrick M. Stout
Section 6: Other-Media
And Who Disguised As...
The Saturday morning Filmation cartoons,
by J. D. Rummel
The Fleischer Cartoons
Episode #16, ÒThe Underground WorldÓ,
by Neil A. Ottenstein
Letters
Resources
New subscription, mailing lists, and ftp information
EDITORIAL STAFF:
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Jeffery D. Sykes, Editor-in-chief
Arthur E. LaMarche, Reviews
Mauri Casano, Reviews
Victor Chan
Patricia Gonzales
Ken McKee
LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:
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Superman and all related characters, locations, and events are
copyright and trademark DC Comics. Use of the aforementioned is not
intended to challenge said ownership. We strongly suggest that each
reader look to the media sources mentioned within for further infor-
mation.
Opinions presented within this issue belong to the authors of
the articles which contain them. They should in no way be construed
as those of any other particular member of the editorial or contributing
staff, unless otherwise indicated.
This magazine should be distributed freely via e-mail. Should
you desire to share this publication with other on-line services, please
contact me at sykes@ms.uky.edu for permission. Feel free to advertise
subscription information on other on-line services which have internet
mail availability.
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FROM THE EDITOR
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A Chat with Dan Jurgens:
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Here is your last chance to submit questions for the interview. I will
be mailing the interview questions to him on Monday or Tuesday (July 18
or 19). Assuming that he can find adequate time soon, I hope to have the
interview ready for publication by issue #5 Ñ but I WILL NOT rush him.
New Resources Information:
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This month we have added information to the resources section which
includes instructions for joining the Comics-L and Lois & Clark mailing
lists, ftp availability for back issues of the Cybernet, and subscription
information for KC. Remember, if you happen to know of or come across
some other mailing lists or ftp sites relative to Superman, please send
us the information!
Reviews Ratings Panels:
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This month also brings the debut of our previously mentioned ratings panels.
Basically, these will give you a few other opinions (in abbreviated form)
on the book being reviewed. As you will see, we currently have only
three regular panelists. If you would like to submit ratings on any
particular Superman book, contact Art at Arthur.E.LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu.
Apologies for the delay:
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As I already have indicated to the subscribers, this issue was delayed by
the Fourth of July holidays and an unavoidable technical problem. We
sincerely regret having to delay the issue. Please keep in mind that we
are still a relatively new organization and still have to work out some
of the bugs involved in putting together a quality fanzine. Also, as Art
pointed out to me, it doesnÕt help that neither he nor I (a genetic engineer
and a mathematician) have any professional journalism experience. :)
Anyway, groveling completed, I hope you enjoy the issue!
Jeff Sykes
sykes@ms.uky.edu
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DEATH AND SUPERMAN COMICS: A SURVEY
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By Deborah McKee, stddnm@shsu.edu
Prologue:
In the spring of 1994 my wife, Deborah McKee, authored a survey
on the number of deaths in Superman comic books for a university
math project. For the purposes of her report she divided her
survey into four "arbitrary" categories: Pre-Crisis (the period
following the Silver Age comics until "The Crisis on Infinite
Earths" series in 1986; Post-Crisis (the period from 1986 - 1992
when Superman was killed by Doomsday); Post-Death (The Reign of
Supermen period where four would-be Supermen appeared in the
comics); and Post-Resurrection (the period of the return of the
real Superman which continues today). The titles given to these
categories do not necessarily reflect the commonly-held view of
comic book aficionados. Also, some of the dates may not be
completely accurate in the eyes of some readers. For example, the
Reign of Superman series actually lasted only a few months, not a
whole year, and the return of the original Man of Steel occurred in
"Superman #82" dated October of 1993. But the purpose of the survey
was fulfilled and that was to determine if the number of deaths in
Superman comics have increased over the years.
Ken McKee, stdkrm01@shsu.edu
Contributing Editor, "Kryptonian Cybernet"
Have violent deaths increased in the Superman comics books over
the last 25 years? In order to answer the preceding question, it
was necessary to collect data from several time periods. For the
purposes of this study, comic books from the ÒGolden and Silver
AgesÓ were omitted. The Golden Age began with the comic bookÕs
inception in the late 1930Õs, and ended in 1956, and the Silver
Age ended in 1969.
The first category used in this study is known as the ÒPre-
CrisisÓ era. It spans from 1969 until 1986. It was at this time
that D.C. Comics completely revamped the ÒUniverseÓ of all their
comic characters. The era known as ÒThe CrisisÓ period ended with
the death of Superman on November 18, 1992, and it serves as the
second category in this survey. The third period, the ÒPost-
Crisis Period,Ó where four would-be Supermen come to the
forefront, lasted only one year. The fourth and last period,
the ÒPost-Resurrection,Ó began with the reappearance of the
original Superman in the summer of 1993 and continues today.
I became interested in this subject because my husband collects
Superman comic books. Since my son will be naturally drawn to
comic books by his fatherÕs example, I thought it would be good
to see how violence is represented in this type of subject
matter. Secondly, my husbandÕs vast collection provided an easily
accessible source of data.
The first step, in organizing the data, was to randomly select 20
comic books from each time period. Secondly, each book was
carefully surveyed and a tally kept of how many people died, from
unnatural causes, in each comic. Only the individuals that were
actually seen being killed were counted as a death. For instance,
if an entire planet was destroyed by a bomb then those people
were not included in the tally. The data collected was treated as
four separate surveys. In order to maintain the integrity of the
survey, it was important to carefully keep the data from the
different time periods separate.
After tabulating all the data, I was rather surprised by the
results. I expected there would be more deaths than there
actually were. While the Post-Crisis period had the least number
of deaths, the Post-Resurrection period contained the highest
number of deaths. The other two periods were equal in reference
to the number of deaths reported. While during the Pre-Crisis and
Post-Death periods, 60% of the comics were death-free, only 40%
of the Post-Resurrection PeriodÕs comics have zero deaths.
This survey would have been better if there had been comic books
available from the Golden and Silver Ages. This would have given
a better picture of how Superman began and how the publishers
dealt with the subject of violence. It is also quite possible
that the question of violence never entered their minds, and that
the old Superman comics may even be more violent than the ones of
today.
In conclusion, I found the Superman books to be acceptable for my
seven-year-old son to read. However, while surveying the books I
also discovered that the advertisements were rather unsettling.
The books abound with ads for Dungeons and Dragons, and they have
all sorts of occultism and demonology illustrated within their
advertisement pages.
Death and Superman Comic Books
Pre-Crisis Period; Source: 20 Comic Books
60% - 0 deaths
15% - 1 death
5% - 3 deaths
10% - 5 deaths
5% - 6 deaths
5% - 8 deaths
Death and Superman Comic Books
Post-Crisis Period; Source: 20 Comic Books
45% - 0 deaths
45% - 1 death
10% - 3 deaths
Death and Superman Comic Books
Post-Death Period; Source: 20 Comic Books
60% - 0 deaths
10% - 1 death
10% - 2 deaths
5% - 4 deaths
10% - 6 deaths
5% - 8 deaths
Death and Superman Comic Books
Post-Resurrection Period; Source: 20 Comic Books
40% - 0 deaths
30% - 1 death
10% - 2 deaths
5% - 3 deaths
10% - 5 deaths
5% - 9 deaths
Death and Superman Comic Books
Period Comparison of Total Number of Deaths
Pre-Crisis Period, 1969 to 1986 - 28%
Post-Crisis Period, 1986 to 1992 - 14%
Post-Death Period, 1992 to 1993 - 28%
Post-Resurrection, 1993 to Present - 30%
Deborah McKee is the wife of Ken McKee, one of the contributing
editors of the "Kryptonian Cybernet". She is an education major
at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and
home-schools their seven-year-old son, Daniel (a big fan of Batman
and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers). When she isnÕt busy
controlling KenÕs sometimes compulsive comic book buying, she
enjoys constructing her Victorian dollhouse.
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THE SCU FILES
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by Chris Jarocha-Ernst (cje@gandalf.rutgers.edu)
File #0638-003: Mr. Mxyzptlk
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Pre-History:
Prior to the reworking of DC history as a result of the Crisis on Infinite
Earths, Mr. Mxyzptlk was an imp from the fifth-dimensional world of Zrfff,
where he was court jester for King Brpxz. He came to this dimension looking
for fun and discovered a joy in playing pranks on Superman with his magical
powers. While he originally intended no one any harm, his pranks were reckless
and often inadvertently caused harm. Eventually, his pranks continually
thwarted by Superman, he developed a deep grudge against the Man of Steel, and,
while not explicitly out to injure him, became somewhat less good-natured and
somewhat more nasty. He, after Lex Luthor and Brainiac, was the final member
of the ÒBig 3Ó super-villains who continually plagued the pre-Crisis Superman.
Biography:
Little is known about the being who calls himself ÒMister MxyzptlkÓ. Even his
name is false. ÒMy real name would never translate into your clumsy Earth
languages.Ó He chose ÒMxyzptlkÓ simply by striking keys randomly on a
typewriter, but it is a name he has kept ever since.
ÒAll you need to know is that IÕm from a parallel dimension. YouÕd call it...
the Fifth Dimension!Ó Equally little is known about the world he came from in
this dimension, save for a chance remark that Hollywood Òis more like homeÓ
than Òstodgy, old Metropolis.Ó
Mxyzptlk (hereafter called ÒMxyÓ) was bored on his own world and had spent many
years observing Earth before deciding to come here to challenge EarthÕs most
powerful being: Superman. ÒIÕm a gamester, Superman. A gambler. And I think
you can provide me with some of the challenge my own world has lost.Ó
Mxy first appeared in Metropolis in the guise of a ÒBen DeRoyÓ who came from
ÒYonderÓ (this being an allusion to Marvel ComicsÕ ÒBeyonderÓ, a similarly
omnipotent being whom DeRoy resembled). He randomly caused panic and terror to
attract Superman, then explained the rules of his game: ÒGet me to use [my
name] backwards, and IÕll return to my home dimension... and all the effects of
my visit will vanish with me!Ó He has kept to variants of these rules ever
since.
By rewiring the keyboard of the typewriter Mxy used to create his name,
Superman got him to spell his name backwards, and, true to his word, he
vanished. Later visiting Òsome of the theoretical physics boys over at the
University of Metropolis,Ó Superman learned that another Òoptimum transfer
interface between us and the Fifth DimensionÓ wouldnÕt occur for at least 90
days.
On MxyÕs next visit, he began bedeviling Hollywood. Superman got him to say
ÒKltpzyxmÓ only to learn that Mxy wasnÕt keeping precisely the same set of
rules each time. This time, Superman had to get him to paint his own face
blue, which he accomplished by tricking Mxy into applying a makeup that turned
blue under special lights.
By the time of his third visit, Superman was in a self-imposed exile from
Earth. Settling on Lex Luthor as a substitute for the most powerful man in
Metropolis, he offered to leave if Luthor could get him to shave his own head
bald. Luthor, however, was never one to play by anotherÕs rules, and, on
learning that Mxy was scrupulously honest regarding those rules, gambled that
cheating would cause Mxy to lose interest in the game. After promising not to
attack Mxy, Luthor went back on his word and did attack. This so infuriated
Mxy that he left, vowing never to return because there was no fun in the game
when people cheated.
However, some time after Superman had returned to Earth, Mxy did return, and
this time he arranged a race between Superman and the third Flash, Wally West,
promising to leave if Superman won. But when the Flash won, Mxy was furious.
ÒLast time I was here,Ó he said to Superman, ÒLuthor lied to me Ñ he showed me
how to set up a false deal. And since I knew you were a shoe-in [sic] to win
the race, I was only planninÕ to leave if Flash won!Ó Declaring ÒI must have
missed some subtlety in LuthorÕs technique!Ó, Mxy left, vowing to practice
lying in the meantime.
When the 90 days had again passed, Mxy had found another world on which to play
games. (As an inside joke, this world had clues revealing it to be MarvelÕs
universe, where Mxy was playing the part of a Fantastic Four foe: the
Impossible Man, who is also a fun-seeking imp.) Not wanting to forgo his
current game, yet still wanting to challenge Superman, he set up a
long-distance game. He created a piece of red Kryptonite and gave it to
Luthor, saying that it would remove SupermanÕs powers, making Luthor his
physical equal, as long as Luthor didnÕt tell Superman where the red K came
from. Luthor used the red K to batter and humiliate Superman and reveled in a
few days of a Superman-free life, until Clark Kent confronted him about the red
K. Wanting to gloat and thinking MxyÕs rules wouldnÕt be broken if Kent told
Superman, Luthor explained all to Kent. But since Kent is Superman, this broke
MxyÕs rules, and SupermanÕs powers returned. Mxy appeared to berate Luthor,
who didnÕt understand what had happened and called Mxy a liar. Angry at
Luthor, Mxy now offered to leave if Superman would punch Luthor. When Superman
refused, Mxy, anxious to return to that other worldÕs game but trapped here by
his own rules, helped matters along by creating a body from a skin scraping
from Luthor and getting Superman to punch that.
During his most recent visit, Mxy played with the notion of lying. He began by
rewriting history, making himself a beloved figure, making Luthor penniless,
replacing Lexcorp with Mxcorp, and even transforming SupermanÕs costume into a
version of his own. Only Superman and Luthor remembered the truth. He
promised Superman to leave if some mute guards would spell ÒMxcorpÓ backwards.
Superman knocked out the guards and arranged them to form the letters ÒprocxmÓ,
but Mxy declared that to be his first lie. He then proceeded to reveal other
lies, or to make them true. (The story, for some reason, also contained
in-jokes regarding the WATCHMEN series from DC, possibly because a giant lie is
at the heart of WATCHMEN, though this particular lie is not referred to in the
Superman story.) Superman challenged him: Mxy would leave if Superman could
catch him in a lie. Mxy agreed, but raised the stakes. He set up a contest
along the lines of the old Òtruth-tellers and liarsÓ logic problems, with
LuthorÕs life at stake. Superman solved the riddle and, having learned which
statements of MxyÕs were lies, got Mxy to leave. This was shortly before the
death of Superman, and Mxy hasnÕt reappeared since.
Abilities:
So far, Mxy appears omnipotent. HeÕs animated billboards, buildings, statues,
toys, and trucks; manipulated energy; created matter from nothingness; turned
people into other life forms, mannequins, and cartoons; replicated himself; and
changed the past. The only limitations on his powers are those he has imposed
himself, such as the rule that all effects vanish with him. However, he is
prevented from appearing in our dimension except when certain dimensional
interfaces are in alignment, at approximately 90-day intervals.
His Òfifth-dimensional brainÓ gives him his powers. And yet these powers are
not magical but apparently science-based (though of a science far beyond what
we can imagine), as Superman has lived through effects caused by Mxy that, if
magical in nature, would surely have killed him. Yet Mxy never seems to work
any device to perform these feats of Òpseudo-magicÓ but effortlessly wills them
into existence.
As a gambler, he is normally honest, but he is also cruel, not caring what
physical or mental trauma his effects may cause, believing himself to be
superior to the inhabitants of Earth. And while the physical effects he caused
may vanish with him, the physical and mental scars they leave remain.
One wonders whether there is something special about Mxy that permits him to
cross dimensions, whether, like Superman, he gains his powers from the
environment in which he practices them, or whether thereÕs an entire race of
Mxyzptlks whose attention we have so far been fortunate as to avoid.
Selected Post-Crisis Appearances:
SUPERMAN #11, ÒThe Name GameÓ
MxyzptlkÕs first appearance.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #441, ÒThe Tiny Terror of TinseltownÓ
Mxy in Hollywood.
SUPERMAN #31, ÒAs Good as His Word!Ó
With Superman in exile, Mxy picks on Lex Luthor.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #463, ÒSpeed KillsÓ
Mxy forces Superman and the Flash to race.
SUPERMAN #49-50, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #496, STARMAN #28, and ACTION #659,
ÒKrisis of the Krimson KryptoniteÓ
Mxy creates red Kryptonite for Luthor.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #496, ÒTruth and ConsequencesÓ
Mxy plays at lying.
Threat Level: 7 (out of 10). Though possessed of powers that could apparently
eliminate Superman at will, Mxy is so desperate for amusement that he willingly
limits those powers for the sake of the game.
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End of Section 1
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JUST THE FAQs
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More Details about Frequently-Asked Questions about the Man of Steel
by David Thomas Chappell
ÒWHO IS SUPERBOY?Ó
BACKGROUND
At a young age, Clark Kent realized that he had super-human powers, and his
parents revealed his extraterrestrial origin to him. Under his parentsÕ
encouragement, Kal-El dedicated himself to fighting crime as a costumed
superhero. Superboy, as Kal called himself, based himself around his home
town of Smallville. Superboy disguised himself as Clark Kent, concealing
his identity with a mild-mannered attitude and a pair of glasses. Later,
Superboy was joined by Krypto, a Kryptonian dog that his father had sent
into space on a test flight. On Earth, Krypto gained superpowers similar
to his masterÕs, and he was more intelligent than terrestrial canines.
One day, Superboy was visited by a trio of super-powered youths from the
future who were inspired by him. He eventually met other members of the
Legion of Super-Heroes. Later, Superboy often used his superspeed to break
the time barrier and visit his 30th-century friends.
After Kal-El spent years as Superboy, a time-jaunt exposed his foster
parents to a fatal disease. After their deaths, Superboy left Smallville
for Metropolis and formally became Superman.
Then the red skies came, and everything changedÑ
REALITY SHIFT
ÒWait!Ó you say, ÒThatÕs not right!Ó Superman never wore a costume until
after he moved to Metropolis. As a teenager, ClarkÕs powers were only
developing and he did not wear glasses.
Instead, Superboy only arrived on the scene during the Reign of the
Supermen. After SupermanÕs death, Project Cadmus stole the Man of SteelÕs
body from the grave in an attempt to clone him. They were unable to create a
full Superman clone, but the Cadmus Project obtained a partial sample of his
DNA, which they combined with other DNA to form a clone. The clone has an
equivalent age of approximately 16 years, and he has various superpowersÑ
some similar to SupermanÕs and some unique powers as well. Though he
dislikes the name Superboy, he has begrudgingly accepted it upon the return
of the original Superman. While it originally seemed that Superboy was a
Superman clone, it remains to be seen who the actual DNA donor was. During
the Reign of the Supermen, Superboy starred in THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN,
and in 1993 he earned his own comic series. These stories are, as
advertised, Òdefinitely NOT the adventures of Superman when he was a boy.Ó
So which is correct: is Superboy a young Superman or is he SupermanÕs
clone? The answer given by any comics fan may depend on his age, but
readers know the truthÑtheyÕre both right. In the pre-Crisis days,
Superboy was a younger version of Superman. When the Crisis on Infinite
Earths simplified the DC Universe (in 1985) and John Byrne revamped Superman
(in 1986), Superboy was removed from the Superman legend. In the revised
story, ClarkÕs powers developed slowly. Clark was 18 years old before his
adoptive parents told him of his extraterrestrial origin, and he was 28
before he learned the history of Krypton.
Several other elements of Superman changed after the Crisis and revamp. The
original Supergirl (Kara Zor-El, SupermanÕs cousin) no longer exists, and
the bottled city of Kandor never was. Ma and Pa Kent are alive in the post-
Crisis universe, and Krypto does not exist (at least not as a super-powered
dog). SupermanÕs powers lessened to make him more human. All of these
changes are retroactively permanent. Thus, the pre-Crisis Superboy was a
young Superman, while the post-Crisis Superboy is a clone.
INTRODUCING . . . SUPERBOY
While the modern DC Universe can survive without a Superboy, the 30th
century is more reliant on this legend-that-never-was. The easy thing would
have been to retroactively state that those stories never happened, but the
Legion of Super-Heroes (LSH) was supposedly founded in imitation of
Superboy. Many Legion stories included Superboy as an important character.
So whatever happened to Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes?
Cosmic Boy was the first to investigate matters. In the first (I think)
time travel after the Crisis, Cosmic Boy (in a mini-series named after him)
traveled back to the 1980s to visit the past. The world he saw was not like
he expected, and Superman didnÕt even recognize him. After battling the
Time Trapper to return to his own time-period, Cosmic Boy told his fellow
heroes about the shocking changes to the past they thought they knew. When
more Legionnaires decided to travel back to visit Superboy in the post-
Crisis world, an epic saga resulted that still has repercussions today.
It turns out that the Time Trapper devised matters so that both the
Superboy-dominated universe and the Superboy-lacking universe existed. The
Time Trapper took a small moment of time and make his own Pocket Universe
from it. He then killed all life in that universe except that on Earth and
Krypton. He furthermore influenced events on that Earth so that its history
would parallel that of the ÒrealÓ Earth except that the ONLY superhero would
be Superman. However, in that world, the Superman legend differed in minor
ways that made it exactly like the pre-Crisis universe described above under
ÒBackground.Ó Whenever the Legion of Super-Heroes (LSH) traveled back in
time (or Superboy traveled forward), they were not only breaking the time
barrier but also crossing between the real universe and the Pocket Universe.
In this Superman-LSH cross-over story, Superman met not only the Legion but
also Superboy. Though this was not the first time the Legion had met
Superman, this was his first encounter with them (such are the joys of time
travel). Being the pre-Crisis version, Superboy was much stronger than his
older counterpart. His pet dog Krypto sacrificed himself to try to stop
Superman by exposing him to all varieties of Kryptonite, but the Man of
Steel was unaffected since the rocks were not from his universeÕs version of
Krypton. Eventually, Superman and Superboy teamed up with the Legion to
defeat their common foeÑthe Time Trapper. At the conclusion of the story,
Superboy sacrificed his life to save the Earth, thus proving that he was
ÒThe Greatest Hero of them All.Ó
Most Superman stories from the pre-Crisis years are no longer part of the
continuity. However, most pre-Crisis Superboy stories readily fit into the
Pocket Universe. The Superboy from the Pocket Universe mentioned having
seen the skies turn red, a further clue that the Time Trapper took the
Pocket Universe from the pre-Crisis Earth-1.
ÒTHE SUPERGIRL SAGAÓ
The Supergirl of todayÕs comics has no family relationship to Superman. Her
story, however, is intimately tied to that of Superboy.
Though we readers had not seen it since SuperboyÕs death, time marched on in
the Pocket Universe. Three supervillains from the Pocket UniverseÕs Phantom
Zone tricked Lex Luthor into releasing them. The three villains attacked
the Earth and unleashed all their Kryptonian fury. Due to the Time
TrapperÕs manipulations, that universe had no superheroes, and its sole
protectorÑSuperboyÑhad died years ago. The Lex Luthor of that universe
was a good-natured heroic genius, however, and he not only led the
resistance forces but also developed a special weapon. Luthor invented a
substance called protomatter and used it to fashion an artificial life-form
(known as Matrix or Supergirl) to fight the villains. Lex eventually sent
Supergirl across dimensional boundaries to enlist the aid of Superman, and
the two superheroes returned to her universe. The two heroes stopped the
villains only after the evil Kryptonians had destroyed all other life in the
Pocket Universe. Supergirl then returned with Superman to his Earth, and
Clark left her with his foster parents. Though she faced some psychological
problems and temporarily left Earth, Supergirl now acts as a valiant yet
naive superheroine in imitation of Superman.
IS THAT A UNIVERSE IN YOUR POCKET?
Though it started as a final tribute to the original Superboy, the Pocket
Universe has grown in importance to Superman. Not only is it the home of
Matrix/Supergirl, but it is also indirectly responsible for SupermanÕs
second lease on life. After executing the Kryptonian villains in the Pocket
Universe, Clark was psychologically troubled. When he realized, his
problems, Superman exiled himself to outer space until he could come to
grips with matters. It was near the end of his exile that he obtained the
Eradicator. Years later, the Eradicator was instrumental in SupermanÕs
return from death after his initial battle with Doomsday. Thus, if it were
not for the Pocket Universe, the Man of Steel might still be dead (or the
writers would have had to come up with another way to bring him back).
Meanwhile, events in the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES affected the Pocket
Universe. When the Time Trapper was destroyed, the universe he created died
with him. When Glorith assumed the TrapperÕs role, she realized the need to
recreate it and restore continuity as described above. Facts surrounding
Glorith, the Time Trapper, and the creation of the Pocket Universe are now
somewhat uncertain within the LSH comic, but the story above recounts events
as they occurred within the Superman comics. Zero Hour will probably neaten
matters and alter them once again, so I donÕt think itÕs worthwhile to delve
into those universe-changing machinations herein.
The Pocket Universe has recently shown up yet again, this time in the 30th
century. As part of ÒEnd of an Era,Ó the LSH Zero Hour story, the Legion
tried to pull the Pocket-Universe Earth into the normal Universe.
What does the future hold in store for the Pocket Universe? Will it still
exist after Zero Hour? Furthermore, previews for SUPERBOY #8 say that the
Metropolis Kid will meet another Superboy in Smallville. Will this be a
time-displaced return of the Pocket Universe Superboy or yet another version
of the Boy of Steel? Rumors say that the post-Zero Hour version of the LSH
will have no reliance on Superboy, but does that mean heÕll be wiped from
existence? Crisis on Infinite Earths wiped out the original Superboy, but
the Time Trapper saved him. Will Crisis in Time destroy him again?
ADDENDUM MATERIAL
Story/Event Title Issue Date
=========================================================
Legion of Super-Heroes & Superboy Crossover Ñ Pocket Universe, time travel
A Twist in Time LSH (Vol.3) 37 Aug 87
Future Shock SUPERMAN 8 Aug 87
Past Imperfect ACTION 591 Aug 87
The Greatest Hero of them All LSH (Vol.3) 38 Sep 87
The Supergirl Saga Ñ return to the Pocket Universe
Part I SUPERMAN 21 Sept88
Part II ADVENTURES 444 Sept88
Part III Ñ execution of Phantom Zone villains SUPERMAN 22 Oct 88
summary of Pocket Universe story LSH (Vol.4) 53 Jan 94
two Superboys??? SUPERBOY 8 Sep 94
Q: How do I find old Superboy comic books?
A: Superboy first appeared in MORE FUN COMICS #101 (1945). Other pre-
Crisis comics that featured Superboy include ADVENTURE COMICS (1946-69),
SUPERBOY (1949-77), SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER HEROES (1977-79),
THE SUPERMAN FAMILY (1980), THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY (1980-84),
THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES (Vol.2, 1980-84). He also had occasional
appearances in several other comics.
For more information on Superman, the Pocket Universe, and the modern
Superboy, see the Superman FAQ. For more information on the Crisis on
Infinite Earth and the upcoming Crisis in Time, see the Zero Hour FAQ. The
Legion of Super-Heroes FAQ is useful for those wishing to learn about the
heroes of the 30th century. All three Frequently-Asked Question lists are
available via anonymous ftp at ftp.dhhalden.no. With gopher, access
gopher.dhhalden.no. Mosaic users can access the WWW page
ftp://ftp.dhhalden.no/pub/comics.
=========================================================
COMING ATTRACTIONS
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
A List of Upcoming Comics Featuring The Superman Family of Characters
Assembled by Jeffery D. Sykes
This monthly section is dedicated to giving you official information
concerning which comics you should watch for in the near future in order
to keep up with Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, and all the rest of the
Superman family of characters.
The information given in this section is reprinted without permission
from Diamond Previews and is in no way meant to serve as a replacement for
that magazine. In fact, I strongly recommend that each reader find his or
her own copy for additional detailed information on the entire DC Universe!
September looks to be an interesting time for the Man of Steel as he tries
to deal with the startling discovery made during ZERO MONTH! Finding the
answers leads to a confrontation with the Eradicator! Oh, and it seems that
Conduit isnÕt done with Big Blue yet either... Also, Superboy drops in on
AquamanÕs new monthly title and Superman visits Gotham City in THE BATMAN
ADVENTURES #25. (Maybe a preview of Superman: The Animated Series?)
Finally, we also get the long-awaited premieres of the two 4-issue mini-
series: THE GUARDIANS OF METROPOLIS and METROPOLIS S.C.U.
One non-Previews note, which I discovered while browsing a copy of Comics
Scene. Dave Gibbons, of Watchmen and Superman fame, is working on a new
Superman Elseworlds called KAL. ItÕs the story of our favorite hero
set in Medieval England. Watch for it later this year! And of course,
youÕve no doubt seen the ads for The Death and Return of Superman: The
Video Game from Sunsoft. This new game is getting rave reviews from
videogame convention attendees Ñ watch for it in August!
1. List of Titles by Shipping Date:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
Shipping date: Comic title and information:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ- ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
July 12: The Spectre #22 (Superman appearance)
Ostrander & Mandrake
$1.95
Superboy #8 (ZH)
K. Kesel, Grummett, & Hazlewood
$1.50
Superman: The Man of Steel #37 (ZH)
L. Simonson, Bogdanove, & Janke
$1.50
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #4 (to 0)
Jurgens & Ordway
$1.50
July 19: Action Comics Annual #6
John Byrne
Cover by Mike Mignola.
64 pgs, $2.95
Superman: Faster Than A Speeding Bullet Poster
Joe DeVito
22x34, $4.95
Green Lantern #55 (ZH - Superman)
Marz, Aucoin & Banks, & Tanghal
$1.50
Superman #93 (ZH)
Jurgens & Rubenstein
$1.50
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #3 (to 0)
Jurgens & Ordway
$1.50
July 26: Adventures of Superman #516 (ZH)
K. Kesel, Kitson, & McCarthy
$1.50
Steel #8 (ZH)
L. Simonson, Batista, & Faber
$1.50
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #2 (to 0)
Jurgens & Ordway
$1.50
August 2: Action Comics #703 (ZH)
Michelinie, Guice, & Rodier
$1.50
Guy Gardner: Warrior #24 (ZH - Steel, Supergirl)
Beau Smith, Byrd & Various, & D. Davis
$1.50
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #1 (to 0)
Jurgens & Ordway
$1.50
August 9: Superman: Time & Time Again Trade Paperback
Softcover, 208 pgs, $7.50
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #0
Jurgens & Ordway
$1.50
August 16: Superboy #0
K. Kesel, Grummett, & Hazlewood
$1.50
Superman: The Man of Steel #0
L. Simonson, Bogdanove, & Janke
PEER PRESSURE: Part 1 (of 4)
$1.50
August 23: Superman #0
Jurgens & Breeding
PEER PRESSURE: Part 2 (of 4)
$1.50
August 30: Adventures of Superman #0
K. Kesel, Kitson, & McCarthy
PEER PRESSURE: Part 3 (of 4)
$1.50
Steel #0
L. Simonson, Batista, & Faber
$1.50
September 6: Action Comics #0
Michelinie, Guice, & Rodier
PEER PRESSURE: Part 4 (of 4)
$1.50
September 13: The Batman Adventures #25 (Superman, Lex Luthor)
Puckett, Parobeck, & Burchett
48 pgs, $2.50
Superboy #9
K. Kesel, Grummett, & Hazlewood
$1.50
Superman: The Man of Steel #38
L. Simonson, Erwin, & Janke
$1.50
September 20: The Guardians of Metropolis #1 (of 4)
K. Kesel & Dwyer
$1.50
Superman #94
Jurgens & Breeding
$1.50
September 27: Adventures of Superman #517
K. Kesel, Kitson, & McCarthy
$1.50
Steel #9
L. Simonson, Batista, & Faber
$1.50
October 4: Action Comics #704
Michelinie, Guice, & Rodier
$1.50
Aquaman #3 (Superboy)
David, Egeland, & Vancata
$1.50
Metropolis S.C.U. #1 (of 4)
Goff, Krause, & Marzan, Jr.
Covers for series by Dusty Abell & Jackson Guice
$1.50
2. Spoilers:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ
September 13:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ
The Batman Adventures #25
Superman guest-stars in this extra-sized, 25th anniversary of DCÕs
popular comic book based on BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES! Lex Luthor
and LexCorp set their sights on obtaining a lucrative government
contract from Waynetech, even if it means blowing up all of Gotham
City! Man of Steel meets Dark Knight for the first time in this
highly acclaimed series when Superman and Batman join forces against
LuthorÕs pawn, Maxie Zeus, to save Gotham from destruction.
Superboy #9
Home in Hawaii at last, with the new powers he discovered during the
events of ZERO HOUR, Superboy is ready for some rest and relaxation.
But the Silicon Dragons have other plans. The organized crime
operation is aided by a super-powered, carnivorous undersea villain
who forces Superboy back into action.
Superman: The Man of Steel #38
The events of ZERO MONTH led to the unexpected discovery of SupermanÕs
dead body in the tomb beneath his memorial. Now everyone wonders if
the Man of Steel who returned during ÒReign of the SupermenÓ is really
Superman! Plus, Conduit makes a daring escape from prison.
September 20:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ
The Guardians of Metropolis #1 (of 4)
The Guardian held the key to ÒThe Battle for MetropolisÓ in the
Superman titles. Now, the classic Jack Kirby characters, along with
Dabney Donovan and The Newsboy Legion, return for a 4-issue mini-
series that reveals the truth about the GuardianÕs past in an
adventure spanning time, space, Earth... and Apokolips! Writer/
inker Karl (Adventures of Superman, Superboy) Kesel teams with
penciller Kieron (Batman, Captain America) Dwyer to bring some of
SupermanÕs most popular supporting characters into the spotlight.
Superman #94
Tests conducted on the body found in SupermanÕs tomb prove
conclusively that itÕs the real Superman, further fueling questions
about the identity of the Man of Steel. Meanwhile, Clark Kent Ñ
not Superman Ñ holds the key to stopping Conduit. And that defeat
only fuels ConduitÕs hatred for both of them. This time a specialist
is called in to design a prison certain to prevent the villainÕs
escape. He delivers the man known as Deathtrap.
September 27:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ
Adventures of Superman #517
While Superman faces the disturbing question of whether heÕs the
genuine Man of Steel, heÕs forced to contend with the deadly snares
laid down for him by Deathtrap. In the long run, doubting his own
sanity may be an even more lethal trap for Superman.
Steel #9
ItÕs a race against time as Steel attempts to figure out whatÕs
happening to his armor. Is the armor sentient, or is John Henry
Irons a meta-human? SteelÕs nemesis, Hazard, wants the answers to
these questions as well, and he and his minions will stop at nothing
to get them from Steel...dead or alive! Plus, as a serial killer
preys on the city, a mysterious figure from SteelÕs past reappears.
October 4:
ÑÑÑÑ-
Action Comics #704
The Man of Steel is anxious to solve the mystery of the Superman
corpse found inside his tomb, which has been identified as Superman.
He seeks the one person who might hold the answer: the Eradicator
of the Outsiders.
Aquaman #3
Aquaman is radically changed after the events of ZERO HOUR Ñ and
Superboy is on the end if his hook Ñ as the two head for a violent
collision course! It all begins as the ÒnewÓ Aquaman travels to
Hawaii, with Aqualad and Dolphin in tow, to discover the truth behind
what happened to Aquaman and CharybdisÕs connection to the government.
Also in this issue: Aquaman gets a new costume.
Metropolis S.C.U. #1 (of 4)
From the pages of the Superman books, Inspector Maggie Sawyer and
her Special Crimes Unit become the focus of an in-depth study by
Lois Lane, who intends to find out just what makes the S.C.U. tick Ñ
even if she has to join the squad to do it! Writer Cindy (Tales
from the Heart) Goff takes a hard look at MetropolisÕs first line
of defense against the underworld and the cost of its efforts, with
art by Peter (Adventures of Superman) Krause and Jose (Flash)
Marzan, Jr. Covers for this 4-issue miniseries are by Dusty Abell
and Jackson Guice.
=========================================================
End of Section 2
=========================================================
REVIEWS
ÑÑÑ-
One quick word of note Ñ for the ratings, the first panelist will always
be the reviewer of the issue. He or she may or may not have included any
additional comments with the rating itself.
THE ÒTRIANGLEÓ TITLES:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
28. ACTION COMICS #701, ÒFinal ConflictÓ
Plot: Karl Kesel
Dialogue: Louis Simonson
Penciller: Jackson Guice
Inks: Denis Rodier
$1.50 cover
Ratings:
Jose R. Galan: 1 shield
Anatole Wilson: 2 shields - All battle, no story.
Arthur LaMarche: 2 shields - Lex trying to out punch MoS,
heÕs smarter than that
Jeff Sykes: 1.5 shields - Nice art, but too many splash pages
Lex Luthor controls the Kryptonian battle suit and it attacks the
ambulance which carries him. Now Luthor is free and inside the battle suit
where he can seek revenge. LuthorÕs first action is to destroy SupermanÕs
memorial. At this point, Superman arrives, finally wins a long fight,
and then takes LuthorÕs paralyzed body to S.T.A.R. labs. In his bed,
still unable to close his eyes, Lex Luthor swears, Ò...someday, somehow,
Superman will pay...Ó
ThatÕs all, folks. After the excellent 700 issue with its high
quality story arc of ÒThe Battle for MetropolisÓ, things have gone down
surprisingly quickly. Nothing happens, definitely no story. Only a big
boring fight which takes 16 out of the 22 pages. Almost dead, even with the
exoskeleton of the Kryptonian battle suit, Luthor is no match for the Man of
Steel. When Superman decides to finish the game, it is extremely easy for
him.
There are two good things I can say about this issue Ñ the reason to read
the comic: GuiceÕs drawings are good, and it will only take 5 minutes...
or less. I think that the real problem with the Superman titles, with Action
Comics particularly, is the Lack of consistency. I donÕt mean the continuity
of the story, but the quality. It goes from a bland 16-page fight to great
emotion and character development and vice versa from month to month.
Bad luck this time. We will wait for the next, with fingers crossed.
Jose R. Galan
=========================================================
29. SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL #36 (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 10)
ÒA Rift In RealityÓ
Written by Louise Simonson
Pencils by Jon Bogdanove
Inks by Dennis Janke
$1.50 cover
Ratings:
Anatole Wilson: 3.5 shields
Jose R. Galan: 4 shields
Arthur LaMarche: 3 shields - No strong impressions, just a feeling of
ÒOkay, I liked itÓ
Jeff Sykes: 2 shields - BogÕs art is a little better, but you must
be reading the crossover to follow
IÕm still trying to decide whether itÕs by accident or design that most of
the action and story development in the ÒWorlds CollideÓ series is taking
place in the Milestone titles.
DonÕt get me wrongÑquite a bit happens in this issue, but everything
that does happen seems to be a prelude for something else that will happen in
one of the other titles. We see, for example, the aftermath of previous
issuesÑa thoroughly destroyed Paris Island lying at the bottom of the ocean.
Rocket frees Superboy and Static, and Static frees Icon. At first it looks
like Icon and Superman are going to fight, but they only fake it here; the
real fight is saved for the next issue of ICON. And we get some glimpses of
the supporting cast. Overall, this issue is the
Òstop-and-take-a-breather-letÕs-clean-this-up-a-bit-so-we-can-get-on-with-itÓ
issue.
So, instead of taking this comic as it is, I find myself comparing it
with the Milestone titles. It doesnÕt hold up well.
Now that I can compare Superman drawings, there is no doubt in my
mind that the art is superior in the Milestone titles. BogdanoveÕs layouts
are still some of the finest IÕve seen in any recent DC title, but the
details are lacking. It looks like Dennis Janke needed a warm-up to get into
inking this issue; the inks at the beginning are cruder and clumsier than the
last half of issue. The muted colors and finer individual drawings in the
Milestone titles (especially BLOOD SYNDICATE and ICON) are less dynamic, but
are, in my opinion, better artwork.
As far as writing goes, itÕs hard to compare the written-by-committee
Superman style with the Milestone titles. I *do* like the emphasis on
supporting characters that seems the specialty of MAN OF STEEL. However, I
find better characterizations on the whole, main and supporting characters,
in the Milestone titles.
After my previous comments, would it surprise you if I said I still
enjoyed this issue? I think, at this stage in WORLDS COLLIDE, a clean-up
issue was necessary. (Wish I didnÕt have to shell out $1.50 for it, though.)
I also liked seeing Perry White fighting to keep the DAILY PLANET alive
(PerryÕs strongest characterization in years), the efforts of Metropolis
citizens to rebuild the city, and how Keith is doing, wandering from one
shelter to another. And it did look like Superman had some energy and power
this time as he takes on Rift. The irony of IconÕs line, ÒIn the movies you
can move planets,Ó didnÕt even bring a tear to my eye, as any reference to
SupermanÕs pre-Byrne stature usually does. Though I wouldÕve liked to see
Icon and Superman react more dynamically (which was saved for ICON#18), I was
basically happy with this issue.
Despite the unevenness of the artwork, MOS #36 was on the right
track. I hope to see more improvement in the future.
Anatole Wilson
=========================================================
30. SUPERMAN #92, ÒEarth RunÓ
Data and Imagery: Dan Jurgens
Image Enhancement: Josef Rubinstein
Cover by Jurgens & Ordway
$1.50 cover
Ratings:
Arthur LaMarche: 5 shields for comedy, 2.5 without
Jose R. Galan: 2 shields
Anatole Wilson: 2 shields - I hate psychotic, all-destroying aliens.
Jeff Sykes: 3 shields - Jurgens art is as good as usual, but there
isnÕt much story here.
SLAM! In walks Massacre, and where thereÕs Massacre, there is bound
to be mayhem. A toad like being wishes Massacre to return some of the favors
that the toad believes are owed him. This upsets Massacre, and he begins to
tear up the place. The toad plays his trump card, the favor that he wishes
will take Massacre to Earth. Massacre and his Skimmer, a being who salvages
and scavenges from MassacreÕs battles, set off to Earth. Meanwhile on Earth,
Lois and Clark and some of our other friends of Metropolis are trying to make
the best of their lives in the ruins of Metropolis, oblivious of the coming
danger.
Massacre, arrives on earth and seeks our hero and to finish the fight
they started in The Adventures of Superman 509. He travels around earth
first trying to locate Superman, and learns that he should seek Superman in
Metropolis. Massacre heads to Metropolis, Illinois, and then on to
SupermanÕs Metropolis. An extended fight ensues between the two, and it is
clear that Massacre has the upper hand. With MassacreÕs diversion, the
Skimmer is able to plunder the desired riches of earth. Something so special
that it is only found on Earth Ñ Nice Cream, Ice Cream. The brawl between
Superman and Massacre continues too close to the SkimmerÕs space ship, and in
the final panel the three ÒBwhaboomÓ to earth in a smoky fireball.
This weeks Superman is a battle between Superman and Massacre. As
far as fights can go to entertain me, this did its job. The panels are laid
out well, and convey the action very well. The colors are bright and the inks
sharp. But, what really entertained me was the comedy tactically placed
within the book. I loved MassacreÕs mistake taking him to Metropolis
Illinois, and the plundering of the ice cream left me laughing out loud for
several minutes. Without the comic relief, this would have been just
another fight, but with it, this weeks comic is a gem. Way to go guys, keep
up the great work.
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
=========================================================
31. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #515, ÒMassacre in MetropolisÓ
Plot and Pencils: Barry Kitson
Dialogue: Karl Kesel
Inks: Ray McCarthy
$1.50 cover
Ratings:
Arthur LaMarche: 2 shields - 4 if you omit the final page.
Anatole Wilson: 5 shields - Superman uses his mind, not just his muscles!
Jeff Sykes: 4 shields - I like KitsonÕs art (especially Lois), and
he and Kesel write well together.
Thwoom! This monthÕs AOS picks up right where last weekÕs SUPERMAN
left off. Watching the explosion are Lois, Jimmy, and some of MetropolisÕ
other residents. Amid the flames the battle between Superman and Massacre
continues. SupermanÕs cape is lost in the explosion along with some of his
composure. It is clear that the frustration of not being able to hit
Massacre is flustering our hero. Always the photographer, Jimmy closes in on
the fight to capture some more of the photos that have made him famous. As
the fight continues, Superman is able to compose himself and to ascertain that
Massacre is reading nerve impulses, enabling him to react to every move that
the Man of Steel makes before he makes it! Superman, then tricks Massacre
with a brilliant maneuver. He uses his heat vision to knock down one of
MetropolisÕ ruined walls which hits Massacre in the back and stuns him. Our
Hero is then able to keep the villain stunned and quickly gains the upper
hand. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Lois have met on a damage bridge overlooking the
battle. The Skimmer survived the crash and sees that Massacre is in trouble.
To help, he tries to endanger Lois and Jimmy hoping to distract Superman.
Things go from bad to worse for our two friends. Massacre misses Superman
with an energy blast which hits the bridge they are standing upon. The
SkimmerÕs attack is quickly thwarted by Lois, but the bridge collapses.
Superman does his best to save the three of them, but the Skimmer is fatally
wounded. Superman prepares to fly him to a hospital, but Massacre commands,
ÒNO!Ó With a tear in his eye, Massacre claims that he will take the
Skimmer to a Xeno-Med instantly, where the Skimmer can get the best possible
care. But, on the last page, we see Massacre sulking on an asteroid, and the
Skimmer floating limply away into space.
Ugh, the last page really shook me up. I guess I am as naive as
our hero. I thought that Massacre was going to save the skimmer, instead of
using it as a lie to cover a cowardÕs retreat. I have been alarmed at the
growing violence that is shown in the DC comics. I am surrounded with
violence and hatred in the real world. The purity of the comics was a great
escape, now, even this has been slowly eroding. I hope the trend does not
continue, and if it does, I hope it does not escalate.
I like the colors, and the inks were OK in this weeks comic. Some of
the panels were very well done, and others were just OK. I also liked the
fact that the Man of Steel had to think his way out of this mess. It was a
nice touch, not just a knock down slug feast. I did not like the comic book
as well as the prior weekÕs. It did not have the comic relief, and instead
I was left with a poor taste in my mouth with the final page.
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
________________________________
*************************************************************
SPECIALS AND GUEST APPEARANCES:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
SUPERMAN/DOOMSDAY: HUNTER/PREY Book 3 (of 3)
Story & Layouts: Dan Jurgens
Finished Art: Brett Breeding
$4.95 cover
Ratings:
ReneÕ Gobeyn: Story: 5 shields, Art: 5 shields
Anatole Wilson: 2 shields - Waverider saves the day, Superman is
along for the ride.
Arthur LaMarche: 3.5 shields - Ditto, but loved the artwork.
Jeff Sykes: 5 shields - An excellent ending to a very good series.
One line review: A good solid story, clean strong art
Superman and Waverider leave Apokolips for Calaton (where Doomsday was sent),
but not until Mother Box dresses Superman for the battle. Straps, pouches,
and weapons, a very different look for the Man of Steel.
The scene switches to Calaton where Doomsday fights and defeats
Radiant, the energy creature that defeated him in the past proving that he
can in fact evolve to defeat anything.
This was the part of the story I have been dreading, the long drawn
out fight scene, where the plot goes on hold, and the story is reduced to
pithy comments between the contestants (yawn). I was very pleasantly
surprised. While it is difficult to move the plot forward during a battle,
Jurgens was able to use most of the fight to demonstrate some facet of
DoomsdayÕs power, or SupermanÕs character.
It is a very different battle than their first. Superman tries to
fight smart. Instead of going toe-to-toe with Doomsday, a fight he was sure
to lose, he tries to work with his various powers and weapons to try to keep
some distance between them. This doesnÕt always work and Waverider goes
against his oath as a Linear Man to step in and try to find a weakness in
Doomsday. I wonÕt spoil the surprise revelation about DoomsdayÕs origin, but
a careful reader will have already picked up on several clues in the first
two books. The explanation does bring the entire Superman, Doomsday conflict
into focus, and explain much of why it had to happen.
In a climatic battle, Doomsday beats Superman, breaking his arm and
destroying large portions of Calaton in the process. Doomsday truly seems to
be able to adapt to and conquer everything that is thrown his way. Superman
does find a way to truly defeat him once, and for all, tying up all the loose
ends and bringing closure to the story.
The art in the book is, again, fantastic. BreedingÕs strong style is
in my opinion Superman at his best. A very well balanced book. The entire
three book series is to my mind the best Superman story IÕve seen this year.
It is true that most of the second book in the story could be skipped, but it
gave the background that leads up to the revelation that explains the whole
conflict between the two characters. While I truly hope we have seen the last
of Doomsday, the ending of the book could tie in with the Zero Hour story
line. I hope that DC has the good sense to leave him dead. While a strong,
and deadly opponent for Superman, he didnÕt make a very good character.
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Annual #6, ÒThe Super Seven Part One: The Longest NightÓ
Writer: Karl Kesel
Penciller: Brock Hor
Inker: Curt Shoultz
$2.95 cover
Ratings:
Arthur LaMarche: 5 shields
Anatole Wilson: 4 shields - Decent art, good to see the JLA back
together again.
Jeff Sykes: 4 shields - Nice art and an excellent Kesel tale.
This Elseworlds Annual Starts off as a flashback. Earth hasbeen
targeted by a group of galactic outlaws as a planet that can be taken over,
easily. But Earth has some big guns to protect it. All of the EarthÕs
superheroes combine to stem the invasion. But, the aliens turn the people of
Earth against its heroes. Every time a metahuman is spotted 1000 civilians
will be destroyed, and 5000 more each time a metahuman raises a fist. Coast
city is targeted for destruction. Most of its populace is destroyed as well
as a reporter Ñ Lois Lane. The citizens and governments of earth lose all
faith in its heroes and turn against the metahumans. The aliens have won,
but the guerrilla actions of the resistance continue by a few nonmetahuman
heroes. Ten years after the aliensÕ victory is where the annual is begun.
Since this is not one of the regular titles, and has no bearing on
continuity I will not summarize all the action which occurs here. Basically,
Part one of the story reunites what few superheroes remain on earth Ñ
Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Superboy, and Lex
Luthor. The Superboy Annual contains part 2 and will be published by the
time this review is published. I have always enjoyed apocalyptic stories,
and I really like this one. The psychological effect of the defeat and the
loss of loved ones on the heroes is well written. Each is ten years older
and looks hardened, haggard and tired. But it is great to see the flames
of hope rekindle and flicker within as they reunite and once again take up
the cause to free Earth. I liked the artwork and LOVED the colors. They are
muted and dark and combine with the writing to convey the mood exceptionally
well. All in all, it was a GREAT book, but I fear that since this story is
based upon the "Magnificent Seven" and the "Seven Samauri" , the Superboy
annual will not be as upbeat, but stay tuned...
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
=========================================================
STEEL ANNUAL #1, ÒCrucible of FreedomÓ
Story by Jon Bogdanove & Judith Kurzer Bogdanove
Pencils by Humberto Ramos
Inking by Ron Boyd and Dan Davis
Cover by Humberto Ramos & Ande Parks.
$2.95 cover
Ratings:
Steve Wells: 4 shields - Some further explanation of the armor
would have been good!
So far, it seems as if DC is doing a good job with the 1994 annuals, and
this in my mind, is no exception!
The 1993 ÔBlood-LinesÕ annuals many regarded as simply a quick hack to
generate more heroes/villains and in turn to create more spin-off comics
(The first to spring to mind is ÒGunfireÓ). This also occurred in the case
of the four Superman annuals, consisting of just the four current ÒsupermenÓ
at the time (Steel, Superboy, Hank Henshaw aka ÒThe CyborgÓ, and the
Eradicator), in which the characters, ÒEdgeÓ, ÒSparxÓ, ÒMyriadÓ, and
ÒCannonÓ were created due to reactions of Meta-Genes in their body with
the alien predators that were attacking the DC Universe.
The 1994 Elseworlds annuals are completely different. For those who havenÕt
read any of them, the title blurb says ÒIn Elseworlds, heroes are taken from
their usual settings and put into strange times and places...some that have
existed or might have existed, and others that canÕt or couldnÕt exist.
This is one of them.Ó
In the first official ÒSteelÓ Annual, the main character is none other
than John Henry, and the time is set a few years before the North and
the South started warring when slavery was still quite legal. John Henry
was one of these slaves, working on a plantation in Virginia. The story
starts off with young John Henry (about 6 years old), playing ÒKing ArthurÓ
with his masterÕs son, whose name just happens to be Arthur.
The falling-out of Arthur and John Henry is shown over the course of a few
pages in which over 10 years pass. Arthur and John Henry are repeatedly
punished when Arthur attempts (several times) to help John Henry become
educated by lending him his books, including the family bible, which his
father appears somewhat displeased at, to say the least. Eventually Arthur
blames all of his punishments on poor John Henry, and begins to follow in
the footsteps of his elders and the slave-workers who are employed by his
family.
Realistic attitudes are shown by both the slaves and oppressors alike, with
each of them thinking that they are better than the black people, and
treating them as such. In a way that seems accurate, with severe punishment
for such things as the slaves looking their masters in the eye which
frequently got John Henry tied to a tree, and whipped within an inch of his
life.
John Henry is eventually made to be the black-smith. But, due to his
Òdis-respectÓ for the slave-workers, he is punished and taken back to the
cotton fields with the rest of his family, including his now-pregnant
wife. A short while afterwards, despite John Henry pleading with ÒMassaÓ
Arthur to help his Mammy, he is refused help, and she dies. John HenryÕs
reaction to this, causes him to be again, severely beaten. At this stage,
there are rumors of a possible war and John Henry, among others, is helping
to stock up the house with stores of gunpowder, and winds up helping Master
Arthur unpack some English armor. Arthur gets an idea and by a form of
bribery, John Henry is instructed to create a suit of armor so that Arthur
might be able to defend John HenryÕs family, as well as his own. In an
effort to help his family, which has just increased by one after his wife
gives birth to a son, John Henry begins work on a suit of armor, with more
than just the usual ÒextrasÓ.
The creation of the suit comes across as a problem.... Arthur refuses to sit
for a fitting, so John Henry winds up fitting it to his own, far larger,
body. One day, while the slaves are made to tend the fields, they are
made to leave their babies in a trough by the slave-master, a ÒMr. HaigÓ.
Later that day, it begins raining, and after the slave-masters refusal to
let the women collect their babies out of the weather, the trough fills
with water and the babies drown. The ensuing screams of terror are too
much for John Henry who dons his suit, and becomes, ÒSTEELÓ. The following
battle is not a pleasant sight, as John Henry Òcuts through the soldiers
like steel through warm butterÓ, and John HenryÕs wife ends HaigÕs miserable
existence with a pitch-fork.
The well-known rivet gun and forge hammer, wielded by Steel, make short work
of the slave-workers and soldiers, and even a cannon-ball isnÕt enough to
stop the steel-clad ÒdevilÓ. After repelling the attackers, Steel advances
on the house, to rescue his friends and family from the basement, where
Master Arthur has imprisoned them. Upon arriving, Arthur does an impression
of a knight, and attacks Steel with a sword, cutting through a gap in the
armor, not wounding John Henry enough to stop him however, as he proceeds to
smash through whatever parts of the house stand in his way.
A miscalculation on John HenryÕs part causes dozens of kegs of gunpowder to
fall on him, trapping him in the basement. He is once again confronted by
Arthur, who this time, has a fire-lit lantern which, in a ÒheroicÓ
attempt, he dashes it to the floor, thinking to destroy Steel.
The house is completely obliterated, but from the rubble walks our hero,
Steel. He is carefully greeted by a concerned wife and friends to assure
them that never again will they have to call anyone, ÒMassaÓ.
The end of the annual leaves us with a question - what happens to Steel
after this? Is he the same man who the modern-day Steel speaks of, as
beating the ÒInky-DooÓ spike-driving machine? Or does he go elsewhere?
We can but guess!
I really enjoyed this annual and thought that while it was a bit slow to
build up steam, consistently gave a good view of the character of John
Henry, and what I think was a realistic view of how people were in that time
and the conditions in which they were forced to exist. The artwork was goo
throughout, with plenty of scene-enhancing background. While this is not
strictly a Superman annual, the character of Steel certainly portrays the
SuperMAN aspect. I recommend this for fans of the Steel character and for
Superman fans alike!
Steve Wells
=========================================================
End of Section 3
=========================================================
REVIEWS (CONTINUED)
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WORLDS COLLIDE:
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BLOOD SYNDICATE #16, ÒToys of the GodsÓ (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 6)
DCÕs Milestone Imprint
Writer: Ivan Velez, Jr
Penciller: Chris Cross
Inker: Rober Quijano
Painted colors: Michelle Wrightson
$1.50 cover
Ratings:
ReneÕ Gobeyn: Story: 5 shields, Art: 4 shields
Arthur LaMarche: 3.5 shields - the my tribe vs your tribe of gang
mentality has always bothered me
One line review: well constructed, great story, clear clean art
Taking up the story where Steel #6 leaves off, Paris Island (Dakota)
is linked with Metropolis via the 10th Ave. Bridge (Dakota) / Hobsneck
Bridge (Metropolis). Paris Island is where the Blood Syndicate (super powered
survivors of the ÒBig BangÓ) live across from the city of Dakota. After the
explosion that signals the joining of the two worlds, the Blood Syndicate
seek to cross to the city of Dakota. A truly impenetrable fog now surrounds
the island except at the point where the now complete bridge links the two
worlds.
The Blood Syndicate crosses the bridge linking their island with
what they think is Dakota. After crossing the bridge, they find that the city
on the other side of the bridge has been demolished. Thinking the city is
Dakota, they pitch in and start helping the survivors.
The group splits up, some of them meet and help Lois in one of the
refugee centers. Mask (a shape changer) is looking for loot in the rubble
shaped as a bear. Superman seeing a bear, swoops in and picks him up thinking
to return him to the zoo. Well in true gang tradition, fight with one, fight
with all. Superman thinks that the crew is somehow tied to Luthor and the
destruction. The book closes with the entire Blood Syndicate racing to fight
Superman.
While this book does end with a battle, mostly it is a story that
is long on good characterization and excellent writing. The confusion that
the members of the Blood Syndicate experience is well thought out and
presented. That they are in another city doesnÕt occur to them even after
they meet Superman, who is a ÒfictionalÓ character to them. Seeing Superman
in a context where he is actually known as a comic book character is a new
experience. Seeing the Blood Syndicate in a position where they are actually
helping out instead of being the underdogs is great.
The art in the book is good, not quite as detailed as I like and the
coloring is muted. It is a nice effect, and seems to go well with the tone
of the book.
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
WORLDS COLLIDE #1 (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 7)
ÒHow can you be in two places at once when youÕre not anywhere at allÓ
DCÕs Milestone Imprint
Writers: Robert L. Washington, Dwayne McDuffie Ivan Velez, Jr.
Pencillers: John Paul Leon, Chris Cross, M.D.Bright, Chris Batista, Tom
Grummett, Denys Cowan
$2.50 cover ($3.95 CollectorsÕ Edition)
Ratings:
ReneÕ Gobeyn: Story: 4 shields, Art: 5 shields
Anatole Wilson: 5 shields - Excellent!
Arthur LaMarche: 4 shields - Nice mix of my favorite characters and
the ones I am unfamiliar with.
One line review: good story and art, nice tie-in and introduction
As a tie-in book this one works far better than most. It introduces,
and advances all of the various story-lines that have been working in the
separate titles. It is nice to see all of the artists working together so
that their styles can be seen side-by side. Each has their own distinctive
style but instead of clashing they flow together. The writing is excellent,
drawing together the three ongoing story-lines on two worlds. Each of the
charactersÕ personalities is maintained, and this brings them into
understandable conflict at some points. Though there are a few overly long
fight scenes, they work to bring out the various characters and their powers.
There are really three stories being told in this book. The first is
the story that has been running in the Superboy/ICON books. The second is the
Steel/Hardware story-line and the third is the Man of Steel/Blood Syndicate.
All of these have been running concurrently, but with little overlap. Events
from each are evident in all of the others but to this point there has been
almost no overlap. One element that keeps coming through is that the Superman
characters are from comic books in the Dakota universe
The book opens with Superboy and Fred Bentson meeting Static. Static,
a Milestone character who has not been involved in the cross-over, yet.
This book introduces him to the DC readers who may not have met him.
Some new aspects of FredÕs powers are beginning to show. Namely, he
seems to have the ability to bring anything he thinks of into reality.
When he starts bringing characters from comic books to life you can be
sure that a pointless battle will ensue. It does, but while fighting,
Superboy and Static discover that their powers donÕt mesh well, and
actually interfere with each other. As Fred gains experience with his
new powers his grip on reality seems to be slipping.
The scene then shifts to the Hardware story-line (Steel does not
appear in this book) where Hazard (Metropolis) and Edwin Alva (Dakota) are
both working to gain full control over Fred Bentson. Fred seems to be split
not only between the two worlds, but also he is awake and talking to
Superboy, Static and Rocket, making for three versions of him. When both
Hazard and Alva attempt to wake him up in their own realities at the same
time, something happens to his mind and the two realities merge (somewhat)
and he becomes the giant powerful entity know as Rift.
Shift, again, to the battle between Superman and the Blood Syndicate.
While the fight is handled well, it is just a fight. Blood Syndicate comes to
the realization that they are not in Dakota anymore and are just going to
return to their home on Paris Island, when Rift picks up the island and
tosses it away, killing everyone on it and causing a tidal wave that is
threatening to destroy both Dakota and Metropolis.
Overall I liked this book a lot, but I would have liked it more if
the writers had worked a little harder to bring things together. Instead we
had three separate stories in one book.
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
SUPERBOY #7, ÒMenace 2 Societies!Ó (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 8)
Writer: Karl Kesel
Artist: Tom Grummett
Inker: Doug Hazlewood
$1.50 cover
Ratings:
Victor Chan: 3 shields
Anatole Wilson 4.5 shields - Rocket, Static and Superboy make a fun
and interesting team.
Arthur LaMarche: 3.5 shields - Rocket and Superboy make for interesting
verbal sparring, could not get too excited
over Static
Jeff Sykes: 4 shields - The story was followable and enjoyable, even
if not reading the crossover; superb art
This issue, being part eight of the Worlds Collide saga, guest-stars
Superman and many heroes from the Dakota Universe. Superboy, Rocket and
Static are in Metropolis while the others are in Dakota simultaneously
facing a massive tidal wave about to strike the city.
Most of the issue is devoted to the heroesÕ attempts to divert the
wave and stop Rift, its creator. It appears that RiftÕs abilities are too
diverse and powerful for any one of them to succeed in stopping him. By the
end of the issue, it appears that the wave has destroyed Aquamaria who was in
her elemental form and Rift has terminated Superboy, Rocket and Static in
one fell blow. He proceeds to turn his attention to Icon who is caught in
stasis.
I found this issue to be so-so. One of the my problems was that I was
unfamiliar with the Milestone heroes except for Hardware. This crossover
attempt by DC is most probably an attempt to get itÕs big-label readers to
pick up some of their newer (well, Superboy is new but much ballyhooed)
titles that originate in the Dakota Universe. As a story, this issue was
basically a slug-fest thatÕs typical of so many team-up stories: powerful
heroes band together to fight a common threat who is decidedly much too
difficult to defeat. This rings of Secret Wars, Crisis on Infinite Earths,
etc. Unfortunately, appreciating KeselÕs writing abilities, this has most
certainly been an editorial move, with an entire team planning the whole
storyline. Therefore, Kesel must not have too much creative control over this
issue except for some input during the planning and the scripting for this
issue. Dialogue is as usual in character for the regulars (Superman and
Superboy) but I wonÕt comment on the Milestone characters since my lack of
familiarity will bring a negative slant.
Personally, I only enjoy multi-hero storylines when there is one
writer, one (limited) series set up for the express purpose, and no major
cross-overs occurring between monthly titles. But thatÕs just me. Art is
still up to Grummett standards, which is to say good.
Victor Chan (vichan@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca)
=========================================================
HARDWARE #18, ÒYou ShouldnÕt a bit, FishÓ (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 9)
DCÕs Milestone Imprint
Written by: Dwayne McDuffie
Pencillers: Denys Cowan and Prentis Rollins
$1.50 cover
Ratings:
ReneÕ Gobeyn: Story: 4 shields, Art: 4 shields
Anatole Wilson: 5 shields - Steel reminds us what being a hero means!
Arthur LaMarche: 4 shields - Steel makes a stand
Review Summary: Good story, nice art - far better than average
Hardware is still recovering from the lab explosion caused when
Hazard and Alva each tried to take control of Fred Bentson, creating the
being called Rift in WORLDS COLLIDE #1. Alva and Hardware get in contact with
Hazard and agree to work together to capture and contain Rift. Each knows
that the other will betray them as soon as Rift is captured. Hardware
contacts a teleporter known as Transit and Hazard contacts Steel, who is in
Metropolis helping with the rescue efforts. Hardware and Steel begin work on
the trap, but Hardware tries to betray Hazard and Alva by installing
something to kill Rift. He and Steel fight, and Steel eventually manages to
convince Hardware to do it without killing.
ItÕs interesting plotting in that it is the bad guys (Hazard, and
Alva) that seem to be trying to do something about the problem. The writers
are working hard in this series to show some of the basic philosophical
differences between the different worlds heroes. While Steel and Hardware are
both black, talented engineers, and heroes in their respective worlds, they
are very different in their approach to life. Hardware is very pragmatic
while Steel is idealistic. Hardware is willing, almost anxious, to kill.
Steel refuses to kill even if that seems to be the only permanent solution to
the problem. He is even willing to fight what would probably be a losing
battle with Hardware just so that he would not be involved with Rifts
destruction.
While the fight scene seemed gratuitous, it wasnÕt the main focus of
the story. In fact, the setup Dwayne uses is built on the charactersÕ
philosophical differences, and actually ends up advancing the story-line.
The art in this book is better than what I have come to expect in the
Hardware books. It has lost that sketchy, unfinished look that has bothered
me in the past.
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL #36 (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 10)
ÒA Rift In RealityÓ
(See THE TRIANGLE TITLES, in Section 3)
=========================================================
ICON #16, ÒAinÕt No Such Thing as SupermanÓ (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 11)
DCÕs Milestone Imprint
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Penciller: M.D.Bright
$1.75 cover
Ratings:
ReneÕ Gobeyn: Story: 3 shields, Art: 4 shields
Anatole Wilson: 5 shields - Excellent art, story, and characterizations!
Arthur LaMarche: 4 shields - I liked the comparison and contrasting
of origins
One Line review: Average story, very nice art
Rift has captured both Superman and Icon, after trying to make them
fight. After a brief recap of both SupermanÕs, and IconÕs origins, Rift
floods Dakota to make it as bad as Metropolis. He then offers to Superman and
Icon the opportunity to have him restore the city to the winner of a fight
between the two of them. After a brief and inconclusive battle, Rift stops
the fight because neither of them would yield. He decides that his mistake
was that he had created two separate worlds; he canÕt decide which of the two
worlds to save, therefore he decides to merge the two.
I was a little disappointed with this book. There is nowhere near as
much of a story here as to what I am accustomed in ICON. The rehash of the
origins wasnÕt necessary, and the fight could have been shorter. The fight
itself was well choreographed, and both made good use of their powers. I just
canÕt help but feel that this book was mostly a place holder. The only
important things to happen in the book was the drowning of Dakota, and RiftÕs
decision to merge the two worlds.
The art in the book is nicely done, some of the best IÕve seen
recently. Superman isnÕt drawn as some deformed victim of runaway steroid
use. The colors are a bit more muted than in a normal DC book, but it works
well, especially with the shading techniques used in the book.
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
STEEL #7 (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 12)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Pencillers: Chris Batista & Humberto Ramos
Inkers: Rich Faber & Stan Woch
$1.50 cover
Ratings:
Arthur LaMarche: 2.5 Shields
With HardwareÕs help, SteelÕs armor has been repaired as good as new,
but as Steel expresses his gratitude, a tremendous rumble can be heard and
felt. The cities of Dakota and Metropolis are collided and combined by Rift
simply by thinking it, bringing most of the cross-over characters together.
Superman and Icon are still held firmly in Rifts grasp, but upon the fusion
of their beloved cities, Rift drops the two heroes. Meanwhile back in the new
formed and destroyed laboratory, the weapon that was being built to stop Rift
is in danger from the flooding of the Dakota and from Rift, himself. Steel,
Superboy, Hardware, Rocket, and Static do their best to distract Rift long
enough for Superman and Icon to rescue the weapon, but RiftÕs power is far
too great. One by one they are knocked out of the battle. Steel fights
gallantly, but his rivets and hammer are just annoyances to Rift. When Rift
blows some sort of energy blast on Steel, he is nearly boiled within his
armor, and he is also forced to leave the battle field. But our heroesÕ
effort has given Superman and Icon enough time to remove the precious weapon
from the laboratory. Oblivious to the weapon, Rift destroys the laboratory
and, possibly, the villains which have been helping the heroes in
constructing it. Surprisingly, Rift has also vanished.
RiftÕs power is rapidly growing, but his fragile sanity is falling
apart even more quickly. This delusion of omnipotence will be sure to be his
undoing in later comics. This Issue of Worlds Collide advanced the story
very well. One can feel that the story is reaching its climax. But, the
comic is very weak in one aspect Ñ Steel. There are so many characters
running around and each seems to get equal time, that one would not recognize
it as a Steel comic from the inside. Writing is not bad as a World Collide
story, but I can not recommend it as a Steel book. Some of the pages are
laid out and drawn well, but in others, some panels lack detail. Colors are
bright, but could use more shading or highlights. Overall I think the
artwork is average.
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
=========================================================
Because BLOOD SYNDICATE #17 shipped a week late, it will be reviewed,
as will STATIC #14, in next monthÕs issue. These two issues comprise
the final two episodes of WORLDS COLLIDE.
=========================================================
=========================================================
KC CONTEST #2 RESULTS:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
First, the answers to the questions:
Everyone is very familiar with the Death of the Man of Steel in Superman #75,
and with the funeral which followed. However, there was another post-Byrne
story in which Superman was believed dead and a funeral was held. Answer
the following questions about that story:
1. In what post-Byrne (i.e. after the Man of Steel miniseries) issue was
this story told?
Action Comics #595
2. Who was the writer of this issue?
John Byrne
3. What villain was responsible for the believed death of Superman?
The Silver Banshee
4. What startling occurrance happened at the Man of SteelÕs funeral?
His ÒghostÓ arose to complete his fight with the Banshee.
5. Which other superhero helped to defeat the villain?
JÕonn JÕonzz, the Martian Manhunter, portrayed
SupermanÕs ghost.
HINT: The last page of this issue was a lead-in to a MAJOR DC event!
This wasnÕt actually part of the contest, but the
final page was a lead-in to MILLENIUM Ñ with Lana
Lang as a sleeper Manhunter agent!
The winner, randomly selected from the completely correct entries, is
Jeffrey Tschiltsch (vgsjeff@aol.com). His choice from among the three
issues available as the prize is Superman: The Earth-Stealers.
IÕll be on the lookout for members of the Superman creative team (past and
present) at conventions for autographs, as well as for any other memorabilia
which I may be able to obtain at little or no personal expense. Our next
contest will be whenever I can find such a prize. (Again, hopefully I can
get something autographed by John Byrne in November, so weÕll probably have
another prize-awarding contest at least by December!) Keep watch!
=========================================================
FAN FAVORITES SURVEY
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
I thought that for a change of pace from the contests, IÕd hold a survey to
see who the readersÕ favorites were. So here are a few questions for you
to answer and then return to me. Please send your responses to the zine
address: KryptonCN@aol.com. The deadline for responses will be Wednesday,
July 27. That should allow me enough time to tally and prepare the results
for issue #4.
For reference below, the current creative teams are:
ACTION: Writing - David Michelinie, Art - Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier
ADVENTURES: Writing - Karl Kesel, Art - Barry Kitson & Ray McCarthy
SUPERMAN: Writing - Dan Jurgens, Art - Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
(Note Brett Breeding returns with #0)
MAN OF STEEL: Writing - Louise Simonson, Art - Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
SUPERBOY: Writing - Karl Kesel, Art - Tom Grummett & Doug Hazlewood
STEEL: Writing - Louise Simonson, Art - Chris Batista & Rich Faber
(Note Jon Bogdanove also co-writes some issues)
Please try to give no more than one answer per question.
1. Who is your favorite current writer on a regular title?
2. Which is your favorite current art team on a regular title?
3. Who is your favorite writer of a Superman issue EVER?
4. Who is your favorite artist (art team) of a Superman issue EVER?
5. What writer (who currently isnÕt) would you MOST like to see
writing a Superman story?
6. What artist (who currently isnÕt) would you MOST like to see
writing a Superman story?
7. Which current regular title is your favorite?
8. What is your favorite ISSUE ever?
9. How many of the above 6 titles do you buy regularly?
10. Would you buy an ongoing Supergirl series?
If this works well, weÕll try some more of them in the future. Maybe we
can spotlight non-comic favorites and actual ratings of the creative
staff members.
=========================================================
End of Section 4
=========================================================
LOOKING BACK
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ
THE POST-BYRNE REVIEW:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
by Mark Lamutt (markdl@netcom.com)
Title: Superman #21, ÒYou CanÕt Go Home AgainÓ
Written by: John Byrne
Pencilled by: John Byrne
Inked by: John Beatty
Cover Date: September 1988
Cover Price: $0.75
Oversteet: $1.00
The Supergirl Saga - Part I
Before even beginning the description of the issue, a brief description
of the cover is necessary, as it brings to light the confusion of the time
regarding the Post-Crisis memory of EarthÕs superheroes. Looking through
a womanÕs legs in the foreground, we see Superman embedded into a rock cliff,
with a completely startled expression saying, ÒIt canÕt be! Not YOU!Ó
Even though the Crisis on Infinite Earths had occurred almost three years
previous to this point in time, there were still a lot of questions floating
around about what exactly the heroes remembered of the Pre-Crisis world.
For those of you whom this irony is lost, keep in mind that the original
Supergirl, Kara, was killed in issue #7 of the Crisis on Infinite Earths
maxi-series. Now, we have the new Byrne-Superman staring at an individual
who resembles the former Supergirl. A brilliant piece of irony in my
opinion. Now, on to the story.
A transparent dome covering a lone outpost in the middle of a world gone mad,
under attack from all sides, looking as if it could fail at any moment.
Inside the outpost, men a women who are familiar, yet are not, scurry about
in mad confusion, trying to save their world. In another place or time, they
could have been Pete Ross, Lex Luthor, and others we have come to know in our
place, but they are not. Talk is of a plan to save their world by the only
means that is available. On a centrally located monitor, Superman flies.
Superman is being followed by a lone flying figure, far behind in the clouds.
As he swoops up through the sky, he moves behind the figure, approaching it
from behind. Much to his amazement, he comes upon a flying woman, wearing a
similar costume to the one he sports. In closeup panels, we see the woman
change her appearance to that of Lana Lang, much to the consternation of the
Man of Steel. When questioned about her powers, she reveals that they were
bestowed on her by none other than Lex Luthor.
Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane are having a
conference with Perry White in his office. Jimmy has an idea for a hot
story - that of discovering the origins of the Silver Banshee, one of
SupermanÕs foes from previous issues. After a persuasive speech by our
young, freckled friend, Perry agrees to send Lois and Jimmy to Ireland to
find the story.
The scene shifts back to the flying twosome, just entering a knock-down,
drag-out battle (of course). Superman is astonished that anyone could have
dealings with such scum as Luthor, and that sets her off. She reveals that
apparently where she is from, Metropolis had been destroyed, and it had been
one of the first to go. The battle then ensues, with this girl hitting
Superman with some kind of a psycho-kinetic energy blast. As Superman
returns, she disappears, and hits him in the back, sending Superman crashing
into a mountain. Superman decides to alter his approach a bit on the
assumption that she does not have the same powers that he does. He burrows
through the ground until he reaches the Lang farm in Smallville. Crashing
through the floor of the barn, he discovers Lana along with the Kents
bound and gagged. Lana tells him there is some crazy woman posing as her
with superpowers. Superman says that this woman is her, even down to the
molecular level, and then realizes the truth.
Superman flies back to the scene of the battle, and then lures ÒSupergirlÓ to
Metropolis. Of course, she is completely confused, as Metropolis should be
destroyed. They fly to LexCorp, where they encounter Lex Luthor (the first),
and Supergirl says that he is definitely not the Lex she knows. Confusion
reigning supreme, they fly to a roof top and discuss the situation.
Superman explains to Supergirl that she is most likely from another universe,
where there are other Kryptonians alive. In previous issues, Superman had
dealt with the Legion of Superheroes and Superboy (issue #8). In that issue,
it was discovered that a being known as the Time Trapper had created a
universe that very closely resembled the Pre-Crisis universe of Earth-I,
containing Superboy. This sparks SupergirlÕs memory, and as she presses a
switch on her belt, she and Superman are transported across a dimensional
interface to her universe. She introduces the red-haired man standing there
as Lex Luthor, who says, ÒWelcome Superman. Welcome to the end of the world!Ó
When I first saw the cover to this book, I thought to myself - great, sheÕs
back! Of course, that was not really the case. In previous issues, John
Byrne had been ÒcheatingÓ a bit to bring back Pre-Crisis events and
characters. Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes are examples of this, and
he explained it with the Time Trapper character creating a separate universe
at the beginning of time that developed just as it had Pre-1985. This
three-issue arc is a continuation of that theme. And while the concept may
be a good one, this reader wonders if he was running out of ways to introduce
the age old characters into the new world, or if the readers of the time were
not accepting the new world as DC thought they might. Be that as it may,
this parallel universe was created, and plays a important role in issues to
come.
But, on to this issue. The art was once again very well done, as is most of
John ByrneÕs work. I found it a bit odd seeing LanaÕs face on SupergirlÕs
body, but it was well done nonetheless. The writing, however, was a bit slow
in places. Except for the four panels dealing with Perry, Jimmy and Lois,
this issue was entirely devoted to Superman and Supergirl. ItÕs obvious that
this was planned as a three issue arc, but it may be that a bit of filler
material was needed to fill out three complete issues with the story. The
fight scene was a bit ridiculous, but served to introduce some of SupergirlÕs
new powers. Her fading memory would have seemed lame if the reader had not
read the issues leading into this story before. However, despite some of the
criticism I have for this issue, I still give it 3.5 shields out of a
possible 5, as this is one of my favorite story arcs since 1987. Stay tuned
next time for Adventures of Superman #444 continuing the story in Part II of
The Supergirl Saga.
=========================================================
THE PRE-BYRNE REVIEWS:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
ACTION COMICS #1
Writer: Jerry Siegel
Artist: Joe Shuster
June, 1938
Rating: 6 Shields (because no other comic even comes close)
REVIEW OF "ACTION COMICS #1"
AND A TRIBUTE TO JERRY SIEGEL AND JOE SHUSTER
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
BY KEN MCKEE
The year was 1938. The Great Depression was in its ninth year;
Adolf Hitler had taken over Austria. In another year World War II
would break out. People were searching for a larger-than-life
champion who would save them from a planet that appeared to be
bursting at the seams. It was during this period that two men,
Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster, created the strange visitor from the
planet Krypton. Superman, defender of the oppressed, was the
physical marvel who had sworn to devote his existence to helping
those in need. At that time Superman could Òleap 1/8 of a mile;
hurdle a twenty-story building, raise tremendous weights...run
faster than an express train...and nothing less than a bursting
shell could penetrate his skinÓ (Siegel and Shuster).
Siegel explains, ÒIÕm lying in bed counting sheep when all of
a sudden it hits me. I conceive a character like Samson, Hercules
and all the strong men I had tell of rolled into one. Only more soÓ
(Friedrich).
Working together, Siegel and Shuster drew no less than twelve
newspaper strips in the hopes of selling their idea to local
publishing companies. At first everyone thought it was a ridiculous
idea.
DC Comics eventually bought their creation, acquiring all
rights and initially paying them only $10.00 a page for their work
in writing and drawing. The rest is history; Siegel and Shuster
eventually made peace with DC for what they felt was an unfair
business arrangement, and Superman became an American icon, a
legend and an institution.
"Action Comics #1" begins SupermanÕs earthly adventures by
having him save the life of Evelyn Curry who is about to be
executed for a murder she did not commit. Superman has only 15
minutes to reach the governor and convince him to stop her
execution. He breaks down the steel door of the governorÕs bedroom
and attempts to give him papers proving CurryÕs innocence.
Frightened at the intruderÕs presence, the governor pulls out a
hidden gun and fires a shot pointblank at Superman. The bullet
ricochets off SupermanÕs chest (imagine seeing that for the first
time in 1938) and Superman declares, Òthis is no time for
horseplay.Ó He convinces the governor that Evelyn is innocent and
the execution is stopped in the nick of time. Two of the panels
even have clocks showing the minutes ticking away adding to the
storyÕs tension.
The next day Clark Kent, a reporter for "The Daily Star" is
assigned the job of finding out all he can about the fellow with
gigantic strength. However, he gets a phone tip about a wife-
beating and hurries to the address as Superman, putting a quick end
to the domestic quarrel.
Later that day, a meek and mild Clark reluctantly asks co-
worker Lois Lane on a date. She decides to give him a break and go
dancing with him. When Butch the masher decides to move in on Lois
to impress his buddies, Clark adheres to the role of a weakling,
leaving his embarrassed date to fend for herself. She calls Clark
Òa spineless, unbearable cowardÓ and leaves him behind in a taxi.
Butch seeks revenge for Lois making him look like a fool and
follows her in another car. Superman diligently keeps a watchful
eye on things and eventually saves her from a near-fatal ambush
with the vengeful hoodlums. The boys try to run down the Man of
Steel in order to scare the wits out of him. Instead, Superman
hurdles the speeding car and ends up chasing the startled
hooligans. It is here that the famous cover of Superman picking up
the car and shaking the occupants out is shown.
Superman advises Lois not to print what has happened in "The
Daily Star"; all she can do is stare dumbfounded at her mysterious
rescuer. When she tries to explain to the chief that she really did
see Superman, he sarcastically replies, Òare you sure it wasnÕt
pink elephants you saw?Ó The final story in the comic shows
Superman stopping political corruption by bringing Alex Greer, the
slickest lobbyist in Washington, to justice. It seems the more
things change, the more they stay the same.
Even though the drawings are crude by todayÕs standards and
the writing simplistic, the first comic shows Superman doing what
he does bestÑprotecting the innocent, righting wrongs, and
bringing the guilty to justice. HeÕs off to a good start and the
public has found its hero!
In 1939, "Action ComicÕs" premier story was reprinted in
"Superman #1" with new material added. The reader finds out that
the man supposedly killed by Evelyn Curry was named Jack Kennedy
(Birdwell).
So, where can this exclusive issue be purchased? Well, the
Smithsonian Institute has one, and I recently saw one advertised in
a magazine for $160,000.00. So, unless you win the lottery the
chances are pretty slim you will ever own an original edition.
However, just recently I paid a visit to my retail outlet,
IgorÕs Dugout, was shown a copy of "Action Comics #1" and asked if
I wanted it. At first my heart nearly jumped out of my throat. Then
I remembered there were no barcodes in 1938. It had been reprinted
in 1987 and was selling for a whopping 50 cents. Needless to say, I
grabbed it before the proprietors changed their mind (thanks Don
and Tracy).
Faithful readers will recall the recent Reign of Superman
series which ran shortly after the Man of Steel met his demise by
Doomsday. What may not be known is that SiegelÕs first Superman
story, dated January, 1932, was entitled ÒThe Reign of the
Superman.Ó
ÒSurprisingly, the protagonist of this tale was not a hero but
a super-villain, an evil genius bent on world domination who bears
a striking resemblance to Luthor...Ó (Overstreet). Now there is an
ÒElseworldsÓ annual if I ever saw one.
Not enough praise can be given to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
for giving us Superman. They set the standards for the other
superheros who followed and we owe them a world of gratitude for
their diligence, imagination, and hard work. Robert Overstreet
described "Action Comics #1" as Òthe ultimate refinement of the
anthology, continuing character title. The first appearance of
Superman, the quintessential hero with extraordinary powers.
Arguably the most imitated character in all of fiction. Standard
bearer of the DC line. The most important comic ever published, and
in tandem with "Superman", one of the most influential, prevailed
beyond four decadesÓ (Overstreet).
Finally, just for fun, here are two openings used for
Superman. The first one was used on some of the Fleischer Studios
animations that ran from September 9th, 1941 to July 30th, 1943.
The second is from ÒThe Adventures of SupermanÓ television program
starring George Reeves.
ÒFaster than a streak of lightning!
More powerful than the pounding surf!
Mightier than a roaring hurricane!
This amazing stranger from the planet Krypton...
The Man of Steel! SUPERMAN!!!
Professing remarkable physical strength,
Superman fights a never-ending battle for truth and justice,
Disguised as a mild-mannered newspaper reporter, Clark Kent.Ó
(Fleisher)
ÒFaster than a speeding bullet!
More powerful than a locomotive!
Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!
Look! Up in the sky!
ItÕs a bird!
ItÕs a plane!
ITÕS SUPERMAN!
Yes, itÕs Superman, stranger visitor from another planet, who
came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of
mortal men; Superman, who can change the course of mighty
rivers, bend steel in his bare hands; and who, disguised as
Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan
newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice,
and the American way!Ó (Birdwell)
References
Birdwell, E. Nelson. "Superman From the Thirties to the Seventies".
New York: Bonanza Books, 1971.
Fleisher Studios. ÒSupermanÓ cartoon series. 1941-1943.
Friedrich, Otto. ÒUp, Up, and Away!!!Ó "Time" 14 Mar. 1988: 66+.
Overstreet, Robert. "Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide,
18th Edition". New York: The House of Collectibles, 1988.
Overstreet, Robert. "The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, 23rd
Edition". TN: Avon, 1992-1993.
Siegel, Jerome and Joe Shuster. "Action Comics #1". New York: DC
Comics, 1938.
Ken McKee
stdkrm01@shsu.edu
=========================================================
SUPERMAN #135
DATE: February, 1960
TITLE: ÒThe Trio of SteelÓ
EDITOR: Mort Weisinger
REVIEW BY: Patrick Stout
PLOT SYNOPSIS: Three boys are standing next to their old swimming hole
on a hot day in Metropolis; Superman flies by, evaporating all the water
with his x-ray vision. The man of steel then melts all the ice at the
ice rink, and ruins a network television spectacular by placing his body
in front of the transmitter.
As he changes to Clark Kent, he says, ÒIÕm tired of being
Superman! From now on, IÕm...Super-Pest!Ó Perry grabs him as he enters
the newsroom and asks for a writeup, based on wire copy, of the
super-nuisance stories. When Clark turns in his rewrite, he has written
it backwards. He feigns illness, and Perry gives him the afternoon off.
That night, a Clark Kent robot is on the dais at a testimonial dinner for
Perry White. Superman flies in and, with superspeed, changes Perry into
a rabbit suit, then a clown costume, then into a bumÕs old clothes Ñsnapping
pictures all the while and later handing them out to the audience. ÒHeÕs
disgracing me,Ó Perry sobs. ÒAnd to think I once considered Superman my
friend.Ó
Superman then flies away with Lois, taking her to Niagra Falls. As he
kisses her and tells her that he loves her, Lois is certain that the man
of steel is going to propose to her. But he abruptly turns his attention
away from her to a homely girl nearby, and they both laugh at LoisÕ
bewilderment. After leaving Lois in tears, Superman flies to a
prearranged meeting with his ÒmasterÓ, Mr. Mxyzptlk of the 5th
Dimension. He is under a hypnotic spell, which Mr. M says he can cancel
if Superman will give him a Superman robot as a present for his girlfriend
in the 5th Dimension.
Three robots show upÑSuperman, Superboy, and Superbaby! Each robot is
reluctant to go to the 5th Dimension. Mxyzptlk tells them how great it
is there. ÒWhatÕs so wonderful about being a robot stooge for Superman?Ó
he asks them. ÒWhat does he ever do for you, besides lock you up in
closets?Ó The Superboy robot is convinced but, in a show of strength, his
arm falls off and Mr. M is reluctant to bring his girlfriend damaged
goods. The Superman robot, shaking hands with the imp, suggests that he
be chosen for his friendly dispositionÑbut Mxyzptlk feels heÕs too
friendly as heÕs nearly shaken to pieces. Then the Superbaby robot
starts crying!
ÒCanÕt you shut him up?Ó asks the imp. The Superman robot carves out
some giant building blocks and adds letters to them to pacify the bored
baby. As Superbaby plays with the blocks, Mxyzptlk tells him that he is
his choice to bring as a gift to the 5th Dimension. But the baby still
wants to play. ÒMe can spell. See? IÕll read the letters on those
blocks...B...T...S...Ó ÒNo, no,Ó says the imp. ÒItÕs...K...L...T...P...
Z...Y...X...M...Yipes!!!Ó
Spelling his name backwards, SupermanÕs nemesis is tricked into returning
to the 5th Dimension. The Superman robot was really Superman himself,
who flipped the blocks into order with his super-breath. Clark Kent
later writes a story clearing Superman of blame for all the
super-mischief. Lois offers her opinion that Superman would never
propose to her if he was in his right mind, but Clark tells her that
maybe Superman cares for her more than she realizes.
REVIEW: This story foreshadows some of the even loonier Superman stories
that will turn up later in the decade under WeisingerÕs editorship. In
this 8-page story, five pages are devoted to setting up the situationÑ
Superman is playing cruel jokes on everyoneÑand three pages are given to
its explanation and resolution. In contrast to the plots of today,
Superman and Mxyzptlk do not battle but merely talk. The story concludes
with two pages of action involving the arrival of the robots and the
tricking of the imp.
The handling of this story is a perfect example of the Òbait and switchÓ
style that drove many Superman readers to Marvel four years later. ÒHow
can Superman, Superboy, and Superbaby be together in one adventure?Ó
reads the cover blurb. The cover depicts the trio vying with
super-stunts to be chosen by the unseen alien, while the story splash
page has all three refusing to leave their world with him. After all
this hype about the three super-characters appearing together, the story
itself makes no attempt to treat this appearance as unusual. TheyÕre
robots, it states matter of factly; no mystery here! The true plot of
this story, the mischievous Superman, was not the plot described on the
cover of this issue. To be true to the promotion, the story would need
to begin with appearances of Superman, Superboy, and Superbaby in the
first five pagesÑthen the revelation that theyÕre robots that have been
summoned at the request of Mxyzptlk, then the tricking of the imp. That
would have been playing fair with the reader. But a cover of Superman,
Superboy, and Superbaby together probably sold more copies than would a
cover of Superman playing jokes on people (but IÕm sure weÕll come across
a cover like that later in the Weisinger run).
=========================================================
End of Section 5
=========================================================
OTHER-MEDIA
ÑÑÑÑÑ-
AND WHO DISGUISED AS...:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
by J. D. Rummel (rummel@phoenix.creighton.edu)
Saturday Morning Superman
(The following article is written using only childhood memory as
a source. In a subsequent effort I will investigate,
substantiate or debunk the memories.)
See the colored bands with the years written on them? ThatÕs
right, weÕre moving faster than the speed of light and going back
in time. It used to be that simple. We emerge from the colored
tunnel, soaring over the Earth, over Omaha, Nebraska in the
Sixties, when DC was the champ, and Marvel was an interesting
upstart.
ItÕs Sunday after church and weÕre at the counter of PowersÕ
Pharmacy, flipping through the comics mom has purchased. They are
twelve cents apiece, and as she drinks her sixteen cent cup of
coffee you notice the ads. Not the one for Daisy BB guns, nor for
Robert VaughnÕs spy pen, nor the cardboard polaris submarine. No,
in the middle of the book an ad for Saturday Morning cartoons is
announcing the new line-up. Space Ghost, Frankenstein Jr., The
Impossibles, the Lone Ranger, and in the corner, is a familiar
image; itÕs HIM, heÕs flying over a city skyline. HeÕs got his
own show!
Now, remember, this is before cable. Here in Omaha, television on
the weekends was lethal. So, Saturday morning was an oasis. After
the noon hour on Saturday there was NOTHING to watch except pro-
golf and shows where guys sat and fished. Once more the greatest
hero of them all was coming to the rescue.
IÕm talking about the half-hour Superman series put out by
Filmation in the Sixties. It featured the voice of Bud Collyer,
the same voice of the Superman radio show, as Superman and Kent.
My memories of the show are in black and white, because thatÕs
all that mom and I had. But the feelings for those shows are full
of color.
I can still hear the music, I can still hum it. I can still hear
CollyerÕs voice slip from mild-mannered to completely capable.
Each episode would open with Superman soaring out of the corner
of the screen, producing a sort of sonic whoosh, and crashing
with the sound of an artillery assault into a brick wall. The S
symbol would be left behind, as well as the title of the episode.
There were episodes with Brainiac, Luthor, Titano, Mr. Mxyzptlk,
the Prankster, the Parasite and the Toyman. There were also
villains like the Warlock and his enchanted ruby cane, aliens and
their force field monster, giant insects, lava men, and
prehistoric lizards. The shows would offer two Superman segments
sandwiching one Superboy story.
Some of these shows were very entertaining; not mired in an
effort to impart a moral, they simply (and quickly) set up a
situation in which Kent would be compelled to say: ÒThis looks
like a job...(voice shift) for Superman!Ó
As the seasons progressed, Superman would be scheduled with
Aquaman and BatmanÕs half-hour shows. Superman would face such
threats as the Japanese Sandman, and the mysterious mist from the
center of the Earth (which at one point became Superboy and
battled the Metropolis Marvel in the Superman Museum). The
Superman/Aquaman hour even featured shorts starring the Atom, the
Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Justice League.
It was a great time to be a kid. I havenÕt seen one of these on
television since I attended a friendÕs wedding in Houston back in
1980. I donÕt know why the Cartoon Network isnÕt running these. I
mean, they run the ridiculous "Birdman" and excellent "Fantastic
Four". Anyway, for next month IÕm gonna try and find some out
there. IÕll also look up some of the facts on the show if I can.
I suspect that my memory may have refracted the facts. Anybody
who has memories, clues or facts can reach me at the address
above.
Away.
=========================================================
THE FLEISCHER CARTOONS:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
by Neil A. Ottenstein
Episode 16: ÒThe Underground WorldÓ
Released: 6-18-43
Running Time: 8:13 minutes
Faster than a streak of lightning
More powerful than the pounding surf
Mightier than a roaring hurricane
The opening scene finds us in an office of the Daily Planet where Lois,
Clark, and Perry are having a discussion with a Mr. Henderson. He tells
of the caves discovered by his father on a hunting trip which are now
called the Henderson caves. His father disappeared 40 years ago. He
just found some maps of these caves and will give the Daily Planet the
exclusive story if it helps fund the expedition.
Lois and Clark go exploring with Henderson. They have two boats near the
mouth of the caves. Lois and Henderson go in one and Clark will follow
up to meet them in the blue grotto. Lois and Henderson arrive at their
destination and start unloading their boat. Unfortunately, it is not
fastened to the shore and floats away. Inside it is the dynamite they
were going to use to blast open more of the caves.
Clark is following and upon hearing an explosion increases his speed,
shouting for Lois. When next we see Lois and Henderson they have been
captured by winged men with the heads of falcons. They see a statue of
HendersonÕs father. Momentarily they are tied onto a platform, which is
raised up in order to dip them into some liquid.
When Clark realizes the peril they are in, he changes into Superman. He
fights the winged men and rescues Lois and Henderson just in the nick of
time. He throws some more dynamite which seals the world from the
winged men.
The cartoon ends with Perry saying that it is a really great story, but
Òno one would even believe it,Ó as he burns it up.
Some particularly noteworthy effects are the scene segues using
ÒphotographsÓ of the caverns in transition going to the location and
returning from it. The backgrounds in the caverns look particularly
beautiful, and we are reminded of this by Lois commenting on it. The
use of shadows of the winged men flying and Clark changing into Superman
heighten the drama. The majority of the Superman cartoons portray more
realistic situations. This fantastic one is a real treat and is one of
my favorites in the series.
The two Fleischer Superman cartoon volumes are available for $19.95 each
directly from Bosko Video or from anyone who carries high quality animation.
A catalog is available from Bosko Video
3802 East Cudahy Ave.
Cudahy WI 53110-1234
=========================================================
LETTERS
ÑÑÑ-
This month brought us a few more letters than before. My article about
Lois and ClarkÕs intimacy didnÕt bring nearly the response I was expecting
however. If you agree or disagree with ANYTHING in the zine, we want to
hear from you!
A few of you did have thoughts on the sex issue:
Jeff,
Interesting topic. As a fellow consertive Christian (I gave you a mental
high 5 when I read that. ;-D), IÕve had mixed reactions on this topic.
I remember when I saw the second (?) Superman movie where Lois and Superman
clearly have sex, my reaction was very strong (it ruined the whole movie
for me). I was with a friend at the time who thought that it was about
time that Superman got to have sex. I argued that Superman would "never"
do that outside of marriage, that it wasnÕt right. However, argueing the
point with someone who didnÕt have a problem with extra-marital sex was
hard. I couldnÕt get him to see the problem. (I wasnÕt even a Christian
at the time, and I still didnÕt think that Superman would do that.)
I donÕt buy the comics any more, for lack of money, but I do leaf thru them
at the grocery store. It seems like I recently saw an issue, right after
Superman came back to life, where he and Lois are standing in a bedroom
with a rumpled bed in the background. I took this to mean that they had at
least been sleeping together, if not having sex. Of course, since I was
only leafing, I could have gotten the context wrong.
My personal feelings on the whole topic are mixed. For a long time I had
assumed that Clark was brought up with traditional Judeo-Christian ethics.
I had always been very comfortable with that. However, it seems that as
Superman changes, (which is inevitable, since he reflects modern society),
he would become much more willing to have extra-marital sex. I think that
the majority of people in America believe that it is not only ok, but
normal to do this. So since, Superman reflects society, I think that this
would probably be his attitude as well. And it seems that itÕs only a
matter of time before it is addressed in either the comics or tv show.
(Green Arrow tackled the issue when Mike Grell did him 5 or 6 years ago,
remember?)
All of this has left me a little saddened. It seems like there should be
some fictional character who can be abstinent, and not be considered wierd.
For that matter, I would love to see a Òsuper-heroÓ who is a Christian.
(I wonder if there are any Christians who work on any of the issues, so
that they could accuretly protray what a Christian is supposed to be,
rather than a non-ChristianÕs idea of what a Christian is?)
Jo Glazier
****************
Dear Jeff,
I just wanted to say that I agree very much with your speculation
that Superman and Lois Lane are not having extra-marital sex. I do
disagree however with your point that it doesnÕt matter to the story. One
of the things I really like about the charater of Superman is that with
all his power he has a lot of temptation, but he chooses to do the right
thing anyway. I find it important to note that he wouldnÕt participate in
such activity because of his strong will.
Dave Fogel
Z"FogelDH@sfasu.ccsvax.edu
****************
The 2nd issue was just as good as the first. Well done, and full of good
information. I enjoy the SCU files, which is full of great villian
information, and the Looking Back section, with the pre-Byrne reviews.
Nicely done.
But the main reason for this letter is to comment on your editorial column
titled Super-Sex in the Comics.
IÕve read the Superman titles for many years now, and I especially like the
factthat Clark and Lois are engaged, and that they will get married some
time in the future. Now, keeping that in mind, and the fact that both Lois
and Clark are in their late twentys, there have been some shots in either
ClarkÕs or LoisÕ apartments where one of them has been in some state of
undress. I remember one such scene after Superman returned from the dead,
that took place in LoisÕ apartment (remember, Clark was thought dead, and
the Daily Planet gang had cleaned out his apartment).
Now, you may not want to acknowledge the scene, and itÕs true that DC does
not go out of its way to state that Lois and Clark have been intimate, but
to me, thatÕs what the scene suggests, and it goes to show that these two
are now a couple, and that they do love each other. And it is in that
respect that it is important to the saga, because it shows that this is not
the same stuff we read for so many years, where Lana and Lois were both
after Superman, and Clark was just a wimp.
DC is showing respect for the characters by allowing them to grow, and by
allowing the reader to come to his/her own conclutions by not coming out
and stating that Lois and Clark have just had sex. I appreciate that. Just
show scenes before and after, and leave the rest to the imagination of the
reader, as to wether there was a sexual act or not.
And just so that I am not seen as someone whoÕs preaching for DC to show
Clark and Lois doing the act, I should inform you that I too, am a Christian,
(catholic) but not a conservative one (there are a few things about the Church
I don`t agree with). An X-rated Superman comic is something I donÕt want to
see anytime in the future, but if something as Clark and Lois consumating
their love is hinted at while reading one of the many Superman books, I donÕt
mind. Those two are adults, and know what theyÕre doing.
Thank you for your time. And keep up the good work.
Alex Agostini (Alex"Agostini@smec.sel.sony.com)
****************
I enjoyed your publication! Thanks so much for all the hard work... it was a
fun read. I hope you will convince DC that you are a ÒmajorÓ publicationÑ so
certainly have the potential to be. If your subscription numbers continue to
rise, IÕm certain that theyÕll pass some juicy tidbits on to you. IÕm keeping
my fingers crossed! Can we look forward to more Lois and Clark TV updates?
Thanks again!
John
Well, John, I am in the process of trying to make DC aware of our magazine.
It canÕt hurt that Dan Jurgens is a subscriber and will be giving us the
interview. As for Lois and Clark, as soon as the new season starts up,
I guarantee youÕll see some more about it! In fact, production on the second
season begins this Thursday, July 21, and we might have some inside
information for you next issue!
****************
After reading the Superman/Doomsday prestige mini-series, I was wondering when
the events shown in the series took place. In the last chapter of the series,
thereÕs the Luthor building, in one piece, so that meant that this series took
place before the distruction of Metropolis, but I could figure out where.
Then I read David T. ChappellÕs well thought out column, and I now know where
these events take place.
Nicely done, David. Hope to see more stuff from you.
Alex Agostini (Alex"Agostini@smec.sel.sony.com)
Alex, I agree with you wholeheartedly that snagging David as a columnist
was one of our great moves. Those of you familiar with alt.comics.superman
on the Usenet are no doubt familiar with DavidÕs diligence there. He is,
quite simply, one of the most important aspects of keeping Superman popping
on the Internet!
****************
And finally, I received this one right after the delay announcement which was
mailed to the subscribers. ItÕs really nice to be appreciated!
The KC after 2 issues is now required reading. ItÕs also an excellent
example of how the Internet can promote quality publications. Any
delay is worth that. IÕm still blown away by the whole thing and the
fact that itÕs delivered straight to my mailbox is fantastic.
Congratulations on a great publication and long may it continue.
William Nixon
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RESOURCES
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This section of the magazine supplies information concerning how to obtain
Superman files via different Internet resources such as ftp, e-mail, and WWW.
The first section lists known files available at different ftp sites and via
the WWW. The second provides information on subscribing to Superman-related
mailing lists. The third section gives a brief tutorial in how to use ftp
and, for those of you whose systems doesnÕt support ftp (AOL and CompuServe,
for example), how you may obtain ftp files via e-mail.
For those of you reading this via the Usenet or a bulletin board service,
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET is available through e-mail direct to your mailbox!
To join the growing list of subscribers (now 270+ readers!), drop me a note
by e-mail at
sykes@ms.uky.edu
with a subject of
KC:SUBSCRIBE
and include the e-mail address to which you would like the issues mailed
in the body of the message.
New: Back issues by ftp
Mailing list subscriptions
Needed: If you know of any other Superman-related Internet resources,
please let me know. I would also like to find one site at which
we could archive all of the files below as well as past issues of KC.
1. Files Available:
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Back Issues of KC
Back issues of KC are available for ftp retrieval. Files are stored
as KC.Month.YR, where Month is the publication month, WITH the first
letter capitalized, and YR is the (2-digit) year. For example, the
first issue (May 1994) is stored as KC.May.94
Site: phoenix.creighton.edu Directory: /pub/zines/kc
(Thanks to Bob Fulkerson for setting us up in this site!)
Superman.FAQ
The latest version of David T. ChappellÕs Superman FAQ.
Site: ftp.dhhalden.no Directory: /pub/Comics/FAQ
ftp.catt.ncsu.edu /pub/misc
Superman.ComicList
The latest version of David T. ChappellÕs Superman Stories List.
Site: ftp.catt.ncsu.edu Directory: /pub/misc
LC.EpGuide.txt, LC.Summ1.txt, LC.Summ2.txt
Jeffery D. SykesÕ Lois & Clark episode guide and summaries.
Site: ftp.dhhalden.no Directory: /pub/Comics/Film"and"TV
ftp.catt.ncsu.edu /pub/misc
Superman"in"Songs"Index.txt
A list of Superman references in popular music.
Site: ftp.dhhalden.no Directory: /pub/Comics/Reference
In addition, there are the following gif and jpg files available:
Site: ftp.hyperion.com Directory: /pub/TV/Lois-and-Clark
Files: There are now more than 40 files at this site. See
the information below on using the ÒlsÓ command to get a
list of these pictures.
Site: ftp.catt.ncsu.edu Directory: /pub/graphics/images/comics
Files: Action"Comics644.gif, Adventures"of"Superman431.gif,
Super"Cyborg.gif, Superman.jpg, Superman18.gif,
Superman60.gif, Superman9.gif
Mosaic users can access the catt and dhhalden sites via the following WWW
pages: ftp://ftp.catt.ncsu.edu/pub/misc and ftp://ftp.dhhalden.no/pub/Comics.
2. Mailing Lists:
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Lois And Clark Discussion List:
This list is dedicated to the new television show "Lois and Clark: The New
Adventures of Superman", starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. To subscribe,
send a message to LISTSERV@TREARN.BITNET with no subject and a body of
SUB LOISCLA <your name>
I donÕt think it matters whether you place your name or your address in the
<your name> field. I subscribed with my address there, but IÕm certain others
must have used their user names/nicknames/real names/etc.
Comics-L Mailing List:
This is a discussion list of comics in general. It doesnÕt have much on
Superman, but occasionally there is something there. It is a digest type
of mailing list, so you only receive mail from it a few times a week.
To subscribe, send a message to LISTSERV@UNLVM.UNL.EDU or to
LISTSERV@UNLVM.BITNET with no subject and the message:
sub COMICS-L <Your Name>
With this one, they actually want a name and not an address.
Thanks to Curtis Herink for the Comics-L information!
3. Basics of ftp and ftp via e-mail:
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FTP
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The following easy steps will allow you to obtain any of the files listed
above. First determine the site at which the file is located. Type into
your terminal:
ftp <site name>
This will log you into the ftp system. At the login prompt, enter
ÒanonymousÓ and for your password enter your e-mail address. Then determine
the directory in which the file is located. Type:
cd <directory>
This will place you in the correct directory. To list the files available
in the current directory, use the ÒlsÓ command. There may be more files
than can fit on the screen at once. IÕm sorry, but I really donÕt know
what to do about this. Any help?
Finally, to obtain a given file in the current directory, type
get <filename>
If you want files in another directory, start over with the ÒcdÓ command.
If you want to transfer to another site, type ÒquitÓ and then start over
from the beginning. Alternately, you may use the ÒcloseÓ command to exit
the current site. Then you can type
open <site name>
to move into a new site. The remaining steps are the same as above. The
only advantage to this is that you do not exit the ftp shell.
If you want more information about ftp, search your system manuals or
contact your sysadmin.
FTP BY E-MAIL
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If your system does not support ftp, you may still obtain these files via
e-mail. Select the files that you wish to obtain and note their directories.
You will need to repeat the following procedure for each directory in each
site.
E-Mail a message to either ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com or
ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu with the body of the message consisting only
of the commands between the lines of dashes below.
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connect <site name>
chdir <directory>
get <file1>
get <file2>
.
.
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Do not include the lines of dashes, and do not include anything else
in the body of the message. You may use as many ÒgetÓ commands as
is necessary, but all files you get must be within the directory
specified by the ÒchdirÓ command.
You will receive a message telling you that your request has been queued.
Then, about a day later, you will receive the files themselves. Each file
will be contained in its own mail message.
________________________________
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End of Issue #3
