Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 04
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET - ISSUE #4 - AUGUST 1994
AN ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE FAMILY OF SUPERMAN CHARACTERS
All characters and locales are copyright and/or trademark DC Comics
CONTENTS
ÑÑÑÑ
Section 1: From the Editor
Contributors/Editors needed, deadlines & mailing dates,
awards for the Man of Steel!, by Jeff Sykes
Fan Favorites Survey Results
The results of last issueÕs survey Ñ some of the results
*may* surprise you!
Just the FAQs
ÒWhat time travel has Superman been involved in?Ó,
by David T. Chappell
Section 2: Reviews
The Triangle Titles
Action Comics #702, by Jose R. Galan
Superman: The Man of Steel #37, by Anatole Wilson
Superman #93, by Arthur LaMarche
Adventures of Superman #516, by Arthur LaMarche
Other Super-Titles, Specials, and Appearances
Superboy #8, by Victor Chan
Steel #8, by Arthur LaMarche
The Spectre #22, by Adam Lipkin
Superboy Annual #1, by Arthur LaMarche
Action Comics Annual #6, by Arthur LaMarche
Section 3: Reviews (cont)
Worlds Collide, by ReneÕ Gobeyn
Blood Syndicate #17
Static #14
Zero Hour, by ReneÕ Gobeyn
Zero Hour #4
Zero Hour #3
Zero Hour #2
Zero Hour Tie-Ins
Section 4: Looking Back
Post-Byrne
Superman #21, by Mark Lamutt
Pre-Byrne
Superman #135, by Patrick M. Stout
Villains Word-Search
Coming Attractions
October in the Super-titles and some BIG rumors!!!
Section 5: Other-Media
And Who Disguised As...
More on the Saturday morning Filmation cartoons,
by J. D. Rummel
The Fleischer Cartoons
Episode #17, ÒSecret AgentÓ,
by Neil A. Ottenstein
_The Further Adventures of Superman_
A review of the short story compilation,
by Ken McKee
Letters
Resources
New back issue sources, as well as all of the previously
available ftp/mailing list information
EDITORIAL STAFF:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
Jeffery D. Sykes, Editor-in-chief
Arthur E. LaMarche, Reviews
Victor Chan
Patricia Gonzales
Ken McKee
LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
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.
=========================================================
FROM THE EDITOR
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
Help Needed:
ÑÑÑÑÑ-
Due to various reasons, we have need for additional new comic reviewers.
As you have probably noticed, the shortage has left Art with the formidable
task of picking up the slack, a task which is more than he should have to
handle. So we are now looking for anyone who might be interested in
reviews. Current openings are for STEEL and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. In
addition, we always seem to have a mini-series or guest appearance to look
after each month. Also in this review area, we still have need of people
who would like to be included in ratings panels. This basically entails
submitting a rating for whatever title(s) you have read during the month,
and a one line explanation for your rating. We will be repeating this
request in next monthÕs issue, as there will be many students back in school
by that time, but I felt it was important to give first crack to those who
stayed with us through the summer. If you would like to be a reviewer or
a member of a ratings panel, contact Art LaMarche at
Arthur.E.LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu.
I am also beginning a search for someone to write a monthly column about
LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. I would like the columnÕs
beginning to coincide with the start of the second season. Finally, I am
going to attempt to accelerate the process of getting the magazine out
each month. (See the next section for information.) In order to
accomplish this, I am going to need some help with editing. If you would
like to attempt the L&C column, to help in the editorial process, or to
contribute to the magazine in any way, please contact me at
sykes@ms.uky.edu.
In addition to the magazine, this month I will be mailing a copy of the
submission guidelines, so that they might help you should you decide to
join the staff!
Deadlines & Mailing Dates:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
As a reminder, the deadline for any submission to THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET
is the first Monday of the month. As I announced above, I am going to
attempt to accelerate the process of preparing the magazine in order to
have it Òin your handsÓ as soon as possible. Assuming I get enough
editorial assistance, I plan on mailing the new issue no later than the
second Monday of the month. The week in between the deadline and the mailing
date should be enough time to prepare the magazine. So in the future,
barring unavoidable complications, you should see the magazine in your
mailbox between the 8th and the 14th of the month.
Awards:
ÑÑÑ
The Superman books recently received several awards. In the annual Comic
BuyerÕs Guide Fan Awards, the following awards were given:
Favorite Editor: Mike Carlin
Favorite Comic Book Story: ÒReign of the SupermenÓ
Favorite Original Graphic Novel or Album: SUPERMAN: SPEEDING BULLETS
Favorite Reprint Graphic Novel or Album: THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN
In addition, Superman placed second to Batman in the category of Favorite Character. The vote totals appear in Comics BuyerÕs Guide #1081.
Also, in the Fourth Annual Gem Awards, the following honors were bestowed by
the retail community of Diamond Comic Distributors:
Publisher of the Year (market share over 5%): DC Comics
Best comic book of the year under $3.00: ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #500,
CollectorÕs Edition
Original graphic novel of the year: SUPERMAN: SPEEDING BULLETS
Reprint trade paperback or hardcover of the year: BATMAN: SWORD OF AZRAEL
Marketing campaign of the year: ÒReign of the SupermenÓ
Congratulations to DC and the Superman team!
One final note: Due to some communications and technical problems, Chris
Jarocha-ErnstÕs column, ÒThe S.C.U. Files,Ó will not appear this issue, but
will return next month with an all-new spotlight on one of SupermanÕs
numerous enemies.
Jeff Sykes
sykes@ms.uky.edu
=========================================================
FAN FAVORITES SURVEY RESULTS
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
Well I asked for it! :) After my Òbegging,Ó the number of responses jumped
from about five to the final total of 59! This, by the way, is about 20-25%
of our subscribed readers. Some of you just couldnÕt come up with a single
answer, which made it a little bit more difficult to tally the results, but
here they are! IÕll give the number of votes, followed by who received
those votes Ñ that format makes a few of the questions a little easier
to handle. The NONE category on the questions below encompasses those who
didnÕt answer, couldnÕt choose, had no opinion, etc.
1. Who is your favorite current writer on a regular title?
29.0 - Karl Kesel
16.0 - Dan Jurgens
2.5 - David Michelinie, Louise Simonson
9.0 - NONE
Notes: KeselÕs votes were split evenly between those voting for his work
on Superboy, those voting on his work on Adventures, and those who
who would have voted for Roger Stern, had he not just left! :)
2. Which is your favorite current art team on a regular title?
23 - Tom Grummett & Doug Hazlewood
18 - Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein/Brett Breeding
4 - Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier
2 - Barry Kitson & Ray McCarthy
1 - Rich Batista & Chris Faber
11 - NONE
Notes: I counted votes for Breeding since he returns with issue #0. I
suspect that the vote might have been slightly different had I
mentioned this possibility Ñ possibly with J&B edging G&H.
Hmmmm....No votes for Bog.....
3. Who is your favorite writer of a Superman issue EVER?
17 - John Byrne
14 - Alan Moore
5 - Elliot S! Maggin
3 - Dan Jurgens
2 - Jerry Ordway, Jerry Siegel, Roger Stern
1 - Paul Chadwick, Edmond Hamilton, James Hudnall, Karl Kesel,
Jack Kirby, Martin Pasko
8 - NONE
Notes: The changing of the guard takes the top two spots! There is
one thing kind of odd about the Alan Moore votes which I will
bring up after question #5.
4. Who is your favorite artist (art team) of a Superman issue EVER?
14.33 - John Byrne
11.50 - Curt Swan & Murphy Anderson (Swanderson!)
8.83 - Dan Jurgens
5.50 - Jerry Ordway
3.33 - George Perez
2.00 - Neal Adams & Dick Giordano
1.00 - Wayne Boring, Kerry Gammill, Grummett & Hazlewood, Gil Kane,
Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnot
0.50 - Dan Adkins
8.00 - NONE
Notes: Once again, the post-Byrne crowd edges the pre-Byrne crowd.
Some more specifics Ñ three inkers were mentioned with Byrne:
Kesel, Giordano, and Ordway; the Jurgens voters almost always
included Brett Breeding as inker; and one vote for Perez included
Bob McLeod as inker.
5. What writer (who currently isnÕt) would you MOST like to see
writing a Superman story?
11.00 - Peter David
9.00 - John Byrne
5.00 - Neil Gaiman
4.33 - Elliot S! Maggin
4.00 - Mark Waid
3.50 - Frank Miller
2.00 - Walt Simonson
1.00 - Chris Claremont, Dave Gibbons, Steven King, Stan Lee,
Scott McCloud, Fabian Nicieza, Denny OÕNeill, Jerry Ordway,
John Ostrander, Jim Shooter, Jim Starlin, Leon Washington
Marv Wolfman
0.50 - Alan Moore
0.33 - Cary Bates, Martin Pasko
6.00 - NONE
Notes: It surprised me that Alan Moore was one of the most popular ever
from #3, but that heÕs basically no oneÕs most wanted. PAD, if
youÕre reading this, it looks like we want to give you a shot
at Supes! Neil Gaiman and Steven King were the big surprises
here, IMO, as they are not known for ÒsuperheroÓ work.
6. What artist (who currently isnÕt) would you MOST like to see
drawing a Superman story?
7.5 - John Byrne
6.0 - Swanderson!
4.0 - Jerry Ordway
3.0 - Alan Davis, George Perez
2.0 - Neal Adams, Norm Breyfogle, Gary Frank, Walt Simonson
1.5 - Adam Hughes
1.0 - Art Adams, Michael Allred, Jim Aparo, Eduardo Barreto,
Daniel Brereton, Howard Chaykin, Colleen Doran, Keith Giffen,
Tom Lyle, Larry Marder, Todd McFarlane, Mike Parobeck,
Joe Quesada, Steve Rude, Dave Sim, Mike Wieringo
0.5 - Kerry Gammill, Chris Sprouse
9.0 - NONE
Notes: LOTS of ideas here! It seems clear that more people would rather
trust the art of someone whoÕs already done Supes than trying out
someone completely new.
7. Which current regular title is your favorite?
20.5 - Superboy
15.0 - Superman
10.5 - Adventures of Superman
3.0 - Action Comics
1.0 - Superman: The Man of Steel
9.0 - NONE
Notes: No votes for Steel Ñ see #9. Why do I get the feeling that
if G&H were still drawing Adventures, it would be a runaway?
DoesnÕt seem that MOS has many fans Ñ several of the folks
who couldnÕt pick a favorite named MOS as their least favorite.
8. What is your favorite ISSUE ever?
8.0 - ÒWhatever Happened to the Man of TomorrowÓ (the final pre-Byrne
Superman story in Superman #423 and Action #583)
4.0 - Superman #75
3.0 - ÒThe Supergirl SagaÓ (SUP #21, ADV #444, SUP #22),
ÒFor the Man Who Has EverythingÓ (Superman Annual #11),
ÒFuneral for a FriendÓ (ADV #498 - SUP #77, 8 issues)
2.0 - Man of Steel #1
ÒMetropolis MailbagÓ (SUP #64)
1.5 - The Death issue by Alan Moore (Sorry, this is all I got, and I
donÕt know what story it refers to.)
ÒSuperman Red and Superman BlueÓ (first series or early Action)
1.0 - DC Comics Presents #85, Action #399, Adventures #474, 500, & 505,
Superman #149 & 400 (first series), #1, 32, & 83 (second series),
Crisis #7, ÒAnything by Jerry OrdwayÓ, and Òan old story where
Superman eats a lot of hamburgersÓ
0.5 - Superman #247 (with the Guardians),
Superman vs. Mohammed Ali Special
17.0 - NONE
Notes: Sorting through this one was tough! Everyone has their own
favorite memory of the Man of Steel, and this result kind of
proves it. But itÕs clear that Alan MooreÕs last pre-Byrne
story was really something special. I think IÕll have to
search it out. And as many of you decided on your own, I
guess I should have said story instead of issue!
9. How many of the above 6 titles do you buy regularly?
18 - five
17 - six
11 - four
4 - one
1 - two, three
7 - none
Notes: I was surprised at how many people are reading this magazine
but not the books themselves. (This is for various reasons,
which I might go into at some later date to exhibit the variety
of Superman fans reading the Cybernet.) ItÕs interesting to note
that those getting only one were predominately buying Superboy,
most of those buying four of the titles were buying the SuperMAN
titles, and nearly all of those buying five of the titles are
excluding Steel.
10. Would you buy an ongoing Supergirl series?
31 - Yes
12 - No
16 - Maybe
Notes: Nearly all of the ÒmaybeÓ votes were cast as ÒIt depends.Ó For
most of these, the primary concern was the writer of the book.
Now if this were a random sample of comic buyers (which of course
itÕs not :), then it would seem that a Supergirl book with a
quality creative team would be a big sell! Want to pass this
along, Dan? :)
Final Comments:
Since DC is now online through AOL, IÕm going to see about posting the
Cybernet there for them to peruse. I will definitely be posting these
results into the Superman discussion area for them to see! And in case
anyone wondered about how your wordy leader voted... :)
1. Current Writer - Karl Kesel for Superboy
2. Current Art - Grummett & Hazlewood (BARELY edging out Jurgens & Breeding)
3. All-time Writer - John Byrne
4. All-time Art - Jerry Ordway (VERY close are Gammill, G&H, and J&B)
5. Wanted Writer - Mark Waid
6. Wanted Artist - Colleen Doran
7. Current Title - Superboy (just above Adventures)
8. Favorite Issue - Funeral for a Friend (many other went with a story...:)
9. # of Titles - 5 (all but Steel)
10. Supergirl? - Yes (And IÕd love to see Jo Duffy and Colleen Doran on it)
=========================================================
JUST THE FAQs
More Details about Frequently-Asked Questions about the Man of Steel
ÒWHAT TIME TRAVEL HAS SUPERMAN BEEN INVOLVED IN?Ó
or
ÒTHE END OF TIME AND SPACEÓ
by David T. Chappell
ÒThen, the argument goes, the passage of time inevitably corresponds to
increasing entropy or disorder as expansion proceeds and the energy of the
universe is dissipated into a disperse soup of waste heat, a process known as
the Heat Death of the universe.Ó
ÒWe know the universe is expanding, and we can predict two possible extreme
fates for it: continued expansion until Heat Death is attained; or a Big
Crunch, where the ubiquitous gravitational force eventually halts the
expansion and draws together all matter ineluctably into one huge final
singularity. WhichÑif eitherÑof these scenarios is correct remains
unknown,Ó
ÑPeter Coveney and Roger Highfield, The Arrow of Time, 1990
********
Superman rarely ventures into the realm of time travel but leaves it to
wizards like Auron, engineers like Rip Hunter, and future heroes such as the
Legion of Super-Heroes. On a few occasions, however, the Man of Steel has
journeyed through the time stream. With Zero Hour upon us, these trips
through time are especially relevant.
As usual, my article only covers the continuity of the post-Crisis Superman,
though the pre-Crisis Superman had his share of time travel as well. To get
more data on Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, and related characters, see my
Superman FAQ. For more information on many of the time travelers described
herein, see my Zero Hour FAQ. Both files are available on Internet via the
rec.arts.comics.info newsgroup and via anonymous ftp on ftp.dhhalden.no.
THE POCKET UNIVERSE
SupermanÕs first two exposures to time travel involved the Pocket Universe.
Created by none other than the master manipulator of momentsÑthe Time
TrapperÑthe Pocket Universe drew a link between the Legion of Super-Heroes in
the 30th century and the Superman of the 20th century.
After Cosmic Boy told his futuristic teammates that something was screwy in
the 20th century, the Legion used one of their time bubbles to find out what
was up. Two groups of Legionnaires traveled into the past. One went to the
ÒmodernÓ era and met Superman, while the other went a little farther back and
met young ClarkÑSuperboy**. Several exciting issues lead to a fight between
Superman and Superboy (the pre-Crisis Superboy beat his adult counterpart
easily). Then the existence of the Pocket Universe was revealedÑthe Time
Trapper had created a separate existence wherein he had manipulated events.
The Legion and both Super-guys teamed up against the Trapper, and Superboy
sacrificed his life to save the Earth.
The main point of the story was that most previous Legion time trips had taken
them to the Pocket Universe. The Time Trapper had diverted them to HIS
universe, where the Legion met Superboy. This explained why the Legion
thought they knew Superboy yet post-Crisis Superman lore did not include any
such Superboy. Years later, DC writers had Valor replace SuperboyÕs role in
the Legion, and after Zero Hour this will probably all be moot.
When the Pocket Universe appeared again in Superman comics, time travel was
again a factor. Though it played only a small part, there was a time
discrepancy in travel between the universes. When the Lex Luthor of the
Pocket Universe sent Supergirl to visit Superman, he miscalculated and she
traveled backwards in time as well. However, the story continued without time
manipulation.
[** For more information about this Superboy, who differs greatly from the
modern Superboy, see my article ÒWho is Superboy?Ó in the June issue of
the KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET.]
TIME AND TIME AGAIN
On SupermanÕs first major journey through the time stream, a Linear Man
initiated a sequence of time jumps that brought the Man of Steel to the past
and future, meeting friend and foe, before returning to his own time. The
seven issues of ÒTime and Time AgainÓ include guest stars such as the Legion
of Super-Heroes (in two separate time periods), the Spectre, and Mr. Z.
The story began when a Linear Man decided that Booster Gold should be returned
to his proper place in the 25th century. When Superman interfered, the Man of
Steel was sent bouncing through the time stream. He traveled through several
different eras, including the age of dinosaurs, World War II, and the 30th
century. In each time period, a major explosion rocketed Clark through time
again to another period. Finally, the destruction of EarthÕs moon in the
future (a major event in THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES Vol.4) sent Superman back
home to 20th century Metropolis.
One special sequence of the story deserves mention. In SupermanÕs first
encounter with the mysterious Mr. Z (from before this story), his foe
recognized the Man of Steel and seemed set on beating him for revenge.
Superman, however, did not know Mr. Z. During SupermanÕs travel to the early
20th century, though, he encountered Mr. Z again; this time, it was the
villain who did not recognize the hero.
[The same week as ZERO HOUR #0 reaches the stands, the ÒTime and Time AgainÓ
trade paperback will reprint this epic story. Even if Zero Hour changes some
of the events therein, it is still an excellent story.]
MORE LINEARITY
Shortly after a Linear Man accidentally sent Superman on a free tour of the
history of the universe, another Linear Man interfered in SupermanÕs life.
This time, however, Liri Lee hoped to repay Clark for the previous
intervention. Realizing how little time Lois and Clark had had together
lately, she warped time so that a few minutes seemed like hours. The couple
was able to catch up on valuable time together, and Liri Lee went away
unnoticed.
The Linear Men again appeared in ÒTime and Time Again Again,Ó which was a
direct sequel to the Armageddon 2001 series from 1991. That story revealed
much about the Linear Men and their leaderÕs interesting relationship to
Waverider. It was then that Superman discovered the secret of the Linear
Men, and readers simultaneously learned about the guardians of time.
Superman encountered the Linear Men yet again in one of his last adventures
before Doomsday. In ÒTime Ryders,Ó Waverider and the Linear Men confronted
one another. They had been at odds in their previous encounter, and this
time a battle erupted. After temporarily destroying Matthew Ryder and the
fortress at Vanishing Point, Waverider changed time and restored the Linear
Men. After using his powers to view the life history of Matthew Ryder,
Waverider realized the importance of the Linear Men and decided to join them
in their guardianship of the time stream.
During each of his encounters with the Linear Men, Superman made clear his
attitude towards them. He felt that they were unsanctioned in their policing
of time. Acknowledging that they made choices that could save or doom
innocent people, he condemned their actions and attitudes. While the Linear
Men feel that the sanctity of the time stream is of utmost importance,
Superman considers the preservation of life to be a greater concern.
THE END OF TIME AND SPACE
SupermanÕs most recent jaunt through time was much shorter, though potentially
more deadly. In his recent rematch with the Armageddon Creature (as recorded
in the SUPERMAN/DOOMSDAY: HUNTER/PREY mini-series), Waverider followed the
Kryptonian hunter in search of his prey. In the final battle, Superman took
the time armband from the fallen Waverider and called on a Mother Box (from
the New Gods) to take him and Doomsday to a point in time where Doomsday could
be defeated. That place was the end of time.
In the climactic scene of Book Three, Waverider proceeded to give details:
ÒThis place is the end of time. There, entropy awaits like a ravenous beast,
where it drains all energy and life. It is the only time...the only place
known where life cannot possibly exist.Ó The description of entropy matches
previous descriptions of the Time TrapperÕs realm at the end of time.
Before departing, Waverider commented on DoomsdayÕs death: ÒAs the universe
dies and time comes to an end, Doomsday and his violent, killing rage shall
come to a mercifully final end as well.Ó After Zero Hour, however, there
have been changes at the end of time, and Doomsday may have yet escaped.
ZERO HOUR: CRISIS IN TIME
Many of the time-manipulations involved with Zero Hour are quite complex,
and the story combines many elements mentioned herein. The Pocket Universe
again appears in ÒEnd of an Era,Ó the Legion cross-over into Zero Hour. The
Time Trapper not only plays a role but also reveals his true identity. The
Linear Men play a major role in the countdown; they were previously created
by Dan Jurgens, and as author of Zero Hour he certainly chose to include
them.
While not battling the evil Extant, Clark has had a few other brief
adventures during the chronal chaos. Before learning about Zero Hour, he
encountered multiple versions of Batman in Metropolis. A phone call from
his adoptive parents sent Kal-El back to Smallville, where an alternate
version of his biological parents had come from Krypton to find him. A trip
back to Metropolis revealed another alternate timeline in which MetropolisÕ
protector was a Roman hero named the Alpha Centurion. Finally, as the time
stream broke down, Superman found that Metropolis no longer existed.
After the vast events of Zero Hour, time travel may become easier in the DC
Universe. Whether Superman will again to travel the currents of history will
be revealed in time.
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
Time and Time Again Ñ Superman travels through time to future and past
Phase I ADVENTURES 476 Mar 91
Phase II ACTION 663 Mar 91
Phase III Ñ 1943 & WWII SUPERMAN 54 Apr 91
Phase IV ADVENTURES 477 Apr 91
Phase V ACTION 664 Apr 91
Phase VI SUPERMAN 55 May 91
Phase VII ADVENTURES 478 May 91
SupermanÕs Fiancee Lois Lane Ñ scene on Mount Fuji SUPERMAN 59 Sep 91
Time and Time Again Again Ñ Waverider & Linear Men SUPERMAN 61 Nov 91
Time Ryders Ñ Waverider joins the Linear Men SUPERMAN 73 Nov 92
Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey
Book One DOOMSDAY 1 (Jun 94
Book Two Ñ DoomsdayÕs origin DOOMSDAY 2 (Jul 94
Book Three DOOMSDAY 3 (Aug 94
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time
MAN OÕSTEEL 37 Sep 94
ZERO HOUR 4 Sept94
SUPERMAN 93 Sep 94
ZERO HOUR 3 Sept94
ADVENTURES 516 Sept94
ZERO HOUR 2 Sept94
ACTION 703 Sep 94
ZERO HOUR 1 Sept94
So just what will be the end of time and space in the post-Zero Hour DC
Universe? Will time be an infinite loop? Will the universe end in entropy?
Anyone who knows the full riddle understands that the answer will remain the
same: the letter ÒeÓ.
The beginning of eternity,
The end of time and space,
The beginning of every end,
And the end of every place.
=========================================================
End of Section 1
=========================================================
REVIEWS
ÑÑÑ-
THE ÒTRIANGLEÓ TITLES:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
32. ACTION COMICS #702, ÒBad SportÓ
Writer: David Michelinie
Artists: Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier
$1.50 cover
Bloodsport, the racist maniac with teleporting abilities, appears again in
Metropolis to terminate Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. Superman tries to
stop Bloodsport, but is thwarted by the number of innocents that he endangers.
Ron, the Daily Planet reporter, finds out where BloodsportÕs weapons cache,
from which he teleports any weapon he needs for the moment, and blows up the
entire arsenal. Unable to obtain new weapons to threaten the populace of
Metropolis, Bloodsport is knocked out by a flick of SupermanÕs finger
I am really disappointed. I was expecting much more from MichelinieÕs first
story. Something special. (Though not too special, since I am not a fan of
his previous work.) This is nothing more than an all-battle-no-plot issue,
and a boring battle at that, because Bloodsport is no match for Superman.
Where have we seen this before? The scene in which Superman goes after
dozens of bullets in dozens of directions reminded me of ACTION COMICS #700.
Just change the bullets to torpedoes and you got it.
Maybe the imminent Zero Hour is the reason. They needed a one-shot story,
just a fill-in while waiting for the main event. But you can expect much more
from a one-shot, and at least you expect some story. Our expectations have
not been fulfilled in any sense. Another thing to complain about: Superman
seems a big-muscles-no-brain too many times in the latest stories. (Something
to do with all-battle-no-story?) I thought he was intelligent, and brilliant.
But now I have some doubts about it. He always needs the help of others to
solve the problems, and he just had to give an easy coup de grace. In
addition, the good level exhibited by the team Guice-Rodier has gone down this
time and I donÕt know why. The detailed drawing has changed to thick-line
schemes in a few panels, and the art is generally poorer and mixed with the meaningless story (And I am talking strictly about the story, not about the topic Ñ because racism is, indeed, an important topic).
As usual, my last words will be about what I am waiting for. I am always
waiting for more. Either I like what I have, or I dislike it. Well, as
everybody else, I am waiting anxiously for Zero Hour. I am tired of these
dull months.
Rating: 1 shield
Jose R. Galan
=========================================================
33. SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL #37, ÒPrelude to ZeroÓ
Written by Louise Simonson
Pencils by Jon Bogdanove
Inks by Dennis Janke
$1.50 cover
So whereÕs the Steel? Oh, what the heckÑit doesnÕt matter in this issue
that Superman does little more than observe the goings-on, or that the
obligatory battle scenes are meaningless, since the time shifts make it
possible for someone to be shot in one panel and fine in the next. The
important element in this issue is the salute to BatmanÕs past, rendered in
loving detail by the creative team.
The basic plot: Batman summons Superman so they can work together to
solve the mysterious time anomalies that are ripping reality apart. While
Superman and the Batmans of various timelines try to figure out what is going
on, the Batmans phase in and out. To complicate matters, they must also foil
a group of futuristic thugs (from the ÒDark Knight ReturnsÓ timeline) who are
trying to disrupt a benefit concert, since the proceeds would help rebuild
MetropolisÑa goal offensive to the gangÕs anarchic philosophy. The lead
singer of one rock group is shot, but is unharmed; IÕm not sure whether this
is because of shifting timelines or because of allusions to this character
being a real vampire. (Since the lead singer is a friend of Jimmy OlsenÕs, I
assume weÕll be seeing more of her.)
Though the Batmans and Superman really accomplish nothing in this
issue, the true joy is seeing Jon Bogdanove represent each different Batman
in the style of a past Batman artist. Yes, the swipes were a little *too*
obvious, but I never thought IÕd actually see a scene where a Bob
Kane-inspired Batman speaks to a Frank Miller-inspired Batman. Very cool.
And Louise Simonson did a good job of showing how the different Batmans would
speak and relate to Superman. The Ô70s Batman calls Superman Òold friendÓ,
for example (which brought a nostalgic tear to my eye), while the
Miller-inspired Batman reluctantly contacts Superman, musing, ÒSuperman
has sold us out. And still IÕve come to him.Ó
Despite everyoneÕs misgivings about the eventual outcome of Zero
Hour, the ÒPrelude to ZeroÓ stories throughout the DC Universe have been more
fun and imaginative than most of the stories IÕve read in the past few years.
ItÕs sad that Zero Hour is being used to kiss off some of DCÕs oldest and
greatest creative characters, instead of being used as an opportunity to
revitalize them. I miss the WorldÕs Finest team (and friendship), and I know
IÕm going to take the demise of the Justice Society particularly hard. Ah
well. Time moves on...
For nostalgic value, I rate this comic a 5-shield must-have. Batman and
Superman together have never looked better.
Anatole Wilson
=========================================================
34. SUPERMAN #93, ÒHomeÓ
Written and layouts by Dan Jurgens
Inks by Josef Rubinstein
$1.50 cover
Kal-El takes a moment to call his parents and finds out that his
parents need him at the farm. Superman is plagued with a presumed dilemma:
does he assist his parents or fly to New York city to meet the team of
EarthÕs super heroes that he has telepathically assembled with the aid of
Metron? He follows his heart and flies to Smallville. Much to his surprise,
he finds both his adopted and biological parents waiting for him!
Apparently, Krypton was not destroyed, and Jor-El and Lara have come to
earth to bring their first-born son home with them. They show Superman what
Krypton has become Ñ a beautiful-love-filled-peaceful-planet. Superman
tells them that he can not return home with them because of his duty here on
Earth, but he would come to visit, sometime. Jor-El and Lara board their
ship and head back to Krypton. Superman watches as they are destroyed by a
chronal discharge, and he is orphaned once again. But, not completely. He
returns to Ma and Pa Kent, and on the strength of their love, he flies to New
York where Zero Hour begins.
This issue of Superman was beautiful to look at. I loved the inks
and the colors. I never grow tired of looking at JurgenÕs artwork. I do not
usually like stories that mess with continuity, but this story was easier to
accept knowing that the breaks in continuity are occurring through out the DC
universe and none of it will matter in a few weeks (or will they? Stay tuned
and find out what the DC universe will become). Jurgens used the problems
presented by Zero Hour to create an interesting story. I can feel Kal-ElÕs
dilemma of love or duty; his pain as he is forced to watch his biological
parents die; and his love for the parents that raised him. Even though he
knows that Jor-El and Lara should not exist in this reality, it does not
make his loss any less painful. In his grief, he does what most people
would do, draw strength from the ones he loves. I think it was a beautiful
story. We are treated to the human side of Kal-El in this story, and not
some mindless slugfest that would be retconned out of existence at the end of
the month.
Rating: 4 Shields
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
=========================================================
35. THE ADVENTURES OF ALPHA CENTURION #516, ÒThe Hero of MetropolisÓ
Written by Karl ÒClaudiusÓ Kesel
Pencils by Peter ÒCaesarÓ Krause
Inks by Jackson ÒAugustusÓ Guice
$1.50 cover
The disruptions of the Time Stream hit Metropolis harder than ever.
SupermanÕs destroyed Metropolis no longer exists. Instead, he sees a fully
rebuilt and thriving city. He shows up at the Daily Planet and changes into
Clark Kent. Then, he spies Lois, runs up to her, and jokingly says, ÒI know
we never met, but I believe in true love, and plants a kiss firmly on her
lips. This Lois Lane does not recognize him and slaps him in the face.
Hurt, Clark tries to talk his way out of the mess, and Lois says, ÒOh, DonÕt
act meek and mild mannered...Ó Clark then leaves, changes into Superman, and
patrols Metropolis. He finds that he is not the guardian of Metropolis.
There is another hero called Alpha Centurion who protects Metropolis. There
are some battles, and we learn of the origins of Alpha Centurion.
Yawn. In my last review, I mentioned that I do not like these
random-mess-with-continuity-stories. This was a yawner. I loved the ÒhumorÓ
of Lois and ClarkÕs encounter, but I am sure a more interesting story could
have been written by altering known characters than by creating a new one. I
apologize if this Alpha Centurion really did exist somewhere before, and I
never knew about him, or forgot about him. ItÕs also maybe possible that this
Alpha Centurion may be active after the events of Zero Hour. Either way, I
would have enjoyed a story altering Lex Luthor or one of the other Classic
Characters more than this one.
Rating: 2.5 Shields Òmeek and mild manneredÓ I loved it!!
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
_________________________________________________________________
***************************************************************
OTHER SUPER-TITLES, SPECIALS, AND APPEARANCES:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
SUPERBOY #8, ÒBig Trouble in Smallville!Ó
Written by Karl Kesel
Pencils by Tom Grummett
Inks by Doug Hazlewood & Dan Davis
$1.50 cover
Superboy and Dubbilex are en route back to Hawaii when suddenly, the
plane transporting Dubbilex and Krypto encounters a sudden storm and one of
its engines is struck by lightning. While Superboy flies to save the falling
plane, an anomaly takes place: Superboy of pre-Crisis origin appears within
the storm and descends to also rescue the plane.
Ignorant of each otherÕs appearance, they safely land the plane in
Smallville, where the pilots commence repairs. Dubbilex senses a presence but
is plagued but uncertainty. In the meantime, further disturbances in the time
continuum are occurring. The sign advertising Smallville as the Home of
Superboy has appeared as well as the secret underground entrance leading to
the KentsÕ farmhouse basement.
Upon reaching the Kent residence, young Superboy changes into his
Clark Kent identity and goes into the neighborhood. Puzzled by the
contemporary nature of a modern car, he runs into Lana Ross. Due to their
present difference in age and different histories, Superboy is confused by
LanaÕs knowledge of his secret identity and her relationship with his
one-time friend, Pete Ross. He flees the scene.
Lana chases him down only to discover more anomalies. It seems that
the longer young Clark Kent stays in the present time, the more itÕs twisted
to become his version of reality. Superboy appears on the scene only to
fight the pre-Crisis Superboy over the assumption that the Superman clone is
ClarkÕs impostor - he is promptly thrashed. Young Clark flies to the KentsÕ
to see if they will recognize him. When Superboy reaches him, they discover
that Clark is indeed the anomaly affecting Smallville.
Clark passes his torch and mantle to Superboy and, with resignation,
disappears in a flash. The Kents rush out of their farmhouse to encounter
Superboy, the post-Crisis version, for the first time.
While Dubbilex and Superboy are in discussion near the plane,
SupermanÕs image appears, guided to each of EarthÕs heroes by Metron.
Although, Dubbilex is still weak from the incident with the plane, Superboy
nevertheless proceeds to the UN building in NY city in response to SupermanÕs
summons to deal with what the readers now know as Zero Hour.
Reminiscent of ByrneÕs Superman fighting Superboy in Action Comics
#591, this issue was nevertheless nostalgic for itÕs pre-Crisis Superboy
appearance. You almost feel sorry for him because itÕs he that understands
that he isnÕt supposed to be part of the time continuum that he appears in.
When he disappears, you know that heÕs gone forever, leaving the name of
Superboy to his successor, the Aloha stateÕs golden boy.
Kesel performed an apt job with the plot and script in order to give the
pre-Crisis Superboy a brief appearance before sending him back into the
retcon zone. Fortunately, SuperboysÕ (both of them) appearances didnÕt cause
the issue to become another 24-page rumble. Grummett and HazlewoodÕs work was
up to its usual great standards, especially with Superboy in his Clark Kent
guise. Drawn just like the young Clark Kents of a bygone era, right down to
his red sweater, coke-rimmed glasses, and slicked-back, mild-mannered
coiffure.
A thumbs up and a 4.5 shield rating.
Victor Chan (vichan@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca)
=========================================================
STEEL #8, ÒThe ChallengeÓ
Written by Louis Simonson
Pencils by Chris Batista
Inks by Rich Faber and Andrew Pepoy
$1.50 cover
Steel says good-bye to Superman and the events of ÒWorlds CollideÓ and
returns to D.C. and his family. Changing out of his armor and
into a ÒBody By BogÓ T-shirt, Steel comes home just in time for Sunday
breakfast. SteelÕs family then takes a trip to the Vietnam Memorial. Steel
joins them and is ambushed by agents of the Black Ops. In the battle, Steel
is saved by a rock thrown by a previous version of himself from the 60Õs who
has crossed into the future by the tumultuous events of the DC time stream.
Jem has managed to save three vials of Tar and strongly considers taking one
to get Tyke out of danger. He doesnÕt, and runs off with Tyke under his own
power. The villains retreat, and the past version of John Irons fades.
JemÕs success gives him the strength to vow that he will not use the tar
anytime soon. He has learned that one can be a hero by using his personal
gifts to help others. He does not need the tar that will surely kill him to
be a hero.
I enjoyed this issue of Steel. I liked the evolution of Jem in this
story. He starts off as a depressed kid who goes back and retrieves the tar
that he hid. The seduction of the tar is too great for him to turn his back
on it completely and he keeps it with him Òjust in caseÓ. Then, he strongly
considers using it, but is able to resist. At the end of the story, he has
been strengthened and he learns that he does not need the tar to be a hero.
I liked this story. I enjoyed the character development, and I enjoyed the
good nature of the story.
Rating: 4 Shields
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
=========================================================
THE SPECTRE #22, ÒSpear of Destiny: ConclusionÓ
Writer: John Ostrander
Artist: Tom Mandrake
Painted Cover: Alex Ross
$1.95 cover
In issue #21 of THE SPECTRE, Superman had been charged by President
Clinton and Professor Hazzard to take the Spear of Destiny and do whatever
it takes to defeat the Spectre, who has destroyed an entire nation in his
wrath. Unfortunately, Professor Hazzard did not study the Spear enough at
first, and did not realize that the power of the spear corrupts whoever uses
it.
In this issue, Supes takes the Spear to Japan, where he confronts
Spectre and Naiad, a water spirit who has been rampaging through Tokyo. After
Spectre warns Superman that the Spear is dangerous, Supes ignores him, and
uses the Spear to destroy the Spectre. He then destroys Naiad, and goes on to
declare his supremacy over the entire world. He kills most of the members of
the Justice League, and, when he realizes what he has done, he allows Batman
(who still has a piece of Kryptonite) to execute him, but not before he
begs Batman and chastises him for taking so long. It is then that he realizes
that this is just a possible future, shown to him by the Spectre, and chooses
to relinquish the Spear.
As good as John OstranderÕs run on THE SPECTRE has been, this has
been the second best issue of the entire run (behind #12). Ostrander manages,
in just one page, to completely capture the reactions of the Kents and Lois
to ClarkÕs new megalomania. He writes Superman as well as anybody since John
Byrne has, and manages to make you shudder with Kal-ElÕs gradual corruption,
even though it is quickly apparent that it is merely a possible future.
MandrakeÕs art is as crisp as usual, with a much better Superman than at least
some of the current artists (Bogdanove comes to mind). Alex Ross (of Marvels
fame) paints a gorgeous cover, to top it all off. This issue is highly
recommended, for Superman fans and Spectre fans alike. It deals with the
possibility of Supes abusing his power wonderfully, and is probably one of
the best single issues of any comic this year.
Rating: 5 shields
Adam Lipkin (alipkin@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu)
=========================================================
SUPERBOY ANNUAL #1, ÒThe Super Seven Part 2: Men of Steel!Ó
Written by Karl Kesel
Penciled by Greg S. Luzniak
Inked by Dave Bednar, Dan Davis, Peter Gross, Jackson Guice,
Ray McCarthy, Luke McDonnell, Ande Parks, Andrew Pepoy,
and Stan Woch [EditorÕs note: This book is a wonderful
example of what the inker means to the artwork.]
$2.95 cover
In last monthÕs reviews, I wrote that I feared that this monthÕs SUPERBOY
ANNUAL would not be as upbeat as last monthÕs ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN ANNUAL.
My fears were realized to an extreme. This monthÕs annual is full of
deception, betrayal and death. Many of our greatest heroes sacrifice their
lives to save their beloved Earth. The leader of the invading aliens is
prepared to deal with all of EarthÕs known heroes. Golden weapons to kill
Green Lantern, Kryptonite for Superman, etc. But, he is not prepared to deal
with Superboy in their first encounter. Superboy is able to use this to his
advantage and is able to defeat the alien leader. With the defeat of the
alien leader, the occupying troops become disjointed and EarthÕs freedom
fighters are able to route them.
Phew! There were a lot of surprises and twists in this annual. It
really kept me on the edge of my seat. I have not seen the Seven Samurai,
and it has been 15+ years since I saw the Magnificent Seven. So, I was
surprised with this story. But, not all of these surprises were pleasant
ones. I disagree with some of the characterizations, and I admit that I am a
sucker for a happy ending; something that this story lacked. I do not care
if most stories are predictable (the heroes win) as long as they are well
executed. At least for me, this story was not predictable, and I was not
pleased with the ending of this gritty western. It was an interesting
change, from a typical DC comic, and I was really bummed that my FAVÕRIT
Ñsorry couldnÕt resistÑ was one of the fallen heroes. The artwork was not
to my liking. I did not care for the way the heroes were drawn, especially
the faces, but the artwork was constant. The artist was very good at
displaying the action of the fight scenes, and faces were often distorted in
overexpression of emotion. All of these work well with the story to show the
reader the stakes are high and the gloves are off. The heroes are fighting
for their lives and the lives of everyone else on Earth, and even at the end
of the book Earth is not truly free of all the aliens. I did not love the
story, but I have to respect it, because it sticks to its ÒgunsÓ, and stays
within its genre.
Rating: 4 shields
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
=========================================================
ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #6, ÒLegacyÓ
Story and Art by John Byrne
Backup story: ÒDoomsday for the Fifth DimensionÓ
Plot and Art by Dennis Janke
Script by Louise Simonson
$2.95 cover
In this Elseworlds story, Krypton explodes 200 years earlier than it
does in the normal Superman continuity. A single male escapes and comes to
Earth shortly before the American Revolution. He hires himself to the King
of England and crushes any type of rebellion, including our Continental
Congress. 200 years later, Kal-El is born and thinks that the ruling of King
is wrong and all men should decide their own fate. He joins the resistance
movement and confronts his Ògrandfather.Ó Kal-ElÕs action and words change
his ÒgrandfatherÕsÓ mind and Earth is freed of the iron fist of the
Kryptonian. Accompanying the Byrne story there is a rewriting of the
Doomsday story. Superman is Doomsday and Mxyzptlk is the savior of the fifth
dimension.
I was expecting a lot more from ByrneÕs return. I did not care for
this story at all. I enjoyed ByrneÕs artwork, but the story was just blah.
There was not much action, and there really did not seem to be much of a
story. Maybe there were too many large panels, great to look at, but the
story did not seem to develop. Maybe I was just tired when I read it, and
tired of reviewing comic books this week.
Rating: 2.5 shields
Arthur LaMarche@Dartmouth.edu
=========================================================
Again, if anyone is interested in being a regular reviewer or a member
of a ratings panel, please contact Art at the address above!
=========================================================
End of Section 2
=========================================================
REVIEWS (CONTINUED)
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
WORLDS COLLIDE:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
BLOOD SYNDICATE #17, ÒMirror Faces MirrorÓ (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 13)
DCÕs Milestone Imprint
Writer: Ivan Valez, Jr.
Penciller: Chris Cross, Ivan Valez, Jr.
$1.75 cover
One line review: simple clean art, interesting story but doesnÕt go
anywhere
While searching for their lost team mate Aquamaria, the team
discovers that their home, Paris Island has been destroyed. As each
of them has family that has been killed, they vow vengeance and
attack Rift.
Rift responds by trying to send them back to ÒschoolÓ to acquire
some better breeding. I must admit, that seeing the Syndicate in a
prep school setting was not something that I expected. It lightened
the mood of the book considerably.
Dog finds Aquamaria and Wise SonÕs kids just before Aquamaria
attacks Rift. We then get to see the Blood Syndicate as an X-Men
style team. While funny, it didnÕt seem to add much to the story
line except to show the power of Rift.
Needless to say, the Syndicate break free of the situation. This
time it appears that Rift has had enough, and he transforms the
Syndicate into a statue (much the same as he did to Superboy,
Static, and Rocket earlier). Rift, convinced that the whole of the
world is a dream of his own making, transforms the kids and Dog into
a cloud of bubbles.
The story itself seems to have taken on a more dream-like quality
than what has been the case in the other books in this mega
cross-over. We do get to see some decent characterization of the
team members, especially in the beginning where the team finds out
that their homes and families have been destroyed with Paris
Island. The teams interaction and reaction to the situations that
Rift puts them into gives some fairly good insights into some of
the team members.
In the other books of the crossover, there has been at least some
interaction with other characters involved in the story. This book,
however, concentrates entirely on the Blood Syndicate and Rift. As a
cross-over book, this one doesnÕt make it. On the other hand you
could do far worse if youÕre looking for a decent read.
The artwork in this story is very simple and clean. I normally like
more detail in my backgrounds, but for some reason, the lack of
detail seems to be right for this story.
Story Rating: 4 shields
Art Rating: 4 shields
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
STATIC #14, ÒAfter Worlds CollideÓ (WORLDS COLLIDE: Part 14)
DCÕs Milestone Imprint
Writer: Dwane McDuffie.
Penciller: Denys Cowan & Prentis Rollins
Painted Color: David Montoya
$2.50 cover
One line review: great art, disappointing ending to the storyline.
This is the book that I had hoped I would see in WORLDS COLLIDE #1.
It successfully tied all three of the stories in this cross-over
together into one (at last!).
Static, Rocket, and Superboy all find themselves in a world
recognizably similar to that of DCÕs original Legion of
Superheroes Ñ complete down to the Rocket Ship styled clubhouse with
a Mission Monitor and Walk of Fame. It was a real kick to see the
campy/hokey world of DCÕs Silver Age, populated with the more
ÒearthyÓ heroes of Dakota.
Superman and Icon are freed from where they had been trapped
between the dimensions with the weapon designed by Steel and
Hardware. Static, Rocket, and Fade are attacked by the statues of
the Blood Syndicate. Rocket and Fade are defeated by the statues
leaving Static to be rescued by Holocaust (a Milestone villain).
Static and Holocaust then take the battle to Rift, where they are
joined by Superboy, Steel and Hardware. Rift easily defeats them,
but they were able to distract him long enough for Superman and
Icon to bring the weapon into range. Static powers the
weapon and then... Sorry I canÕt continue without spoiling the
ending for those who havenÕt read it.
All through the story, IÕve been wanting all of the characters from
the cross-over to get together to defeat Rift. It simply doesnÕt
happen. The story may be a little more realistic (if I can use the
term to describe a comic story) this way, but I still felt cheated.
As a concluding story, I felt more than a little disappointed by the
ending. It was as if the writers had run out of ideas and just
decided to drop it. While it does leave plenty of room for a sequel
in the future, I suspect that we wonÕt be seeing one anytime soon.
Too bad. It was fun while it lasted. While it was considerably
longer, the story reminded me of the pre-crisis JLA/JSA X-overs.
The art in the book was excellent, even if it didnÕt have the
quality of detail that I have come to expect from Milestone. I
suspect that the artists were rushed to complete the project.
Seeing the old LSH style made the book for me. The artists were
able to capture much of the style of the old Superboy/LSH stories.
Story Rating: 4 shields (the ending dropped it a point)
Art Rating: 5 shields
ReneÕ Gobeyn
_________________________________________________________________
***************************************************************
ZERO HOUR:
ÑÑÑÑ-
ZERO HOUR #4
Writer, pencils: Dan Jurgans
Finished art: Jerry Ordway
$1.50 cover
One line review: great story & art, better than I was expecting
After one of the biggest build ups to any story line that I have
ever seen, DCÕs ZERO HOUR is finally underway. The start of the
story is at the End of Time, where the Time Trapper (LSH villain)
is being blasted by someone.
Change scene to Apokolips where Metron of the New Gods is
informing Darkseid that he has observed that time itself seems to
be unraveling. Darkseid brushes him off and Metron leaves to look for
allies elsewhere.
Change scene to Gotham City where the Joker is being captured by
Batgirl. Batman and Robin show up and are confused by Barbara
Gordon showing up healthy and in costume again. She has no memory
of being shot and paralyzed. The Joker gets away in the
confusion. All this takes place under the watchful eyes of...
another Robin!
Change scene to Vanishing Point, a point outside of the
timestream, and home of the Linear Men. It is being observed that
entire sections of time are being destroyed. Waverider and Rip
Hunter are dispatched to look into whatÕs happening.
Change scene to Earth of the 64th century, where the Flash is
apprehending Abra Kadabra. A rift in space-time has appeared in
the sky. Flash attempts to create a vortex that will cause a
shockwave that will dissipate the rift. He fails and is in his
turn destroyed by the rift. Waverider and Rip Hunter escape by
traveling into the past.
Change scene to Metropolis, current time. Superman and Batman are
talking when Metron shows up with news that what is happening is
not random anomalies, but instead a crisis.
Change scene to Star City, New Earth 5700AD, where Hal Jordan
(pre-madness) is trying to stem the tide of the disaster. Green
Lantern and Rip Hunter are pulled into the rift. Rip tells
Waverider to check the chrono-scopes for a similar crisis.
Change scene to Earth (again) where Hawkman is battling Vandal
Savage. Hawkman seems to split into multiple versions of himself.
The same thing is happening to Dr. Mist. Meanwhile (if that term
can have any meaning), Superman and Metron have joined up with the
new Green Lantern to broadcast a call for help to all of the
Heroes currently on Earth to meet him to join forces to try to
stop the disaster.
Waverider discovers what really happened during the Crisis on
Infinite Earths. He returns to Earth to find the Justice Society
gathering to fight the Crisis. He shows the Golden Age Flash (Jay
Garrick) the fate of the Flash that died in the 64th century and
we discover that it was Wally West that died.
Change scene to Vanishing Point, where we meet the new villain Extant.
Story Rating: 5 Shields of five
Art Rating: 5 Shields of five
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
ZERO HOUR #3 (follows #4 - series is numbered backwards)
Story and art: Dan Jurgens
Finished art: Jerry Ordway
$1.50 cover
1 line review: great story & art, actually better than the hype
This book picks up where #4 left off. It read better to me and
advanced the Zero Hour storyline more than #4 did. This book is
more than a collage of the different cross-over storylines. The
fact that it featured the JSA (my all time favorite team) helped.
I highly recommend this book. While IÕm not sure if I like what
happens here, I am glad to see that DC does seem to be trying to
resolve some of the consistency holes thathave been around (and
getting worse) since the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS.
The JSA has rallied around FlashÕs (Wally) death. Dr. Fate arranges
to take the JSA to Vanishing Point where they feel their experience
with time problems will give them the edge in solving the problem.
They disappear except for the Golden Age Hawks and Waverider, who
apparently have something else to accomplish.
Change scene to Superman and Metron as they return from Smallville,
they stop in Central City to help Impulse (NOT Kid Flash), and
invite him to join them on their mission. He agrees. He is looking
for his cousin (Wally) and he thinks that a gathering of heroes is
where Wally would be.
Change scene to the where the Time Trapper has revealed himself to
be Rokk Krinn, to a rather startled Rokk Krinn, who then attacks
the Trapper.
Change scene to New York City, current time where all the heroes
that are answering SupermanÕs call are gathering. (It is a
beautiful double splash page with more DC heroes than I have ever
seen in one place - worth the price of the book by itself!). They
choose Superman to lead them.
Change scene to where the JSA has arrived at Vanishing Point and
they first notice that Waverider and the Hawks are no longer with
them. They donÕt have time to think about it as they are attacked
by Extant.
The scene changes to focus on Waverider and the Hawks as they
arrive to help Hawkman in his battle with the Hawkgod, and we see
the birth of a NEW Hawkman. (see HAWKMAN #13 for more details)
Scene changes to Viril Dox (L.E.G.I.O.N) as he launches a probe
into the timestream itself.
Scene changes to Supertown, and Highfather of the New Gods, where
he tells Orion and Lightray, that the end of everything is at hand.
Change scene to the gathering of heroes. Waverider, Hawkman and
Metron all arrive to tell them what has already happened. He tells
them how the Flash (Wally West), and Green Lantern (a younger Hal
Jordan) have already died. Guy Gardner thinks that they can make
use of the chronal problems to fix things so that Coast City is
never destroyed, and Hal Jordan will never go bad. Waverider is
stunned when Aquaman asks if someone could be controlling this
crisis.
Change scene to Vanishing point where the JSA are being destroyed
by Extant. Atom is killed outright, Dr. Fate is split into his
component selves and the mask, cape and medallion are separated.
Sandman, and Black Cat are aged to their true ages and Black Cat
has a heart attack.
A brief (3 panel) scene change to the heros gathering where
Waverider senses that there is someone who doesnÕt belong at
Vanishing Point and leaves to go there.
Scene changes back to Vanishing Point where Extant ages all of the
JSAers (except Green Lantern) to their true ages. Dr. Midnight and
Hourman attack Extant and he ages them still further, killing
Hourman. Waverider then appears.
The scene changes back to the New York where the heroes are
startled by the appearance of the city as it will be in the 25th.
century. Metron states that if the crisis is to be stopped, they
must act now.
Scene changes back to Vanishing Point where Waverider places all
the aged, and hurt JSAers into stasis while Green Lantern (Alan
Scott) attacks Extant. Extant retaliates by advancing time so that
his ring charge expires. Waverider then turns to attack Extant (who
he calls Monarch). Monarch responds by saying ÒDonÕt call me that,
I am more than Monarch ever was! I am Extant!Ó
I canÕt continue without spoiling the ending of the book, but letÕs
just say that a few of the anomalies that have been happening are
explained when Waverider learns just who Extant *REALLY* is.
Story rating: 5 shields
Art rating: 5 shields
I really wish I could rate them higher.
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
ZERO HOUR #2
Story and pencil art: Dan Jurgens
Finished art: Jerry Ordway
$1.50 cover
1 line review: Tight plotting, excellent art - highly recommended
This story picks up exactly as last issue ended. The cross-overs to
the regular titles donÕt seem to be showing up in this book at all.
This is good as the book now stands on its own. Some of the
effects of the story are being felt in the cross-overs and this is
as it should be. The cross-over stories are not really necessary to
understanding what is happening here. I think DC has gotten it
right on this one. After years of failed mega cross-overs, this is
a pleasure to read.
Extant/Monarch (future Waverider?) sends the defeated JSA and
Waverider to New York where the Heroes are gathering. And he begins
to call together his soldiers to defend the rift.
The gathered heroes make plans to get rid of the floating city that
is threatening New York (see last issue). Metron creates a Boom-
tube, and the gathered heros supply power to make it large enough
to accept the city. End of problem.
At this point Waverider, and the aged JSA appear.
With most to the JSA dead or permanently out of action the
remaining members of the team step down. Manhunter and Amazing Man
rush the injured heros to the hospital. Green Lantern turns over
his ring to Kyle Rayner (the new Green Lantern). The last remaining
members of the JSA turn and walk away leaving the world in the
hands of the assembled heroes, new and old.
This scene is one of the strongest and most emotional ones that I
have ever read. We see the end of an era, as these old heros walk
away, done simply and without the angst. They left as they always
served, proudly. I couldnÕt believe it. I re-read the scene at
least five times before I continued the story. The JSA has always
been my favorite team of characters in the DC Universe. I almost
dropped DC when their series was canceled. After reading this, I
was glad I didnÕt. This scene alone will make this whole ZERO-HOUR
mini-series worth while.
The gathered heroes decide to split into three teams, one to try to
stop the Crisis in the future, one to the past, and the last to
defend the present.
The future team arrives in the 30th century and are attacked by
teams of the futureÕs Team Titans who are being controlled by
Extant.
The scene changes rapidly several times to show other things that
are happening. Dr. Mist fades as entropy eats away the time when he
was born. Jay and Alan (the former Flash and Green Lantern)
arrive at the hospital to be with their teammates. The doctors tell
them that Wildcat and Sandman should recover, but Dr. Mid-Nite
didnÕt make it. Jay goes to find the Spectre. Power Girl goes into
labor and her baby projects a force shield.
Meanwhile, (get used to this word, I need to use it a lot) the team
sent to the distant past tries to close down the time rift there.
They are also attacked by Team Titans, and Extant himself shows
up as well, though it isnÕt the one who was present earlier, (heÕs
watching from vanishing point). Extant takes a blast at Darkstar
Donna Troy, but Green Lantern takes the blast, dropping Alan ScottÕs
ring. Extant attacks Waverider, who sends the heroes back to the
present. Extant then absorbs WaveriderÕs energy and powers, leaving
the power ring. A gloved hand reaches down and picks it up just
before entropy destroys it.
Meanwhile, back in the 30th century the heros have defeated the
Team Titans that had attacked them. Superman and Metron have come
up with a plan for closing the time rift there. Superman throws
MetronÕs Mobius Chair into the time rift, while Captain Atom blasts
it with energy causing a Boom-tube to open. This turns the rift
inside out, closing it. The Time Trapper and Rokk Krinn show up then
and send all the present day heroes back. The members of the LSH
stay behind.
Guy Gardner, Batman, Robin (Tim Drake), and Batgirl have just
defeated the last of the Titans that had attacked them in the
present. Then the Titans disappear. Extant throws a fit, screaming
that wasnÕt supposed to have happened. Both groups of good guys
show up. Guy is still thinking that with time being all screwed up,
he still has a chance of fixing things so that Hal Jordan doesnÕt
go crazy and destroy the OA and the Green Lantern Corps.
The mysterious figure shows up in the 30th century and reopens the
rift (Òto make things happen correctlyÓ) and then crushes AlanÕs
ring to keep from being reminded Òof a universe that will be NO
MOREÓ.
Story Rating: 5 shields
Art Rating: 5 shields
ReneÕGobeyn
=========================================================
ZERO HOUR TIE-INS
FLASH #94, ÒJust Do It! Reckless Youth (Part 3 of 3)Ó
In general, while this book does tie into the whole time travel /
Zero Hour storyline, it could easily be skipped by non-Zero-Hour
completists. While it is a great Flash story, and does finish up
the ÒReckless YouthÓ story line, I canÕt recommend it to non-
Flash readers. Next months ÒZero issueÓ should be a far better
jump-on point for new readers.
This issue is the third and final part of the ÒReckless YouthÓ
story line, which already involved some time travel. (WallyÕs
Aunt Iris comes back from the future to ask Wally to help her
train her and Barry AllenÕs grandson (Impulse) in the use of the
Superspeed powers that he inherited from Barry.)
While fighting with Abra Kadabra (a 64th century villain) they
both get zapped into the 64th century. The last scene of the book
leads directly into the events of Zero Hour #4.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
BATMAN #511, ÒThe Night Before ZeroÓ
This book is more of a fleshing out of the anomalies shown in
ZH#4. The first four pages of the book are of a scene taken from
BatmanÕs appearance in ZH#4.
The Joker is fleeing from (we assume) a crime or an attempted
crime and in the background we see a bat-like shadow. He assumes
it is Batman, and is quite puzzled when it is Batgirl who
captures him.
Batman and Robin arrive on the scene, and while they try to sort
out who Batgirl is, the Joker escapes. Meanwhile, another,
younger Robin (at least from the glimpse of the boot) looks on.
While Batman and Batgirl continue to try to sort things out, the
police show up. Batgirl tries to escape and Batman wonders why,
until they start shooting at him. It turns out Batgirl is from a
different timeline where the Joker killed Commissioner Gordon
instead of shooting and paralyzing her. Harvey Dent never becomes
Two-Face and became the new Police Commissioner replacing Jim
Gordon. Dent has started a campaign to capture or kill the Bats.
Batman captures the Joker in the showdown, and somehow BatmanÕs
current timeline is restored. Jim is still alive and Harvey is
Two-Face again. Batgirl doesnÕt disappear though, so I suspect
her of having a bigger, if not more permanent role in the Zero-
Hour story.
The last page of the book again crosses over to ZH when Batman
summons Superman.
I thought that this was the best of the crossover issues this
week. I really like the tight continuity between the ZH limited
series and many of the cross-overs. In many of the books the
consistency is so tight that even the dialogue is the same.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
GREEN LANTERN #55, ÒAssault & BatteryÓ
Like many of the Zero Hour cross-overs this bookÕs only obvious
connection comes at the very end of the story, and is a retelling
of Superman, and Metron getting Kyle RaynerÕs help in
broadcasting SupermanÕs message to the heroes of Earth from the
end of ZERO HOUR #4. It doesnÕt add anything to the storyline.
Continuing from last issue where Major Force has killed Kyle
RaynerÕs girlfriend, Kyle is in deep, as his ring has also just
run out of power.
Without his ring Kyle is getting stomped on until Major Force
takes a break to ask him about the chunk of green-glowing metal
that he had been given by the folks who hired him. Lucky for Kyle
it turns out to be his power lantern.
With his ring recharged, Kyle easily beats Major Force, and we
get to see that this is not going to be the same old Green
Lantern. Kyle forms an electric chair and straps Force into it.
He then begins questioning him by giving him a taste of the
juice. Kyle has just turned up the juice to fry him when the
local police turn up and try to arrest them both. Kyle hands
Major force over to them and returns to his apartment where he
meets the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Alan tells him the
story of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. Kyle takes this
and his girlfriendÕs death as a sign that he needs to grow up and
become more responsible.
Metron and Superman show up to ask for KyleÕs help in the crisis
and the story continues in ZERO HOUR #4.
The art is clean and well done I especially liked the way the
meeting between the two Green Lanterns is handled. It does a good
job integrating the ZERO HOUR story with the ongoing plot in the
series.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
LEGIONNAIRES #18, ÒChanging TimesÓ
ÒEnd of an EraÓ Part 4 of 6 (continued in Valor)
Warning: If you havenÕt been reading the ongoing storyline
taking place in LSH, Legionnaires, and Valor, back off now. 30th
century continuity is so messed up at this point that regular readers
are having trouble following it at times.
Live Wire, Cosmic Boy, and Saturn Girl (the younger versions)
finally arrive in the 20th Century and are rescued from crashing
by Jo Nah (the Older version). They arrive just as SupermanÕs
plea for help is received by the Earths heroes.
Rokk Krinn (Cosmic Boy) has been stuck in the Infinite Library by
Glorith and Mordru (see LSH #60) because he has some as-yet
unknown connection to one of their enemies. After being in the
library for an indeterminate amount of time he finds a door,
opens it and finds the Time Trapper.
Glorith and Mordru (after taking the power of the Infinite Man)
use their power to alter time so that it will be as if they
have always ruled the world (universe?). The LSH and Legionnaire
magic users try to stop them by casting a spell using Devlin
OÕRyan as the focus. Meanwhile the others try to run interference
against the Legionnaires of this reality. The only problem is that
Devlin (as do many others) vanishes before the spell can work. They
inadvertently kill the Chemical King of this universe and Furball
disappears. Mysa has recently developed an attachment to
Furball, and grieving over his loss surrenders her powers to
Amethyst, who manages to disrupt MordruÕs spell and restore the
universe. Then she too disappears. Of course, Mordru and Glorith
are still free.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
VALOR #23, ÒInfinite ValorÓ
ÒEnd of an EraÓ Part 5 of 6
Like Legionnaires, this book is a bit too confusing for any but
the regular readers of the 30th century DC Universe. As there
are only two small connections to the rest of the ZH cross-over, it
could be skipped without losing much of the cross-over storyline.
On the other hand, if you are a LSH fan, you should love this
book. It has some great explanations as to what has been going
on.
First of all, the two links to ZH are the presence of the Time
Trapper (a direct link to ZH#4) and the presence of Superboy (the
original!!! not the current clone).
Rokk Krinn and the Time Trapper are talking and the Time Trapper
explains much of what has been happening. To him it seems that he
has always been trying to save everyone from temporal chaos.
Only he kept screwing up, by not being able to control ALL the effects of
what he was doing. There are many references to LSH cases
concerning the Trappers appearances (like I said old LSH fans
should eat this up - it is actually well done). The Time Trapper
then pulls back his hood to show Rokk who he is.
Meanwhile, Valor, Tasmia, and Superboy (yea!) join the
Legionnaires in their fight against Glorith and Mordru. Valor
uses GlorithÕs love for him against her, and Superboy sucker
punches her while sheÕs distracted. The Dream Girls throw Valor
against Glorith and he absorbs the Infinite ManÕs power from her.
Valor then tries to battle Mordru, until Brainiac 5 (younger
version) tells him to let all the Infinite ManÕs power go into
Mordru. Mordru is claustrophobic, and the universe feels like it
is closing in on him. In his panic he listens when the
Legionnaires command him to imprison himself in a planet.
At the end, Tasmia, fatally injured in the battle, loses her hold
on this universe and vanishes. Valor then chooses to follow her
and finally (he has been keeping himself present only by will
power) vanishes. Superboy rallies the survivors just before
vanishing himself.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
HAWKMAN #13, ÒInto the Dark AetherÓ
ÒGodspawnÓ Part 5 (of 5)
Everything concerned with the Zero Hour cross-over that happens
in this book is represented in ZERO HOUR #3. For Zero HourÕs
purposes, this book greatly expands on HawkmanÕs big scene in ZH
#3, and gives the background for some of the other scenes
involving the Hawks (both silver age and current).
While this is not a good jumping on point for new readers, I
found the conclusion to the Godspawn storyline to be incredibly
well done (far better than what I was expecting). The ending will
lead into next months Zero issue, which should be a great place
for a new reader to start.
Time anomalies and confusion abound as Hawkman sees live footage
of the well-known Israeli hero Hawkman, and has a replay of a
conversation with his mother. In the end Hawkman decides that he
has to try to free the Hawkgod, the demon/angel that his father
imprisoned to power the Nth metal used in the flying harnesses,
and in the floating cities of Thanagar. (see the other issues of
the Godspawn storyline if you need more detail)
Katar uses the Nth metal in his harness to summon the Hawk god,
who arrives and promptly begins to beat him to death. Waverider
and the Golden Age Hawks show up (ZH #3 cross-over point).
Katar tries to reach the Hawkgod to communicate that they are
trying to free him. He is failing when Carter and Shiera (the
silver age Hawks) add their support. Mongrel also shows up at
this time and adds his power. The Hawk God explodes, and Katar,
Carter, and Shiera are all consumed in the blast.
Shayera and the other watching characters go to find out what
flashed to the ground from the explosion. I canÕt tell you what
they find without spoiling the ending, but it looks like an
interesting starting point for the following stories.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
SHADOW OF THE BAT #31, ÒThe Battling Butler!Ó
There are no direct links to the ZERO HOUR mini-series in this
book although there are references to Batgirl and the events of
BATMAN #511. There is a time anomaly in this issue Ñ an
alternate version of the butler of Alfred Pennyworth. It is a fun
issue very reminiscent of the old (50Õs) style Batman stories.
Though it can safely be skipped as a Zero-Hour cross-over.
Batman and Robin are returning to the Batmobile when they notice
a light is on in a building that is usually dark. They
investigate, only to find a man robbing his own company. The case
reminds Batman of another that he had solved years earlier. They
return to the Batcave to look into it.
On the way back, Robin talks about AlfredÕs resignation and
misses the sandwiches that he always had waiting when they
returned to the Batcave. When they get back to the cave, they
find sandwiches and a very different Alfred Pennyworth than they
remember. Alfred attacks Robin, whom he believes to be an imposter.
Batman deduces that this Alfred is a time anomaly, who wants to
become a detective and is also very clumsy. When Alfred finds
out that the Alfred from this time line has left Bruce, he is
horrified. When he returns to the mansion he finds it in such
horrible shape that he immediately starts to clean up. Batman
finds the files on the gangster Biff Bannon and on Dr. Andy Goodwin,
who had developed a hypnotic potion and used it to make
businessmen rob their own companies. Upon further investigation,
Batman finds that they had just been released from prison.
Meanwhile, the gangsters are discussing their plans to convince
their flunkies to try to kill Batman first and make money second.
As Batman and Robin prepare to hunt down the gangsters, Alfred
wants to go, but Batman refuses. Alfred notices their
destination on the computer and decides to follow them. Batman
and Robin find the crooks, but the Doctor drugs them. Bannon and
Goodwin take them to the roof and are telling them to jump when
Alfred falls through the billboard behind them. Bannon is getting
set to kill him, when Batman shakes off the drug, and defeats the
criminals. The time anomaly ends and Alfred then vanishes
declaring that he will never abandon his Bruce Wayne.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #92, ÒThe ProgramÓ
ÒReturn of the HeroÓ Part 1 (of 3)
No real connection to ZERO HOUR. This book serves as an
introduction to the new character Triumph who claims to have been
a founding member of the Justice League. TriumphÕs origin is
brought out as another time anomaly. This book is yet another
retcon retelling of a different origin of the Justice League. As
a cross-over to Zero Hour it can easily be missed. Only
recommended for League fans, and cross-over completists.
The issue retcons the origin of the Justice League from
TriumphÕs point of view. Triumph tells his story to those League
members who are still considering remaining in the league after
IceÕs death.
TriumphÕs powers are magnetically based, and he detected the
alien presence because they were trying to disrupt the earthÕs
magnetic field. He then called together the most powerful heroes
on the planet (Superman, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Black
Canary, Flash (Barry Allen), and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)) to
battle the menace.
Triumph has a plan to fight the aliens, but it has its flaws. He
sends Flash and Aquaman into space to communicate with the
aliens. They fail to do so, and then they realize that they
canÕt breathe in space. (Like this is a big surprise!). They
discover that sonics have an affect the aliens. When Black
Canary uses her sonic scream to attack the creatures, she forgets
to turn off the headsets that theyÕre using to communicate. This
deafens everyone and destroys their ability to communicate with
each other. Triumph, JÕonn, Hal, and Superman go up to battle the
alien ship (although Hal and Superman mutiny when they see that
Flash and Aquaman need help). JÕonn refuses to attack the ship
directly because of the unpredictability of the effects on its
time-space drive. Triumph goes it alone, absorbs power from the
ship and is apparently driven out of phase with time.
Back to the present, he explains that if heÕs free must the
aliens be also. He wants to recruit the Justice League members,
when he learns that most of them are weak (Ralph, Fox, etc.) but
they are all heÕs got. He gets angry when they fail to get
excited by what he is telling them. With all of the things that
have happened to them in the last few weeks, they are in no mood
to put up with him so they tell him to find somebody else.
Overall, this issue was just a little too confusing to non-
regular readers. It did have itÕs good moments, but not enough to
be used as a good jump-on point for new readers. As the story is
supposed to carry over to all of the Justice League titles it
might get better, or at least less confusing.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
OUTSIDERS #11
IÕm not sure why this is considered a Zero-Hour cross over. This
is an excellent title in its own right. I would like nothing
better than to have a large number of new readers start picking
this book up on a regular basis, I do think that it would be a
mistake to try to lure new readers in with the expectation that
this book is somehow connected to the Zero Hour cross-over.
Nothing that happens in this issue is even remotely connected to
the events in any of the ZERO-HOUR books, or even any of the
other cross over books. It was a good book none-the-less, and
serves to bring the current storyline to a more-or-less
satisfying conclusion, just in time for next months ÒZeroÓ issue.
The Eradicator destroys the Abyssia bloodbank. He mercy kills all
of the vampiresÕ current victims. Atomic Knight tracks down the
team that Looker has in captivity and attacks them. Technocrat
fights him, while the other half of the team joins. Roderick (the
leader of the vampires, and the person responsible for framing
them in the first place) attacks. This starts off a long (and
confusing) fight scene.
The time anomaly (a possible tie in to Zero-Hour, but handled
so differently than the others that I doubt it) appears allowing
Atomic Knight to record and transmit proof of the OutsidersÕ
innocence.
The Outsiders then break up. ItÕs a great lead in to next monthÕs
#0 issue.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
JUSTICE LEAGUE TASK FORCE #16, ÒLosersÓ
ÒReturn of the HeroÓ Part 2 (of 3)
Continues the story of TriumphÕs origin from JLA #92. Again there
doesnÕt seem to be any direct overlap with the ZERO_HOUR series.
This story looks to take place sometime before the big gathering
of heroes in ZERO_HOUR #3, because Triumph, Martian Manhunter and
a number of the other JLA heros are shown there. If you didnÕt
get JLA #92, you can skip this one also.
Triumph has just finished telling the new retcon origin of the
JLA to the current members. They politely (more or less) tell
Triumph that they arenÕt interested. True to form (at least from
what little we know of him so far), Triumph tries to convince them
to help him by attacking them. He wins the first round through
surprise. The ÒlosersÓ then proceed to kick his butt.
Meanwhile, Arion (Power GirlÕs grandfather and high priest of
ancient Atlantis) accuses Chaon (another immortal Atlantean
magician) of causing the time anomalies. While Arion dresses the
ÒHerosÓ down for being immature, everybody calms down and agrees
to go to Washington to check out TriumphÕs story. Fire splits
with the group to chase after Arion to try to convince him
resurrect Ice. He refuses.
While the others fly (commercial, they have lost their UN
sanction, and Max LordÕs financial backing), JÕonn returns and
Fire tells him about Triumph. JÕonn (one of the original JLA
members) has never heard of Triumph. The rest of the JL gets
lost in D.C. and Ralph quits. This whole sequence could have been
played up for itÕs humor value (like it would have been in the
early days of the group), but it wasnÕt Ñ they didnÕt even try!
About this time, the Martian Manhunter and Fire show up and
attack Triumph. JÕonn never even tries to talk to him (totally
out of character). Fire thinks about what Arion told her
about the time problems and realizes that Triumph could be
telling the truth. As Fire is talking to the rest of the team,
trying to convince them that Triumph could be telling the truth,
a beam strikes, and the Plasma men that Triumph was telling
them about begin to appear.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
L.E.G.I.O.N. Ô94 #70
Other than a direct cross-over with DoxÕs brief appearance in
ZERO-HOUR #3 (the launch of the time probe) this issue has no
other effect on Zero-Hour. The story is good, and serves to close
out the L.E.G.I.O.N. story line. It also sets things up very
nicely for the start of the new R.E.B.E.L.S. series that will
kick off next month with #0. This issue is not recommended unless
you are a L.E.G.I.O.N. fan.
As Viril Dox walks into his lab, the (obvious) time anomaly for
L.E.G.I.O.N. shows up. Canis BizÕs (the drug lord from whom Dox took
the planet that LEGION is using as its headquarters) body
appears in DoxÕs lab.
ÒLady QuarkÓ and Stealth start hunting for Lyrl (Dox and
StealthÕs infant son). Quark attack the brainwashed recruits and
Telepath (under LyrlÕs control) tells MarijÕn that the time is
right to kill ÒQuarkÓ. MarijÕn has been waiting for a chance to
attack Quark ever since Quark killed Captain Comet. MarijÕn
succeeds in killing the parasite that has been masquerading as
Quark.
Meanwhile, Jo Nah (of the Legion of Super Heroes) wants to take
Phase back to the 30th century. Phase mentions the Argite
massacre, and Jo expresses surprise that itÕs already happened.
(A possible time anomaly?) This scene occurs before Legionnaires #18
and the hero gathering scene in ZH #3 as Jo Nah is present there.
Garv and Strata get married with only Borb Borbb (a RECRUIT) and
Lobo in attendance. Strata is upset that no one else showed up,
but Garv, who quit L.E.G.I.O.N. a long time ago just takes it to
mean that they donÕt care.
Dox discovers many time anomalies and launches a probe (direct
crossover with ZH 3) to investigate. A time warp opens above
Cairn and spits out a ship that crashes into one of LEGIONÕs
shipyards. Dox tries to send help, but finds that Lyrl has
stripped him of authority.
Stealth brings Lyrl to Dox and they have a confrontation. Dox is
captured, but Stealth escapes. Stealth recruits the others Ñ Phase,
Strata, Borb, and Lobo. Garv refuses to help and threatens to be
gone before Strata returns.
Lyrl puts Dox on trial for the Argite massacre (which Lyrl
engineered), but the others rescue him and kidnap Telepath. They
run to the shipyard and take the still-intact ship from the time
warp.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
DETECTIVE COMICS #678
There is no real connection to the ongoing storyline in Zero-
Hour, but since it revolves around a time anomaly, I guess it
fits into the theme of the cross-over.
This is easily one of the best Batman stories that I have read in
the last year. While I have enjoyed the Knightfall, Kightquest
etc. stories, they are a long way from the history of Batman that
everyone knows. I can heartily recommend this story to anyone
with even the slightest interest Batman, as everyone who is
likely to pick up this book will be familiar with what is going
on, and where the story differs from what is considered to be the
true history of Batman.
Batman is in the Batcave when he notes from his perimeter alarm
system four cars in the mansions driveway. He goes upstairs to
investigate. In the house he sees his long-dead parents come in
the door along with several police detectives. He quickly
realized that he is caught in another time anomaly Ñ in this time
it is him that was killed and not his parents. As he turns to
reenter the Batcave, he discovers that in this timeline it
doesnÕt exist. While he is trying to figure out what to do, he is
surprised by a much younger Alfred. Bruce explains to him who he
is by mentioning an incident that only he and Alfred know about.
Alfred, confused but convinced, lets him go.
Bruce steals a Ô35 Cord from the driveway and drives to the movie
theater where his parents, and in this reality, himself were
killed. Batman begins raising hell in GothamÕs underworld using
the skills that he has honed over the years to finally find Joe
Chill. However in this time line, he discovers that Joe has been
on drugs for the past two days and couldnÕt have done it! This
throws Bruce off balance. If Joe didnÕt do it in this world, did
he really do in BruceÕs? Has he really brought his parents killer
to justice?
The police of this timeline are not used to BatmanÕs tactics and
are actively trying to capture him. The ÔCord, while a great car for
its time, is far from inconspicuous. The police chase him back to
Wayne Manor, but it is back to the ruin that it has become. He
missed his chance to talk to his parents. Bruce decides that
even though Joe Chill might not have been responsible for his
parents murder, it doesnÕt really matter anymore, he is Batman.
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
End of Section 3
=========================================================
LOOKING BACK
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ
THE POST-BYRNE REVIEW:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
by Mark Lamutt (markdl@netcom.com)
Title: Adventures of Superman #444 - ÒParallel Lives Meet At InfinityÓ
Written by: John Byrne and Jerry Ordway
Penciled by: John Byrne and Jerry Ordway
Inked by: Dennis Janke
Cover Date: September 1988
Cover Price: $0.75
Oversteet: $1.00
The Supergirl Saga - Part II
ÒI didnÕt expect him to take it this hard,Ó says Supergirl, while
watching the Man of Steel kneel over the graves of his foster parents,
Martha and Jonathan Kent. Superman states that this world is as much
his own as the one from which he came, as it was created because
of him. As you will recall from the review last issue of Part I,
Superman has been transported to a pocket universe created by the
Time Trapper, in which he finds the familiar faces of Pete Ross, Lana
Lang and Lex Luthor. Of course, they are slightly different - Lana is
this worldÕs Supergirl, Pete is the resistance leader, and Lex Luthor is
the brilliant scientist for the force of good. And what are they
resisting? The bottom panel on page one says it all - Smallville
enclosed in a force field, with the rest of the world barren and
destroyed.
Flashback to the beginning of time, where the Time Trapper is created
in the ÒBig BangÓ that created SupermanÕs universe. This creature
built himself a great citadel at the end of time, and spent all of eternity
scanning time - past, present and future. One day he came across the
Legion of Super Heroes, and determined to find the cause of their
existence. Following some wonderfully nostalgic Pre-Byrne scenes,
we see the Time Trapper take a slice of time infinitesmally small
from the universe, effectively creating his own. And when he was
finished making his modifications to this Òpocket universe,Ó the only
worlds left were Earth and Krypton. The Krypton that he formed was
very much like the Pre-Byrne Krypton, and the Earth was very much
like our own, except that the only Superhero Earth ever knew was
Superboy.
In this universe, Lex Luthor came to Smallville the day of Jonathan
KentÕs funeral. He met Pete and Lana, and they set out to find the
missing Superboy, who had previously traveled forward in time to the
30th century to join the Legion of Superheroes. Lex formulated a
theory by which they may be able to send a message forward in time,
but success depended on the equipment in SuperboyÕs lab. They
reached the lab, where Lex found the necessary equipment behind
SuperboyÕs secret panel in the basement. Once inside the secret room,
Lex discovered SuperboyÕs time scanner. At that moment, the face of
a Kryptonian appeared on the time scanner who was identified as Von-
El, Jor-El s brother. With him in the Òsurvival zoneÓ were his wife,
Mara, and her brother Ston-Ar. Lex quickly found SuperboyÕs
phantom zone transmitter, and released the unfortunate prisoners of
the zone before realizing who they really were. Lex Luthor, probably
one of this worldÕs greatest scientific geniuses, released General Zod,
Zaora and Quex-Ui - Krypton s most heinous criminals into his world.
The three Kryptonians immediately declared themselves rulers of the
world, and crushed any and all resistance by its inhabitants. In
Smallville, protected inside a force field from the incredible forces of
destruction occurring everywhere else, Pete Ross, Lana Lang and
Lex Luthor became Earth s last hope of resistance. Others of this
worldÕs greatest minds joined them in their quest - namely Bruce
Wayne, Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen. But even with their combined
might and intelligence, the Earth still fell before the superior
forces of the three Kryptonians.
Impatient with their rate of victory, the three criminals devised the
ultimate plan to annihilate all life on the planet. They bored into the
earthÕs core from three different points in the ocean, causing vast
amounts of heat to be released - resulting in the melting of the polar
caps, the flooding of the continents, and the destruction of EarthÕs
atmosphere. The only survivors were those protected inside the force
field in Smallville, Kansas.
Realizing their only hope rested in the hands of outside help, Pete
Ross desperately searched through time trying to find Superboy.
However, instead of discovering his hero, he discovered a Superman
existing in another universe entirely. Considering him the worldÕs
last hope, Pete sent Supergirl across the dimensional barrier and back
in time to make contact with this unknown Man of Steel.
Flash forward to the present as the last bastion of defense prepares for
the final assault. As the preparations commence, Superman says, and
this sums up the feeling of the entire issue, ÒFive billion humans,
uncounted billions upon billions of life-forms have perished horribly
because of these so-called Kryptonians. ItÕs time Zod and his
murderous crew were made to pay in full for their actions!Ó
You will have to excuse my overly long synopsis of this issue. This
book is one of my absolute favorites in the Post-Byrne universe, and
especially among the books that he directly worked on. This issue has,
in my opinion, some of the best writing to date in the two years since
the revamp. It is extremely fast-paced, and never lets up for a moment
from its initial intensity. Normally, unless flashbacks are handled very
carefully, they fail miserably, but this is one case where this writing
style works admirably. The characterizations are so completely
realistic that the reader loses himself in the story with the characters.
And the plot is so well conceived that there is never a moment of
desire to put this book down once you start - even if, as in my case,
you have read the story many times before. Not to mention the book
isnÕt wasted with pointless battles between Superman and the Super-
Villain-of-the-week. The writers of the books today should take
notice of how well it has been done in the past.
Jerry OrdwayÕs artwork is also spectacular. The drawings that stand
out most for me are the facial expressions of the characters throughout
the book. I found them completely realistic and life-like through the
entire story. The backdrops are also well drawn - realistically
demonstrating the prevailing mood of the book. Much kudos to Jerry
for this effort, and I wish he would come back to DC and show the
current artists today how itÕs done! Except for Tom Grummett and
Doug Hazlewood, in my opinion, none of the artists of today -
including Dan Jurgens - even come close to the realism and artistic
integrity of OrdwayÕs work. Come back Jerry!!!
Out of a possible 5 shields, I rate this book a perfect 5 shields. And
that ainÕt gonna happen often, folks. Stay tuned next time for the
conclusion of The Supergirl Saga in Superman #22.
=========================================================
THE PRE-BYRNE REVIEW:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
SUPERMAN #135
DATE: February, 1960
TITLE: ÒWhen Lois First Suspected Clark Was SupermanÓ
EDITOR: Mort Weisinger
REVIEW BY: Patrick Stout
PLOT SYNOPSIS: As Lois spots some fleeing jewel thieves from the window
of her Daily Planet office, Clark pretends to be near-fainting from the
excitement and excuses himself to get a glass of water. Lois notes to
herself how Superman often appears after Clark leaves and decides to
follow him. Clark notices Lois is trailing him and reminisces back to
the time Lois first began to suspect his dual identity.
Shortly after being hired at the Daily Planet, Lois saw Superman grab the
buildingÕs flagpole and apparently go inside. She told the editorial
staff that, since the flagpole had been recently painted, she could
identify Superman by the paint on his hands. Clark used his x-ray vision
to burn the paint smudges off his hands, but Lois didnÕt even ask to see
them. ÒThat weakling...Superman? DonÕt make me laugh,Ó she told Perry.
Clark felt insulted that his past pretenses had worked so well.
The next day, at a beach party for the newspaper staff, Lois goes through
everyoneÕs belongings in search of a Superman uniform. Clark has
compressed the costume and hidden it in his shoe, but he becomes
concerned when he notices Lois examining each manÕs physique. He pulls
out a foam-rubber arm that he had brought with him (!), and digs into the
sand at superspeed, pretending to have buried himself in the sand.
Again, Lois ignores him. ÒThat Lois burns me up,Ó he thinks to himself.
Back at the office, Clark gets a phone call telling him that Lex Luthor
has escaped from prison. In his anger, he bends the telephone out of
shape just as Lois passes by. Ò...You bought one of those practical-joke
telephones and broke it, just to make a fool of me,Ó she berates him,
thinking he is making fun of her search for SupermanÕs identity. On the
trail of Luthor, Superman finds him posing as a wax dummy of himself in a
notorious villains collection in an effort to get through the police
roadblock. Lois walks into the Planet storeroom as Superman is changing
back into ClarkÕs clothing.
ÒWhat are you doing in that Superman costume?Ó she asks, then remembers
that the company masquerade party is that night. She thinks Clark is
still trying to make sport of the fact that sheÕs trying to uncover
SupermanÕs identity. Later, Lois takes a small piece of kryptonite and
sticks it inside a wallpipe in the office thatÕs being installed near
ClarkÕs desk. Clark returns to his desk and completes his work without a
hint of difficulty. Lois enters and shows him the kryptonite sheÕd
hidden.
Clark tries to hide the pain heÕs feeling; Lois had put the meteorite
inside a lead pipe, which had shielded him from its effects. She leaves
the room with the kryptonite, and Clark soon recovers. Reading her notes
on kryptonite, Lois sees that lead blocks its rays. She returns to
ClarkÕs office to examine the pipe, but Clark has switched it for an
aluminum one.
His flashback over, Clark bends over the office drinking fountain. He
uses his telescopic vision to discover that the police have captured the
jewel thieves without SupermanÕs help. ÒBut I do have to erase LoisÕ
suspicions,Ó he thinks. Clark wedges his foot between the floor and the
pedal on the drinking fountain and begins calling for help. He then
allows Lois to free his foot from under the pedal.
Lois thinks: ÒA man who couldnÕt even get a drink of water canÕt be
Superman...unless...itÕs a cover-up! Hmm...I wonder....Ó
REVIEW: This was one of the first in a classic Ô60s series of episodes
in which Lois tries to uncover SupermanÕs identity. Chronologically,
Lois is first cast in the mindset that we later witnessed with John ByrneÕs
Lex LuthorÑthat Superman canÕt possibly be someone like Clark Kent, so
she ignores the obvious evidence. That Clark would lose control in
public and bend the telephone or that his superpowers wouldnÕt detect
Lois approaching the storeroom are ignored by the writer in an effort to
provide the evidence Lois refuses to accept. And, talk about a plot
stretch, how many guys do you know who just happen to bring a foam-rubber
arm with them to the beach? Boy, Clark sure was lucky that time! (Sheesh!)
The above plot devices excepted, this was an enjoyable story. ClarkÕs
irritation that Lois wouldnÕt at first consider him as a suspect, and
LoisÕ gradual development of the feeling that Clark is not as he seems
were both nice bits of characterization. As characterization is
generally lacking in most Weisinger stories of that eraÑwhen the plot is
advanced almost on a panel to panel basisÑit is good to note when a
writer has tried to work some in.
ReviewerÕs note: Over the past three issues of this magazine, IÕve
summarized the contents of Superman #135 (February, 1960). The plots are
identical to many more we will see if we continue to explore the work of
Mort Weisinger and his crew: Lois tries to uncover SupermanÕs secret
identity, Superman falls in love but it is not meant to be, and Superman
behaves in a manner contrary to his nature. It is obvious that the
Superman editor wanted to play on differing interests with each story
delivered in a single issue, and that it was his intent to provide
adventure, romance, and mystery in each Superman package. I love these
old stories and I hope (1) that you do to, or (2) that you now understand
some of the hallmarks that characterized the wackiest era in Superman history.
=========================================================
VILLAINS WORD-SEARCH
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
One day, Art wrote me and suggested, ÒHow about having some kind of a
puzzle Ñ like a word search Ñ in KC?Ó Well, after looking around for a
while, I finally came upon a little word-search generator. Now I realize
that if you have the words, the only thing challenging about a word-search
is how quickly you can complete it. So, IÕm not gonna give you the words! :)
Instead, IÕll tell you that in the puzzle below are 32 villains (or villain
teams) that Superman has battled post-Byrne. See how many of Ôem you can
find! Hint: Some of them may not be considered villains NOW.
T B A R O N S U N D A Y M Y R J R O G Q
F A K H Z L T R S R K K R K I O T C W X
C E O Y K A H X M A Y H S J H K O A W O
C K Y S W L E D D A G E T A I H P N I X
D I L F I E Y T R G N Q H M T E S A D S
N W K T K L V L P A S H C M E A D D Q J
W W C O P P E V F J Y N U O C J N J Q I
K B T Y V Z Y X M I O J W N H W I U I S
K R I M Q L Y S L H M V E G T G L G S T
P E I A S R D X P U C V M U L E B U E A
G K G N E F C I M E T A L L O N R T Q B
V P R A N K S T E R S H Y B J E I S V X
O V P M P P Y A D S M O O D B S F O G X
U G N A A M I X A M K F T R A T E V R P
I H I R O T A C I D A R E R C K Z F O W
Q Q J R V C R R F H Z C A I N I A R B M
V G X E F E J Q T R O P S D O O L B Y V
O N O T Y N A A M S D F J T S B B U C Y
W E E H S N A B R E V L I S K Y H O O K
B R H K F S G W E F S R W C C O B I L W
Good Luck! Answers next time.
=========================================================
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.
October:
OctoberÕs a hot month for Supes! First off, Skybox, THE name in comic
cards debuts two new sets of cards based solely on the Man of Steel. These
cards promise to include some spectacular artwork. Alex Ross, the artist
of the acclaimed MARVELS series, renders a fully painted poster of DCÕs
greatest heroes, headlined by Superman. In the books, SUPERBOY advances
his personal relationship, STEEL is arrested for serial murders, Cadmus
faces...Apokolips (!?) in THE GUARDIANS OF METROPOLIS, and Lois continues her
work as part of the METROPOLIS S.C.U. The four SuperMAN titles feature
a *huge* gallery of SupermanÕs foes and friends as he continues his quest
to explain what was in his tomb. Lots more info in the spoilers below!!!
Rumors:
The letters column of Action #702 hints at a new Superman Quarterly,
with writing by Roger Stern. The next year of Showcase (SHOWCASE Ô95) will
focus on Metropolis and SupermanÕs supporting cast, with a Supergirl story
to kick it off. DC and Marvel are back into the crossover business Ñ look
for Superman vs. The Hulk Ñ Peter David and Gary Frank on the Marvel version
and Dan Jurgens on the DC version. In the titles themselves, (HEREÕS THE
BIG ONE!!!!) *the* wedding finally takes place, and Superman runs for
President when he fails to stop an assassination! One less happy rumor:
Dan Jurgens leaves to do work for Malibu and Valiant. (Say it ainÕt so, Dan!)
The information which follows 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!
1. List of Titles by Shipping Date:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
Shipping date: Comic title and information:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ- ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
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
October 11: Superboy #10
K. Kesel, H. Ramos, & Hazlewood
$1.50
Superman: The Man of Steel #39
L. Simonson, Bogdanove, & Janke
$1.50
October 18: DC Universe Poster (Superman, Steel)
by Alex Ross
22x34, $4.95
The Guardians of Metropolis #2 (of 4)
K. Kesel & Dwyer
$1.50
Superman #95
Jurgens & Breeding
$1.50
October 25: Adventures of Superman #518
K. Kesel, Kitson, & McCarthy
$1.50
Steel #10
L. Simonson, Fosco, & Stegbaur
$1.50
November 1: Action Comics #705
Michelinie, Guice, & Rodier
$1.50
November 8: Metropolis S.C.U. #2 (of 4)
Goff, Krause, & Marzan, Jr.
Cover by Abell & Guice
$1.50
2. Spoilers:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ
Skybox:
ÑÑÑ
Superman: The Man of Steel CollectorÕs Edition Trading Cards
Skybox presents a spectacular new card series telling the story of
Superman from his beginnings through his death, return, and to the
present, as interpreted by some of todayÕs top comic artists. The
set features 90 oversized (2.5Ó x 4.5Ó) cards with metallic borders
framing original, fully-painted artwork and UV-coated fronts.
Randomly included in series packs will be six different Spectra-etch
cards (odds: 1 in 7 packs). Six cards per pack. 36 packs per box.
Superman: The Man of Steel Premium Edition Trading Cards
EVERY CARD A CHASE CARD! Like the ÒCollectorÕs EditionÓ cards, these
retell the story of Superman in 90 oversized cards. But these cards
feature striking Òsteel plateÓ embossed borders and FULL UV-coating.
Also, bonus cards in this series include four randomly inserted
ÒForged in SteelÓ cards featuring all-foil fronts and detailed etching
and embossing (odds: 1 in 18 packs); and the ÒMan of SteelÓ SkyDisc
(numbered SD3), in which Clark Kent changes into Superman (odds: 1 in
120 packs). Even the display box will be premium Ñ printed on foil
ÒsteelÓ board with an embossed design, just like the cards. This
series will be produced in smaller numbers than the previous DOOMSDAY:
DEATH OF SUPERMAN series, so you KNOW itÕs gonna be scarce!!! Six
cards per pack. 24 packs per box.
Superman: The Man of Steel Premium Collector Album
This album can be used for either Premium or Collector Edition
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL trading cards, and features a padded
cover with embossed design. Included are seventeen pocket pages,
enough to hold all of the cards and the chases (IF you find Ôem)!
October 11:
ÑÑÑÑÑ
Superboy #10
Superboy faces a Japanese monster movie come to life when giant
creatures wreak havok in Hawaii. Plus, Superboy and TanaÕs
relationship begins to get serious. This issue is guest-pencilled
by Humberto Ramos.
Superman: The Man of Steel #39
Still unable to solve the mystery of the body in his tomb, Superman
confronts the vegetating Lex Luthor to determine if his arch-enemy
holds the secret. Plus, young Keith at last finds his mother, only
to lose her forever to the tragedy of AIDS.
October 18:
ÑÑÑÑÑ
DC Universe Poster
Alex Ross, the Òsearing hotÓ artist of MARVELS, renders DCÕs greatest
superheroes in this beautifully painted poster featuring Superman,
Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash, Steel, Catwoman,
and Hawkman!
The Guardians of Metropolis #2 (of 4)
Chief genetic engineer Dabney Donovan sends his hideous creations
against Guardian and the directors of Project Cadmus. Meanwhile,
the young Newsboy Legion races to escape from a Metropolis orphanage
that has been infiltrated by forces from the planet Apokolips!
Superman #95
More desperate than ever to find out whoÕs responsible for the dead
body in his tomb, Superman heads into overdrive for New Genesis, where
his old foe Brainiac has lain comatose since ÒPanic in the Sky.Ó But
Brainiac appears empty of answers... and of mind.
October 25:
ÑÑÑÑÑ
Adventures of Superman #518
Running out of options, Superman leaves New Genesis and journeys to
Apokolips, where he recently had a devastating rematch with Doomsday.
There, he questions both Darkseid and the Cyborg Ñ two of his
deadliest foes Ñ to learn what they know of the body in his tomb.
Steel #10
Caught with blood on his hands, Steel is arrested for a series of
brutal murders. John Henry Irons risks everything to expose the
real killerÕs identity and bring him to justice before he can strike
again.
November 1:
ÑÑÑÑÑ
Action Comics #705
Following his fruitless search for answers to the mystery of the body
in his tomb, Superman returns to Metropolis... where no one believes
heÕs the real thing! Even Lois Lane has doubts, having witnessed four
pretenders *and* a Bizarro in recent months. This is the final straw
that pushes the Man of Steel over the deep end...and that becomes the
cue for the villain responsible to finally reveal himself!
November 8:
ÑÑÑÑÑ
Metropolis S.C.U. #2 (of 4)
Maggie Sawyer and the S.C.U. team are hot on the trail of an eco-
terrorist whoÕs blowing up oil refineries around the world, and all
the evidence points to Terra-Man. Meanwhile, Lois Lane experiences
firsthand the brutal life of a Metropolis cop. Plus, Sawyer has a
heated exchange with the FBI.
=========================================================
End of Section 4
=========================================================
OTHER-MEDIA
ÑÑÑÑÑ-
AND WHO DISGUISED AS...:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
by J. D. Rummel (rummel@phoenix.creighton.edu)
Saturday Morning SupermanÑPart II
When a child, I viewed a movie called _Marlowe_. I was much
impressed by it, so impressed that many years later when I saw
that it was going to air, I told several folks about this great
film and its impressive Bruce Lee performance and James Garner as
a perfect, lippy, Philip Marlowe. I was ready for heaven.
Of course any of you who have ever revisited a childhood pleasure
know what happened. It wasnÕt that it was bad, it just couldnÕt
match my earlier impression of it. When as a child I viewed
through the eyes of a child. As an adult, I had higher standards
to judge it against.
Last month I dredged up my memories of the sixtiesÕ Filmation
series, _The New Adventures of Superman_. I waxed nostalgic about
the price of comic books and recalled what I could about the
series. At the end of the column, I vowed to go out and find some
of them. I must confess, this wasnÕt real hardÑBlockbusters had
some in the animation section, and from what I can tell, most
video joints have them. They are marketed as part of the ÒSuper
Powers CollectionÓ (everyone remember that crass, money making
gimmick?) Anyway, while not as ubiquitous as the public domain
Fleicher cartoons, finding these shouldnÕt be a chore.
_Should_ you go looking? ThatÕs a tougher question to answer. If
you are a fan, if you grew up during that period, definitely look
into them. However, these are not the luscious treasures that the
Fleischers are. These are amusements, not great art. The drawing
runs the range from okay to a little irritating. The music is
harmless to kinda cool, and the writing generally passes a
superficial inspection. They do depart from the pre-crisis canon
somewhat. For instance, Brainiac is not from Colu, but was
invented by a ÒProfessor Heckla,Ó whoever he is, and the
Prankster is a short, skinny guy with a big nose. Like the
Fleischers, they play fast and loose with physics, drawing Supes
doing things that strength alone could not accomplish. One kind
of neat feature is the use of Bud CollyerÕs voice. Collyer was
the radio Superman, and sometimes the cartoon hero will say
things likeÒdownÓ when he needs to descend while flying. He also
declares, Òaway!Ó when leaping into the air.
It was good for me to see them. To hear the music, and see images
that I havenÕt seen in many years made me feel very warm. For a
while, on Tuesday night, it was Saturday morning.
Okay, so anyone know where I can get some copies of the late
eighties Saturday Superman done by Marv Wolfman?
Away.
The Filmation stories available on the Super Powers tape:
ÒSuperman Meets BrainiacÓ
While Brainiac is shrinking animals at a circus to keep as
specimens, he captures Lois and Supes. Supes calls her ÒMiss
Lane.Ó ** (out of five)
ÒLuminians on the LooseÓ
Luthor imports beings of laser light through his outer space ray
probe. They disintegrate whatever they touch and Luthor is
convinced he can use this talent to rule the world. Eventually
they turn on him and plan to bring lots of their fellows here to
disintegrate stuff. Luthor and Supes join forces to defeat them
(This is the only episode from the second season, which had
cliff-hanger segment breaks that allowed for commercials). **
ÒThe Pernicious ParasiteÓ
The Parasite is a burglar named Icy Harris, a guy who looks so
ethnic his face should be on a jar of marinara sauce. Harris
burgles a laboratory and exposure to an isotope transforms him
into a siphon of human energy. He never loses his human
appearance and is defeated when his body cannot contain the
energy of a man from Krypton. ***
ÒThe PranksterÓ
The Prankster is just a sort of public nuisance who engages in
mischief. Superman stops him by using his wits. This episode is
reminiscent of the sixties Superman who often used his powers to
perform elaborate cons. *
ÒThe Little Chimp Who Made it BigÓ
Superman rescues a space capsule containing an experimental
monkey. The chimp grows into Titano, snatches up Lois and blasts
Supes with its Kryptonite vision. One cel panel appears to be the
work of Kurt Schaffenberger, the sixtiesÕ Lois Lane artist. **
ÒThe ToymanÓ
The Toyman builds a giant mechanical bug with a kryptonite ray to
perform robberies. HeÕd make much more money patenting and
selling his robotics technology. **
ÒLuthorÕs Deadly FireworksÓ
Luthor kidnaps Jimmy Olsen and lures Superman to a Kryptonite
fireworks display. Superman wins in the end. *
=========================================================
THE FLEISCHER CARTOONS:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
by Neil A. Ottenstein
Episode 17: ÒSecret AgentÓ
Released: 7-30-43
Running Time: 7:39 minutes
Faster than a streak of lightning
More powerful than the pounding surf
Mightier than a roaring hurricane
The cartoon opens up with someone entering a drugstore. Clark Kent is
on the phone arguing about his present reporting assignment. He sees
cars crash in front of the store and some shooting there. He jumps on
the back of one of the cars as it leaves. There is a car chase with
people firing from one car to the other.
After the chase is finished a woman gets out of one of cars saying, Òa
close call, got to go to police headquarters immediately.Ó Meanwhile,
Clark has been captured by some saboteurs who were after this woman.
The woman tells the police that she has been pretending to be part of
the saboteur group for the past six months. She has a list of their
names and their plans which she must get to Washington. The police give
her an escort to the airport.
On the way to the airport the womanÕs escort is shot. She drives on,
but is attacked on the bridge which the saboteurs have opened up. She
tries to get the bridge together again, but falls down and looks to be
crushed by the bridge gears.
The saboteurs put Clark in a closet before going off. Clark Òwakes upÓ
and changes into Superman. He pulls up the elevator car and ties it up.
He flies to the bridge and hears the cry of the woman. He saves her in
the nick of time and flies her to Washington D.C. The cartoon ends with
the flag waving.
This final cartoon in the Fleischer series again dealt directly with the
war effort. The focus is mostly on the effort of the secret agent who
had the crucial information. Clark and Superman have quite a small
part, though, it is Superman who saves the day when the secret agent is
overcome by saboteurs and her accidental fall. Throughout the series
Lois Lane has been positively portrayed as a competent adventurous
woman and in this final episode the secret agent is even more so. The
animation is again top notch with the car chase the highlight of this
piece.
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
=========================================================
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
ALL-NEW ADVENTURES OF THE MAN OF STEEL
Edited by Martin H. Greenberg
Bantam Spectra/November 1993
$5.99
I enjoy reading short stories, even though they sometimes remind
me of English 101. So when I saw this book in a used bookstore, I
couldnÕt pass it up. The good thing about short stories is that
they donÕt take too long to read, and most of them (if well
written) are very entertaining.
This book is composed of 10 stories, along with a prologue and an
epilogue. In this review I will give a brief review and what I
thought about each one.
The back cover gives this intro:
ÒNative son of a dying planet, adopted son of Earth, Kal-El of
Krypton has made a double life for himself on this alien worldÑ
as reporter Clark Kent and as the mysterious hero known as
Superman. In these ten stories of Superman past, present, and
future, the Man of Steel faces a godlike apparition, ancient
creatures of myth and legend, and a group of cunning human
enemies. In _The Further Adventures of Superman_, some of todayÕs
most talented authors present new tales of epic action and
adventure.Ó
The prologue, written by Dave Gibbons, has the Man of Steel
flying after a cosmic gem out in space. He gently grasps it and
begins to turn the jewel. It begins to show him Òworlds that
perhaps already are. And worlds that might have been.Ó
Well, IÕm hooked and I dive into the first story.
ÒThe Riddle of SupermanÕs MaskÓ by Will Murray was a little
disappointing for an opening story. I donÕt want to give too much
away in my reviews, because some of the other stories were really
good. This particular tale has Superman battling the mythical god
Medusa. I rationalized that the other ones had to get better. And
I was right.
ÒApparitionsÓ by Diane Duane has Superman confronting an
intergalactic visitor several billion years old with motherly
instincts. It is strong enough to kill him and there is not a
thing he can do about it. I liked this story because the ending
had a real twist to it. Also, Clark is working for WGBS which was
rather unique. My favorite line has Superman thinking, Ònot all
aliens were harmless friendly creatures simply looking for a
phone booth.Ó
ÒLucifer Over LancasterÓ by Elizabeth Hand and Paul Witcover
could have come from the pages of ÒThe X-Files.Ó It was really
weird. Superman must confront the Cruciform Terebellid; ÒitÕs
cross-shaped exoskeleton, smooth and pale white, emitted a faint
fluorescent glow.Ó It has already caused several deaths and even
has our hero hallucinating about the death of Krypton. Is
Superman losing his mind?
ÒDateline: MetropolisÓ by Karen Haber is LoisÕ story and I could
picture Teri Hatcher playing the part. Lois has a theory about
SupermanÕs identity and this time she might be right!
ÒMine Enemy Grows OlderÓ by Joey Cavalieri was a great story. It
starts off with Kal-El married to Lois and working for the
Krypton Combined Network in A.D. 900,000. This would make a great
Elseworlds story. Krypton exists together with earth and even Lex
Luthor is alive and up to his old tricks.
ÒForget Me NotÓ by Mark Waid can be summed up with one line: ÒYou
have to be careful what you wish for, Kal-El.Ó One minute
Superman is talking to Lois and the next minute everything
changes. ÒSomething has been stolen from him, something he could
not hold in his hand, but something real nonethelessÑa part of
his life. HeÕd wish the most fleeting wish that he and Lois had
never met, and now...Ó
ÒDeju Vu All Over AgainÓ by Edward Wellen was one of the longest
stories in the book and my favorite up to this point. Can
Superman travel back in time to Krypton and somehow prevent its
destruction? If so, would the infant Kal-El still be sent to
Earth in a rocket? And if he never left Krypton, would he be able
to go back in time to save a planet that never exploded? AdamÕs
Navel is a black hole in the far reaches of space where nothing
escapes it, not even light. Only this one houses a red sun and
the spectrometer readings indicate a strong band of proto-
kryptonite. But when Superman looks at it...he sees a planet.
ÒExcerpt From the Diary of Dr. Morris FinkelsteinÓ by Mike
Resnick. Imagine Superman fighting the Nazis in 1942. The
question is, CAN he pass the physical?
ÒThe Warrior of the Final DawnÓ by Garfield Reeves-Stevens opens
with Superman gasping in pain from the open wounds on his
Òbruised and swollen face.Ó Evidently he has just barely survived
a battle that only Doomsday could appreciate. He is assisted by
his mysterious friend with dark, pointed cowl. Flashbacks reveal
that a zealot of the Kryptonian Red Sun Cult has mysteriously
escaped from the doomed planet and is committing some pretty
horendous murders on Earth. This story will keep you on the edge
of your seat and is a good conclusion to this collection of
stories.
Dave Gibbons rounds out the book with an Epilogue. But to divulge
itÕs secrets would be like revealing the ending of a good movie.
Conclusion: All in all, this book is pretty good; some stories
are better than others. Most of them could have come straight
from the pages of ÒZero Hour.Ó This collection is like a
multi-faceted jewel; you get to see Superman from different
angles and perspectives because each author has a different way
of describing him and his many talents. Also, we get glimpses
into the lives of the people who make up his world. And, unlike
comic books, everything is played out in the mind. A nice book to
take to the beach or for lazy summer afternoon reading. Hmm, it
makes me think I might be able to compose a Superman short story.
Now, that might make a good category for KC.
[EditorÕs Note: Now that DC has gone online through AOL, I hope that
making them aware of KC and getting their approval will allow us to
include some fanfic in the near future! More as it happens! - Jeff]
Rating: 4 shields for the stories, 2 shields for the cover art (a
picture about one of the other stories would have been a better
choice).
Ken McKee
stdkrm01@shsu.edu
=========================================================
LETTERS
ÑÑÑ-
From: Kermit Rose <rose@garnet.acns.fsu.edu>
Thank you for another great issue. As I read this issue, I corrected a
few spelling errors. The only content I would quible with is the
statement that new material was added to the Action Comics Superman debut
later in the Superman comic. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that
the first two pages of that first Action Comics had been scripted, but
that an editorial error was responsible for dropping them. This error was
corrected in the reprint. Is this correct, or am I confusing two different
events?
KC: Kermit, I hope you found less spelling errors in this issue. Hopefully,
expanding the editorial staff will help us to prevent those kinds of
mistakes in the future. As far as the question on Action Comics #1, I
will have to defer to those readers who are a bit more informed than I am.
**********
From: Daniel Cruz <danielc@rmece47.upr.clu.edu>
After reading the third issue of the KC, some suggestions popped into my
mind. The first suggestion is to propose to DC the making of another
volume of The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told. I mean, they made
another volume for Batman during the hype of the second movie, so I
think another volume during the hype of Lois&Clark is viable. However,
stories should include both the Pre and Post Crisis Superman. If there
are enough Post-Crisis Superman stories, they could be compiled
separately, for the benefit of Lois&Clark viewers. If we the fans
choose the stories, the volume will be much better. What do you think?
KC: There was a trade paperback compiling several post-Crisis stories,
released as the LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN TRADE
PAPERBACK. To be honest, I havenÕt bought the first collection
(due to lack of funds). As I recall, wasnÕt it a hardcover? If such
a compilation was in paperback, then I think it would be a fabulous
idea!
The other suggestion is to compile all the stories that gave way to Crisis:
Crisis on Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-3, Earth-S, Apokolips, Eternity, ...
in one volume. I mean, if there are no plans for a Crisis on Infinite
Earths TPB (but I hope there are), we could at least have the next best
thing.
KC: From what IÕve heard, DC has stated their committment to the FUTURE of
their comics. To that end, they have decided not to reprint collections
of recent pre-Crisis stories or of Crisis itself.
Finally, this just popped into mind, how about making an Elseworlds series
ala MarvelÕs What If? It could be with story arcs, not necessarily
comfining the story to one issue. I think this is a viable alternative
to the imaginary stories or parallel stories of days gone by.
KC: While I would be one of the first in line to get such a series, IÕm
not certain that DC would handle Elseworlds books in any format other
than specials. Apparently, the prestige format books do well, as did
the annuals. Personally, I think a monthly Elseworlds series at the
$1.95 rate would work very well for them. (Of course, IÕve been
advocating a Superman Quarterly with an Elseworlds feature for some time
now!)
Anyway, please publish this letter in the next KC. Reader response is
encouraged. And by the way, say hi to Dan Jurgens for me. There are many
fans of his work here in Puerto Rico. Both of you should keep up the
good job youÕve done so far.
KC: Well, he can read it himself here! BTW, and this is to all readers,
IÕve had several readers requesting DanÕs e-mail address. Let me
say that DanÕs e-mail access is through CompuServe, which has additional
charges for any mail through the internet. Therefore, I will not
distribute his address without his consent.
**********
From: Steve Kaplan <goolam@psipsy.uct.ac.za>
First off, KC is excellent. I normally save all the pieces at work and then
take them home to read in good time and in detail. Issue #3Õs articles about
Action Comics # 1 and remembrances of Superman cartoons were particularly well
written and interesting, and it sparks a personal memory.
Superman has touched our lives in ways that other non-Super-ites can never
comprehend. We walk around with an entire culture in our head, important for
itself, and not necessarily what it may represent to us. Cat Grant is not just
what the recovering alcoholic that we know personally might be if he/she were
a comic character - she is. And Superman is not just the representation of the
hero in all of us. He simply is everything that is right and good. A comment
was made in this issueÕs letters about Superman representing good
ÒJudeo-ChristianÓ values. Maybe he does, but youÕre missing the point.
Superman is a whole new universe that we visit weekly to learn and
participate in.
Could Jerry and Joe - with the imagination that they had to create such a
universe as SupermanÕs - ever have imagined that we would have taken it to the
technological heights that are epitomised by KC ?
In 1975 - before the advent of television in South Africa, BTW - I had a
collection of records called ÒThe Superboy AdventuresÓ. One of my favourite
stories was called ÒThe Super BratÓ and it tells Ma and Pa KentÕs efforts to
discipline Clark. (On the record sleeve, thereÕs a depiction of Jonathan
spanking Clark with a hairbrush which, of course, breaks over his behind :) ).
The only way to punish Clark, it turns out, is for the Kents to stage a fight,
knowing that Superboy will use his X-ray vision and super-hearing to
eavesdrop. Jonathan is heard to say that heÕs at his wits end with Clark, and
maybe the best bet would be give him up for adoption to people who can handle
him. Clark bursts in, all in tears, about how much his family means to him and
how upset he would be at the breakdown of the family unit.
The record is from sometime in the 60s, and things were portrayed far more
simply then, art imitating life, and not very accurately. Now, with all the
input from our side, and DCÕs side, art becomes another form of life. No less
real, just as meaningful, and always a part of us.
To paraphrase the African National Congress,
ÒViva Superman The Man of Steel Viva!!!Ó
KC: Thanks, Steve, for sharing this wonderful memory with us! Like I
mentioned in the survey, everyone has their own wonderful memories
of the Man of Steel. I invite everyone to share theirs with us!
BTW, Steve, if you still have access to those records (I realize that
it may be a long shot), I think our readers would LOVE it if you
could find time to provide us with a review!
**********
From: Ed Ibrahim <eibrahim@calvin.bio.uci.edu>
I just wanted to let you know I got the magazine. Looks great just
like the two before it. You and the group are doing a great job of it.
Here is to your continued success.
From: Peter T. McDermott
Thanks for running the survey. And most of all, thanks for running
the Kryptonian Cybernet. I love getting and reading it. Keep up the great
work. YouÕre keeping the standard high for Superman lovers. Later!
KC: Thanks for all the praise, guys! There are times in preparing this
magazine that I wonder if what weÕre doing is actually appreciated.
Letters like all of these above help me to see that it is! As always,
talk to us here at THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET at KryptonCN@aol.com or at
sykes@ms.uky.edu! (I prefer the former, since it is only KC mail.)
=========================================================
RESOURCES
ÑÑÑÑ-
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:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
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
The files are also available via gopher here:
phoenix.creighton.edu
/Electronic.Journals.and.Mailing.Lists/Electronic.Magazines/
Kryptonian Cybernet/
IÕm also in the process of placing the issues into the Science Fiction/
Comics Library in America OnLine, and I understand that they are also
being uploaded to CompuServe. I would appreciate specific information
on this for the CompuServe readers.
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:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
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.
3. Basics of ftp and ftp via e-mail:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
FTP
Ñ-
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
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
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.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
connect <site name>
chdir <directory>
get <file1>
get <file2>
.
.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
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.
_________________________________________________________________
***************************************************************
End of Issue #4
