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The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 19
_______________________________________________________________
T H E K R Y P T O N I A N C Y B E R N E T
Issue #19 - November 1995
_______________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
--------
Section 1: Superscripts: Notes from the Editor
News and Notes
The Fleischer Cartoons
Episode 12, "Eleventh Hour", by Neil Ottenstein
With a Little Help From My Friends...
Maggie Sawyer, by Denes House
And Who Disguised As...
The Not-So-Great Superman Book, by J.D. Rummel
Section 2: Superman 1995
The Comic Year in Review, an index compiled by Jeff Sykes
Section 3: Reviews
The "Triangle" Titles
Action Comics #716, by William J. Nixon
Superman: The Man of Steel #51, by Arthur LaMarche
Superman #107, by Ken McKee
Section 4: Reviews
The "Triangle" Titles (cont)
Adventures of Superman #530, by Anatole Wilson
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #3, by Rene' Gobeyn
Other Super-Titles
Superboy #22, by Victor Chan
Steel #22, by Dick Sidbury
Section 5: Reviews
Other Super-Titles (cont)
Showcase '95 #12, by Arthur LaMarche
The New Titans #128, by Rene' Gobeyn
Specials
Doomsday Annual #1, by Rene' Gobeyn
Superman: The Man of Steel Gallery #1, by Arthur LaMarche
The Mailbag
Section 6: After-Byrne
Action Comics #650,
by Ben Marlin
"The Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite"
Part 1: Superman #49, by Mark Lamutt
Coming Attractions
Guess who's popping in for January's "Guest-Star Month"!?
Section 7: The Phantom Zone
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"
Part 2: Action Comics #583, by Jenny Stosser
The Silver Age Superman
The Super-Brat from Krypton, by Bill Morse
Section 8: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Dancing in the Dark
Lois and Clark certainly haven't made it this
far because of their experience. Zoomway looks
at Lois' side of things this month.
Episode Reviews
#3-04: "When Irish Eyes Are Killing"
#3-05: "Just Say Noah"
Reviewed by Patrick Stout
EDITORIAL STAFF:
---------------
Jeffery D. Sykes, Editor-in-Chief
Arthur E. LaMarche, Executive Editor of Reviews
Joe Crowe
Curtis Herink
D.M. Simms
Shane Travis
Steven Younis
LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:
-----------------
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.
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET is available by e-mail -- to subscribe, send
the commands
subscribe kc <address>
end
in the body of an e-mail message to "lists@phoenix.creighton.edu" (without
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Back issues are available via ftp at acm-ftp.creighton.edu and at
ftp.hiof.no. Archives are also reachable via the Kryptonian Cybernet
Homepage (http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sykes/kc).
_______________________________________________________________
SUPERSCRIPTS: Notes from the Editor
------------------------------------
NEWS AND NOTES:
KC SUBSCRIPTION COUNT
We've picked up nearly 100 new subscribers since last month, bringing
our total subscribership to around 1300! Keep spreading the word -- let
everyone know about KC!
GO GET 'EM FEDS!
According to a recent issue of COMIC SHOP NEWS, the Justice Department
has reported that it plans to launch an anti-trust investigation into
the newsprint industry. The reason? The massive increases in paper
prices over the past year and a half! Need I add that these increases
are the primary factor behind the last wave of comic book price hikes?
FEEL THE (AFTER-)BYRNE
After a long hiatus, Mark Lamutt returns to the Kryptonian Cybernet
with his regular post-Byrne reviews! Beginning this month, one of the
most popular post-Byrne arcs, "The Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite!"
In addition, new writer Ben Marlin regales us with his views on
a big Supes anniversary issue: ACTION COMICS #650!
MORE SUPERMAN REBORN
Nuke has an interview with Jonathan Lemkin, the screenwriter for
SUPERMAN REBORN. You can check it out by pointing your web browser
at
http://www.nuke.com/cgi-bin/addin/moviesc/features/superman.htm
THE 1995 KAYCEES!
In the interest of getting this issue out before Thanksgiving, I
decided to leave out the Kaycees award ballot from this issue. I
have included the promised review of this year's comics, but the
ballot will be sent out in a separate mailing next week. So this
gives you a chance to digest all that turkey and contemplate the
best and worst aspects of the Man of Steel's 1995.
In addition to the comic awards, which will be pared down slightly
from last year's categories, I plan on adding a few categories for
LOIS AND CLARK. So all of you L&C fans should start thinking of
your favorite parts of the second season!
If you have a particular category suggestion, send it to me ASAP.
I probably won't use everything, since I want to keep the number
of awards controllable, but remember that we will have the write-in
awards again.
As always, enjoy the new issue, and I'll see you back here in another month!
Jeff Sykes
Editor, The Kryptonian Cybernet
_______________________________________________________________
THE FLEISCHER CARTOONS:
----------------------
by Neil A. Ottenstein (otten@quark.umd.edu)
Episode 12: "Eleventh Hour"
Released: 11-20-42
Running Time: 7:58 minutes
Faster than a streak of lightning
More powerful than the pounding surf
Mightier than a roaring hurricane
The scene is Yokohama, Japan. In the shipyard, ships are in various stages of
construction and preparing to be sent out into the war. A clock tower ticks.
We see a ship being taken from the yard and being sunk. Search lights have
now been turned on. Behind a girder is Superman. He flies to a room and
changes into Clark Kent. Lois, hearing all the noise, asks Clark what he
thinks is going on. He suggests, "Sabotage, ... I hope." "Me, too," responds
Lois. She wonders whether Superman might be around.
More troops are on alert. The clock tower strikes, signaling the eleventh
hour. Clark changes into Superman, pulls the iron bars away from the window
of his room, and flies out. He sinks a tanker into the sea.
There are scenes of more and more destruction taking place after the eleventh
hour on various days. The Japanese are quite upset about the destruction.
Lois watches from a window. Thinking that Clark is in the next room, she
tells Clark, "It is Superman, swell(?) chance they have of catching him."
Just then soldiers break into her room and take her away.
A poster is put up in places: "Warning! Superman. One more act of sabotage
and the American girl reporter will be executed at once!"
Superman is out destroying another ship. He makes a mistake and is buried by
a load of girders.... There are drumbeats and we see Lois being taken to her
execution. Superman starts getting out from the girders and sees the poster
on one of them. The signal is given to fire. Superman appears in front of
Lois, deflecting the bullets. He fights the soldiers and takes her away.
The scene changes to various reporters talking to Lois. She is asked "how
does it feel to be home?" and whether Clark got away as well. Lois says that
Superman promised to take care of Clark.
We see a clock tower in the US and then the one in Yokohama. It is striking
11 again. There is more destruction to the Japanese weapons of war.
This cartoon is my least favorite of the whole batch of cartoons. This is
because it is overtly a war cartoon. I really couldn't quite see Superman
doing what he does here. Still, even though I didn't like the story, the
animation was still as great as ever. The shot of Superman hiding behind a
girder goes by very fast. If you are not watching carefully, you might miss
it. The scene of Lois being taken to her execution is the best in the
cartoon. All we see at first are just the shadows of her and the soldiers.
Next we see her legs and her full body shadow looking very large against the
wall. It is all very powerful.
Just a note for this season's Lois and Clark watchers - this is definitely
another case of Lois being in danger because Clark is Superman.
The two Fleischer Superman cartoon volumes are available 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
_______________________________________________________________
"WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS..."
---------------------------------------
a column about the Supporting Cast in the Superman Family of Books
by Denes House (dhouse@itsmail1.hamilton.edu)
==================================================
This month, we will take a look at a character that views Superman as a
colleague. That's right, not *Clark Kent* as a colleague, but Superman. Along
the way, she has become a crucial and interesting supporting character in her
own right.
INSPECTOR MARGARET SAWYER
=========================
a.k.a. "Maggie"
In Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' epic mini-series WATCHMEN, which examines the
impact costumed vigilantes would have on a more-or-less realistically
portrayed world, the New York City Police force went on strike to protest the
disruption these vigilantes were having on their jobs. This strike eventually
led to most of the vigilantes retiring and fading out of sight.
Primarily, Moore wrote this sub-plot to show how unrealistically police
departments were being portrayed in comics, as open-armed welcomers of
vigilantism. After all, vigilantes are against the law, and if they are as
successful as they are in the DC Universe, the police would have little to do.
Maggie Sawyer represents the skeptical, tough, fair middle ground. In
addition, she fleshes out an important side of the Superman supporting cast.
Maggie relates primarily to Superman, not Clark Kent. This is an important
distinction, as the majority of the cast relates to both personae, but chiefly
to Clark Kent. After all, Superman is an almost godlike figure. While one can
joke about being "Superman's Pal," Superman belongs to the world. Clark Kent
is the one who can be known as friend. Maggie Sawyer, as the head of
Metropolis' Special Crimes Unit (SCU), sees Superman as a colleague.
Admittedly a Super-powered colleague, but a colleague nonetheless.
Maggie Sawyer started her career in the Chicago police force, where she
eventually married Captain James Sawyer. Their marriage was a rocky one, with
intense fighting on both sides, and Maggie felt unfulfilled. Maggie decided
that perhaps a baby would fill the void and bring the marriage together.
Their daughter, Jamie Sawyer, did indeed help heal the rifts...for a time.
Eventually, Maggie discovered that one chief reason her marriage was difficult
was that she was a lesbian. When James found out, he was furious. A divorce
ensued, and James got custody of Jamie. Maggie, devastated, moved to
Metropolis to start her career anew.
Fortunately for Maggie, her arrival in Metropolis virtually coincided with the
arrival of a more colorful protector, Superman. Metropolis became besieged by
a passel of super-powered villains, for which the regular police force and
even the SWAT team, led by Captain Regan, were ill-equipped to handle.
Through an adventure early in Superman's career, Maggie crossed paths with the
Man of Steel, Captain Regan, Inspector Dan "Terrible" Turpin and Inspector
Bill Henderson. It was due in part to Turpin's suggestion, and over Regan's
objections, that the police commissioner decided to create a new Special
Crimes Unit with Captain Maggie Sawyer at its head.
Maggie's relationship with Superman was strengthened when her daughter Jamie
ran away from home to find her mommy. Jamie was kidnapped by the demonic
Skyhook, and Maggie enlisted Superman's aid. During the rescue, a personal
bond was formed between the two that endures. They are colleagues, and they
are friends. Maggie demonstrated absolute trust of Superman during that
adventure - the quality that most characterizes deep friendship.
During the "Funeral for a Friend" storyline, Bill Henderson became police
commissioner, and gave Maggie a promotion to Inspector.
Maggie is almost unique as a character in comics, as she is a lesbian
portrayed with feelings and a definite character. She trusts Superman, but
does not let her trust interfere with her job; if she thinks The Man of Steel
has crossed the line, she lets him know, and does not hesitate to bring the
SCU down on him. She did not immediately believe the authenticity of Superman
on his return from the dead, but waited for proof of his genuineness. She
cares for the members of her Unit, and was sensitive to Dan Turpin's feelings
when he became attracted to her.
John Byrne took a tremendous risk introducing Maggie Sawyer as a lesbian
during the second year of the "revamped" Superman's adventures. At that
point, there was no Rainmaker from GEN 13, and even Northstar, another Byrne
creation, had not been "outed."
Maggie Sawyer is, first of all, a character with a definite personality.
Regardless of one's personal feelings on lesbianism or homosexuality, you must
admit that she is tough-as-nails, loyal and a consummate professional. Her
model for SCU's has been picked up in cities throughout the DCU (see David
Chappell's column last month). Superman respects her as a colleague and as a
person, and it is not hard to see why.
_______________________________________________________________
And Who Disguised As...
----------------------------------
A Column of Opinion by J.D. Rummel (rummel@phoenix.creighton.edu)
The Not-So-Great Superman Book
When the first Superman movie came out almost twenty years ago, it was the
subject of what was then the most expensive publicity campaign in Hollywood
history. Among the Burger King glasses, magazine covers, and other tie-ins
was the third volume in DC comics' encyclopedia series. Written by Michael
Fleisher, volumes one and two covered Batman and Wonder Woman. The third,
called THE GREAT SUPERMAN BOOK, attempted to catalog the vast array of
characters and history of the Man of Steel. The effort in each case was
gigantic, and to help accomplish his purpose, DC opened its considerable
library to Fleisher.
A soft cover book with a Neal Adams' rendition of Superman on the front, TGSB
lists loads of information from the pre-Byrne Superman mythos.
In the plus column, the biographical examination of Superman is first rate.
Discussing the psychology of Superman/Kent, it details some of the truly
bizarre developments, including incidents where Superman apparently regards
Kent as a separate entity, actually showing disdain for his other identity.
For the Lois and Clark fans there is a look at the romance between the two,
detailing the evolution from the extremely odd beginnings, to the no less odd
sixties, and even some brief touching upon the relationship in the seventies.
However, TGSB claims to be "The complete encyclopedia of the folk hero of
America", and while Fleisher succeeds in amassing both established portions of
the legend as well as copiously documenting lots of fascinating minutiae, TGSB
is ultimately very disappointing. While no one could expect it to be truly
complete (it is, after all, trying to write the history of an ongoing concern)
it has many sloppy omissions. Published in '78 the book overlooks significant
events in both the sixties and seventies. Details such as Black Zero's
destruction of Krypton, the elimination of green K, and significant characters
from Kirby's time at DC are all completely ignored. Although it does offer
extensive information from the early years, it still fails to mention
interesting departures from the established legend, such as the forties'
Superman's ability to change his shape (Anybody remember the issue where a
visitor from another dimension comes collecting specimens for his world and
kidnaps some of our celebrities? In it, Supes alters his shape to that of the
alien traveler in order to carry out his rescue plan).
The book does contain many artists' renderings of Superman throughout the
years, but all are black and white. A color section, or more elegantly, a
selection of color renderings and photos from other media, such as TV would
have been nice. Also, some kind of index would have been nice. After the Z's
you get to stare at the back cover.
Another great failure is the lack of accreditation. It has only been recently
that the wonderful creators of this legend have gotten even a piece of their
due. This text would have been a true encyclopedia if under Swan we could see
some basic information on one of the great Superman artists, or under Hamilton
we could learn more about the SF writer that framed some of Supes' most
imaginative adventures.
Because of the many omissions and lack of scope, this is not for someone
seeking a true encyclopedia, but it is interesting reading, especially if one
is seeking to learn about the pre-Byrne Superman. I doubt that it is
available anywhere except used bookstores and garage sales, however. Good
luck in finding it.
Away.
_______________________________________________________________
****************************************************
End of Section 1
_______________________________________________________________
SUPERMAN 1995
-------------
The Comic Year In Review!
An index compiled by Jeff Sykes
Here it is gang -- a nearly complete list of the DC comic books which either
featured or guest-starred the Superman family in 1995. Every book I bought
is on here, but there were a couple of books that I didn't get and wasn't
able to find the information. If you can provide any of the missing bits of
information below, please contact me.
Note that when creative teams are given below, the three slots usually
correspond to (Writer, Penciller, Inker) or (Writer, Layouts, Finishes).
Two slots usually correspond to (Writer, Artist) -- as in SUPERMAN: KAL --
or (Writer/Penciller, Inker) -- as in several of the Jurgens issues of
SUPERMAN. For more specific information, see the respective issues.
For next year's index, I plan on being more specific with these credits.
Cover art information is given separately.
Anyway, here we go:
THE TRIANGLE TITLES
-------------------
ACT = Action Comics
ADV = Adventures of Superman
SUP = Superman
MOS = Superman: The Man of Steel
MOT = Superman: The Man of Tomorrow
1 - MOS 40 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke & Joe Rubinstein)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
DEAD AGAIN - Brainiac escapes New Genesis, Superman battles brain beasts,
Babe's bloodlust increases
2 - SUP 96 (Dan Jurgens, Dick Giordano)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding
DEAD AGAIN - Virtual reality battles, Brainiac reveals himself
3 - ADV 519 (Karl Kesel, Barry Kitson, Mike Manley)
Cover by Barry Kitson & Ray McCarthy
DEAD AGAIN - Superman versus Superman and Brainiac
4 - ACT 706 (David Michelinie, Jackson Guice, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Jackson Guice
Supergirl versus farm equipment in Smallville
5 - MOS 41 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Klaus Janson)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
Lock has lost control of vortex, Babe attacks Jimmy
6 - SUP 97 (Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding)
Superman delivers a baby, ShadowDragon steals Superman data from STAR Labs
7 - ADV 520 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan
100 criminals strike on Christmas Eve
8 - ACT 707 (David Michelinie, Jackson Guice, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Jackson Guice and Brett Breeding
Superman versus ShadowDragon, Serial killer strikes again
9 - MOS 42 (Louise Simonson, Michal Dutkiewicz, Dennis Janke)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
Lock and Babe banish her vampire and close the vortex
10 - SUP 98 (Dan Jurgens, Joe Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding
Superman learns what changed the Toyman into a psychotic killer
11 - ADV 521 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan
Superman, Thorn, & the Riot Grrrls versus a drug lord
12 - ACT 708 (David Michelinie, Jackson Guice, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Jackson Guice
Superman and Mister Miracle combat the traps of Deathtrap
13 - MOS 43 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
Big Barda helps Superman and Mister Miracle escape Deathtrap
14 - SUP 99 (Dan Jurgens, Gil Kane, Josef Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
Superman and Agent Liberty face Arclight in Washington DC
15 - ADV 522 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
Superman and other heroes rebuild Metropolis after Zero Hour
16 - ACT 709 (David Michelinie, Jackson Guice, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Jackson Guice
Superman tries to control Guy Gardner, serial killer captured
17 - MOS 44 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT: Prologue - Clark discovers that Conduit *knows*
18 - SUP 100 (Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding & Josef Rubinstein)
Direct Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
Newsstand Cover by Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding
THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT: Part 1 - Conduit kidnaps Jimmy, blows up the
Ross's house, and threatens the Kents
19 - ADV 523 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT: Part 2 - Superman protects the Kents from
Conduit's goons
20 - ACT 710 (David Michelinie, Jackson Guice, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Jackson Guice
THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT: Part 3 - While Superman is distracted by
Metallo, Conduit's goons go after Lois
(Price increase to $1.95/issue begins)
21 - MOS 45 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT: Part 4 - As Clark fights Conduit's robots,
he comes to believe that all of his loved ones have been killed
22 - SUP 101 (Dan Jurgens, Gil Kane, Josef Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT: Part 5 - Lois begins to search for the
Kents, and Clark and his parents go into hiding.
23 - ADV 524 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT: Part 6 - Superman reveals himself to make a
rescue, Shadowdragon tries to hinder Conduit
24 - ACT 711 (David Michelinie, Jackson Guice, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Jackson Guice
THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT: Part 7 - Superman defeats Conduit
25 - MOS 46 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
Superman cleans up Pipeline and reunites with his parents.
26 - SUP 102 (Dan Jurgens, Gil Kane, Josef Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
Superman/Black Adam fights Captain Marvel/Cyborg
27 - ADV 525 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
Superman reunites with Lois, who convinces him to be Clark.
28 - MOT 1 (Roger Stern, Tom Grummett, Brett Breeding)
Cover by Tom Grummett & Brett Breeding
Superman returns to Metropolis and Lex Luthor is revived!
29 - ACT 712 (David Michelinie, Kieron Dwyer, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier
Superman rescues Jimmy from Conduit's traps.
30 - MOS 47 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
Perry and Franklin Stern recall their fight with the Aryan Brotherhood.
31 - SUP 103 (Dan Jurgens, Gil Kane, Joe Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
Superman faces Arclight again, and Jimmy quits the Daily Planet!
32 - ADV 526 (Karl Kesel, Rodolfo DaMaggio, Klaus Janson)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
The original Bloodsport versus the racist Bloodsport.
33 - ACT 713 (David Michelinie, Kieron Dwyer, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier
Superman battles Saviour, who now has terrifying new powers
34 - MOS 48 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
Superman and Aquaman battle mutated sea monsters
35 - SUP 104 (Dan Jurgens, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Joe Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
Superman travels to Apokolips, Darkseid releases the Cyborg
36 - ADV 527 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
The Alpha Centurion arrives in Metropolis
37 - ACT 714 (David Michelinie, Kieron Dwyer, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier
The Joker returns to Metropolis, angered about a new line of Joker toys
38 - MOS 49 (Louise Simonson, Paul Pelletier, Terry Austin)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
Superman rescues Keith from Skyhook
39 - SUP 105 (Dan Jurgens, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Joe Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
Superman and Green Lantern battle Psi-Phon and Dreadnaught
40 - ADV 528 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
An alien bounty-hunter arrives in Metropolis to apprehend Superman
41 - MOT 2 (Roger Stern, Tom Grummett, Brett Breeding)
Cover by Tom Grummett & Brett Breeding
Superman tries to recapture Luthor, Alpha Centurion begins working
for the Contessa
42 - ACT 715 (David Michelinie, Gil Kane, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier
Superman gets drained by Doc Parasite
43 - MOS 50 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 1 - Superman is taken by the Tribunal and
charged with the destruction of Krypton
44 - SUP 106 (Dan Jurgens, Ron Frenz, Joe Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 2 - The charges are explained, Superman
watches Massacre's sentence be "executed"
45 - ADV 529 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 3 - Superman escapes the Tribunal, Alpha
Centurion organizes a rescue squad
46 - ACT 716 (David Michelinie, Kieron Dwyer, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 4 - Superman and his "gang" seek refuge,
rescue squad begins search
47 - MOS 51 (Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dick Giordano)
Cover by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 5 - Superman and company meet up with
space pirates, Centurion abandons others
48 - SUP 107 (Dan Jurgens, Ron Frenz, Josef Rubinstein)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Josef Rubinstein
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 6 - Supes meets Tolos and his bottled city,
Cyborg pummels the rescue squad
49 - ADV 530 (Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Jose Marzan Jr
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 7, UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED - Hellgrammite
vs. the SCU, Superboy confronts Alpha Centurion
50 - MOT 3 (Roger Stern, Tom Grummett, Brett Breeding)
Cover by Tom Grummett & Brett Breeding
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 8, UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED - The secret of
Luthor's recovery, Superman and Mope face another sorcerer
SUPERMAN ANNUALS
----------------
MOS #4 - Louise Simonson, John Paul Leon, Dennis Janke
Cover by Walt Simonson
Superman's first meetings with members of JLA
SUP #7 - Roger Stern, Chris Gossett, Pascoe & Woch
Cover by Walt Simonson
Superman's first meeting with Dr. Occult & magic
ADV #7 - Karl Kesel, Ron Wagner, Josef Rubinstein
Cover by Walt Simonson
Superman's first meeting with Intergang, origin of the SCU
ACT #7 - David Michelinie, Darick Robertson, Brad Vancata
Cover by Walt Simonson
Superman's first outer space adventure, limitations
SUPERBOY
--------
11 - Eddie Berganza, Tom Grummett, Dan Davis
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
A Superboy impersonator dies, Superboy fights in Virtual Reality (Techno)
12 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
Superboy versus School Board, Copperhead
13 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
WATERY GRAVE: Part 1 - Suicide Squad assembles (Knockout, Sidearm,
Deadshot, King Shark, Captain Boomerang)
14 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood & Stan Woch
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
WATERY GRAVE: Part 2 - Team is split, Superboy captured
15 - Karl Kesel, Kevin West, Dan Davis & Ande Parks
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
WATERY GRAVE: Part 3 - Boomerang is traitor, Dragons defeated
16 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood & Dave Bednar & Stan Woch
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
Superboy starts school, battles Loose Cannon
17 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
Superboy goes to Vegas in search of Roxy, battles Neon
18 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
Superboy battles a lead-poisoned Lar Gand (aka Valor)
19 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
Superboy battles Knockout and races to help the dying Valor
20 - Eddie Berganza, Darryl Banks & Joe St Pierre, Doug Hazlewood & Dave Bednar
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
Superboy and Green Lantern search the Silicon Dragons' destroyed lair
21 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
FUTURE TENSE: Part 1 (of 3) - The Legion of Super-Heroes arrives to
enlist Superboy's aid in rescuing Valor
22 - Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Dan Davis
Cover by Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED - Superboy and Knockout vs Killer Frost
Annual #2
Karl & Barbara Kesel, David Brewer, Ande Parks & Pam Eklund & Ken Branch
& Wayne Faucher
Cover by David Brewer & Karl Kesel
Superboy and Dubbilex return to Cadmus and learn from whom Superboy
was cloned, but not before tangling with a Bizarro Superboy!
STEEL
-----
11 - Louise Simonson, Chris Batista, Rich Faber & Ande Parks
Cover by Chris Batista & Dennis Janke
MAXIMUM ORBIT: Part 1 - Steel & Maxima captured by De'Cine and B'aad
12 - Louise Simonson, Chris Batista, Rich Faber
Cover by Chris Batista & Dennis Janke
MAXIMUM ORBIT: Part 2 - Maxima forced to wed De'Cine, Steel breaks free
13 - Louise Simsonson, Chris Batista, Dan Davis
Cover by Chris Batista & Dennis Janke
MAXIMUM ORBIT: Part 3 - Steel frees Maxima and the wedding is stopped
14 - Louise Simonson, Roberto Flores, Rich Faber
Cover by Chris Batista & Rich Faber (?)
Superman and Steel versus Firebomb in Washington DC
15 - Louise Simonson, Chris Batista, Rich Faber
Cover by Chris Batista & Rich Faber (?)
Steel investigates the Senator's sudden change of position on guns
16 - Louise Simonson, Chris Batista & Phil Gosier, Rich Faber
Cover by Chris Batista & Rich Faber
Steel tries to foil the White Rabbit's plans to control Congress.
17 - David Michelinie, Greg Larocque, Rich Faber & Dave Bednar & Rob Leigh
& Mike Sellers
Cover by ???
Steel begins to search for Tyke, battles Chindi.
18 - David Michelinie, Phil Gosier, Rich Faber
Cover by Phil Gosier & Rich Faber
Steel continues his search for Tyke, all the while hounded by Chindi.
19 - David Michelinie, Phil Gosier, Rich Faber & Rob Leigh & Mike Sellers
Cover by ???
Steel and Chindi battle Hazard and find the children
20 - Ruben Diaz, Roberto Flores, Ken Branch & Jeff Albrecht
Cover by (??) Trebor & Jeff Albrecht
Steel and Lethal fight zombies
21 - Louise Simonson, Phil Gosier, Rich Faber
Cover by Phil Gosier & Rich Faber
UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED - Steel battles a Neron-empowered Metallo
22 - Louise Simonson, Phil Gosier, Rob Leigh
Cover by Phil Gosier & Rich Faber
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN tie-in - Steel, Supergirl, and the Eradicator
try to escape the Tribunal
Annual #2
????
SHOWCASE '95
------------
1 - SUPERGIRL (Charles Moore, Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger)
Cover by Tom Grummett & Doug Hazlewood
Lord Dichon wants Supergirl's body as his own
2 - SUPERGIRL (Charles Moore, Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger)
Cover by Stuart Immonen & Wade von Grawbadger
Supergirl doesn't want to give her body to Lord Dichon
3 - ERADICATOR (Karl Kesel, Greg LaRocque, Stan Woch)
Cover by Barry Kitson & John Stokes
The Eradicator battles Team Turmoil at STAR Labs
4 - THORN (Roger Stern, Howard Simpson, Mark Stegbauer)
Cover by Jackson Guice
Thorn goes after the 100, Maggie Sawyer questions Rose about Thorn
5 - THORN (Roger Stern, Howard Simpson, Mark Stegbauer)
Cover by Humberto Ramos & Stan Woch
Thorn completes her investigation, Rose may be a metahuman
6 - BIBBO (Mike Carlin, Denis Rodier)
Cover by Denis Rodier
Bibbo and Lobo save the world from a dog invasion
7 - MONGUL (Peter J. Tomasi, Scot Eaton, Pam Eklund)
Cover by Christian Alamy
A "rehabilitated" Mongul escapes his jailors
8 - MONGUL (Peter J. Tomasi, Scot Eaton, Pam Eklund)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Terry Austin
Mongul "repays" the aliens who rescued him from his crippled vessel.
9 - LOIS LANE & JIMMY OLSEN (Cindy Goff, Sal Velluto, Dick Giordano)
Cover by Phil Gosier & Chip Wallace
Lois and Jimmy expose religious con-artists
10 - GANGBUSTER (Jerry Ordway, Joe Staton, Horacio Ottolini)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Terry Austin
Gangbuster passes through Fawcett City. Back-up Hi-Tech story by
Barry Kitson, Lee Sullivan, & Ray McCarthy
11 - AGENT LIBERTY (Dan Jurgens, Joe St Pierre, Rod Ramos)
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Mike Sellers
Agent Liberty battles the new Sons of Liberty. Conclusion of
the Hi-Tech tale (same creative team).
12 - SUPERGIRL (Charles Moore, Phil Jimenez, Howard Shum)
Cover by Tom Grummett
Supergirl faces celebrity and a surprise left by Lord Dichon
THE NEW TITANS
--------------
120 - Marv Wolfman, William Rosado, Keith Champagne
Cover by William Rosado & Keith Champagne
FOREVER EVIL: Part 2 - The Titans take on Raven and a possessed Supergirl
121 - Marv Wolfman, William Rosado, Keith Champagne & Rich Rankin
Cover by William Rosado & Bob Wiacek
FOREVER EVIL: Part 3 - Supergirl is turned and Raven is defeated
122 - Marv Wolfman, Finn Harris
Cover by ???
THE CRIMELORD/SYNDICATE WAR: Part 2 - The Titans fight the Syndicate
123 - Marv Wolfman & Michael Jan Friedman, J.B. Jones, Rich Rankin
Cover by ??
Origin of Jarras Minion
124 - Marv Wolfman & Michael Jan Friedman, William Rosado, Keith Champagne
& Jason Martin
Cover by William Rosado & Eddie (?) Newell
THE SEIGE OF THE ZI CHARAM: Part 1 (of 5) - The Titans investigate
a gravity well near Jupiter and are swept to another galaxy.
125 - Marv Wolfman, William Rosado, Keith Champagne
Cover by William Rosado & WAB(?)
THE SIEGE OF THE ZI CHARAM: Part 5 (of 5) - The Titans find a way to
not commit genocide and return home.
126 - Dale Hrebik and Rik Mays
Cover by William Rosado & Will Blyberg
MELTDOWN 4 - The Titans play war games
127 - Marv Wolfman, William Rosado, Will Blyberg & Fred Fredericks
Cover by William Rosado & Will Blyberg
MELTDOWN 3 - Mirage to STAR Labs, Damage quits. Changeling, Starfire,
and Cyberion (Cyborg!) return.
128 - Marv Wolfman, William Rosado, Will Blyberg
Cover by William Rosado & Will Blyberg
MELTDOWN 2 - Reunion continues, Cyborg's recent history, Gordanians
attack Tamaran
ANNUAL #11
Marv Wolfman, Greg Land, Keith Champagne & Mike Sellers & Will Blyberg
Cover by Greg Land & Mike Sellers
Revelations about Mirage and Terra, Supergirl's first meetings with Arsenal
MINISERIES AND SPECIALS
-----------------------
GUARDIANS OF METROPOLIS (4 issues - Nov 94 to Feb 95)
Karl Kesel, Kieron Dwyer, Mike Manley
Covers by Kieron Dwyer & Karl Kesel
Cadmus invaded by Dabney Donovan, Newsboys & Guardian face Female Furies
and Boss Moxie
METROPOLIS S.C.U. (4 issues - Nov 94 to Feb 95)
Cindy Goff, Pete Krause, Jose Marzan Jr
Covers by Dusty Abell & Jackson Guice
Lois joins the SCU for an inside story, the SCU fights an eco-terrorist
SUPERMAN: KAL (1-shot - Mar 95)
Dave Gibbons, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
Elseworlds: Kal-El arrives on Earth in Medieval England
LOOSE CANNON (4 issues - June 95 to Sept 95)
Jeph Loeb, Adam Pollina
Metropolis SCU and the Eradicator vs Loose Cannon
SUPERMAN VS ALIENS (3 issues - July 95 to Sept 95)
Dan Jurgens, Kevin Nowlan
Superman finds Argo City in space, infested with Aliens
SHADOWDRAGON ANNUAL #1 (Oct 95)
David Michelinie, Brett Breeding, Dick Giordano
Cover by Brett Breeding & Klaus Janson
Year One -- the origin of the ShadowDragon
SUPERMAN: AT EARTH'S END (Nov 95)
Tom Veitch and Frank Gomez
Elseworlds: Post-Apocalyptic Superman battles monster Bat-men
DOOMSDAY ANNUAL #1 (Dec 95)
Prologue, Epilogue - Jerry Ordway, Dennis Janke
Darkseid story - Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding
Khundia story - Louise Simonson, Chris Batista, John Nyberg
GL Corps story - Roger Stern, Gil Kane, Jerry Ordway
Cover by Dan Jurgens & Jerry Ordway
Anthology of Doomsday stories
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL GALLERY #1 (Dec 95)
Art by various
Cover by Kevin Nowlan
Collection of original art of the Man of Steel
GUEST APPEARANCES
-----------------
GUY GARDNER: WARRIOR #27 (Jan 95)
Beau Smith, Mitch Byrd, Dan Davis
Superman talks to Guy about his heritage, Steel & Guy fight Sledge
XENOBROOD #3-4 (Jan 95 & Feb 95)
Doug Moench, Chris Hunter, John Lowe
Superman investigates a UFO over Iraq, finds and helps the Xenobrood
BLOOD PACK #2 (Apr 95)
Charles Moore, Christopher Taylor, Andrew Lanning
Superboy and the Blood Pack rescue tourists from an erupting volcano
GUY GARDNER: WARRIOR #30 (Apr 95)
Beau Smith, Mitch Byrd, Dan Davis
Cover by Tom Grummett & Dan Davis
Superman & Supergirl help bring Guy under control
THE RAY ANNUAL #1 (1995)
Christopher Priest, Oscar Jimenez, Chip Wallace
Superman and The Ray consider the fact that they can't save everyone
GUY GARDNER: WARRIOR #31 (June 95)
Beau Smith, Mitch Byrd (and others), Dan Davis (and others)
Cover by Paul Pelletier and Dan Davis
Supergirl helps Guy in battle against Dementor
DEATHSTROKE #48-49 (June 95 & July 95)
Marv Wolfman, S. & O. Cariello, and Will Blyberg
THE CRIMELORD/SYNDICATE WAR: Parts 1 and 4 (of 4)
Supergirl (via the New Titans) and Steel assist.
THE DARKSTARS #32 (July 95)
Michael Jan Friedman, Collins, Branch
THE CRIMELORD/SYNDICATE WAR: Part 3 (of 4)
Supergirl and the New Titans assist.
GREEN LANTERN #64 (July 95)
Ron Marz, Darryl Banks & Mark Bright, Romeo Tanghal & Mike DeCarlo
Cover by Darryl Banks & Romeo Tanghal
Superman and others help GL against Hal Jordan
AQUAMAN ANNUAL #1 (1995)
Peter David, Phil Jimenez & Various, (?) Shum & Various
Cover by ??
Superman meets Aquaman for the first time
BLACK LIGHTNING #6 (July 1995)
Tony Isabella & Eddie Newell
Cover by ??
Gangbuster comes to Brick City
GREEN LANTERN #65 (Aug 95)
Ron Marz, Ron Lim, Romeo Tanghal & Terry Austin
Cover by Ron Lim & Terry Austin
THE SIEGE OF THE ZI CHARAM: Part 2 (of 5) - Supergirl and Green Lantern
rescue the captive Titans from the Progenitors.
THE DARKSTARS #34 (Sept 95)
Michael Jan Friedman, Mike Collins, Ken Branch
THE SIEGE OF THE ZI CHARAM: Part 3 (of 5) - The Titans agree to help
the council in the construction of a weapon.
DAMAGE #16 (Sept 95)
Tom Joyner, Jason Armstrong, Jordi Ensign & Phyllis Novin
THE SIEGE OF THE ZI CHARAM: Part 4 (of 5) - The Titans collect the
parts for the weapon, then realize it would result in genocide.
GREEN ARROW #100-101 (Sept 95 & Oct 95)
Chuck Dixon, Jim Aparo, Gerry Fernandez
Superman must stop Green Arrow and environmental terrorists.
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #74 (Nov 95)
Tom Peyer & Tom McCraw, Lee Moder, Ron Boyd
FUTURE TENSE: Part 2 (of 3) - Now in the 30th century, Superboy and the
Legion must face Scavenger, Superboy's 20th century enemy!
LEGIONNAIRES #31 (Nov 95)
Tom Peyer & Tom McCraw, Jeffrey Moy, W.C. Carani
FUTURE TENSE: Part 3 (of 3) - Superboy and the Legion defeat Scavenger
and free Valor.
THE OUTSIDERS #24 (Nov 95)
???
_______________________________________________________________
****************************************************
End of Section 2
_______________________________________________________________
REVIEWS
-------
Ratings Panelists:
VC: Victor Chan SF: Shane Furlong WN: William J Nixon
MC: Matt Combes RG: Rene' Gobeyn DS: Dick Sidbury
RF: Randy Fairman AL: Art LaMarche JS: Jeff Sykes
FL: Suzanne Fleischauer KM: Ken McKee AW: Anatole Wilson
As always, the first rating given after the average is that of the reviewer.
The average rating given for each book may correspond to a larger sample
of ratings than what is printed following the average.
Note that beginning with this month's issues, DC has removed the UK cover
price from our copies. Their absence below reflects the DC change.
THE "TRIANGLE" TITLES:
---------------------
46. ACTION COMICS #716, "Fugitive Justice!"
Writer: David Michelinie
Artists: Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 2.8/5.0 Shields
WN: 2.5 Shields - Some great aliens and Superman on the run from the "Trial"
MC: 3.5 Shields - While Dwyer's artwork has yet to grow on me, I found
Michelinie's story to be very excellent, which is unusual,
seeing as how I hardly ever like his work.
FL: 1.0 Shield - No redeeming value in this opening to another month of
mindless slugfests. A whiny self-centered Supes gives no
thought to his life or friends back on earth, instead
obsessing about his reputation among a group of lunatics.
The whole mess is further tainted by its hammering home a
dubious point about moral relativism.
SF: 3.5 Shields - Haven seemed like an homage to the Star Wars Cantina scene.
Great art with a pretty good story.
DS: 3.0 Shields - Superboy discovers AC is the Cyborg (?). Haven was dull
but could be useful in the DC Universe in the future.
Galactic Criminals and hidden agendas abound in this latest installment of the
ongoing "Trial of Superman" arc. Having escaped the clutches of the Tribunal
for the moment, Superman and his new found "allies" crash-land on what was a
seemingly barren pile of rock. Their ship is torn apart by cannon fire as the
planet's defenses - of whose existence Smitty neglected to tell his companions
- kick in. They escape to a cave only to be confronted by a colorful
collection of space monsters. One of the main aims of this issue seemed to be
developing the teamwork of the escapees since they are still linked by their
symbio-links. Even in adverse circumstances such as escaping for cover, they
pull together, or at least make the best of a bad situation.
When they are recognized as clients, not invaders, by Haven's gatekeeper, the
monsters are called off and the chain gang is invited into Haven; a sanctuary
for criminals and escapees of the Tribunal.
In another part of space, the Superman rescue squad continue their search and
SB's suspicions about Alpha Centurion are aroused. There is a teasing shot of
AC in shadow, a red eye seemingly reflected - is old 'red eye' back?
In Haven, Superman and his friends have their links removed and get a chance
to eat and catch their breath. Smitty's hidden agenda is revealed as a plan
for his race to take over Haven. His capture by the Tribunal was a ploy to
let him return to Haven. His race is hated throughout the galaxy since they
want to purify the universe by eliminating every other race but their own.
They are only tolerated in Haven because they pay well. He disables the phase
shift generator, so that his fellow Korgguans can invade. A galactic gangster
slugfest ensues as Superman goes up against Smitty's cannon-wielding allies.
Leeya, gambling on Smitty's instinct for self-preservation, takes a more
direct approach and forces him to disable his damping field on the generator.
There is a clash of cultures and Leeya wins out. Smitty is sentenced to
endure living in Haven with species he considers inferior and Superman is
satisfied that Smitty won't be killed. Superman's help is rewarded with
transport for himself and his friends.
Leeya, Mope and Superman leave Haven and fly straight into what appears to be
a figurehead of Leeya. To be continued, just like those old Saturday
matinees. And like an old Saturday matinee, I was left wondering what this
ethereal figurehead could mean.
I liked this issue but not as much as I have enjoyed some of the previous
tales, particularly with the Joker or the eponymous Jimmy Cage. This issue
felt almost like an interchangeable book in the mosaic which is the "Trial",
or any large story arc. The team set it out as "ACTION", though, and Dwyer
and Rodier had a ball with the slugfest set pieces and the jagged landing of
the fugitives' spaceship. There was a Star Wars cantina feel to Haven. Here
was the criminal society in its element. A secure environment tailor-made for
chomping on your galactic cigar. Also, I enjoyed the way this issue built on
the backgrounds of each of the fugitives to show their motives and passions.
Leeya's for her daughter and beliefs, Smitty pretty much for the extinction of
all other races. It also showed Superman ponder his change in status as
cultures collide.
Is Alpha Centurion the Cyborg? That topic is hotly raised in the newsgroups
at the moment. AC's appearance followed the Cyborg's release by Darkseid and
the possibility adds depth to this storyline. The Cyborg is a heavy duty
villain with a lot of background and history. Too convenient? I don't think
so. Too predictable? I don't think so either. He has established himself in
Superman's gallery of super-villains, and they are at their best scheming,
plotting and conniving. This was the guy who was going to create another
Warworld with Mongul after all.
I did miss the other subplots and characters though, there was nothing of
Lois, Jimmy or even Earth -- just a sidelong glance at old "red eye". But
this is but a fraction of a grander tapestry, and in that, it moves the story
right along.
William J Nixon (W.J.Nixon@lib.gla.ac.uk)
========================================================
47. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #51, "Wanted"
Story: Louise Simonson
Penciller: Jon Bogdanove
Guest Inker: Dick Giordano
Cover: Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.1/5.0 Shields
AL: 3.5 Shields
RF: 2.0 Shields - I thought the pirate was a stupid, throwaway character and
I cannot stand Bogdanove's art.
SF: 2.5 Shields - This title is always the weakest of the five for me. I
thought the Space Pirate and his ship were silly.
KM: 5.0 Shields - Swashbuckling good fun! Great story and superb artwork.
AW: 2.5 Shields - Cliche'd but fairly well-written interlude in the storyline;
no suspense, though. They couldn't come up with a better
name than "Freelance"? Nice artwork in places.
Superman, Mope and Leeya are intercepted by what appears to be a classic pirate
ship from old Earth that has somehow been made space-faring. The traditional
figurehead of the ship appears to be an image of Leeya. Before, the trio can
escape, they are caught in a tractor beam and pulled on board. The captain of
the ship is a pirate named Freelance. In addition to the ship and its crew,
Freelance also controls something called the Merkaba Stone. This stone can
surround its commander with a shield that protects him from laser blast or
Superman's heat vision. It appears that the escapees will soon be turned back
over to the Tribunal.
Meanwhile on the Pax Romana, the Superman Rescue Team argues over the role of
the Eradicator in the abduction, the location of the Tribunal, wild goose
chases, and R.E.M. tickets, and most importantly, Steel and Superboy discuss
the Cyborg-Centurion connection. Shortly, Centurion claims to detect a ship
which has crashed in an asteroid belt and, because of shielding, is unable to
tell if anyone survived. Steel, Supergirl, Superboy and the Eradicator leave
the ship and fly off to investigate, while Centurion stays behind (I tried to
warn them, but they did not listen to me... --Art). When they arrive at the
alleged location of the ship they find nothing. Instead, they are surrounded
by aliens who think they are the "Superman" wanted by the Tribunal. Driven by
greed, they attack. When Steel informs Centurion of the trap, Centurion
abandons the rest of the team with a look that could pass as a hearty laugh or
a gasp of surprise -- I would bet on the former. The Superteam quickly
overcomes the aliens in combat and returns to the Centurion-Cyborg connection
discussion. Among the unconscious aliens, Supergirl finds a wanted poster of
Superman. Steel's opinion is that Superman may have escaped. Buoyed by
optimism, the Team begins to draw up a new plan to rescue Superman...
Back on the She-Devil pirate ship, the trio are captured and interrogated by
Freelance. With a big smile, one hand on his chest and another outstretched
towards Leeya, Freelance proclaims "Ah! The very spirit an' image o' me
figurehead". Through clenched teeth, Leeya growls "Touch me, Freelance, and
you lose the hand." Mope looks on, and in a diplomatic gesture, Superman
proclaims their innocence. Freelance retorts that seldom does he meet an
accused who does not proclaim innocence. Superman continues to play the
diplomat as Leeya strikes Mope for volunteering too much information.
Impressed, Freelance offers Superman a deal. If Superman can defeat Freelance
in a one-on-one fight, then he will let the trio go. If Superman is defeated,
the trio goes quietly back to the Tribunal's planet. Armed with cutlasses,
the dual begins. Super uses his flight abilities to surprise and get behind
Freelance. But before Superman can put Freelance in a hold, he disappears,
resolidifies and strikes Superman. Freelance tells Superman that he must
fight fair, or the deal is off. Superman is forced out on the plank above a
black hole. Freelance tells Superman to give up because if he falls off the
plank the black hole will destroy him. Superman jumps off the plank and on
his way down, cuts the plank so Freelance will also fall. Instead of falling,
the two simply hover. Freelance laughs and wants to know how Superman knew it
was a bluff. Superman responds that Freelance would need the body to claim
the reward and would not lose it to a black hole. The trio is let go, and
they continue their escape from the Tribunal.
The bad luck continues and they are again attacked by forces of the Tribunal.
Mope is struck by a laser blast in the escape and the situation looks bleak.
But to the rescue comes Freelance. His ship and crew rapidly overcome the
Tribunal's men. In the fight, Leeya is also struck by a laser while saving
Freelance's life. Moved, Freelance quits fighting and attends to Leeya.
Luckily Leeya only took a flesh wound and bounces back. As Freelance
continues to flirt with Leeya, he learns of the cause of her husband's death.
With a quick change of heart, he causes the figurehead and his flirtation to
disappear. Mope claims that his wound is also only a flesh wound, but his
voice is weak and fading...
This story placed the plot of the Tribunal escapees in a holding pattern, but
it advanced the plot of the Rescue Team. The pirate story was OK. It had its
moments. I thought that they did an OK job portraying Freelance as a
throwback swashbuckler. He is out for fun and, if he is able, profit. He
gets his chance to test himself against the renowned Superman, and he enjoys
every minute of it. He also gets the chance to hit on a woman he finds
attractive. The figurehead at the beginning, as well as its disappearance at
the end, shows that Freelance was after more than just the reward. I thought
it was a nice twist. I would like to see Superman work along side Freelance
at a later time. I think Freelance's fun-loving attitude could lighten a much
darker story. And it would contrast with Superman's seriousness.
The storyline of the Rescue Team will certainly fuel the fires of the
Cyborg-Centurion connection. The plot is thickening. The ambiguity of the
facial expression of Alpha Centurion in the panel when he abandons the Team
was great. It gives away nothing, but can be used by either side to argue
their case. Nice touch! We will have to see how this plays out in future
issues. In addition to the story, we are treated to some beautiful panels and
some nice inking by guest inker Dick Giordano.
Arthur LaMarche (DrArt95@aol.com)
========================================================
48. SUPERMAN #107, "Bottled Up!"
Story by Dan Jurgens
Art by Ron Frenz and Joe Rubinstein
Cover by Dan Jurgens and Joe Rubinstein
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields
KM: 5.0 Shields - An absolutely incredible issue.
FL: 2.0 Shields - Pluses: Something vaguely approaching a plot; a good
Gilligan's Island line; more than competent art; Kandor
nostalgia; the return of the Cyborg, a worthy foe.
Minuses: everything else about this additional pointless
chapter in the banal and ridiculously drawn-out saga (a
term it doesn't merit) of the Trial of Superman. Hey, I
could swear Gil Kane drew that top right panel on page 17.
SF: 4.5 Shields - Jurgens dialogue was great, especially Superboy. Frenz's
art is the best on the current Super books.
JS: 3.5 Shields - Ron Frenz's artwork is gorgeous! While the main story of
Superman's encounter with Tolos was little more than a
pre-Crisis tease, the secondary stories were well-told.
AW: 3.5 Shields - The story picks up its pace again after stalling in MOS #51.
Scene 1
Somewhere on the planet Apokolips, Desaad is celebrating the demise of his
boss, Darkseid. Since I have not read issue #2 of The New Gods, I cannot go
into detail about the circumstances surrounding his death.(*) Be that as it
may, Desaad is delirious (not to mention a little too drunk) with glee. And
to really brighten his day, he anxiously awaits the confrontation between
Superman and Tolos.
Scene 2
Supergirl, Steel, Superboy, and the Eradicator are streaking through the cosmos
on an asteroid powered by Superboy's salvaged space cycle. The artwork on that
page is really amazing. Believing their situation to be hopeless, they just
happen to run across what appears to be an abandoned spacecraft. Well, of
course, it's a little too convenient, but what choice do they have?
Scene 3
Aboard the She-Devil, Superman is trying to save Mope's life, Mope having been
shot in the arm. They return to Haven, where Kh'rane tells Superman that the
only one who can save Mope is Tolos, whose name sends a wave of fear
throughout the place. Realizing he has no choice, Superman seeks out Tolos.
Back to Scene 2
Our four super comrades are streaking towards the Tribunal planet in the
salvaged spacecraft when they almost run into Alpha Centurion's ship. Superboy
believes Alpha is really the Cyborg and tries to convince his fellow travelers
of his suspicions.
Scene 4
A brief interlude in our story finds Lex Luthor strolling down the snow-covered
streets of Metropolis with the Joker when they are suddenly kidnapped and
sealed in a glass dome. Now things are really getting strange.
Scene 5
Superman arrives back at Haven and realizes he will have to use all his wits to
get out of this mess. Upon entering Tolos' home, he eyes a city in a bottle
with living people trapped inside. Tolos, who looks like he could be Yoda's
father, strikes up a deal with Superman for saving Mope's life. Superman has
no choice but to accept Tolos' terms, even though he has no idea what the
payoff will be.
Back to Scene 2
The rescue squad discover that the ship in which they have been traveling is
really the CYBORG! The confrontation is one of the best pages I have ever
seen in a comic. The cosmic tin man is simply oozing with power.
Back toScene 5
In spite of Mope's injuries, Tolos is able to save his life. In exchange,
Tolos emits an ectoplasmic life form which begins to drain the life out of the
Man of Steel. Trying to bluff his way out of a bad situation, Superman
threatens to destroy the bottled city. Tolos believes the threat and Superman
avoids capture. Before Superman can capture Tolos, the wizard quickly escapes
into the miniaturized city. The comic ends with Mope recovering and the
Cyborg apparently winning the battle against his four super adversaries.
There was so much going on in this comic that I had to break it into scenes in
order to keep it simple and coherent. It was like looking at the different
pieces of a large puzzle, and the actual trial of Superman wasn't even
important. I loved the artwork and the detail that was given to each scene,
not to mention the characters. I haven't bought a Superboy comic in a long
time and had forgotten how much I enjoyed his barbs. Years from now, do you
think the next generation will know what he is talking about when he says, "I
feel like that kid in the TV commercial who sucks himself into the soder cola
bottle"?
This comic had everything, including Lex and the Joker. What more could one
ask for? But the biggest surprise in the story came when Superman discovered
the bottled city. It may not be Kandor, but I am glad the writers included
it. That was the one thing I truly missed from the Pre-Crisis days. To sum
it up (finally, you say), I was really pleased with this comic. There are a
lot of loose ends that need to be tied up and some great spin-offs that could
be generated in many issues to come. I wonder if Freelance will get his own
comic. That might be worth buying!
One more thing -- DC should have included a wanted poster of Superman in this
series. Oh well, maybe not.
Ken McKee (stdkrm01@shsu.edu)
(*) For our readers' information (and this will probably only mean something
to you if you're familiar with Kirby's Fourth World), Darkseid attempted
to gain ultimate knowledge and power by entering the source. He was
followed in by his son Orion, who eagerly wished to stop his father's
evil. Inside the Source, Orion and Darkseid fought. And as Darkseid
did to *his* father long ago, Orion slayed Darkseid. Check out future
issues of THE NEW GODS for additional information and the future (!?) of
Darkseid! -- Jeff]
_______________________________________________________________
****************************************************
End of Section 3
_______________________________________________________________
THE "TRIANGLE" TITLES (cont):
-----------------------------
49. ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #530, "Different Demons"
Co-Plot: Karl Kesel & Stuart Immonen
Dialogue: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Stuart Immonen
Inks: Jose Marzan, Jr.
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.2/5.0 Shields
AW: 2.5 Shields - Super-team action interesting, but Hellgrammite story--
"SGT. ROCK" in Metropolis--was a loss.
MC: 4.0 Shields - It's nice to see a break from all the regular superhero
action and get a glimpse of the other side of crime-fighting:
The humans who risk their lives everyday to protect us. In
this case, the officers of the Metropolis Special Crimes
Unit. Great story.
FL: 3.0 Shields - An average score to this best of the bunch of the regular
series titles. I enjoyed the Rescue Squad bits, but then, I
have a soft spot for the Centurion. Also, the Hellgrammite
and the Underworld backstory (which, ironically, I couldn't
care less about) provides the drama so woefully lacking in
the Superman "plot".
RF: 2.5 Shields - I like Immonen's art, but I thought the Underworld tie-in
was pointless and gave nothing to the story.
JS: 3.5 Shields - Immonen & Marzan's art is not up to their usual standard in
this issue, but Kesel's story is very well done. (Though he
might have been a bit brutal with the SCU...)
It was just a fantasy I had. Nothing too large, too fanciful; I wasn't
dreaming about winning a million dollars or saving the planet from would-be
world conquerors--those are other fantasies. This fantasy was much simpler: I
just hoped against hope that since the Superman titles were embroiled in their
own multi-issue epic, they could avoid being sucked into this year's version
of that annual exercise in crossover title marketing, UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED.
Unfortunately, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN didn't quite make it.
Instead, the issue is split almost 50-50 between Superman and the Rescue Squad
out in space, and the Special Crimes Unit's battle in Metropolis with
Hellgrammite, one of the many villains who has sold his soul to the malevolent
Neron.
In space, Superman is blasted by a mysterious force while seeking to help Mope
prove his innocence. Meanwhile, the Superman Rescue Squad has been captured
by the Tribunal and Cyborg, who has a nasty habit of appearing each time Alpha
Centurion disappears. Superboy accuses A-C of being Cyborg, and somehow
getting thrown around by A-C doesn't change his mind.
I like the "Trial of Superman," the way the story is progressing and the way
that it's keeping me guessing about A-C's secret, so I have to admit to being
annoyed by the intrusion of UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED.
Actually, unlike many of the multi-title crossover "epics" that DC and Marvel
throw at us each year, several of the "Underworld Unleashed" stories have been
both interesting and thought-provoking--THE SPECTRE, [Two thumbs up from me,
also -- Art] for example, and R.E.B.E.L.S.'95. Others, though, fall into the
category of "Look! We supped up this obscure super-villain--isn't that neat?"
category. The villains are more intense, more likely to kill civilians, and
generally don't have any other reason to be around than to cause mindless
carnage. This is the category Hellgrammite falls into.
I only vaguely remember Hellgrammite. His first appearance, as I recall, was
in BRAVE AND BOLD #85, the issue that gave Green Arrow his "new look" goatee.
I don't remember too many details about the story, except that Neal Adams made
Hellgrammite one of the most visually striking villains around at the time.
Since then, I think the villain has made only a couple of random appearances
(a Green Arrow story in WORLD'S FINEST and a previous issue of a Superman
title.) In none of these stories did he really have a clear-cut purpose or
reason for existence. He was just a guy in a costume. But now this has
changed.
Neron has changed Hellgrammite into a real man-bug who wants to change all the
inhabitants of Metropolis into bug-like followers. With Superman out of the
way, only Inspector Sawyer and her Special Crimes Unit (SCU) can stop him.
It's a bloody story that Lt. Sawyer tells in a style reminiscent of the old
SGT. ROCK comics--gritty war-weariness with lots of casualties and the old "I
didn't know if I'd just seen the SCU's finest hour, or its darkest day." The
casualties didn't mean a whole lot to me because I'd never met any of them
before, except Turpin and Sawyer--there just weren't enough pages to introduce
them. (If they were introduced in another comic somewhere, mea culpa--I just
don't remember them.)
I'm disappointed because I didn't expect a character who has broken as many
comic book cliches as Maggie Sawyer -- woman commander and lesbian -- to speak
like an old W.W.II sergeant. I was also hoping that the story would go beyond
the meaningless battles that marked most of the "Underworld Unleashed"
tie-ins.
Immonen and Marzan's artwork disappointed me as well this issue. Immonen is
at his best in scenes with lots of space, and most of the action of this issue
was in Hellgrammite's cramped quarters. I think Immonen was going for a
cramped, claustrophobic feeling, but most of the figures in the panels seemed
stiff and confined. The scenes with Superman were fine, though, and the best
parts of this issue.
Another thing I noticed was the use of a single color to color an entire page
at the end of the SCU story. In the '70's, Neal Adams used this effect to
great advantage in his moodier Deadman and Batman stories. The washed-out
look added a special atmosphere, and worked well with the printing process of
that time. Ironically, the vibrant colors used in the current printing
process make this effect particularly hard to achieve, and it didn't quite
work in this issue. Still, it's a technique I've always admired, and I hope
to see more experimentation of all kinds from the creative team in future
issues.
Creatively, these crossover issues are almost always a loss. They force
creative teams to disrupt the flow of the ongoing storyline for the sake of
squeezing in some non-related fight scenes that have only a marginal effect on
the crossover series they're supposed to be a part of. Kesel, Immonen and
Marzan did a better job than most with this issue, but there's no denying the
issue suffered because of their constraints.
Anatole (awilson@vnet.ibm.com)
========================================================
50. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW #3, "Fighting Back"
Writer: Roger Stern
Artists: Tom Grummett & Brett Breeding
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
RG: Story: 2.5 Shields - Busy, but little story progress.
Art: 3.5 Shields - Needed detail, looked a bit rushed.
MC: 5.0 Shields - The *only* thing that would have made this issue better is
including free cash! I love Stern's and Grummett's
compatibility, and the scenes with Joker and Luthor were
the best! We need more issues like this!
FL: 3.0 Shields - Roger Stern does a creditable job despite being weighed
down by a ton of exposition (making UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED
comprehensible even though I haven't been following it).
The story, which essentially concerns Luthor, is buoyed by
the only appearance this month of any of Big Blue's
supporting cast (although if this is a setup for Supes to
run to Lori Lemaris' arms because he thinks Lois is having
it off with the Alpha Centurion, I'll be royally peeved).
Stern has Superman say "It doesn't seem to matter where I
go...there's always someone who wants to fight! I'm really
getting tired of this!" Me too, Roger, me too.
SF: 3.0 Shields - This title juggles too many threads at once. I wish Stern
could write a self-contained story. The scene shifts just
seem jarring here.
DS: 3.5 Shields - Luthor has second thoughts about his bargain with Neron.
"I only wish I'd thought to bargain for hair." Thank
goodness he didn't!
This book is part of the UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED cross-over going on in most of
the DC universe titles this month, and the "Trial of Superman" story
continues, but little progress is made. The book seemed a bit rushed in that
many of the little details that I expect from Stern and Breeding were missing.
It's like they tried to put so much into the story that everything got
short-changed. I got the feeling that this book was just a filler to tie a
few loose ends together so that the real action could take place somewhere
else.
While the book is beautiful, and Breeding's Superman has always been my
favorite, the book felt rushed. Many of the fine details that Brett usually
puts into his work are completely missing or replaced by lines and swirling
colors. Pretty, but it didn't do much for me.
As the story opens we see a brief meeting between Lois and the Contessa. The
scene shifts to follow Superman fighting the Stalker in a magical swamp on
Sorcerer's World. Superman is searching for Mope after their ship was
destroyed (AOS #530). Mope has been taken captive by Mohr, who thinks that
Mope and Superman are working for his enemies. After a short fight with
Stalker, the scene shifts yet again to show what is happening with Luthor and
The Joker in Neron's Underworld. Both are imprisoned in a snow globe for
Neron's amusement. Neron himself is called away (we know that he is defeated
by Captain Marvel and the DC heroes in UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED #3).
While he is gone, we flash back to see the deal that Luthor cut with Neron for
his renewed health, and what has happened to Luthor since. The scene ends
when the snow globe that Luthor and Joker are being held in is destroyed.
Meanwhile, Superman has followed the Stalker to Mohr's tower. Superman
captures and convinces Mohr that all he and Mope want to do is find the wizard
Nrn'Frok who can prove Mope's innocence. Mohr then sends Superman and Mope on
to a large ship to continue the search.
Luthor and the Joker have been pulled into a vortex and separated. Luthor
lands in the desert outside of Las Vegas. We then are shown that the Tribunal
has decided to send the Cyborg out to capture Superman.
A very busy book that really didn't go anywhere or add much to any of the
stories.
Rene' Gobeyn (gobeyn@kodak.com)
_______________________________________________________________
OTHER SUPER-TITLES:
------------------
SUPERBOY #22, "Fire and Ice"
Writer: Karl Kesel
Penciller: Tom Grummett
Inker: Dan Davis
Cover: Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.5/5.0 Shields
VC: 3.5 Shields
RF: 3.0 Shields - I really enjoy this title. Grummett's great and I love the
writing.
DS: 4.0 Shields - Ah, the exuberance of youth! Kesel's one-liners deliver.
JS: 3.5 Shields - Nice art work, though I prefer Hazlewood's inks to Davis'.
Several nice characterization touches save what would have
been a ho-hum fight scene.
AW: 4.0 Shields - Neron did little for Killer Frost or this story--character
development took precedence over the fight scenes.
As Superboy returns to the compound after his visit to the 30th century, he
receives an unruly welcome from Knockout. In a tussle, she announces her
intention to stay at the compound. Unfortunately, no one has had the courage,
or perhaps it's the physical strength, to refuse her request -- yet.
In the meantime, it's a frigid disaster in Honolulu. A commercial airliner
with ice on its wings and body has crashed into the airport, and only one
survivor emerges, a glistening figure, and heads towards downtown, seemingly
in search of something. Everywhere she goes, the surroundings become a
sub-zero wasteland.
Knockout and Superboy arrive on the scene, intent on taking out the villainess
who turns out to be Killer Frost. Tana is already on the scene to report the
events. She quickly explains to the Kid the implications if Killer Frost is
to make her way to the Kilauea Caldera volcano, since she appears to be homing
in to the nearest, largest heat source.
After a few attempts to subdue Frost, Superboy ruptures a gas line so that the
subsequent fire envelops her. Knockout follows up by colliding a liquid
oxygen tanker into her. The explosion leaves nary a trace that Killer Frost
was there.
Overjoyed at another near escape from death, Knockout gives Superboy a huge
kiss that leaves Tana slightly peeved. However, when Tana gives Superboy the
cold shoulder (pun intended), she explains that she isn't jealous of
Knockout's affection, but rather her erratic behavior, and she secretly makes
a vow to uncover Knockout's history.
Back at the compound, Knockout is confronted by the evil Neron [see UNDERWORLD
UNLEASHED], who makes her an offer. She vehemently refuses him, and makes it
clear that the Kid is under her protection. Neron disappears, leaving an
angry Knockout.
On a lighter note, Roxy just makes it in time to the Honolulu Police
Department to write the entrance exam, thanks to a 30th-century innovation.
[Getting on soapbox.] Doh. Another DC Universe multi-title tie-in
extravaganza. Whoopee. The problem with publishing a limited series that
affects every hero in the Universe is continuity. It's not the continuity of
the DC Universe per se, but rather the readers' abilities to figure out how
major events affect the title that they buy and how well they can follow the
title with/without buying other titles they normally don't buy. [Getting
knocked down from soapbox.]
On to the review! I think that Kesel did an adequate job of the storyline,
even if it seemed to be one of those 'We're doing a multi-storyline crossover
with all our titles and you get Killer Frost' stories. It didn't seem that
Kesel had much to work with in terms of Killer Frost. SB and KO dispatched
her rather too quickly for my tastes. After reading some other DC titles that
have been slapped with the UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED label, it appears that a lot
of the villains that have been empowered by Neron became a decrepit lot,
mostly regretting their pact with Neron or suffering from it.
I think the only things gleaned from this issue is everyone's opinion of
Knockout's decision to live at the compound, along with a glimmer of
Knockout's true purpose for staying there. That said, I'd rate the art better
than the story.
The next issue blurb reads: "Romeo and Juliet...Lois and Clark...Superboy and
Knockout?! Hawaii will never be the same! (And neither will Superboy!)"
Given that it's not a Valentine's event, I think it'll be an interesting issue
next month (no tie-in!).
Victor Chan (vichan@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca)
========================================================
STEEL #22, "Deliverance!"
Writer: Louise Simonson
Penciller: Phil Gosier
Inker: Rob Leigh
Cover: Phil Gosier & Rich Faber
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.5/5.0 Shields
DS: 4.0 Shields - Steel joins in the attempt to rescue Superman from the
Tribunal.
RF: 3.0 Shields - Pretty good tie-in with the Trial. It would have been nice
to tell us when this happened. I usually don't read Steel,
but this was a pretty good issue.
SF: 4.0 Shields - Practically perfect except for the strange anatomy of
Supergirl. (See the cover) Really should have been
labeled a "Trial" book.
AL: 3.0 Shields. Fits into Trial continuity very well.
JS: 3.5 Shields - Good art, though Faber complements Gosier better. Good
bits of characterization hidden among the fighting,
especially of the Eradicator.
The story opens with Steel being held prisoner after an abortive attempt to
rescue Superman from the Tribunal. Steel is put into a Geneti-lock (which is
custom built, according to the DNA of each prisoner, to neutralize his
powers). Since Steel has no special powers, other than an ability to command
his armor, it's not clear what good the lock will do. Steel meets up with the
Alpha Centurion, who's also wearing a Geneti-lock. So maybe AC's not really
the Cyborg. Steel accuses Marcus of betraying them, but Marcus tells Steel
that he thought they would have no difficulty with their opponents and went
after the main base, where he was captured by the Cyborg.
We have a change of scene to Washington DC where Tyke is watching two
teenagers playing basketball on the playground. He wallows in self-pity about
the fact that he can no longer walk and that Hazard promised to make him legs
so he could be normal again. "I hate John Henry... I hate him." Yada, yada,
yada.
Meanwhile back at Tribunal Headquarters, Steel, Supergirl, and the Eradicator
make their escape, from the cafeteria, as usual. Steel tells SG to go
invisible, and while it's distracting the guards, Steel feels threatened and,
Bingo!, sentient armor appears. Quickly they take off, through the unrepaired
hole in the roof that Superman and his gang used to escape. Maybe the
Tribunal should spend more time keeping their place in shape and less time
trying to judge the Universe. Steel gets a uniform from a guard and Supergirl
morphs into a creature straight out of the cantina scene in Star Wars. The
Eradicator leaves them and goes in search of Superboy. Mae and Steel start
bar hopping looking for clues as to the whereabouts of Superman and his
new-found cronies. They find out that Superman is in Haven just as their
pictures go up on the bar's TV as escaped prisoners with a REWARD for their
capture. A three page slugfest ensues as Supergirl and John Henry try to
extricate themselves from their predicament.
Meanwhile, the Eradicator is trying to find Superboy, when he's overcome with
a vision revealing the original Eradicator being the cause of the death of
Krypton. While he's wallowing in angst, he is captured by the Tribunal's
guards.
Back to the bar fight, the Cyborg shows up and quickly mops up both Steel and
Supergirl and returns them to their cells. Then he takes off after Superman
with a look of menace on his face. Next, Steel and Supergirl find out that
the penalty for escape is DEATH! So I guess Steel and Mae will buy the farm
in the next issue. And if that isn't bad enough, the guys in Washington DC
are going to find out who Steel really is and do something really mean. Stay
tuned for the next thrill packed episode.
The art follows the usual style: sharp, crisp, intense, taking full advantage
of glossy paper. Large panels are overlaid with individual story elements.
If you are following the "Trial of Superman" (with enjoyment), you should
probably pick up this issue, since it's mostly about the attempted rescue of
Superman. It also muddies the waters further about the question of whether
Marcus Aurelius (the Alpha Centurion) is really the Cyborg. After having been
sure that he was, I'm not convinced that he isn't -- because this issue points
out that he probably isn't which means that the writers are trying to make us
think that he isn't, so he probably is. If you understand this reasoning,
then you need help.
Dick Sidbury (sidbury@cs.uofs.edu)
_______________________________________________________________
****************************************************
End of Section 4
_______________________________________________________________
OTHER SUPER-TITLES (cont):
-------------------------
SHOWCASE '95 #12, "Rust Never Sleeps"
Starring Supergirl
Story: Charles Moore
Pencils: Phil Jimenez
Inks: Howard Shum
Cover: Tom Grummett
$2.95 US/$4.25 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.25/5.0 Shields
AL: 2.5 Shields - Plusses balance the negatives.
FL: 3.5 Shields - Dear Superman authors, read this and note that it is
possible to write a story in which conflict does not revolve
entirely around the impact of a hero's fist on a villain's
scaly hide. A very promising outing for the "Girl of
Steel": well drawn, featuring a rather prepossessing
supporting character (Hitch), and Supergirl using
her -- *gasp* -- brain.
SF: 3.0 Shields - Felt like a longer story was cut down to fit Showcase.
Really seemed to be setting up the Supergirl character
for bigger things. Nice art though.
JS: 4.0 Shields - The Super family focus ends on a high note with a very well
written and illustrated story. And Supergirl *doesn't* punk
out!
Supergirl swoops into the first page just in time to save some construction
workers who were plummeting to the Earth after the cable of their elevator
snapped. The next two pages are dedicated to an overview showing how hard she
has been working over the last several weeks, and how the locals have loved
her. Then Hitch arrives and informs her that a section of Dichon's ship [see
SHOWCASE '95 #1 and #2] was not totally consumed in the explosion and is again
threatening the city of Charlotte.
The crisis is a huge monster which is attacking some other construction
workers across town; one of whom used to live in Metropolis. The monster has
an acid-based [sorry, couldn't resist] attack and consumes metal. Supergirl
dives headfirst into the monster, which disintegrates into hand- sized
globules that still consume metal and are irritating to the skin of the
onlookers. Smaller monsters reform and continue to cause havoc. A fuel truck
is attacked, and just as it explodes, Supergirl contains it in a Psi-Shield
and transports it far enough away so as to not do any damage to the city, all
the while having an interview request hurled at her by a local news chopper.
But it does considerable damage to her, and she plummets to the Earth.
Supergirl lands in a large sand pile and gets the idea to literally wear the
creature down with sand. It works, and soon the creature can be contained in
a glass jar. (But wouldn't the tiny pieces reform all be it at a slower pace?
Stay tuned.) But Supergirl's job is not done. The reporters and fans are
back, as well as the mayor. The mayor presents her with a cute little signal
device which has a female symbol (Aphrodite's mirror) with an "S" within the
circle. They also offer her the job of honorary costumed guardian. She
accepts and everyone is happy.
The story was okay. It reintroduced a minor character we were familiar with
-- Hitch. Also, it showed some Supergirl personality rather than just being a
slug match. She is insecure after working in Superman's shadow for so long.
She also shows a mistrust of men after Luthor's treatment of her. All in all,
it was a pretty good story, and I hope we see more of her in the near future.
Arthur LaMarche (DrArt95@aol.com)
========================================================
THE NEW TITANS #128, "Worlds Apart" (Meltdown #2)
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciller: William Rosado
Inker: Will Blyberg
$2.25 US/$3.25 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
RG: Story: 4.0 Shields - Good characterization, builds tension.
Art: 4.5 Shields - Nice perspectives, excellent detailing.
JS: 2.5 Shields - I think there's an interesting tale here, but there's a
lot of history behind this story -- history of which I am
unaware. And Supergirl is still MIA (too busy with the
Tribunal, I guess...)
I'll keep this short as Supergirl is off with the Superman rescue squad and
doesn't play a part in this story at all. I will still recommend this title
to anyone. The story and art are (IMHO) some of the best in comics today.
The story picks up from where it ended last month. K'oriandar Komand'r and
Cyberion (Cyborg) have just defeated Changeling and take him back to STAR labs
for examination. They fail to remove the Trigon seed from him, and the old
Titans, Green Lantern, and Jarras decide to take him to Vega to try to cure
him there.
They leave Terra and Mirage on Earth, where Mirage reveals that she had been
using her disguise powers to mask the fact that she is still pregnant and is
about to give birth.
The scene shifts to where the Psions are receiving their new orders to destroy
Tamaran (K'oriandar's home planet). We get a brief scene where we see them in
battle with the Tamaranian space fleet. We then shift back to the Technis
space ship, where we find out what has happened to Vic Stone (Cyborg) since he
was left there by the Titans (#107). The Technis ship comes into
communication rage of Tamaran only to find out that the fleet has been
defeated. As the Titans rush to aid them, Tamaran is completely destroyed.
All together this is a bridging story to get everybody up to speed on what the
real situation is and who the main players are. There is a lot of
foreshadowing going on, and it looks like the Titans of so many years are
really going to end in just two months. That Raven is going to be behind
everything is fairly obvious, but I can't help but hope that in the end, she
will turn out to be a hero.
Rene' Gobeyn (gobeyn@kodak.com)
_______________________________________________________________
SPECIALS:
--------
DOOMSDAY ANNUAL #1 (Anthology)
Written by: Jerry Ordway, Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern
Art by: Dennis Janke, Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding, Chris Batista &
John Nyberg, and Gil Kane & Jerry Ordway
Cover by: Dan Jurgens & Jerry Ordway
$3.95 US/$5.50 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 2.9/5.0 Shields
RG: Story: 4.0 Shields - Filled in many continuity holes.
Art: 4.5 Shields - Well detailed, consistently good.
RF: 3.0 Shields - I liked the background on Doomsday and especially enjoyed
the Darkseid part (one of the greatest villains DC has -- I
hope he returns before too long.)
AL: 2.0 Shields - I would have expected more from Mitch. Violence?
Trespassing? Vandalism? I guess he did not learn much. I
guess he is just the same punk from the Death of Superman.
DS: 1.5 Shields - I was really looking forward to this annual, but it was
nothing special.
JS: 3.5 Shields - Surprisingly good! Most of the "Death of Superman" team
pitches in to tell a few interesting stories. Though I
think Doomsie picked up on how to use that GL Ring a bit
quickly.
While an excellent read with beautiful detailed art, this one could easily be
skipped by all but the serious completists, Doomsday fans, or reviewers.
In the prologue to the book, Superman breaks up a potential riot of Doomsday's
victims at the suspected site of Doomsday's emergence on Earth. The scene then
shifts to show some of the other influences that Doomsday has had on other
characters in the DC universe.
The three stories in the book fill in a few of the holes in the "Death of
Superman" and "Hunter/Prey" stories. We get to see the how and why of
Darkseid's first meeting with Doomsday. As a kind of bonus, we also get to
see Doomsday take on the Khunds, and then a member of the old Green Lantern
Corps, with an epilogue taking place on Calaton.
We get to see that Doomsday *did* make a difference and scar the lives of the
people in the DC universe. If nothing else, we see that if gone, Doomsday
will never be forgotten.
Rene' Gobeyn (gobeyn@kodak.com)
========================================================
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL GALLERY #1
Edited by Mike Carlin with KC Carlson
Assisted by Chris Duffy with Mike McAvennie
Various Artists (A complete list follows the review)
Publication Design by Eddie Ortiz
Separations by Digital Chameleon
$3.50 US/$4.95 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.1/5.0 Shields
AL: 4.0 Shields - Variety is not the spice, but the staple of my life.
RF: 2.0 Shields - Some of the pictures were pretty good, but some of them I
hated. Plus, the price was way to high for a comic with
no words.
FL: 3.0 Shields - Oooh, look at the pretty pictures! Well, some of them
anyway. The quality and appeal vary widely, and it's such
a matter of personal taste (and whether or not you grew up
with the art of Al Plastino), that it's impossible to
rate this. It offers some nice moments, though, and it's
got at least as much plot as The Trial of Superman (have I
harped on that enough, yet?). There's a clever (and
possibly unintentional) juxtaposition of phone booth
scenes on p.15 & 16.
JS: 4.0 Shields - Don't have to rate this on the writing. :) I especially
liked the pieces by Grummett/Breeding, Gil Kane,
Damaggio/Campanella, Pelletier/Dell, Colleen Doran,
Immonen/Janson, Swan/Sinnott, & Jurgens/Austin. I'd love
to see posters of the art by Alan Davis/Mark Farmer and
Ken Steacy.
AW: 2.5 Shields - It's always neat to see other artist's renderings of the
Man of Steel, but I only found one I would want to put on
my wall.
Well, I wish I was more versed in the worlds of comics outside of the
Post-Byrne Superman Mythos. Therefore, I should have passed this review to
someone else who has more of a background than I do, but because of some
miscommunication and time constraints I found it sitting in my lap. For what
it is worth I will do my best to give you a feel for the book, or share my
opinions with you if you have "read" the book.
A brief glance through the pictures reveals a wide variety of styles. They
range from images with great detail to the more abstract. Image content is as
diverse. There are classic images of Superman that could serve as the cover
for today's comics, as well as bizarre images that would have *never* crossed
my mind. There is also a strange portrait of a Superman-"Beavis-OR -Butthead"
hybrid by Rick Parker -- I do not know which is which, and I really do not
care. I found this very disturbing. It really shook me up.
Another image I did not particularly care for was Colleen Doran's and Linda
Medley's Disco era flashback. Superman has some sort of Travolta-like
hairstyle, and the image is dominated by foofey pastel smoke patterns and
roses.
But, do not get me wrong. The pictures I did not like were in the minority.
Most of the images were rather good and others were quite stunning. There is
a beautiful portrait of a Kent to Superman change by Grummett and Breeding
with Pat Garrahy. The colors are bright and jump off the page and is set in a
stock room of The Daily Planet. The duality of Kal-El.
I really loved Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke with Linda Medley's space-soaring
Superman. The image just screams action. The expression on the face, the
clenched fists, the blurred red trail that returns to Earth (?). Superman off
to the next crisis.
Another image I found very strong was an image of Superman about to stop a
Metropolis train hurtling towards a Lois Lane tied to the tracks. The colors
are dark, but the detail is great, and the image is very powerful. This image
was done by Ken Steacy. Classic crisis.
Superman saves a couple in the wake of a tornado. Also set at night. The
lightning, the rain and the wind all are great media for Stuart Immonen & Joe
Sinnott with Greg Wright to strut their stuff. The rain runs off Superman and
glistens in the lightning in all the right places. Good stuff here. Superman
and the common man's crisis.
The last image I would like to draw attention to takes place in a telephone
booth. There, Superman and Lois Lane embrace. In the distance, The Daily
Planet building stands tall and proud. Bright colors, nice details like the
reflections, and the slightly ajar door all make this image memorable. True
Love.
Arthur LaMarche (DrArt95@aol.com)
FEATURED ARTISTS:
----------------
Cover by Kevin Nowlan
Bruce Timm
Dave Taylor - with Pat Garrahy
Mike Zeck
Tom Grummett & Brett Breeding - with Pat Garrahy
Mike Allred - with Greg Wright
Sergio Cariello - with Pat Garrahy
Michael Golden
Matt Haley & Tom Simmons - with Glenn Whitmore
Gil Kane - with Greg Wright
Howard Cruse - with Linda Medley
Tom Morgan - with Linda Medley
Rick Parker - with Rob Camacho
Alan Davis & Mark Farmer - with Greg Wright
Dusty Abell & Art Thibert - with Pat Garrahy
Rodolfo Damaggio & Robert Campanella - with Glenn Whitmore
Paul Pelletier & John Dell - with Linda Medley
Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke - with Linda Medley
Ted McKeever - with Deb McKeever
Al Plastino - with Glenn Whitmore
Dave Gibbons
Steve Purcell
Matt Nodell (artist of the original Green Lantern) - with Glenn Whitmore
Bill Sienkiewicz - with Cynthia Morris
Adam Hughes - with Greg Wright
Alex Toth
Colleen Doran - with Linda Medley
Stuart Immonen & Klaus Janson - with Linda Medley
Ken Steacy
Curt Swan & Joe Sinnott - with Greg Wright
Dan Jurgens & Terry Austin - with Pat Garrahy
John Byrne - with Glenn Whitmore
Kieron Dwyer - with Greg Wright
Inside Back Cover by Al Jaffee - with Glenn Whitmore
_______________________________________________________________
THE MAILBAG
-----------
David Young (dayoung@luna.cas.usf.edu) writes:
In this issue, Rich Morrissey makes the following comments in a letter
which I'd like to respond to--
(< Come to think of it, why can't the people who gave Luthor a working
<< artificial hand do the same for Aquaman? I wish they'd at least TRY to
<< keep technology consistent in the DC Universe.) Byrne's contention
<< that kryptonite had different powers in different universes also flies
<< in the face of established DC lore, in which kryptonite was the same
<< no matter what universe it was in (as when Superman went to Earth-2 or
<< some other parallel Earth). Ah, well...
First, Aquaman COULD have gotten an artificial hand. He purposely chose the
hook. (See the early issues of the current AQUAMAN series. Second, like it
or not, CRISIS basically recreated the DC Universe. Citing previous "DC lore"
when it comes to anything Byrne (or any other post-CRISIS creators) did is
irrelevant. Byrne was given a blank slate. I personally liked it when I first
read that "pocket universe" story and Pa Kent (I think it was Pa) pulled this
rainbow of Kryptonite rocks on the post-CRISIS Superman and it had absolutely
no effect. Why should it? The Superboy of that universe was a very different
Kryptonian than the modern Superman. He was basically the pre-CRISIS
Superboy. He was much more powerful, and his powers worked differently. (He
obviously gained his powers at a much earlier age than the modern Superman,
for instance.) That means that his body chemistry is different from
Superman's. Therefore, why shouldn't it take different Kryptonite to hurt
him. Also, at the time only Green Kryptonite existed in Superman's universe.
None of those other Kryptonites were around. (There's still only Green K and
the one example of Red Kryptonite which was created by Mr. Mxyzptlk.) Why
should they all of a sudden effect the current Superman like they did
Superboy (and the pre-CRISIS Superman)? As I said before, no matter how much
you and I may love the days of the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Supermen, no there's
only the pre-CRISIS and post-CRISIS Supermen, and one has absolutely no
bearing on the other (except possibly in comparing and contrasting).
========================================================
Rich Morrissey (RMorris306@aol.com) writes:
Dear Jeff,
Loved KC #18 (though I'm not sure I agree about Lois being that much of an
improvement under Byrne, as your reviewer said). "The Amazing Story of
Superman-Red and Superman-Blue" was by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George
Klein, as was mentioned both times the story was reprinted. Good story!
*** You know, Rich, everyone keeps telling me that. Maybe I'll have to
look for it this weekend at the convention.
========================================================
Keep your letters and comments coming! We always welcome your feedback
about how we can improve KC!
-- Jeff Sykes
_______________________________________________________________
****************************************************
End of Section 5
_______________________________________________________________
AFTER-BYRNE: Reviews of the post-Crisis Man of Steel
----------------------------------------------------
ACTION COMICS #650, "Reflections"
Written by Roger Stern
Illustrated by Jerry Ordway & Brett Breeding, Curt Swan & Bob McLeod,
George Perez, Kerry Gammill & Art Thibert, and Dan Jurgens &
Dennis Janke
Cover by George Perez
February 1990
$1.50 US/$1.85 CAN/60p UK
Superman!! Defender of Truth, Justice, and (nowadays) Cheap Sales Gimmicks!
However, there was a day when milestone issues didn't mean a major 347.5-part
storyline where everybody died (until the next issue, anyway). Today, I'll
review one of those rare issues. Back in the day when the ACTION was bigger
than the SUPERMAN on the cover of ACTION COMICS, the focus was on stories, not
events. Thus we come to ACTION COMICS #650. "Reflections", a 48 page issue by
the God of comics writers, Roger Stern, and illustrated by Ordway, Breeding,
Swan, McLeod, Gammill, Thibert, Jurgens, and Janke. Whew! As you can already
see, this is one heckuvan issue!! One note -- I've always thought that Roger
Stern is the greatest comics writer. Each issue he writes makes you think,
and you really get to know the characters. You know it's a Stern issue when
the panel of art is practically engulfed by the dialogue balloon (that's a
GOOD thing, Rog!!). So this may be a little biased. Now onto the review.
Opening scene- a bar somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy. Draaga the Loser
needs passage to "the third planet of the star called Sol," and after almost
inciting a brawl, he gets the cabbie K'raamdyn to take him there. Over in
Metropolis, we see Superman rushing off to some important place. Perry and
Lois get into a cab, and speed over to the important place, which turns out to
be a sunken submarine. Along the way, we get Lois's views on Clark. She
reminisces about him. This was during the time that he worked at Newstime,
and she looks back at his days at the Planet. She thinks about how kind he is
and how he helped everybody when they needed it. Even how much he has in
common with a certain Kryptonian....SCREECH!! Thanks to the reckless cabbie,
Lois's thought process is interrupted. She then thinks about her first
meeting with Superman. They reach the scene and watch Superman rescue the
sub.
Over to the bar. K'raamdyn tells Draaga about Earth (which is cool, because
now we know how Earth (or Sol-3) is regarded by other civilizations around the
galaxy). He mentions all the metahumans, Darkseid's personal interest, and the
Invasion. Now we go to a cave (and my favorite part of the book). The Flash
is bragging about how he kicked Superman's butt in their recent race. J'onn
shows up and delivers a speech about how Superman has helped the league
through the years. In it we see the Xotar story from both THE DEATH AND LIFE
OF SUPERMAN and the horrible SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL ANNUAL #4 (why did
Weezie feel the need to rewrite this great story?? No offense, 'cause I think
she's a great writer, just not a good rewriter). Superman helps the league,
but declines membership. We then see how Superman helped the JLA against
Starbreaker, Kanjar Ro, and Darkseid.
In Metropolis, the public defender is introduced to his client, Sazu (Maxima's
servant). After he hears her tragic story, she slams him through the door
when he puts his hand on her shoulder to comfort him. She's taken by the
police. On Maxima's starship, we see her dreaming about Superman. Here, we
see a hologram of Superman, which Maxima morphs into a long-haired warrior
Kal-El. The hair on it looks a lot like Supes' current style. A bit of
foreshadowing??
On a moon orbiting the bar, K'raamdyn takes Draaga to his ship, and they leave
for Superman's adopted planet. And back on Earth, Jimmy reminisces. He's
going through hard times with his buddy, and he puts his signal watch in a
bank vault.
Next scene: Amanda McCoy (the scientist who knew Superman's identity) hails a
cab. She talks to the cab driver, who gives her a hilarious description of
where he thinks Superman lives -- in a mountain hideaway with a butler. His
fellow heroes play cards, bowl, and generally hang out. He also tells Ms.
McCoy about how Superman saved him when his cab was hit by a drunk driver
(This cabbie appears again in SUPERMAN #49). [And you can read its review
below! -- Jeff] Amanda thinks about when she discovered Superman's secret
identity (SUPERMAN #2).
Next we see Superman flying home. He takes a shower, shaves, does laundry,
and (ahem) heats dinner. He then watches a little TV, reads, then goes to
sleep. Wow!! (On another note, kudos to David Michelinie for showing us
Superman's next night off in ACTION 715- he deserved another break!).
Over in the space-ship, Draaga gives K'raamdyn the first half of the 800
kilo-credits he owes him for the trip to earth. In the last scene, Lobo shows
up in a bar, foreshadowing the events of the next month of Super-titles.
Well, interested in buying it yet??
Here's why I liked it. Think back (a few months) to ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
#528, where Superman fought the deaf-mute alien. Sure, the pictures were
pretty, and the little story we got was good, but was it worth the two bucks??
I don't think so. On the other hand, this issue is so full of flashbacks,
information, and story, that I feel I would have paid $5.00 for this one. We
get everyone's view on Superman, including a few guys in a bar somewhere else
in the galaxy. Basically, I feel complete when I read a Stern story -- he
knows (and tells) so much about the post-crisis Superman and Metropolis! The
only part I didn't like was the Maxima story. I guess I've never liked Maxima
that much, and it didn't interest me. But it was well-written, so what can I
say? So if you're gonna buy one Superman back issue this year, let it be
ACTION COMICS #650!
Ben Marlin (COSMICBEN@aol.com)
_______________________________________________________________
SUPERMAN #49, "Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite, Part One"
Written by Jerry Ordway
Pencilled by Jerry Ordway
Inked by Dennis Janke
November 1990
$0.75 US/$0.95 CAN/50p UK
Overstreet Price: $1.80
RATING: 4 Shields
Placing a second wreath of flowers on the grave of Jerry White, Perry and Alice
White grieve. Between them, the tension flows. Perry exclaims that the first
wreath is Lex Luthor's, who is watching them, hidden away in the trees. The
fact that their son is dead, coupled with the fact that Jerry was actually
Luthor's son, makes the scene terribly tragic.
After the Whites leave the cemetery, Lex approaches the grave and recriminates
himself for not being the father that Jerry needed. Head bowed, he fails to
notice the red rock appearing out of nowhere, flying at his bald head. BONK!
Expressing his surprise, Lex looks around for the source of the intrusion.
Suddenly, the rock sprouts a small fedora, and begins speaking. The rock is a
manifestation of Mr. Mxyzptlk, who explains why he is here. Apparently,
Mxyzptlk is extremely busy causing havoc in another dimension at the moment,
but he would really hate to miss his quarterly appointment with Superman, so
he has a deal to strike with Luthor. The deal is this: the "red Kryptonite"
Lex is holding will make Superman and Lex physical equals, with only one
catch. Lex cannot tell Superman that Mxyzptlk is involved in this in any way.
Lex doesn't quite know what to think about all this, but he takes the red
rock with him as he leaves.
As Clark Kent and Lois Lane walk into the offices of the Daily Planet, Clark
sees his old high school friend Pete Ross. Pete has come to the "Big Apricot"
to make sure it is fine with Clark if he courts Lana Lang. He loves her.
Clark gives his approval, and wishes them both the best of luck. During this
exchange, Lois gets a phone call and rushes out.
Back in the penthouse offices of Lexcorp, Lex examines the glowing red rock.
All his lab tests show it is a worthless chunk of rock, not radioactive in the
least, as is green kryptonite. Can he trust Mr. Mxyzptlk?
Across town, the super-villain Barrage holds up a convenience store to steal
the lotto money they are collecting. The store attendant pushes his silent
alarm button, summoning the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit to the scene.
Meanwhile, Clark, looking out a window, sees the action and rushes to the
scene as Superman. After a battle with Barrage, Superman subdues him, and
starts flying him back to Stryker Island.
As this scene takes place, Lex gives in and tells the imp to make Superman and
himself equals. Concentric red rings of light emanate from the rock, bathing
the city in their glow. When the rings pass through Superman, as he is flying
over the bay, he loses his ability to fly, and falls into the water. Dan
Turpin, in a Metropolis police boat, sees what happens, and pulls Barrage out
of the depths. But Superman is nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, the Man of Steel is lying on the floor of Luthor's office, dripping
wet. Lex realizes that the deal has left Superman completely powerless, and
proceeds to beat the living daylights out of him. Lex calls for his security
forces and has our hero thrown out into the street from the front door of the
building.
As the crowd gathers, gaping at the bruised and beaten Man of Steel, Superman
manages to slip away and is taken to Clinton Street. He changes back to
Clark, and goes up to his apartment at 344 Clinton Street, where he meets
Lois. After a shower and some food that Lois was able to put together, they
talk. Lois tells Clark that her mother is in the hospital, dying. The issue
ends with Clark holding Lois, thinking to himself that it doesn't take super
powers to lend strength to someone you love.
This story arc is one of my all time favorite Superman stories since I started
reading the books again in 1986. And, of course, those of you who were around
reading this column during the first seven months of publication know, Jerry
Ordway is just about my all-time favorite writer and artist. For an issue
that has to lead into a multi-issue story, Jerry does a remarkable job making
it read well, and keeps the tension level high. The story flows from
beginning to end, as if this were a typical one-shot, but leaves the reader
begging for more at its conclusion. And the subplots keep the human factor in
the story as well. Yes, the book is about Superman, but the story becomes
much deeper and heart-felt with the stories of all the people with whom
Superman routinely interacts. I wish the writers of today would remember what
that was like.
As for the artwork, what can I say? Jerry Ordway always was my favorite
Superman artist, and he doesn't fail here at all. Turning Mr. Mxyzptlk into
the red rock was very humorous to see. The costume that Barrage wears was
drawn to the last detail in every panel he is in. Considering Barrage only
has a tiny little piece in this story, the work Jerry put into this issue is
incredible. If you don't own, or haven't read this story arc, I would highly
recommend you go down to your local comics shop and find it, because it is
amazing.
Stay tuned next month for ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #472 - Part Two. On a side
note, if you miss Jerry Ordway's work as much as I do, check out his POWER OF
SHAZAM! series from DC, on sale now.
Mark Lamutt (markdl@netcom.com / mdlamut0@wcc.com)
_______________________________________________________________
COMING ATTRACTIONS
------------------
A List of Upcoming Comics Featuring The Superman Family of Characters
Assembled by Jeffery D. Sykes
This monthly section is dedicated to giving you official information
concerning which comics you should watch for in the near future in order
to keep up with Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, and all the rest of the
Superman family of characters.
The information which follows is reprinted without permission from Diamond
Previews and is in no way meant to serve as a replacement for that magazine.
I strongly recommend that each reader find his or her own copy for additional
detailed information on the entire DC Universe! Note that Diamond is now
the exclusive distributor of DC Comics!
NOTES
---------------
First note that Marvel Comics' first issue of the DC/Marvel
showdown (MARVEL VS. DC #2) is scheduled to ship on January 16.
Since this issue (as well as issue #3) will be published and
solicited exclusively by Marvel Comics, there is no issue-
specific information found in this month's issue of PREVIEWS.
Unless someone volunteers to provide me with this specific
information, there will be no spoilers given in KC for issues
2 and 3 of the miniseries...
January is "Guest-Star Month" in the Superman titles, and the Man
of Steel will be assisted by the likes of Batman, The Spectre,
Plastic Man, Impulse, and Captain Marvel! SUPERBOY hits its
second anniversary with the revelations about Knockout the fans
have been waiting for, and STEEL also marks the beginning of its
third year with a three-part "within" series, as Steel must deal
with the exposing of his secret identity! And last, but certainly
not least, Lois Lane teams up with Oracle and Black Canary to
investigate a slavery ring in SHOWCASE 96!
Finally, if you missed it the first time, here's your second
chance! Dark Horse and Diamond Comics Distributors are once
again offering all three issues of SUPERMAN VS ALIENS! Contact
your local comic shop for more information on how to order this
fantastic mini-series!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIST OF TITLES BY SHIPPING DATE
-----------------------------------------
Date: Comic title and information:
---- ---------------------------
November 7: Action Comics #717
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 9 (of 12)
Michelinie, Dwyer, & Rodier
$1.95
Superman/Toyman #1
K. Kesel, Immonen, & von Grawbadger
$1.95
November 14: Superboy #23
K. Kesel, Grummett, & Hazlewood
$1.95
Superman: The Man of Steel #52
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 10 (of 12)
L. Simonson, Bogdanove, & Giordano
$1.95
November 21: Green Lantern #70 (Supergirl)
Marz, Pelletier, & Tanghal
$1.75
The New Titans #129
Wolfman, Rosado, & Blyberg
$2.25
Showcase '96 #1 (of 12)
Steel and Guy Gardner
Beau Smith & Sergio Cariello
Metropolis S.C.U.
Scott Ciencin
Cover by Sergio Cariello
48 pgs, $2.95
Superman #108
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 11 (of 12)
Jurgens, Frenz, & Rubinstein
$1.95
November 28: Adventures of Superman #531
THE TRIAL OF SUPERMAN: Part 12 (of 12)
K. Kesel, Immonen, & Marzan, Jr.
$1.95
League of Justice #1 (of 2)
Hannigan & Giordano
48 pgs, Prestige Format, $5.95
Steel #23
L. Simonson, Gosier, & Faber
$1.95
December 5: Action Comics #718
Michelinie, Dwyer, & Rodier
$1.95
December 12: DC Versus Marvel #1 (of 4)
Marz, Jurgens & Castellini, Rubinstein & Neary
48 pgs, $3.95
Superboy #24
K. Kesel, Grummett, & Hazlewood
$1.95
Superman: The Man of Steel #53
L. Simonson, Bogdanove, & Rodier
$1.95
December 19: The New Titans #130 (Final Issue)
Wolfman, Rosado, & Blyberg
Cover by George Perez
$2.25
Showcase '96 #2 (of 12)
Steel and Guy Gardner, Part 2
Beau Smith, S. Cariello, Leigh
Steel Supporting Cast vs Metallo
L. Simonson, Rosado
48 pgs, $2.95
Superman #109
Jurgens, Frenz, & Rubinstein
$1.95
December 26: Adventures of Superman #532
K. Kesel, Immonen, & Marzan Jr.
$1.95
League of Justice #2 (of 2)
Ed Hannigan & Dick Giordano
Prestige Format, 48 pgs, $5.95
Steel #24
L. Simonson, Gosier, & Faber
$1.95
January 2: Action Comics #719
(W) Michelinie, (P) Dwyer, (I) Rodier
$1.95
January 9: Superboy #25
(W) K. Kesel, (P) Grummett, (I) Hazlewood
48 pgs, $2.95
Superman: The Man of Steel #54
(W) L. Simonson, (P) Cowan, (I) Janke
$1.95
January 16: Marvel vs. DC #2 (of 4)
(W) David, (P) Jurgens/Castellini, (I) Rubinstein/Neary
48 pgs, $3.95
Showcase '96 #3 (of 12)
Black Canary, Oracle, and Lois Lane
(W) Gorfinkel, (P) Graves, (I) Burchett
Cover by Gary Frank
48 pgs, $2.95
Superman #110
(W) Jurgens, (P) Frenz, (I) Rubinstein
$1.95
January 23: Adventures of Superman #533
(W) K. Kesel, (P) Immonen, (I) Marzan Jr.
$1.95
Steel #25
(W) L. Simonson, (P) Gosier, (I) Faber
$1.95
January 30: Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #4
(W) Stern, (P) Grummett, (I) Breeding
$1.95
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPOILERS
------------------
January 2:
---------
Action Comics #719
It's "Guest-Star Month" in the Superman books, beginning with Batman!
Superman speeds to Gotham City in search of a cure for a poisoned and
dying Lois Lane. But the only person who holds the antitoxin is The Joker!
January 9:
---------
Superboy #25
The extra-sized, 25th issue of Superboy kicks off the 6-part "Losin' It"
storyline. In Part 1, Knockout's origin is revealed when the Female
Furies of Apokolips attack, and her partnership with Superboy moves on to
a new -- and possibly dangerous -- level! Plus, a 6-page pinup section
with art by Christian Alamy, Dusty Abell, and others.
Superman: The Man of Steel #54
The Spectre guest-stars as the ghost sightings at the Daily Planet
escalate, drawing the attention of the spirit of vengeance. But Superman
is unsure what role the Spectre intends to play as the mystery unfolds.
Plus, Bibbo trains for his shot at a pro Boxing title. This issue is
pencilled by guest-artist Denys (BATMAN: THE ULTIMATE EVIL, HARDWARE)
Cowan.
January 16:
----------
Showcase '96 #3 (of 12)
Black Canary, Oracle, and Lois Lane team up to shatter a slavery ring
operating in Metropolis, run by a metahuman crimelord in a story by
Jordan B. Gorfinkel, with art by Jennifer Graves and Rick Burchett.
Backup stories feature Lightray of the New Gods and Deadman.
Superman #110
"Guest-Star Month" in the Superman books continues with the much-demanded
return of Plastic Man in a bizarre, off-beat adventure! Plus, Lois finds
out more about Clark and Lori Lemaris's past relationship.
January 23:
----------
Adventures of Superman #533
"Guest-Star Month" in the Superman books continues with Impulse as a *new*
super-speed rivalry begins! This time the heroes are caught in the middle
of a super-powered scavenger hunt, forced to rely on far more than speed
alone to win the day. Plus, a wave of good luck spreading through
Metropolis touches the Riot Grrls as their new single hits Number One...
with a bullet.
Steel #25
FAMILY FEUD: Part 1 (of 3) - Steel's identity has been exposed to the
world, Hazard plans his final assault, and the secret of Steel's armor
is revealed at last.
January 30:
----------
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #4
"Guest-Star Month" in the Superman books continues as Captain Marvel and
the wizard Shazam enlist Superman's aid in challenging the might of
Satanus. Plus, Lex Luthor and the Contessa's partnership becomes more...
intimate.
_______________________________________________________________
****************************************************
End of Section 6
_______________________________________________________________
THE PHANTOM ZONE: Reviews of the pre-Crisis Man of Steel
--------------------------------------------------------
"WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW"
----------------------------------------
Written by Alan Moore
Review and Comments by Jenny Stosser
This is going to be a long one, folks! Just as Superman first appeared in
ACTION COMICS #1, it is fitting that the final issue of the same comic title
should carry his final appearance (in this continuity, at any rate).
Part Two: ACTION COMICS #583, September 1986
The cover of this issue has Superman flying away from The Daily Planet, with a
sorrowful look on his face. On the roof of The Planet are some of his friends
and associates, calling out, "Good-bye Superman! We'll miss you!" How many of
the people there can *you* identify? Going from left to right, I can name:
Robin (Dick Grayson), Hawkman, Batman, Green Arrow, Cosmic Boy (LSH), Luthor
(I think), some guy in a grey suit, Pete Ross (I think; I don't know who the
woman with him is), Captain Marvel, Lightning Lad (LSH), Wonder Woman, Julius
Schwartz (I think), Someone at the back who is waving, Saturn Girl (LSH),
Perry White, Lois, The Flash, Green Lantern, Lana Lang, Jimmy Olsen, a small
boy, Krypto and a small girl (possibly Suzie, Lois' niece from Earth 2). Nice
of them to include Julie Schwartz. Maybe the people I wasn't able to identify
were other members of DC Comics' Superman staff?
The cover art is by a famous Superman team, credited as "Swanderson", which
translates into Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. The inside art is by Curt Swan
and Kurt Schaffenberger, another famous Superman illustrator. You may recall
that I said last month that these two artists are the ones whose work stands
out in my mind when I think of the Silver Age Superman. It is fitting that
they produced the art for the final issue of (Superman starring in) Action
Comics featuring the pre-Byrne Man of Steel.
The story (so far) has journalist Tim Crane interviewing Lois Elliot (nee
Lane) for a memorial edition of the Daily Planet, about the last days of
Superman. Lois' husband arrives home from work as Lois is making coffee for
Tim. He is introduced as Jordan Elliot. He is a large, well-built man with
brown mustache and hair (except for the greying temples), who speaks somewhat
less clearly than Lois does (he drops his "g's, as in "brewin'"), and
describes himself as an "ordinary workin' slob..." He excuses himself to let
Lois continue "being a celebrity" and she continues with the story:
Superman prepared the Fortress of Solitude for a siege by destroying the
golden key to the door. Shortly thereafter, the new "Luthor-Brainiac" team
arrived on the doorstep with the Kryptonite Man in tow. Interestingly, the
team hasn't made any plans yet as to how to dispose of Superman; however,
their planning is interrupted by the arrival of a time bubble from the 30th
Century. Just as Superman was visited by the Legion of Super Heroes in the
last issue, the "bad guys" are visited by the Legion of Super-Villains,
(consisting of Saturn Woman, Lightning Lord and Cosmic King) who wish to ally
themselves with "Superman's greatest foe" on the eve of his demise. "Certain
of victory, we've come to participate," says Cosmic King. (Talk about kicking
a man when he's down!) Luthor-Brainiac asks why he should let them join him,
and they tell him that they *know* things (being from the future) that will
help them all to defeat Superman. Warned that friends of Superman may try to
help him, Brainiac erects a force shield over the Fortress, to stop them
gaining access, and then attacks the Fortress itself with weapons from
Brainiac's ship. Superman destroys the weapons, and tries to return the
attack, but he and Krypto are driven back by the Kryptonite Man, whose power
has increased "tenfold".
That evening, other heroes ("those that were his friends... those that were
almost rivals... those that might have been his lovers") finally arrive (we
see Captain Marvel, Vartox, Superwoman, Robin, Batman & Wonder Woman - you
figure out who fits into which category!), but they are unable to penetrate
the force-shield. There seems to be a cease-fire into the night, and Superman
takes time to talk to Perry about his problems. He thinks that he's going to
die, and realizing that he hasn't been fair to either Lois or Lana, he wishes
that he wasn't such a coward and could have explained things to them.
In the meantime, both Lana and Jimmy have the same idea: in the past they had
been endowed with various superpowers and they are going to take them on again
to help Superman. Jimmy finds his Elastic Lad serum and while he drinks it
and finds his old Elastic Lad costume, Lana takes a dip in the "magic lake"
within the Fortress that endows her with Super Powers. As the powers kick in,
she super-hears Kal-El confessing to Perry of his true love for Lois,
something that he would never tell Lana of, for fear of hurting her too much.
Determined to prove herself and her worth to Superman in one last show of
power, Lana leads Jimmy in an attack on the bad-guys' camp. She starts by
attacking the Kryptonite Man, directing Jimmy to take out their generator.
When she encounters Luthor-Brainiac, Luthor's personality re-surfaces briefly,
and begs her to kill him. She complies with a quick chop to his neck. But
between them, the LSV removes her powers and she is killed by Lightning Lord.
Jimmy wrecks the force-shield generator, only to be killed in turn by
Brainiac, who still has enough power to re-animate Luthor's corpse. (This
seems to be a typically Alan Moore-ish touch.) However, some "unknown force
maintains the shield", rendering Lana's & Jimmy's deaths meaningless.
The villains explode a nuclear device, which punches a hole in the side of the
Fortress. The good side of this is that Perry saves Alice's life and they are
reconciled.
The Kryptonite Man enters the Fortress and encounters Krypto, who attacks him
and snaps his neck, even though it costs Krypto his own life. (Lovely
sound-effect here, by the way: The Kryptonite Man: "I'm killing you, you
stupid animal! Don't you understand? I'm killing YaaaaaAAAAAAAAAA" Snopf!)
Superman and Lois in the meantime are running from the LSV, but when they
realize that Superman is being driven over the edge and would probably kill
them if they pushed him any further, they turn tail and vanish back to the
30th Century, leaving only Brainiac to attack. Sadly for him, rigor mortis
has begun to set in, and Brainiac collapses in the snow. It would appear to
be over... except that Superman realizes that there are too many loose ends.
"Why should all my enemies attack at once? Why is Brainiac's force-screen
still keeping our friends out? ... And then there's this statuette. ... The
whole 30th Century seems certain I'm finished." As Lois looks at the
statuette, trying to recall what it is holding (it is a Phantom Zone
projector), Superman realizes that one of the "family" of villains never
appeared: Mr. Mxyzptlk. He calls to him, and in a foul-smelling cloud of
purple smoke, the imp from the 5th dimension appears, looking quite evil.
In a manner we almost expect from Alan Moore's writing, he explains his reason
for being: As an immortal, finding things to occupy his time is of utmost
importance. "I spent the first two thousand years of my existence doing
absolutely nothing... I spent the next two thousand years being saintly and
benign... when that novelty began to fade, I decided to try being mischievous.
Now two thousand years later, I'm bored again... I shall spend the next two
millennia being evil! After that, who knows? Perhaps I'll try being guilty
for a while." Mxyzptlk reveals his true form, and going by the same theory
that drove the LSV, we learn that he is convinced that he must win this
battle: "Today you meet your greatest foe and shall be no more!"
Lois is reminded of the 30th Century villains and thereby of the statuette.
She realizes and suggests to Superman that rather than running away, the
statuette literally holds the answer to their problem. Together, Lois and
Superman flee to the room that holds the Phantom Zone projector, and Superman
prepares to turn it on Mxyzptlk, who has followed them there. Realizing that
he has only one means of escape, he utters his name in reverse; at exactly the
same instant, the Phantom Zone ray is projected onto him, and he is torn in
half between two dimensions.
Superman has finally done what he swore so many years ago never to do: he has
killed one of his enemies. Filled with remorse, he tells Lois that no matter
what reason he might feel he has, no one has the right to kill, not even and
"especially not Superman!" He turns and walks away from Lois, and enters the
Chamber where samples of Gold Kryptonite have been stored, smiling at Lois
before he goes.
Lois tells Tim Crane that she never saw Superman again. As an epilogue, the
force shield goes down with the death of Mxyzptlk, and the heroes outside were
free to enter the Fortress. They found the dead bodies and they found Lois
outside the Gold Kryptonite chamber, weeping. The Chamber itself was empty.
Tim asks Lois whether she puts any faith in the rumors that Superman was
actually still alive, but Lois says, "As far as I'm concerned, Superman died
in the Arctic. I was there." As the interview is completed, Jordan (Lois'
husband) comes in with their baby son, Jonathan. Tim leaves, and Lois and
Jordan chat, putting the baby down to play with the coal by the fireplace.
Lois realizes, "You really love it, don't you? Just going to work every day,
taking out the garbage, changing Jonathan's diapers... all this normal stuff."
As if the implication that maybe Jordan lived somewhat differently in the
past wasn't enough, we see that a piece of coal that Jonathan played with has
now become a fist-sized diamond!
Lois suggests that they should just live happily ever after, and Jordan Elliot
agrees, with a wink for the reader. ;)
Once again, the art in this issue has some lovely reminders of the past
history of the world's greatest hero. We are also reminded of the final issue
of Superman (which I reviewed last issue) when Lana super-hears Superman's
confession to Perry. The pose she is shown in harks back to the pose we saw
Supergirl in when she presumably overheard Superman talking to Brainiac 5
about her demise. Given that reinforcement, one might assume that Kara did
know in advance that she was going to die before the Crisis. This review has
gone on long enough (some might say, too long :) ), so I'll finish up with
this:
For those of you who are still in the dark with regard to some of the
characters appearing and/or referred to here, a few notes are all that is
required to remind you of the good old days:
Vartox was a character who looked somewhat like Sean Connery in his movie role
of Zardoz. He was an alien with powers similar to those of Superman, who
loved Lana Lang;
Superwoman was from the future and used futuristic technology to duplicate
various super-powers. She appeared first in Elliot Maggin's novel, SUPERMAN:
MIRACLE MONDAY, as an historian returning to our time to see Superman in
action; later she appeared in a few Annuals, as a heroine;
Jonathan Elliot appears to have been named after Jonathan Kent;
Jordan Elliot has a cleft chin very similar to a certain well-known superhero,
and appears to have taken his father's name, Jor-El. (Do I have to spell it
out for you even more?) ;)
Jenny Stosser (jennys@melbpc.org.au)
_______________________________________________________________
THE SILVER AGE SUPERMAN
-----------------------
by Bill Morse (billmorse@aol.com)
The Super-Brat from Krypton
This story fits my usual qualifications for an A+ Silver Age Superman story.
It is a three-part novel, but it was not considered an "Imaginary Story".
Just the same, it reads like an Imaginary Story, because it explores the
possibility of Superman being raised and trained by criminals, instead of the
upright, nurturing Kents. Art is by Curt Swan, writer unknown.
I can't find out what issue of SUPERMAN it was originally published in, but it
was reprinted in SUPERMAN ANNUAL: 80-PAGE GIANT #1, published in 1964. This
requires a little explanation. DC published a few annuals, for a couple of
years, under the names of their featured characters. There were several
SUPERMAN Annuals in the 60s, which were all-reprint. Then, they lumped all of
their annuals under one umbrella, calling them 80-page Giants. These Giants
were numbered just like regular comics, but for all practical purposes, they
were just like the previous Annuals. The Giants were all-reprint, identical
in content to the Annuals. They would even say "Superman Annual" on the
cover, but in smaller print would read "80-page Giant number X". The whole
Superman supporting cast had their own annuals, under this 80-page Giant
umbrella. So did Batman, and I remember some Flash and JLA 80-page Giants.
There were maybe a hundred of these Giants, before the 60s gave way to new
editorial directions, and a new series of Superman Annuals emerged, which
featured all-new stories. In this regard, DC was probably playing catch-up
with Marvel, whose first Annuals in the mid-60s were extra-length all-new
stories. Then Marvel began to feature short all-new stories, bundled with a
reprint or two.
Back to the story I am reviewing, it wasn't imaginary because, instead of
using the premise "What if Kal-El had been raised by criminals?", it used the
plot device of creating a duplicate Kal-El. On the flight from Krypton to
Earth, Kal-El's rocket ship accidentally activated a duplicator ray, which
predictably duplicated his ship and its contents, including himself. So this
was framed as a real event in the DC Universe, although that concept had not
really solidified by this point in Superman's history.
Kal-El barely even figures into the rest of the story. It follows his
duplicate's rocket to a landing near the isolated mountain retreat of "Wolf"
Derek and his wife, Bonnie. This was the early 60s, before the release of the
popular Bonnie and Clyde movie, but these characters were modeled after the
original Bonnie and Clyde, although Bonnie and Wolf had survived into middle
age. Bonnie wore "flapper" outfits, and her face was drawn to look like
someone who had one had cheap good looks, and now had wrinkles. Wolf wore
silk smoking jackets, a la Hugh Hefner. Clearly, these were not the Kents!
As soon as they see the rocket crash, Wolf whips out a machine gun and fires
away at the emerging infant. (Aside: throughout the Silver Age, Superbaby's
age upon his arrival on Earth shifted. At first, he was depicted as an
infant, maybe two months old. Here, he was able to walk and appeared to be
two years old. Some stories of Kal-El's brief childhood on Krypton depicted
him speaking in complete sentences, with a developed sense of reason, although
he still spoke the DC-standard baby-talk, shared by Bizarros: "Me hungry!
Want yummy-good food!")
When Wolf's bullets bounce off of the infant, he realizes that their luck has
changed. He tells Bonnie, "We'll adopt this super-baby, and pretend to love
him! We'll teach him to hate the law, like we do! And when he grows into
manhood and becomes Super-Outlaw . . . " Bonnie finishes his thought, " . . .
he will obey you, like an obedient son! With him for a stooge, you'll become
the Crime King of Earth!" (Remember, in the Silver Age, every sentence that
wasn't a question ended with an exclamation point! Sometimes two!!)
The few appearances of Clark and the Kents only point out the differences in
how the boys are being raised. We hear Pa Kent recite, rather stiffly, "We
have a grave responsibility, Martha! We must teach our adopted son, Clark, to
use his super-strength wisely, and in behalf of justice!" Meanwhile,
Super-Brat's parents say, "Ha, ha! Look at him teasing that kitten with his
super-breath! Isn't Super-Brat cute? That's right, son! Don't feel sorry
for anyone! Only fools are softies!"
Wolf and Bonnie train Super-Brat to destroy jail cells and smash dummies of
police officers. But Martha Kent tells Clark, "No, dear! We mustn't cross
against the traffic light! Laws are made to be obeyed, for the good of all!"
(With all of the moralistic speechifying from the Kents, you begin to see why
the Silver Age Superman so frequently seemed a little . . . constipated.)
Bonnie sews a mask for Super-Brat, because she thinks he looks cute in it.
The real reason is to differentiate his character from the real Superbaby, in
the eyes of the readers.
Super-Brat begins to make his parents proud of him, by throwing boulders on
the car of some rival mobsters and stealing a safe full of money. But beyond
pleasing his parents, he has developed a cruel streak. He pulls malicious,
and dangerous pranks on the innocent residents of a nearby town.
In Chapter Two, both super beings have reached the teenage years. Superboy has
revealed his existence to the world, and has begun his crime-fighting career.
Super-Bully (Super-Brat's teenage name) reveals that he has been spying on
Superboy for a few years, and hates him. But he likes the costume, and makes
a copy for himself. He teases his parents by flying in, wearing his costume,
without his mask. Wolf starts groveling, "My record's clean! Don't touch
me!" Super-Bully shows them his mask, and laughs, "Ha! Ha! You sure look
funny on your knees, Pa!"
Super-Bully then asks an intelligent question, "Pa, how come Superboy and me
look so much alike, and have got the same super-powers?" Wolf replies,
"Darned if I know, son! None of the newspaper articles we've read about
Superboy give us a clue! But I got a powerful hunch that someday your
resemblance to that law-abiding creep is gonna make us a fortune!" As if a
safe full of cash and jewels wasn't enough of a fortune?
Super-Bully continues his mischief, freeing lions and tigers from the zoo, and
helping convicts escape from prison. Wolf and Bonnie read that Superboy is
vulnerable to Kryptonite, and worry that Super-Bully shares that
vulnerability. Yet when he finally encounters some, he is immune! DC played
fast and loose with the "rules" of Kryptonite vulnerability, depending on the
situation of the story. Sometimes a power-less Superman would also lose his
vulnerability to Kryptonite. Sometimes a human who had gained super-powers
also gained a vulnerability to Kryptonite. But at other times, the opposites
applied. In this case, they wanted Super-Bully to have an advantage. Since
he wasn't technically Kryptonian, but merely a duplicate, he wasn't vulnerable
to Kryptonite.
It wouldn't have made a very interesting story if Super-Bully had immediately
decided to kill Superboy then and there. So he continued to hide his
existence and plague Superboy secretly, from a distance.
In Chapter Three, he has become Super-Menace. He causes a rocket to veer off
course. Superman rescues it, of course, but it is interesting to see a scene
which I believe predates the movie Dr. Strangelove - he rides the rocket like
a bucking bronco, singing, "Git along, li'l rocket! I'm a-headin' for the
last blast-off!"
Finally, Wolf decides it's time to make his play. He invites the leaders of
organized crime to his hideout, and tells them he has a way to get rid of
Superman. In return, they promise to make him President of the Crime
Syndicate. He says to his grown son, Super-Menace, "Son, you've wanted to
knock the stuffings outta Superman for years, right? Well, I've got good news
for you! Go git 'im, boy! Kill Superman!!!"
Super-Menace is overjoyed. He has lived his whole life for this moment. But
as he flies off, his super-hearing overhears Wolf explaining to his fellow
mobsters, "Chuckle! Bonnie and I figured that if we pretended to love that
freak . . . and raise him to hate the law . . . when he grew up, he'd make me
Crime King of Earth!" Super-Menace has a moment of truth. "Sob! They never
loved me . . . a "freak", that's all I've ever been to them . . . ! While I
was tricked, and taught to hate, Superman was being loved! I hate Superman
for having loving foster-parents! I'll kill him!"
In a blind rage, he begins smashing the landscape, which brings Superman
speeding to the scene, for their first face-to-face confrontation. They
engage in a mighty fight, which only proves how evenly matched they are.
Superman's x-ray vision perceives that Super-Menace doesn't have a skeleton or
organs, he is composed of pure energy. Their super-memories recall the
duplicator ray which created Super-Brat. Super-Menace is near his breaking
point. "Not human! Sob! I hate your human body! I hate all things that you
are that I can never be! I've got to destroy you!" Using his super-breath,
he summons a swarm of Kryptonite meteors, using his one advantage. He stands
over the dying Superman, gloating, but then some spark of decency causes him
to reflect on all of the lies told him by his parents. He uses his
super-breath to drive the Kryptonite deep into the earth, and flies off to his
parents' house, while Superman slowly recovers.
Wolf, confident of his new position as Crime King, tells Bonnie, "What do you
mean, Queen? Who needs you, you old crow! Get out! There are thousands of
young beauties who would love to be the new bride of the king of crime!"
Super-Menace enters and announces, "Correction! You're both rats!" He tells
them what he overheard, and concludes with, "My life could've been a blessing,
but you, with your rotten cunning, twisted it into . . . something terrible .
. . I'll abandon this human form, and return to . . . pure force! And take
you two with me!" Wolf screams out, "Son, don't destroy us--arrghhh!"
Superman arrives just in time to see them all disintegrate.
In the final panel, Superman delivers a eulogy: "And so vanishes the most
dangerous menace to law and order the world has ever known!"
In a way, it was good that this story stood outside of the continuity of the
normal stories, as an Imaginary Story would have. If Super-Bully and
Super-Menace had become regular foes, like Luthor, their impact would have
been diluted. This story was strong testimony to the positive influence of
the Kents, even if their dialog was a tad stiff. I would have liked to see
some residual effect of this encounter, perhaps one sequel, but this was the
last that we ever saw of Super-Menace.
________________________________________________________________
****************************************************
End of Section 7
_______________________________________________________________
LOIS AND CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
----------------------------------------------
(Boy could we *still* use a real title for this section! :)
Because of a mix-up and a failure to deliver, we still don't have reviews
of the second and third episodes ("Ordinary People" and "Contact"), but
we'll try to pick them up when they rerun later in the year.
Here are the writing and directing credits for the four episodes which have
aired since last month's issue:
5. "Just Say Noah" (10/22)
Writers: Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming
Director: David S. Jackson
6. "Don't Tug on Superman's Cape" (11/5)
Writer: David Simkins
Director: Steven Dubin
7. "Ultra Woman" (11/12)
Writers: Gene O'Neill & Noreen Tobin
Director: Mike Vejar
8. "Chip Off The Old Clark" (11/19)
Writers: Michael Jamin & Sivert Glarum
Director: Michael Watkins
Coming up Sunday, November 26: Superman vs. The Nazis! (Doesn't that
sound like it came right out of a golden age comic book!?)
Jeff Sykes
_______________________________________________________________
DANCING IN THE DARK
-------------------
by Zoomway (Zoomway@aol.com)
"I'm not as good at romance as I look."
Lois Lane has not had a very good track record with men. I realize that
statement is as obvious as saying if there were a Nerd Club For Men, Steve
Urkel would not only be a member, he'd be the president. However, many fans
of LOIS AND CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN joined the fandom late. Some
saying they had not seen the show until the latter half of the second season,
and some not until the summer reruns. So I'm going to recap a bit of Lois
Lane's past where men are concerned so some might better understand how it
took two years for the charming Clark Kent to win her over, and also why both
Lois and Clark may not be the blind leading the blind when it comes to
romance, but they are definitely dancing in the dark.
"I have dates!"
"You have interviews, it's not the same thing."
We learn from the pilot that Lois has no social life, and is somewhat notorious
for not having one. It may seem incongruous at first that the lovely and sexy
Lois Lane did not have hot and cold running suitors and a social calendar so
heavy it would snap the legs off of the sturdiest of desks, but as the series
unfolded, the reasons for this incongruity became apparent to viewers.
"I'm a reporter, Perry, that's what I do."
"My life has basically been about work."
Lois Lane is not only a work-aholic, but she is also work-centric. That is, her
work defines her, validates her, praises her, and most of all, protects her.
Protects her from what? Ah, now we get to the second reason! Lois has all
that red ink in her social register. Every single time Lois has entered the
romance arena, she has led with her heart, which has gotten her knocked to the
canvas for the full ten count without fail. Maybe Lois did so poorly in the
ring because of the trainer in her corner.
"I'm Frankenstein's daughter."
"My father only related to cyborgs."
"He was disappointed he didn't have sons."
It's tough to know what combination to throw at your opponent, regardless of
natural talent, if your trainer is poor. Lois fell for a guy in college, and
tried to impress him with her investigative reporting skills. Linda King,
Lois's rival, countered with a hormonal assault, and Lois ended up kissing the
canvas. Lois then became involved with a co-worker named Claude. He was an
older man with a French accent, and a man who knew how to take advantage of a
young, but talented investigative reporter's affection for him. He pretended
to return her affections when he became interested in a story she was working
on. She slept with him, and when she awoke the next morning, Claude was gone,
and so was her story. He won an award for the story he had stolen, and never
even thanked Lois for her 'input'.
This low blow knocked Lois completely out of the ring. She became her work,
and her work protected her. She built walls high and thick around her glass
heart, and each brick was cemented tightly in place with the mortar of
cynicism. Become a cynic, and you will never be disappointed. Nothing and no
one can touch, or move you, but neither can they hurt you. There is, however,
one element in the universe for which cynics have no defense. Magic.
"I don't believe it. Lois Lane, finally, 'literally' swept off her feet."
"What does the 'S' stand for?"
"Super!"
While Lois had no trouble brushing off Clark Kent, mild-mannered hack from
nowheresville, her carefully crafted walls were no match for the wrecking ball
made of steel. Lois was completely defenseless against Superman's magic.
Even after the magic had worn off, in the sense of its novelty, he was
different from all other men she had encountered in the 'human' sense as well.
He wanted only to help others, and wanted nothing in return. He made Lois
feel special....'chosen'. He was rarely judgmental of her, and best of all,
and though she never saw it coming, he was getting her ready to re-enter the
ring.
"I began to think that maybe there was more to our relationship
than just friendship"
"You're just the best."
"You're lucky to have each other."
"Lois, I'm asking you to go out with me."
"You mean like a date."
"To our 'almost' first date."
"I've been thinking about the 'date thing'."
"What if it bombs?"
"Then we'll still be friends."
"It was a great date."
"Then we kissed, and that was 'really' great."
"I'm afraid I'm losing her to this other guy."
"Every single time I try to talk to her, I have to fly off and save
somebody."
"Dan's availability, or lack there of, has nothing to do with our
relationship, and your continual disappearing act."
"Your going out with Dan, it 'does' upset me."
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll go out with me, and I promise you I will not
disappear."
"Where's Clark? He's the one you had a date with."
"It's about trust, Dan."
"At least Clark trusts me."
"One guy, who's really wonderful, but disappears every time I try
to talk to him, and one guy who's really exciting to be with, but
won't talk to me about his job, and what do people talk about if
they don't talk about what they did all day, and one guy who's
out of this world...literally."
"I thought you'd given up the Superman fantasy."
"You know who you want to be with, you've known all along.
Trouble is, he's just as scared as you are. Now who's going to be
the first to step up and say the scary words?"
"I told Superman that I just wanted to be friends, and Dan and
I..."
"Lois, if you came here to tell me that you and Dan..."
"We won't be seeing each other anymore."
"Clark, if you're going to run away from this, tell me now."
"I'm not going to run, Lois. I'm ready to take the next step, if you
are."
"Tell Clark that I love him."
"He knows, but I'll tell him."
"Lois, will you marry me?"
Whew, okay, as you can see from that long sound bite re-cap of Lois and Clark's
journey from friendship to romance of last season, it was not exactly smooth
sailing. They did a lot of dancing in the dark, especially Lois, because
Clark neglected to tell her one important thing. Fortunately, Lois figured
out that Clark is Superman and their romance took a new, and exciting turn.
Not to mention one that's simply a lot of fun to watch. They still don't have
their sails untangled, but the water is less choppy. I covered Lois this
month, so next month I'll talk about clueless Clark Kent, the relationship
impaired.
========================================================
EPISODE REVIEWS:
----------------
Episode #3-04: "When Irish Eyes Are Killing"
--------------------------------------------
by Patrick M. Stout <mfpms@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu>
US Airdate: October 15, 1995
Guest Starring: Julian Stone, Ilana Levine, Sheelagh Cullen, and
Olivia Brown as "Star"
Written by: Grant Rosenberg
Directed by: Winriche Kolbe
THE STORY: As Clark and Lois prepare to cover a charity auction, they begin
discussing whether trouble just naturally finds Lois or if Clark has been a
jinx to her. Clark is getting cold feet about their relationship because he
feels his career as Superman is putting Lois at great peril.
Perry is the charity auctioneer, selling dates with Metropolis' most eligible
bachelorettes. In the midst of the auction, someone tosses a gas bomb into
the crowd; thieves make their move on the city museum, site of the auction.
Clark uses his super-lungs to inhale all the gas and allow the audience to
revive. It's discovered that the museum's Scepter of Claudius has been
stolen.
We are witness to a brief scene of ritual sacrifice. The scene then changes
to the Daily Planet newsroom, where Perry briefs Lois and Clark on a series of
murders plaguing Metropolis and on the search for the stolen scepter. Clark's
super-hearing catches a scream from the museum-- Superman arrives in time to
confront a team of thieves, but Lois suddenly enters the room and an explosion
immediately follows.
A while later, Lois and Clark argue over whether she should have followed him
to the museum. The auction has resumed, but in another part of Metropolis,
another dead body has been found. As Lois and Clark continue to bicker over
her propensity to place herself in danger, she catches Perry's eye and
volunteers to be the next to be "auctioned".
The bidding for Lois' company is between Clark and another Planet reporter,
Ritchie. Clark tops Ritchie with a final bid of $150 when an Irishman shouts
out a bid of $10,000!
The man is Patrick Sullivan, an old boyfriend of Lois' when she was a foreign
exchange student in Ireland. They agree to meet later. Unknown to Lois,
Patrick is the boss of the gang of thieves that's been looting the museum; he
has his men hide away with their goods as Lois arrives at his apartment. He
tells Lois that he has taken over his father's international antique business.
Later, over drinks, Patrick peppers Lois with questions about her relationship
with Clark. She simply states that it's a complicated one, but that Clark has
"swept her off her feet" a few times. Patrick states that he is not involved
in a romantic relationship--that the one he loves slipped out of his clutches.
He says to Lois: "If I had to do it over again, I'd make sure she never got
away."
On the telephone with Ma Kent, Clark discloses his fear that Lois would be in
greater danger if she married Superman. There is a knock at Clark's apartment
door; Veronica Kipling, the museum secretary, brings him a photo of the stolen
scepter. Clark notes that the scepter appears to match a crown taken in
another museum theft.
Lois arrives at Clark's apartment, immediately bristling at the sight of the
other woman there. She storms out.
Emeralds taken from the scepter, when held next to each other, give off a
crackling power. Their new owner, Patrick Sullivan, calls it "the power of
the ancient Druids".
At the Planet the next day, Lois and Clark taunt each other across their
desks. Clark is jealous because of Patrick and Lois is jealous because of
Veronica. They finally just stare at each other without speaking.
Colleen was Patrick's governess and is now a combination maid and secretary.
She finds the emeralds in Patrick's office, part of a shrine he has made to
Lois which includes photos of her and news clippings by and about her. Also
included is a sacrificial knife!
Patrick and Lois talk over a picnic lunch. On a street corner nearby, Colleen
catches Clark and tells him Lois is in danger because of Patrick's "family
curse"--criminal insanity. She tells Clark that Patrick's father was
institutionalized after sacrificing his wife in a Druid ceremony.
Clark tracks Lois down and, when the picnic concludes, walks her back to the
Planet. Lois shrugs off his warning about Patrick. Meanwhile, Patrick has
encountered Colleen near the Planet. "We can't have you running all over the
city saying, 'The Druids are coming,' can we?" he says as he rushes her into
an alley and down a stairway.
Veronica brings some Druid research to Clark at the office. He brushes off
her attempts to flirt with him while Jimmy, nearby, laughs at Clark's
discomfort. Clark gets a call back from Dublin confirming that Patrick's
father is confined to a sanitarium for the criminally insane. He catches
Veronica at the door and invites her to dinner--they wind up in an Irish pub
where Patrick and Lois are dining.
Patrick challenges Clark to a game of darts. As they play, Clark asks several
questions regarding Patrick's reasons for being in Metropolis. Patrick's final
shot is a bullseye, but Clark wins the game by using his dart to split
Patrick's and score a second bullseye.
Lois and Clark ditch their dates because a new lead has become available in
the museum theft story--a police report on a bank theft. Superman arrives at
the bank and unties the employees; they tell him a ritual mask was stolen from
a safe deposit box.
Patrick holds in his hands "the Mask of the Ancient Ones", and places an
emerald in each eye socket. "You can feel the magic," he says. "It's time we
made our final offering." His hand touches a photo of Lois.
Lois' neighbor, Star, consoles her regarding her feelings for Clark. Star is a
neighborhood psychic, and as Lois heads for a rendezvous with Patrick, the
woman shouts, "Don't open the cabinet!"
At the Planet, Clark confirms that the ancient mask stolen was of Irish
origin.
At Patrick's apartment, Lois opens the cabinet. She finds the mask centered
in the shrine to her that he has created.
Clark and Jimmy are studying background material concerning the mask, when
Perry enters to tell them that Colleen's body has been found in the lake.
Superman arrives at Patrick's apartment in time to stop the attempted
sacrifice of Lois. But Patrick dons the mask and uses its magic to fight
Superman to a standstill. Finally, Superman's x-ray vision is able to
penetrate the mask and it disintegrates, causing Patrick to suffer the same
fate.
Clark meets Lois at her apartment to discuss their relationship. "I realize
that turning my back on (our) love is more dangerous than any hypothetical
crisis could be," he confesses. They kiss.
But Lois has another concern: "Your saving my life does not give you the
right to live my life, not you or Superman." Clark leaves with their future
still unresolved.
REACTION: It's obvious to see in this story how the L&C producers have
elevated the "love plot" to equal status with the "action plot" in each
episode this season. With the complement of quick scene changes that has
always been a trademark of this series, there is reference every third
scene--if not every other scene--to the romantic dilemma.
Teri Hatcher has really grown in the role of Lois and truly makes the
character her own in this latest season. Dean Cain's Clark has proven a match
for Lois in the heavy character scenes offered up to them this year.
The Druid sacrifice plot was well-paced, but it couldn't match the troubled
relationship subplot in terms of what attracts the most fan interest. There
won't be too much nail-biting necessary, though. Romantic resolution lies
around the corner with the next episode.
========================================================
Episode #3-05: "Just Say Noah"
------------------------------
by Patrick M. Stout <mfpms@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu>
US Airdate: October 22, 1995
Guest Starring: Mac Davis, and Olivia Brown as "Star"
Written by: Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming
Directed by: David S. Jackson
THE STORY: Lois' psychic neighbor, Star, tells her that a couple in their
apartment building has disappeared. "I'm a reporter," says Lois, "I can make
some noise about this."
Ma and Pa Kent visit Clark in Metropolis. As Ma checks the state of his
refrigerator, Clark asks for advice on reconciling with Lois. "Should I crawl
back?" he asks. "Fly back. It's faster," is Ma's reply.
While Lois asks Perry for permission to pursue the disappearance story, his
attention is distracted by his favorite television program--"The Larry Smiley
Show". Perry says, "Without Larry, my marriage would have been a shutout."
Lois notices that the missing couple, Arnold and Michelle, were guests on the
pre-taped program.
As Perry cautions Lois and Clark not to let any personal differences affect
their work, Clark hears a cry for help outside. Superman rushes to free a man
trapped inside his car during a traffic accident. The Man of Steel then
inhales all remaining smoke and flames. Lois keeps interrupting his cleanup
efforts to discuss their relationship. "It's always good old Clark, good old
Superman, crabby old Lois," she states.
Lois and Clark interview a source about Arnold and Michelle's disappearance.
Evidence indicates that the couple, and perhaps others, were last known to
have attended the Larry Smiley Institute. The scene changes to the
institute...where Arnold and Michelle have been put into restraints inside an
eerie-looking laboratory.
Lois has collected data concerning all couples reported missing over the last
two years. Clark's super-scanning reveals that four of the couples were last
seen attending the Larry Smiley Institute. Perry agrees to send the two
reporters undercover to the institute to determine if there is a connection.
As Lois and Clark are shown to the guest cabins at the institute, Clark keeps
coming up with reasons not to move into each cabin they see. He is really
using his x-ray vision to scan the "team name" assigned to the previous
occupants of each cabin. When he finds "The Badgers", the name that had been
given to Arnold and Michelle, he accepts that cabin. Inside, Clark uses his
vision to read the imprint on the desk of a letter written by Michelle. Lois'
suitcase gets lost and doesn't make it to their living quarters.
"Harmonicity" is the subject of Larry Smiley's first talk to the couples
who've come to his retreat. Lois and Clark arrive late to the first session,
quarreling about the lost suitcase; she is dressed in one of Clark's flannel
shirts and a pair of his pants. During a group meditation session, one of the
couples turns Lois in for whispering to Clark. Lois is sent outside in "time
out". While outside, she questions Cathy, a staff member, about Arnold and
Michelle. Cathy claims not to know the couple.
Larry Smiley later tells Cathy that he believes she has betrayed his trust.
He claims to have received a telephone call from God, telling him that the
Smiley people are destined to rule the world. A curtain rises, revealing a
woman encased in glass to whom Larry speaks.
It is opening night at the Metropolis Symphony. Perry and Jimmy are curbside
when Alice White arrives in a taxi. Perry leaves Jimmy and joins his wife.
As the cab pulls away, the driver releases knockout gas into the back seat
occupied by the Whites.
Clark is uncomfortable with the makeshift sleeping arrangement he has in the
cabin. He tries lying in a flying/floating position as he and Lois talk; the
romance in their relationship appears to be returning and both are feeling
pretty good when sleep overtakes them. Unfortunately, Clark "sleep floats"
above Lois. She awakens to see this shape hovering above her in the dark and
screams--the scream awakening Clark, who then falls on top of her. A rock
comes flying through their cabin window. It carries a note, asking them to
come to meet someone the next night.
Perry and Alice are brought bound into Larry Smiley's underground cavern
laboratory. Larry reveals he is collecting two of every occupation to take
with him when he floods the earth. "God has made it clear what I have to do,"
says Larry. He shows Perry the AquaPlus 1000 Stormmaker. Perry then realizes
that, while Larry was talking to him, Alice has been placed in some type of
suspended animation.
Clark returns from a mission as Superman, and he is nearly discovered by the
couple next door. They invite him and Lois to a morning group session. Clark
and Lois dominate the session talking about apologies and learning from past
mistakes.
That night, Lois and Clark arrive for their late-night rendezvous with the
person who threw the rock through their cabin window the night before. They
find Cathy's body in a tree. Lois discovers something in the woman's shoe.
Lois and Clark slip into Larry's office. They hear him in the next room,
referring to Cathy's death as a suicide. The object found in her shoe is a
piece of a manuscript in some ancient language. They look through Larry's
papers, discovering that he has separated the records of couples at the
retreat into "accepted" and "rejected". Their file has been placed in the
"rejected" stack. Lois and Clark confess their love for one another as a way
of refuting Smiley's analysis of them as incompatible.
The reporters find the reference book from which the torn manuscript page was
taken. They take it back to Metropolis and to Lois' neighbor, Star. Jimmy
tells them about Perry's disappearance and returns with them to Larry Smiley's
camp.
Smiley's disciples are breaking up the camp, preparing to move into a space
ark. "We only wait for the sign," Larry says as he moves toward the
telephone. He picks up the phone, and then tells his followers that God has
readied the storm. Larry unveils those subjects previously frozen into
immobility; one of these is his mother.
Back in Metropolis, Star tries to channel a message to Clark from an ancient
consciousness.
Lois and Jimmy pretend to be one of the immobile couples, but are discovered
by Smiley.
The ancient voice reads the section of manuscript as an Aramaic account of the
story of Noah's Ark.
Jimmy and Lois have been tied to a lightning rod as the storm begins. Feeling
that they face certain death, Jimmy confesses that he has a crush on Lois and
begins to relate an explicit dream that he has had about her. Superman
arrives to save them before the climax (so to speak).
Having saved his friends, Superman destroys the stormmaker and frees the other
captives. Larry Smiley's mother says, "Lawrence, you have been a very naughty
boy."
Back in Metropolis, Superman speaks to Lois: "We keep messing up. Why is
that?"
Lois answers: "Maybe we should take a little break from the idea of marriage,
and just be in love."
They kiss, and then he flies away.
REACTION: The L&C producers are jugglers. They're trying to provide the
romantic interplay they know the fans want, and yet still provide the menacing
storyline that justifies the presence of Superman. And sometimes one element
gets in the way of the other.
Even with the willing suspension of disbelief required of superhero fans, how
realistic is it that Superman's attempts at averting a life-threatening
situation would be interrupted with Lois' questions about their continuing
relationship? How plausible is it that, in the midst of seeking out clues
following a gruesome murder, they stop to discuss their romantic
compatibility?
These juxtapositions have to happen when the producers have reduced each scene
to a quick beat and, in every two or three beats, they have to touch on THE
RELATIONSHIP. The incongruities generated by this formula writing having been
cited, I confess that I greatly enjoyed the scene with Clark and his mother at
the beginning of the show and the scene between Lois and Clark/Superman at the
end.
I must extend my compliments to the producers on the quick pacing of the show.
Once you've seen a couple of L&C episodes, you begin to notice how plodding
some other shows are. Case in point, I tried to watch "The Invaders" but the
slow pace of the initial episode was driving me crazy. I switched the
channel...to "Lois and Clark". As K Callan might say, each hour flies by.
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End of Section 8/Issue #19
