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The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 36
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T H E K R Y P T O N I A N C Y B E R N E T
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http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sykes/kc
Issue #36 -- March 1997
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CONTENTS
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Section 1: Superscripts: Notes from the Editor
So Here's What I Thought, Part 1
News and Notes
And Who Disguise As...
Superman - The New Movie, by J.D. Rummel
Section 2: Just the FAQs
What if Lois and Clark Hadn't Married?
by David T. Chappell
Atom Man vs Superman
Episodes 1-7, by Steven Younis
The Mailbag
Section 3: New Comic Reviews
The Superman Titles
Superman: The Man of Steel #66, by Shane Travis
Superman #122, by Shane Furlong
Adventures of Superman #545, by Anatole Wilson
Action Comics #732, by William J. Nixon
Section 4: New Comic Reviews
Super-Family Titles
JLA #4, by Matt Combes
Steel #37, by Dick Sidbury
Superboy #38, by Rene' Gobeyn
Superboy and the Ravers #8, by Jeff Sykes
Section 5: New Comic Reviews
Super-Family Titles (cont)
Supergirl #8, by Jeff Sykes
Superman Adventures #6, by Cory Strode
Other Appearances
Adventures in the DC Universe #1, by Rene Gobeyn
AfterByrne
Manuscripts of Steel
Superman Special #1, by Denes House
Section 6: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Episode #4-14: "Meet John Doe"
Review by Scott Devarney
Episode #4-15: "Lois and Clarks"
Review by Dick Sidbury
Section 7: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lois and Clark on Saturday
by Zoomway
The Phantom Zone
Super Friends
DC Comics Presents #47, by Joe Crowe
Merchandise
Section 8: Coming Attractions
STAFF:
------
Jeffery D. Sykes, Editor-in-Chief
Nancy Jones, Executive Editor: Lois and Clark section
Neil Ottenstein, Executive Editor: S:TAS section
Editors:
Chip Chandler Steve Hanes D.M. Simms
Joe Crowe Curtis Herink Shane Travis
Trevor Gates William O'Hara 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 information.
All original material published in The Kryptonian Cybernet, including but not
limited to reviews, articles, and editorials, are copyright 1997 by The
Kryptonian Cybernet and the respective authors. Reprinting in any format is
expressly forbidden without the permission of The Kryptonian Cybernet and the
contributing author.
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 can be distributed, in whole, freely via e-mail. Should you
desire to share this publication with other on-line services, please contact
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SUPERSCRIPTS: Notes from the Editor
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SO HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PART 1
What better way to fill an editorial column than with a bunch of opinions? So
in that spirit, I'm going to devote this editorial over the next two months to
my voting in the 1996 Kaycees. Since the Ongoing Comic Series require a
little more thought, I'm going to put them off until next month. For now,
here's my thinking on the remaining categories.
Specials and Limited Series:
---------------------------
LS1: Best Writing -- Mark Waid and Alex Ross, KINGDOM COME
While there were several wonderful works eligible for this award (Kurt
Busiek's MAN OF STEEL ANNUAL, Karl Kesel's SPIDER-BOY, and Waid and
Dave Gibbons' SUPER SOLDIER, to name a few), nothing in all of 1996
comes close to the incredible tale of KINGDOM COME.
LS2: Worst Writing -- Kelly Puckett, SHOWCASE '96 #6
To be honest, this was a tough category. Unlike last year, when AT
EARTH'S END ran away with all of the "worst" awards, nothing this year
stood out as particularly bad. Most of the specials and limited series
in 1996 were simply average. In the long run, I choose this story
which paired Superboy: The Animated Series with The Demon just because
it didn't work for me.
LS3: Best Art -- Alex Ross, KINGDOM COME
Again, this was a snap to choose. There was some fine artistic work
last year (Dodson and Story's Supergirl episode from SHOWCASE '96 #8,
Gibbons' SUPER SOLDIER, Jurgens and Rubinstein's DC VERSUS MARVEL),
but Alex Ross' painted art on KINGDOM COME simply raises the comic book
form to another level.
LS4: Worst Art -- Roger Robinson and John Lowe, ERADICATOR
This was a toss up. I also didn't care for Kieron Dwyer's art in the
ACTION COMICS ANNUAL last year, but that was mostly because I think
Kieron needed a good inker rather than doing it all himself. The art
in ERADICATOR was overly busy and very scratchy -- it reminded me of
a bad attempt at the so-called Image style of art.
LS5: Best Special/Limited Series -- KINGDOM COME
This was probably the best thing the entire industry turned out last
year, and it should be no surprise that I'm selecting it. This simply
ranks among the best works of all time, up there with WATCHMEN, THE
GOLDEN AGE, DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, and the like. However, there were a
few other things that were good enough that they bear mention. Call
this the honorable mention list: SUPERMAN: THE WEDDING ALBUM, SUPERMAN:
THE MAN OF STEEL ANNUAL #5, SPIDER-BOY #1, and SUPER SOLDIER #1.
LS6: Worst Special/Limited Series -- ERADICATOR
Once again, I'm not saying this was a particularly bad series, it's
just that I found it the worst of the bunch. I found the story a bit
confusing and the art a bit distracting.
LOIS AND CLARK:
--------------
LC1: Best-Written Episode -- "Ultra Woman"
There were four episodes which, to me, stood above the rest in the
third season: "Ultra Woman", "Chip Off The Old Clark", "The Dad Who
Came In From The Cold", and "Tempus, Anyone?" Of these, it was Gene
O'Neill and Noreen Tobin's wonderful "Ultra Woman" which seemed to
have the most consistent writing. Particularly well-scripted were
the scenes in which Clark must deal with having lost his powers and
Lois must deal with suddenly having powers.
LC2: Worst-Written Episode -- "When Irish Eyes Are Killing"
As above, there were four episodes which fell significantly below the
rest: "Ordinary People", "Contact", "When Irish Eyes Are Killing",
and "Never On Sunday". (The season sure began on a downer, huh?) Of
these, none simply felt so out of character as did "Irish Eyes".
Grant Rosenberg has a history of writing bad episodes (such as the
two Prankster episodes) -- you can add this one to the list.
LC3: Best Episode -- "Tempus, Anyone?"
With the departure of Lex Luthor from the position of main antagonist,
LOIS AND CLARK has struggled to fill the void, often doing so with
inane and pointless villains. Only Tempus has been able to recapture
some of the "Lex magic" -- the writers have a field day with Tempus,
and Lane Davies is simply fantastic in his role. Not only that, but
the character is one of the few truly menacing characters the show
has produced.
LC4: Worst Episode -- "Ordinary People"
While there were some interesting moments between Lois and Clark while
they were stranded, on the whole, this episode was pretty much worth-
less. David Leisure is one of the most grating actors on television,
and there were numerous plot holes in the boring script. And Clark
tends to behave quite out of character, sometimes showing little regard
for protecting his secret identity.
Well, that'll do it for this month. In April, when we'll bring you the
complete results of the Kaycees voting, I'll share my votes in the categories
pertaining to Ongoing Comic Series. See ya in another month!
Jeff Sykes, Editor
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NEWS AND NOTES
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BREAK OPEN THE PIGGIE BANKS...
The first part of this year has been relatively quiet, in so far as
Superman related specials and miniseries are concerned. However,
readers should consider this the calm before the storm, as DC has
lots of things planned for the coming months and into next year.
A sample:
A second round of "Plus" titles is on the way later this year, this
time teaming younger heroes from the DCU with members of DC's new
SCARE TACTICS title. Look for one of the four titles to feature the
Boy of Steel.
This summer's big crossover event is titled GENESIS, a four-issue
weekly miniseries which will tie into all DCU books for that month.
The series, written by John Byrne, is purported to heavily involve
the New Gods, as well as Darkseid and his minions.
Speaking of John Byrne, last month we told you about the Elseworlds
Superman/Batman project that he was pitching to DC, which would tie
in to his smash Batman/Captain America book a few months ago. Byrne
recently informed fans that he had been given the green-light for
this project, likely to comprise part of the Man of Steel's 60th
anniversary celebration next year.
Beginning this June is THE KENTS, a twelve-part maxi-series written
by Tom Ostrander and focusing on the Kent family in 19th century
Kansas. This series will explore the feud between two brothers
which helped establish the traditional values passed on to the Man
of Steel by his adopted family. We'll have a bit more on this in
next month's COMING ATTRACTIONS!
Later this year, SUPERMAN: DISTANT FIRES is an Elseworlds tale of
mutated animals and powerless heroes.
And ELSEWORLD'S FINEST follows Clark Kent and adventurer Bruce Wayne
on a quest for the city of Argos and its fabled prize. But also in
search of the city are Ra's al Ghul, his league of Assassins, and
ex-patriot Russian inventor Alexi Luthor.
Some of this information comes from DC's own special issue of Direct
Currents, which outlines plans for much of the DCU for the rest of the
year. All of this information can now be found on DC's web site.
Also, the Superman info ends with the somewhat ominous statement that
"Towards the end of 97, the seeds are sown for Superman's 60th
anniversary in 1998."
OTHER COMICS NEWS AND RUMORS
SUPERMAN #123, which debuted Superman's new costume, was a complete
sellout for DC. Both the collectors' and standard editions have gone
to a second print.
Have you heard that the crew behind STARGATE and INDEPENDENCE DAY are
working on a big-budget GODZILLA film for the summer of 1998? Do you
also know that Dark Horse comics owns the comics rights to GODZILLA?
And of course you know that Dark Horse and DC have teamed for some of
the most original and unique crossovers, such as BATMAN VS PREDATOR,
SUPERMAN VS ALIENS, BATMAN VS ALIENS, and the forthcoming crossover
between Superman and Madman. Well DC and Dark Horse are bandying about
the idea of a GODZILLA/JLA crossover for next year, and the names of
Grant Morrison and Art Adams have been mentioned as possible creators!
More about this if and when it develops!
It seems that the wild popularity of the new JLA is spilling into all
sorts of new projects. Alan Davis is working on a three-issue JLA
Elseworlds series for next year. The JLA will meet the WILDCATS in
a DC/Image crossover later this year. And coming in the near future
is a JLA/Legion of Super-Heroes crossover!
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN'
Once again, LOIS AND CLARK is being moved to a new time slot. This
time, however, ABC takes the ratings-weary show to a new night as
well. Beginning April 12, LOIS AND CLARK takes over the Saturday
night, 8:00 PM Eastern slot, anchoring an entirely new line-up for
ABC on that night. ABC should be advertising the new day and time
fairly heavily (for ABC anyway), and the internet-based FoLC Ad, in
which fans express their gratitude to the cast and crew of LOIS AND
CLARK, is set to run in the Friday, April 11 edition of THE USA TODAY.
The time change debuts with a brand new episode, "Faster Than a
Speeding Vixen," the first of a three-part story. In this episode,
Superman faces Vixen, a new super-powered villain played by Lori
Fetrick, and Clark becomes suspicious of the Daily Planet's new owner,
who bears more than a passing resemblance to the presumed-dead Lex
Luthor!
THE FLEISCHER CARTOON NETWORK
Okay, not really. But the Cartoon Network has begun showing the
celebrated Fleischer Superman cartoons on a semi-regular basis. On
weekday afternoons, between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM Eastern, the Cartoon
Network now airs a block of programming they call Toonami. Part of
this block is a series of rotating shorts falling between 4:30 and
4:45 and between 5:15 and 5:30 (just before and after VOLTRON).
I don't know if there is an exact schedule to the rotation, but the
Fleischer cartoons are apparently a part of it. I've seen them on
at least three occasions in the past week (and two of them I'd never
seen before!). Also in the rotation have been SPACE GHOST, HERCULOIDS,
and BIRDMAN. If you plan on trying to catch these, I would suggest
tuning in around 4:25 and 5:10, because the Cartoon Network's schedule
isn't very rigid, and some programs start a little early.
AND AS FOR THE BIG SCREEN
Rumors persist about the casting of SUPERMAN LIVES, having spread now
to some mainstream outlets. These, of course, include Nicolas Cage as
Superman, Jack Nicholson as Lex Luthor, and Sandra Bullock as Lois
Lane. Rumored to be under consideration for director are Robert
Rodriguez and Renny Harlin. Let me once again stress that these are
only rumors at this point, and there have been no official reports
about any signings. We'll keep you up to date as we learn more.
There are also some rumblings about the possibility of the Christopher
Reeve films being re-released into theaters next year, most likely based
on the success of the STAR WARS trilogy over the past few months. At
this point, these are also just rumors, but we'll let you know if any
news develops.
On a sad note, Alexander Salkind, who produced the Christopher Reeve
movies with his son Ilya Salkind, passed away in France on March 8.
KRYPTONITE WON'T SLOW THIS THING DOWN
Superman: The Escape opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia,
California, on March 15. The ride is a state-of-the-art roller coaster
which can reach world-record speeds of more than 100 miles per hour!
For further information on the ride, images, and even video clips, see
the web site that Six Flags has set up for the ride at
http://www.sixflagsmagicmtn.com/escape.html
THIS AIN'T JOHN WILLIAMS
Everyone knows and loves the stirring themes from the Christopher Reeve
Superman films, scored by John Williams. Now another composer has set
his sights on the world of the Man of Steel, and the results are the
METROPOLIS SYMPHONY. In the March 4 USA TODAY, David Patrick Stearns
reviewed the symphony written by Michael Daugherty, which includes
KRYPTON and MXYZPTLK movements, as well as the RED CAPE TANGO. (His
review should still be available online at the USA TODAY web site.)
Stearns gives the symphony a rating of 3 1/2 stars (out of four), and
calls it "a complete success and great fun."
METROPOLIS SYMPHONY is now available in its premier recording by the
Baltimore Symphony under David Zinman (I've seen the CD in Best Buy).
________________________________________________________
AND WHO DISGUISED AS...
---------------------------------------------------------
A Column of Opinion by J.D. Rummel (rummel@creighton.edu)
Superman - The New Movie
Because the third anniversary of KC is approaching, I thought I had better
make good on my promise (made in the 2nd anniversary column) to discuss the
upcoming Superman movie. Additionally, about two thousand years ago I asked
readers out there to send me their impressions and ideas about what they
wanted to see. So, without getting too mired in detail, I'll try to include
those points.
What some of you want to see:
Jeff Sykes, the Big Man here at KC, wrote in the last issue that he wanted to
see a big man in the role of Superman. I presume from reading his editorial
that he wanted someone who actually approximates the rippling figure that is
featured in the various super titles. Jeff stated that Chris Reeve didn't
have the physical appearance that he (Jeff) felt the role demands. Although I
had no problems with Reeve, I gotta admit that I don't want Dean Cain in the
role. I have always found his physical appearance as Superman to be
substandard. It's not entirely his fault, the costume he is asked to wear is
way off. It always reminds me of the kind of costume someone's mom makes for
Halloween -- a lotta work has obviously gone into it, but there is no eye for
accuracy: the S is too big, the cape looks like someone's living room drapes,
and as long as I'm feeling particularly anal, the belt buckle and boots are
wrong too.
So, who is a contender for the role? As Jeff also mentioned, it has hit the
papers that Nicolas Cage (_Leaving Las Vegas_, _Raising Arizona_, _The Rock_)
is apparently considering the part. Despite his rich resume of experience, I
for one cannot imagine him in the cape without smirking. I do not think that
this can be compared to Michael Keaton being cast as Batman. As many of you
no doubt remember, fandom was enraged at the idea of Mr. Mom as the Dark
Knight (I wasn't one of them, folks. I thought then, and history bore me out,
that Keaton had the shadows behind his eyes to pull off being Batman). No,
Mr. Cage is a talented actor, but I cannot imagine him having the core to draw
on to portray the Man of Steel. I am hoping that someone else is cast as
Superman. Remember back to the Salkinds' movie. Stallone, Redford, Newman,
Eastwood, all were at least mentioned in meetings. Even Mrs. Salkind's
dentist was given a screen test.
Getting back to what some of you wanted to see in the new flick, several
readers wrote in to say that the Lois and Clark romantic theme needs to have
some emphasis in the movie. While I understand the feeling and don't discount
the tremendous new audience that the t.v. show has brought to the legend, I
hope that we get a deeper tale than the superficial one told by the current
series. The idea of an alien come to Earth, trying to find his way on this
planet is one that is rich in story ideas. Too often the show _Lois and
Clark_ tries to go for quick,
"good-looking-people-in-love-will-triumph-over-all" stories. I say, tell a
real tale about a man from another planet and the Earth woman he falls for,
not cutesy stuff.
Another person wrote stressing that the effects need to be first class. The
two biggest factors here are imagination and money. Modern computers ensure
that someone with vision can bring tremendous power to this latest version.
The success evident in the heavily invested Batman series should guarantee
that Warner will sink dollars into the movie. The question in my mind is:
what story are they going to tell, and who is going to tell it?
The word is that the story line will focus on the death of Superman cycle a
few years back. Personally, I hope not. I can't imagine how anyone could
carry off such an involved and relatively uninteresting tale. Certainly I
could be wrong. _Stargate_, a movie that surely ranks as one of the dullest
pieces of cinematic story telling to ever be foisted on the public, raked in
the coins. Still, I don't think we have to worry about it too much. I think
the screen writer will pull some good stuff out of his word processor.
Why? Because the fellow hired to script the movie is Kevin Smith. Looking at
his works might give us some idea of what to expect. Smith has written three
films: _Clerks_, _Mallrats_, and the recent Cannes triumph, _Chasing Amy_.
I've seen the first two and can attest to Mr. Smith's skills as a writer.
Both films also resonate heavily with comic book references and allusions
(particularly _Mallrats_, which features Stan Lee as himself). While neither
film is a masterpiece, both feature solid, original story telling. Certainly
one worry we can avoid at this point is that over rated, disrespectful David
and Leslie Newman types aren't at the wheel. This isn't to say that all is
free and clear. As anyone who has read anything about development deals in
Hollywood can tell you, all kinds of things can happen between where we are
now and seeing the film on the big screen ("Whoopi Goldberg IS Superman
REBORN").
As you know, Hollywood regularly rings me up to ask for my input, so I'll just
hand 'em this column when they reach me next. That being said, I'd say my job
here is done.
Away!
And Who Disguised As... is copyright 1997 by J.D. Rummel. Its contents may
not be reproduced in any format without the written permission of the author.
________________________________________________________
Just the FAQs
More Details about Frequently-Asked Questions about the Man of Steel
by David T. Chappell
The romance between Lois Lane and Clark Kent has been growing for several
years, and I covered details of their relationship in the FAQs column in issue
#32 of the KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET. We know what happened in last fall's big
wedding between Lois and Clark, but in the vein of imaginary stories I
wonder...
"What if Lois and Clark Hadn't Married?"
Introduction
The super-engagement was not intended from the start, but the writers decided
that it seemed a logical step for the happy couple to make a commitment in
1990. The engagement drew on for years as fans wondered when the wedding
would finally occur. Friends at the Daily Planet wondered the same thing, but
the couple kept insisting that they were in no rush. It seemed inevitable
that matrimony was eventually in the works, but it was a combination of delays
and encouragements that led to the final story.
The First Mis-Marriage
The super-creative team originally planned for Lois and Clark to tie the knot
in 1992 with a focus around SUPERMAN #75 that fall. However, ABC's new "Lois
and Clark" television series was planned for debut soon, and the order came
down to delay the wedding. Romance was to be an important part of the new
character-focused TV show, and optimally the two media could arrange a
simultaneous wedding. Thus, Superman's wedding was put on hold.
While some bachelors would prefer death over marriage, Kal-El faced a real
Doomsday when his nuptials were postponed. The replacement story line
skyrocketed Superman's fame, however, and brought in a slew of new readers.
The trilogy of the "Death of Superman," "Funeral for a Friend," and "Reign of
the Supermen" became one of the best long-running stories in comics. Lois's
emotions certainly went through torture as she met each of the claimants to
the title of Superman and was eventually reunited with the real Clark. With a
funeral just behind the couple, thoughts of a wedding were not on the
forefront.
Planned Comics Stories
Just as television delayed the wedding originally, it rushed the wedding the
second time around. Since television works on a shorter planning schedule
than comics, it would have been difficult to arrange a simultaneous event in
the two media except that the TV producers announced that a wedding was
planned for early in the show's fourth season. Thus, at the last minute, the
super-team revised their schedule to fit in the wedding. Rather than being
able to show a slow evolution of the relationship and gradual planning for the
wedding, the writers had to cram most of the events into the triple-sized
SUPERMAN: THE WEDDING ALBUM (Dec.96) comic book. Associate editor Mike
McAvennie admitted that the reshuffling was tough, but he and the writers
agree that they were able to fit in all of the important pieces.
Since the wedding comic was rushed, it pushed aside the creative teams'
previous plans for the hero and heroine. At that stage in the story, Lois had
returned Clark's ring, and it was unclear whether there ever would be a
wedding. Lois had then decided that she needed time to herself, and she had
volunteered for journalism work abroad. Though the final story gave Lois a
quick revelation as she understood her love for Clark (SUPERMAN #118), events
would have developed differently had television not rushed the couple. Most
obviously, Lois would have stayed away from Clark for some time longer before
deciding that she did wish to spend her life with him.
In the short run, story arcs were just pushed back a month by the wedding with
no major changes. In addition to Lois's aforementioned rediscovery of her
feelings for Clark, the wedding issue itself and the three-part honeymoon (in
comics cover-dated December 1996) were inserted into previous super-plans.
Both announcements by the creators and story summaries in PREVIEWS magazine
indicate that the "Power Struggle" story line (which actually started in
SUPERMAN #119) shipped a month later than its original schedule (first slated
to start with SUPERMAN #118). Thus, Lois played little role in her husband's
life for the first month after the honeymoon since she had not originally been
a part of those scripts. As the writers had time to react, Ms. Lane has
become more important, and their matrimony had become more evident within the
stories. In the larger scheme, however, the marriage has changed little. In
particular, the entire change of Kal-El's costume and powers was planned
irrespective of the marriage and has proceeded intact; however, the marriage
has caused Lois to play a much larger role in her husband's physical problems
and emotional reactions.
Television's "Lois and Clark"
On television, there have been enough false marriages that it is nearly
embarrassing. The actual wedding episode itself was entitled "Swear to God,
This Time We're Not Kidding" just to emphasize the true nature of the real
ceremony. Despite the major impact it had on delaying and then forcing the
comics wedding, I personally found all episodes of false and true ceremonies
to be rather disappointing. The aftermaths of the pseudo-marriages hurt most
fans, but the deed has finally been done. One admirable aspect, however, is
that series creator Deborah Joy Levine has insisted that she always planned
for the couple to marry before the end of the series.
Conclusion
Although the addition of Lois as a wife has done little to impact the major
events in the months following Clark's wedding, her position is again meaning
more and more on an emotional level. Although Lois chose not to adopt her
husband's name after their wedding, she is becoming embroiled in Clark's
latest changes. The comics have thus far avoided any marriage-based stories
as silly as TV's "wedding destroyer," but we readers instead get to witness
subplots involving married life. The romance is still alive in their
relationship, and the two characters are strong both as individuals and
together. While some major changes in Superman's life--such as his death and
change in super-powers--may be temporary, the marriage seems to be permanent
now that wedlock has become an integral part of the Superman legend.
Copyright (C) 1997 David T. Chappell. All rights reserved.
________________________________________________________
ATOM MAN VS SUPERMAN
------------------------------------
by Steven Younis (younis@dot.net.au)
Hi everyone! Thought you were rid of me huh? :) Well I'm back for just
another 2 months.
In this issue of the KC and the next, I'll be bringing you short summaries of
the second set of Superman Serials -- ATOM MAN VS SUPERMAN. This series
introduces Lex Luthor as Superman's foe, bringing back the rest of the cast
from SUPERMAN: THE SERIAL.
ATOM MAN VS SUPERMAN (1950)
Columbia Pictures
15 Chapters
CAST
----
Superman/Clark Kent ........................................... Kirk Alyn
Lois Lane .................................................... Noel Neill
Perry White .............................................. Pierre Watkins
Jimmy Olsen ................................................. Tommy Bond
Luthor ..................................................... Lyle Talbot
Screenplay: George H. Plympton, Joseph F. Poland, David Matthews
Director: Spencer Benett
Producer: Sam Katzman
CHAPTERS
1 - Superman Flies Again
Luthor's gangs are causing robberies. Luthor says if he doesn't get all the
money in a bank, he'll use an invention to destroy a bridge, and then
Metropolis. Superman helps save the bridge, then finds Luthor's hideout and
arrests the twisted criminal genius. One year later, Luthor is now in
solitary confinement and offering to tell the government about a new invention
that combines radar and television. Criminals like "Killer" Lawson start
using coin tokens that allow them to teleport short distances, escaping the
police. Luthor uses a token to return to his hideout and shows Lawson a
larger prototype arc machine he hopes will kill Superman, and Luthor mentions
a partner called Atom Man. Luthor returns to his jail cell, while Lawson uses
his human fly ability to climb a building and rob a jeweler. Lawson then
teleports into a nearby van. Jimmy spots Lawson in the van and gets punched
out. Lois and the police end up chasing the van, pursued by Superman. At a
rural area the van stops and appears to explode.
2 - Atom Man Appears!
The crooks have teleported away to Luthor's hideout with Jimmy. Jimmy meets
the masked Atom Man, who shows him the main prototype arc machine and then
teleports him back to the Daily Planet building. Outside, Luthor's men see
that Jimmy has one of the coins, and that it appears to end up in the Daily
Planet's office safe. While Superman is saving people on a ship that's afire,
the crooks try stealing the coin. But Clark returns and chases them to the
roof, where they teleport. Clark remembers Lois took the coin. Luthor wants
the coin back, so he sends some crooks after Lois. Superman saves Lois by
stopping their car and tying them up. At the Daily Planet, Perry lets
Superman keep the coin. Hearing Superman has the coin makes Luthor happy.
Someone calls in a tip to lure Clark (and Superman), but Lois answers the
phone and goes to a building where crooks ask for the coin. When Lois fights,
she ends up pushed out of the office window.
3 - Ablaze In The Sky
Superman manages to save Lois. Perry assigns Lois and Clark to interview
Luthor, who has been granted parole. Luthor says he will run a television
network. He goes to his new office and then secretly teleports to his
hideout. Luthor learns Superman has returned the coin to Perry. Spying on
the Daily Planet from a TV truck, Luthor's men learn Perry wants the coin
tested by a Dr. Stone upstate. Clark, Lois, and Jimmy fly upstate in a plane.
Superman saves the plane, which has been sabotaged. Luthor's men get to
Stone first and put him in his vault. When the reporters arrive, one of the
crooks ends up recovering the coin and runs out pursued by Clark. Still
inside the vault and unaware of Jimmy and Lois, Dr. Stone activates a blazing
trap in the room.
4 - Superman Meets Atom Man!
Superman returns to save Lois and Jimmy. The professor angrily sends them
off, thinking it all a publicity stunt. Luthor finds Lawson has cheated him
out of a theft, so he disperses Lawson into space using the main arc. To
again gain the lost coin, Luthor has Lois transported to his hideout by
planting another coin in a present. Lois meets Atom Man and must broadcast a
plea. Superman has a plan: he has the paper print a story claiming the
Metropolis Museum has another Kryptonite meteor. Superman follows Luthor's
men, who steal the fake meteor. At the hideout, Superman meets Atom Man, who
forces him to enter the arc. Superman disappears in the arc. Atom Man has
the unconscious Lois put in her car, which is sent off to roll off a mountain
road.
5 - Atom Man Tricks Superman
Superman arrives to save Lois. He explains his alien structure was not
affected by the arc machine. He instead moved so fast as to be invisible.
Superman has the Daily Planet plant another story, this time claiming
plutonium is being transported by train. Luthor needs plutonium for his
machine, but suspicious of the article, he sends an aide to get captured by
Superman while trying to steal the plutonium. The crook says his boss really
is interested in a package at Central Station, just before Luthor safely
teleports him. Superman uses X-ray vision to search the packages but finds
nothing. Later Luthor's men pick up a package. The X-rays have changed the
apparent nails into plutonium! Lois follows them and is abducted by the men.
Jimmy pursues and they both end up trapped in a barn with Jimmy's car spewing
exhaust fumes.
6 - Atom Man's Challenge
Superman arrives to save Lois and Jimmy, then flies off. Luthor now has the
plutonium that will make the arc more powerful, but when he finds out Lois and
Jimmy are still alive, he punishes one of the crooks by temporarily sending
him into the empty doom with the arc. Luthor shows he has developed synthetic
kryptonite but needs radium to finish it. Atom Man publicly declares he will
steal radium. Clark arrives at a hospital, just after Luthor's men have
stolen the radium. Meanwhile, at a chemical plant, other crooks steal radium
guarded by Lois, and leave her in a vault where Superman must free her. Jimmy
is abducted trying to stop the crooks. While Superman is distracted by one
crook, another has Jimmy drive onto a bombing range and knocks him out. The
crook leaves while a bomb falls on Jimmy's car.
7 - At The Mercy Of Atom Man
Superman saves Jimmy before the bomb hits the car. Luthor's man returns with
the radium. At the Daily Planet, Perry tells the others that before
teleporting away, the other men captured by Superman told the police that the
radium was for synthetic kryptonite. While preparing the kryptonite, Luthor
tells an aide about Superman's Kryptonian origin. Luthor deduced the story
based on a coded broadcast by Jor-El and astronomical studies. Luthor
arranges for a piece of kryptonite to be planted in the Daily Planet office at
night. Clark is working there alone and collapses, seen by a janitor working
for Luthor. The janitor runs to get an accomplice and suggests Kent is
Superman, but when they return Kent is gone. Luthor tries again at a ship
dedication attended by Superman. A crook flashes kryptonite, causing Superman
to collapse. Posing as ambulance attendants, Luthor's crooks take Superman.
See you all next issue when I'll bring you Chapters 8 - 15 of ATOM MAN VS
SUPERMAN!
Please don't hesitate to e-mail me at any time with your thoughts and
reactions to my column.
You'll find the SUPERMAN: THE SERIAL Theme Music and other Superman related
sounds (in both RealAudio and .wav formats) in the Images and Sounds section
of the Superman Homepage at
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/7771/
While there, you'll also find a wealth of Superman information, TV and Cartoon
Episode Guides, Comic Reviews, FAQs, Comic Book Index List, Who's Who, Icons,
and so much more!
I've also designed a puzzle called "Mr. Mxyzptlk's Mix-Up Puzzle" that's
updated weekly. You'll find it in the GAMES & PUZZLES section of my Web of
Wonders at
http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/5071/
Later!
Steven Younis
younis@dot.net.au
The ATOM MAN VS SUPERMAN summaries and column are Copyright (C) 1997, Steven
Younis. All rights reserved. Making copies in any format is expressly
forbidden without the written permission of the author.
________________________________________________________
THE MAILBAG
-------------------------------------
(sykes@ms.uky.edu, KryptonCN@aol.com)
KC Responses are indented and begun with ****
============================================
From: David Joseph Young, Jr. (dayoung@luna.cas.usf.edu)
This is not really a response to anything in KC, but more an affirmation of my
faith in the LOIS AND CLARK people. After a month of no episodes and several
weak ones before that, I feel the producers have rewarded us with a genuinely
good two parter ("Meet John Doe" and "Lois and Clarks"). I have always loved
the Tempus/H.G. Wells episodes. Part one had both hilarious moments ("The
Amish are bad. Oh, and by the way, John Doe is a darn nice guy.") and an
awesome cliffhanger. It was one of the rare times on the series where they
presented something (outside of Kryptonite) which could genuinely kill
Superman.
I also enjoyed the return of the alternate-Superman. I was even wondering if
they'd make a really gutsy move and replace the "real" Clark with this one. I
don't know if it would be a good decision in the long run (Spider-Clone comes
to mind), but it would have been interesting in the short term. I do hope
that we will return to this alternate reality again. Maybe an annual
"crossover" like the good old JLA/JSA "Crisis on Earth-x" stories.
Anyway, these episodes have strengthened my faith in the show. Now I just
hope the upcoming move to Saturday nights at 8 PM improves the ratings and
doesn't do the opposite. Usually when a show is pre-empted and moved around
on the schedule it's a bad sign (anyone else remember THE FLASH?). By the
way, I remember somewhere that the show had been renewed for TWO seasons last
year. Does this mean that LOIS AND CLARK is guaranteed to return next season?
Could ABC welch on this deal if the ratings warrant it? Could ABC basically
cancel it one season short by simply paying the producers for the unaired and
unproduced season? A lot of good questions.
**** I'm optimistic about the new time slot for two reasons. First, we'll
be moving up against weaker overall competition, and second, because of
the smaller overall audience on Saturday nights, we'll be able to score
higher in the ratings a bit more easily. The key to our success is to
first get our loyal viewers informed of the change, and then to promote
the show better than has been done in the past.
Yes, I fondly remember THE FLASH, another show which was killed by its
network. But FLASH was sunk from the beginning -- placing an hour-long
show from 8:30 to 9:30 (Eastern), and on Thursday no less, was just not
a bright idea.
LOIS AND CLARK was renewed for a fifth season earlier this season. It
had something to do with ABC's negotiations to air Rosie O'Donnell's
talk show on their owned-and-operated stations. Whether they could
back out of this deal or not would likely depend upon the contract ABC
signed. And I suppose that if both sides agreed, it would be possible
to buy out the contract -- I don't know enough about the legal workings
of Hollywood to answer that, though.
============================================
From: Nick Piers (npiers@pei.sympatico.ca)
I just had a thought about the new Superman story ... trust me, it's
interesting.
Doomsday.
Okay, Now I have you shivering. Yeah, the big bone breath guy was destroyed at
the end of time...but think about two things. Doomsday was killed just BEFORE
Zero Hour. Ya know? Way back when DC had their fun with the time continuity?
What if, somehow, Zero Hour brought Doomsday back...but he hasn't been able
to show up anywhere for awhile. If he met with Superman this time...the Man
of Steel would be dead for sure. But with these new powers...Superman could
have his way with the big lugnut, couldn't he? We'd finally see what we
wanted to see...Superman slaughtering Doomsday. I think it's open to
consideration. I realize that you're not working for DC, but think of the
possibility of Doomsday coming back. They could run him through all of this
year's annuals...then have a special two or three-part ender...and make it a
big mamma jammer battle.
**** Speculation aside, you've raised a *really* interesting idea here. The
problem with Doomsday is that he can't be beaten in the same way twice.
So if Doomsie *was* to show his ugly head again, Supes would normally
have been up the creek. But now he has a completely new set of powers
which Doomsday may not have faced before. So coming up with a way to
defeat him wouldn't be a problem.
Of course, how're you going to come up with another "permanent" way to
get rid of him? I always thought that maybe he should be thrown into
the center of a massive star -- even if he dies from the heat and then
returns, he'd have a hard time escaping the gravitational pull.
Another cool idea. What if either the Cyborg and Metallo teamed up...or if
the Cyborg simply took over Metallo?
**** This could be an interesting face off -- since UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED,
Metallo's powers are essentially the same as the Cyborg's. Technically,
I think they could each take over the other. However, them even
meeting would take quite a phenomenal event -- Cyborg was destroyed
by Hal Jordan during FINAL NIGHT last fall.
-- Jeff Sykes
________________________________________________________
NEW COMIC REVIEWS
-----------------
Ratings Panelists:
AW: Anatole Wilson JG: Jack Grimes SF: Shane Furlong
CS: Cory Strode JS: Jeff Sykes ST: Shane Travis
DC: David Chappell MC: Matt Combes VV: Vic Vitek
DS: Dick Sidbury PS: Patrick Stout WN: William J Nixon
RG: Rene' Gobeyn
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.
============================================
THE SUPERMAN TITLES:
-------------------
14. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #66, "The Shield"
Story by Louise Simonson
Pencils by Jon Bogdanove
Inks by Dennis Janke
Letters by Ken Lopez
Colors by Glenn Whitmore
Separations by Digital Chameleon
Associate Editor Mike McAvennie
Editor Joey Cavalieri
Cover by Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke, and Patrick Martin
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 4.1/5.0 Shields
ST: 3.7 Shields
DC: 4.5 Shields - A well-done, unique story that represents the good
characterization of which the Super-writers are capable.
JS: 4.0 Shields - Bog and Janke have some really great moments here, but
they also slip into some horrid moments from time to time. But the
true strength of this issue is Louise Simonson's wonderful look at
what the shield means to the citizens of Metropolis.
AW: 4.0 Shields - Have to give this one a high rating just for the pose on
Page 7, even if the rest of the artwork was uneven. The story
angle--what the 'S' Means--was a fantastic idea.
Summarizing the main plot for this issue isn't too hard: A madman takes over
SHARP (an SDI-like series of particle beam cannons designed to protect the
earth from space menaces) and threatens to blow up every major city unless he
is given billions of dollars. Superman goes out to stop him. With the help
of Professor Hamilton, Lois discovers that the madman is Rajiv -- the person
who kidnapped Clark while he honeymooned -- and relays the information to
Superman. Superman destroys the satellites, but not before Rajiv launches an
all-out retaliatory attack against Metropolis that has Superman worried for
Lois' safety. All's well, however, and the couple meet up again in the Daily
Planet newsroom.
Pretty simple story, all in all. The villain-driven part of the plot is about
as substantive and well thought out as if this were an episode of LOIS AND
CLARK -- and believe me, that is not a compliment. Rajiv holds absolutely no
interest for me. He is a two-dimensional caricature of a mustachio-twirling
bad-guy with negligible motivations for his actions and little in the way of
backstory to make him much more than a cardboard cut-out for Superman to knock
down. The best I can say for him is that he didn't get too much in the way of
the good stuff.
And there _was_ some good stuff in this issue. The title of the story is "The
Shield", and throughout the issue an eye was kept on different people's
reaction to the world's most famous irregular pentagon. It is this shield
which is the icon of Superman, and which tells us that the Last Son of Krypton
is keeping watch over us. Most people react predictably to its presence: two
different mothers see the symbol as a sign of protection, even though one of
them only follows Bibbo in a Superman sweatshirt; Simone De Neige wants to use
it to sell papers; would-be looters flee as they glimpse it approaching,
fearing that justice has found them; Rajiv futilely tries to use it as a
bullseye; young Keith White, dressed in both the shield and the cape, draws
strength and courage from his idol's icon and from knowing that Superman is up
there protecting them. These glimpses into people's thoughts and emotions are
what Simonson does best, and we do get a nice cross-section of viewpoints.
I even liked the art in this issue, and it certainly helped to tell the story.
Throughout are visual references made to the shape of the shield, from the
angle-shot of the Pentagon building to the shape of the hole in the wall that
Superman tears in Rajiv's fortress. Additionally, Superman often poses in
such ways as to give the S-Shield maximal exposure. Maybe I was more
conscious of it in this issue but I really found my eye drawn to it in almost
every shot. There were some other beautiful images too: L&C's kiss on page 4;
Keith's expression and body-language as he goes into the shelter; the grimace
on Superman's face as he flies up through the combined onslaught of 6
particle-cannons.
Bogdanove's cartoonish style that works so well with Mxyzptlk stories often
grates the sensibilities when juxtaposed with more traditional stories. In
this issue, however, things somehow clicked. Perhaps it was because the whole
issue felt more like a cartoon than a comic; when re-reading the issue for
review I could not get the theme music for STAS out of my head. This
perceptual transition made the story much more enjoyable for me as a whole.
Broad strokes and simple devices don't always work, but they certainly
captured the larger-than-life feel of the Man of Steel this time around.
Oh -- and no matter how much anyone slags Bog and Janke for their interior
art, they can produce some absolutely stunning covers when they set their mind
to it. This one is already high on my list for next year's 'Best Cover'
Kaycees award.
-- 30 --
Shane Travis (travis@sedsystems.ca)
============================================
15. SUPERMAN #122, "The Kandor Connection"
Story by Dan Jurgens
Art by Ron Frenz and Joe Rubinstein
Letters by John Costanza
Colors by Glenn Whitmore
Separations by Digital Chameleon
Associate Editor Mike McAvennie
Editor Joey Cavalieri
Cover by Ron Frenz, Joe Rubinstein, and Patrick Martin
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.0/5.0 Shields
SF: 4.0 Shields - A really good beginning to the changing powers storyline.
Give it a try.
JS: 2.5 Shields - Things start getting weird, and I'm not just talking
about the powers. Perhaps most forced was the interlude with Dirk
Armstrong -- it appears that the books are going to run with a
"journalist trashing Superman" sub-plot, but wasn't this done a
few years back?
AW: 2.5 Shields - Ceritak is visually unappealing, but might prove
interesting--at least more interesting than Superman's DNA shift.
Just a note to start with. I know that the "Power Changing" story is not
universally popular, but I'm not going to slam it right away. I say let's
give it a chance. Anything can be a good story if done right. Sure, it's a
decision designed to attract attention and sell comics, but then again aren't
they all? As much as we like to think of comics as art (which of course they
are) they are commercial art. Remember that any change is surely temporary;
until then let's just enjoy the story.
Summary:
The issue opens with some nice scenes of domestic life for the newlyweds, and
then Dirk Armstrong drops by with donuts. Armstrong, who had been a one-note
clone of Rush Limbaugh, started to show some depth by talking about his
daughter and his concern that Perry didn't care for him. The beginning of the
power changing story is shown as Clark reaches for a coffee pot and his hand
passes right through it!
The sound of sirens close by causes the incident to be forgotten. Lois
hustles Dirk out while Clark changes to Superman. After getting to the
street, Superman stops the get-away of some crooks, but when one of them
shoots at Superman, the bullets pass right through him and hit a bystander!
Superman flies the injured man to the hospital and then he and Lois go to the
Fortress to try and find out why he's fading in and out.
Meanwhile, life in Kandor is on the edge. The inhabitants of Kandor were
collected by the wizard Tolos, who ruled the city with an iron hand. Ceritak,
the son of the leader of the city, is leading a revolt against the ruling
class. While this happens, Clark and Lois get to the Fortress -- Lois for the
first time. Clark fades out from Lois' view and fades in again inside of
Kandor. In a desperate move to escape, Ceritak reaches out to grab Superman
but is apparently disintegrated by the bottle's defenses. After reappearing
in the fortress, Clark and Lois go in search of Prof. Hamilton for answers.
The final scene shows Ceritak reaching up through the ice -- apparently
successful in escaping Kandor's dimension, now free to join the world here.
Story: 4.0 Shields
I gotta say this one rocked. It was a really good start to the changing
powers storyline. Nice suspense and the addition of the Kandor Prince make it
a little more interesting. Apparently Kandor is involved in this storyline,
as many have supposed. My one complaint is that since Clark's intangibility
seems to fade in and out, does it make sense for him to carry Lois over the
ocean to the Fortress? I mean what if he fades out at 10,000 feet? I do
wonder how long ago this story was all worked out. Kandor was introduced way
back in the "Trial" storyline, so was the idea present then or did it just
prove to be convenient?
The domestic scenes were nice, and the added depth to Dirk was well done. One
dimensional characters are never all that good; since they are apparently
keeping him around, it's a good idea to make him more complex. The background
in Kandor was well done also.
Art: 4.0 Shields
Frenz returns after taking the last issue off, and the art was his usual great
stuff. He draws the best Lois of the current Super artists. The panel
placement in some of the Kandor scenes made things a little hard to read since
you had to turn the book.
Shane Furlong (Shane.Furlong@evolving.com)
============================================
16. ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #545, "Power Crisis!"
Written by Karl Kesel
Pencils by Scot Eaton
Inks by Jose Marzan, Jr.
Letters by Albert De Guzman
Colors by Glenn Whitmore
Separations by Digital Chameleon
Associate Editor Mike McAvennie
Editor Joey Cavalieri
Cover by Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr, and Patrick Martin
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.2/5.0 Shields
AW: 2.0 Shields - So much going on that nothing really happens. Less
sub-plots and more plots, please.
SF: 3.5 Shields - Good read with nice art. The new powers story is starting
to get good. Give it a try.
JG: 3.8 Shields - I liked this issue, but I know I'll be disappointed next
week. If Kesel and Stern alone wrote the whole Superman Blue
storyline, I might be looking forward to it... My biggest complaint
this issue was that the "Atomic Skull-as-Perry's-cancer" metaphor
wasn't played up more.
JS: 3.5 Shields - Nice fill-in work by Scot Eaton. He and Marzan mesh quite
well. Love Kesel's Intergang sub-plot, but what strikes me about
this issue is how well Kesel shows us that nobody involved is a bad
guy -- even the usually derided Dirk Armstrong shows his heroic
side.
Well, I've done it. I've figured out how to make Superman's latest power
transition palatable. But first, we pause for this story commentary
interruption:
With this issue, Superman's powers continue to metamorph, Dirk Armstrong
becomes more and more a Superman-hater, The Atomic Skull escapes, Boss Moxie
continues to take over the rackets in Metropolis, Perry's in bad shape after
trying to sacrifice himself to the Atomic Skull in order to save everyone
else's lives, and at the end, Superman and Atomic Skull collide, with the
Skull the only one left standing.
You'd think with all this happening, you'd feel like a lot was going on,
wouldn't you? Instead, I feel like so much is going on that *nothing* is
happening. What we're given is a brief shot of this happening, and then a
brief shot of that happening, and no real stories are ever told.
The Atomic Skull is a character who should be fun to read about. But we're
only given a few panels here and there with him. There's no real chance for a
great battle or character development or anything else that might have made
this issue more fun to read.
The Atomic Skull doesn't even show up till half way through the issue. We
have to spend page after page watching Superman say, "Oops! I can't control
my powers!"--the same enthralling battle cry we've heard in every other
Superman comic this month. We get it, guys--Superman can't control his powers
because his DNA has been altered. That *is* what you're trying to tell us,
isn't it, or am I missing some subtle point?
Other wastes of space were four pages just to see Boss Moxie "recruit" a
couple more thugs--which could have been done in a single page or two, I'd
think, and numerous panels of Dirk Armstrong, whom, I bet, will wander out of
Superman's life as unremarkably as he wandered in.
It's not that any of the story arcs or characters in the Superman titles
aren't interesting, or don't at least have the potential to be interesting,
but so many storylines crammed into each issue prevent any one of them from
getting the focus it deserves. The villain of the month seems like more an
obligation to shove some action in the issue than to really tell an
interesting story.
Now, on How I've Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Superman Blue. It was
simple, really. At first, like many people I know, I was incensed that they
were screwing around with Superman's powers once again. But then I started
thinking of the historical precedents. When, in the past, had they felt free
to mess with Superman's powers just to see how he would handle it? Why, back
in the '60s, of course, when Red Kryptonite would show up and cause all sorts
of unpredictable problems in Superman's life.
Now, these days many people think those old stories are corny and contrived.
But I still enjoy these stories in their simplicity, and how they forced
Superman to out-think his opponents, rather than just out-fight them. When
done properly, a good Red Kryptonite story could really tax a writer's skills
and fire up this reader's imagination.
So here's how I plan to think of this story arc; it's just another red
kryptonite story, only drawn out month after month after month. I'm going to
watch what the creative teams do, and instead of judging the stories on how
they've "changed" Superman, I'll judge them on how Superman deals with the
changes, and how interesting his interaction with his friends and foes are
because of the changes. Hopefully he won't just throw himself into battle
time after time, as he did with the Atomic Skull, but instead might use his
intellect and his heart more, and then we'll see what really makes up a
Superman.
Anatole Wilson (awilson@us.oracle.com)
============================================
17. ACTION COMICS #732, "The Saving Skull"
Written by David Michelinie
Art by Tom Grummett and Denis Rodier
Letters by Bill Oakley
Colors by Glenn Whitmore
Color Separations by Digital Chameleon
Associate Editor Mike McAvennie
Editor Joey Cavalieri
Cover by Tom Grummett, Denis Rodier, and Patrick Martin
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields
WN: 3.5 Shields - Superman wrestles with lots of new powers as well as the
Atomic Skull.
SF: 3.0 Shields - Hard to root against Atomic Skull since he's insane and
really means well. Nice to see a more complex villain. Ceritak is
also an interesting character. I'm still unsure of his powers.
JG: 3.0 Shields - Not too bad, still chock fullof exposition, though.
JS: 3.5 Shields - For once, Michelinie's over-exposition works well, as we
see Superman think about how to use his powers. These are the
kinds of processes which *should* be explained. One little thing
though -- it seemed that Superman's condition was a bit worse in
last week's issue.
AW: 3.5 Shields - Okay story, typically good Grummett art. The Atomic Skull
could actually prove to be a good, interesting foe if there weren't
so many other story elements crowding him out.
Superman in his traditional costume goes head to head with the Atomic Skull on
the cover of this month's ACTION COMICS. This issue wrapped up the Atomic
Skull storyline and showcased a range of the new powers which are rapidly
consuming everyone's favorite superhero.
Superman materializes in the Antarctic as he demonstrates the Transporter-like
qualities of his rapidly accelerating new powers. Sheer force of will and
mental imagery seem to be the critical keys in making these new powers behave,
or at least compensate for the loss of flight, a solid form, and X-ray vision.
Superman hooks up with the scientists working on geothermal energy [last seen
in ACTION COMICS #729]. Ceritak, late of Kandor, is still yomping across the
Antarctic. He hitches a lift with the scientists returning to Metropolis.
Superman beams straight back into downtown, to discover Lois gone.
Lois fakes being Zelda, the Skull's girlfriend to convince him to leave
downtown Metropolis. Superman discovers that with his new powers he can see
dozens of spectra, a la Geordi La Forge, and can see the Skull's radiation
trail. He loses the trail, though, when it becomes contaminated by a truck
illegally carrying nuclear waste. In his frustration at the MPD station
house, he hits a workstation and discovers he can directly access all of the
information available through that computer. He sifts this to get a lock on
the Skull and beams/flashes into his hideout. They go one on one until they
join forces to save a cargo of toxic waste which is going critical. With his
new powers Superman can elevate the cargo and then 'clean' it of radiation
which he absorbs. The hero and would be hero are triumphant, Lois hugs the
Skull and negates his powers with a STAR Labs gizmo. In the final frame
Superman is not exactly upbeat "stories don't always have happy endings", but
this story has just begun.
This issue gave us the biggest peek yet at the changes coursing through
Superman. He's a fast learner, and he'll need to be as the strain of what he
can no longer do competes with the discoveries of what he can or potentially
could do. From the Antarctic to downtown Metropolis in a heartbeat is not a
bad record, even for the Man of Steel (or should that now be Man of Energy,
still kinda jars -- guess I should just stick to Superman Blue for now).
I enjoyed this issue and its artwork. The obligatory opening splash page
looked great with Supes as a being of pure blue energy. As you can guess, I
am very enthusiastic about this storyline and applaud the entire Super-team
for running with this new direction. It's chock full of interesting
possibilities and will have this fan signed up for the ride.
This is also my final review-cum-synopsis for the KC, the time has come to
stand aside and let another review this fine comic. I would like to sincerely
thank both Jeff and Art for the opportunity to write for the KC, it has been
both a privilege and a great experience (boy, have I learned). Thanks also to
the ACTION team David, Tom, and Denis, as well as Patrick, Glenn, and Bill for
the fun and action you guys deliver every month.
Up, up, up, and I'm really outta here.
Cheers and the best to you all.
William J Nixon (W.J.Nixon@lib.gla.ac.uk)
________________________________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES:
-------------------
JLA #4, "Invaders From Mars"
Written by Grant Morrison
Pencils by Howard Porter
Inks by John Dell
Colors by Pat Garrahy
Color Separations by Heroic Age
Letters by Ken Lopez
Edited by Ruben Diaz
Cover by Howard Porter and John Dell
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 4.1/5.0 Shields
MC: 4.5 Shields
DC: 2.9 Shields - Mediocre art and a poor plot keep the first story of the
new JLA from impressing me, but the series seems to have promise.
JS: 4.1 Shields - I still don't care much for Porter and Dell, but Grant
Morrison's writing is superb. Wonderful characterization and plot,
down to the JLA's inspiring humanity to fight for itself and the
absolutely poetic justice administered by the Martian Manhunter.
AW: 4.8 Shields - Grant Morrison really has the characters down, and uses
them all to great effect. Heroes that think as well as fight!
Fantastic. Great artwork, too.
Was I wrong?
Yeah, I didn't think so either. JLA #4 wrapped up the best storyline in
comics presented in 1997 (what little of it we've gone through, anyway). And
I'm convinced that Morrison, Porter, and Dell are the men for the job.
They've done such good work that I've gotten used to them and I can't see
anybody else doing this book. Not Waid, not David, nor Stern or Jurgens. Nor
any penciller or inker you can think of. This is just their field of play,
and I'm not about to disturb it.
Anyway, we'll start with a refresher for those that missed this issue or
forgot; Superman, still held by Kryptonite, figures out the Martians
are...well...Martians. He also discovers the Kryptonite isn't real, and he
breaks loose, fighting against Protex. J'onn J'onzz meanwhile comes out of
his shapeshift hiding as Armek to battle Primaid. We discover that the
Hyperclan is really a group of "pale Martians" as opposed to J'onn J'onzz's
type, the "green Martians." The green were the scientific, philosophical
type, while the pale were ravaging and war-hungry. J'onn sets the JLA free
from the Flower of Wrath, and they take out all the Martians except Protex,
whom Superman takes deep into the Earth to defeat. The invasion has already
begun, though, so Superman uses the Martian technology to broadcast his voice
and image all over the world. He tells everyone of the coming invasion, and
how to stop Martians: They're afraid of fire.
Having defeated the Martians, they leave their punishment up to J'onn, the
only one who is capable of judging the Martians. Meanwhile, the JLA build the
center of their newfound team: The Justice League Watchtower, positioned on
the moon, facing Earth. In the epilogue, an everyday man named Bob Grey
washes his face in front of the mirror. The voice-over (er...write-over)
tells us that Bob's been having nightmares, the same nightmares that 69 people
in countries all over Earth have been having each night since the invasion was
handled. As he looks in the mirror, we can see an overlying image of a pale
Martian. Bob then heads off to join the human race doing his everyday job
as...get this...a fireman.
Well that ending there certainly got my attention. Nice cliffhanger, really.
Anybody have a guess as to what it means? The Martians are capable of
telepathic mind control, after all. Perhaps they've entered the minds of 70
people across Earth? Who knows what plans lay in store....but that's for the
future.
Strangely enough, as much as I harp on how much I love having Morrison and
Porter on this book, it wasn't *as* enjoyable as the first three issues. Not
to say that this book was bad...not at all. I mean, if the first three issues
were 10s, then this was a 9.9 (so I exaggerate. Sue me.). Porter's art was
doing a little worse in this issue, especially for Superman. He did have some
excellent shots in there though (examples; last panel on page 3, last panel on
page 9, last panel on page 11, and page 21).
Call me crazy, but I want to find something *wrong* with Morrison. It just
seems repetitive that I keep saying he's doing wonders for this book, but he
is. I'd sell my soul (okay, not my soul, but maybe a copy of SUPERMAN #75) to
get this man on a regular Supes title (hey, Michelinie's leaving, there's an
open spot...where's Joey Cavalieri? Get him on the phone pronto!). He does a
good intertwining of speech/thought and boxed-caption (see page one), and
isn't heavy at all on the thought balloons (which are a pain in the neck in
the monthly Super-titles). He stays true to character and likes to use a lot
of subtlety in his scenes that build to wonderful action climaxes. And
although I'd enjoy it either way to have the Martians return at some point in
the future years from now, it was also a benefit to see a little spoiler at
the end. I'm looking for flaws...flaws...flaws...nope, didn't find anything.
Go fig. Not that Morrison's God or anything, but he's one of the best things
DC has on their hands (maybe I was the wrong person to pick to review this
title. <g> J/K).
I have to say that I've grown to like Aquaman a little more than beforehand
because of his presence in this title. I don't read his own monthly title,
and I didn't even care for him before the big change (though I like the look
now better than before). But for some reason sticking him in JLA has made me
like him a little more, especially after the bout he had with Zum [pronounced
Zoom], because I used to think the exact same thing. "What's so special about
Aquaman other than the fact that he talks to fish and has some super-strength
and a hook?" But the seizure scene stuck a smile on my face, not only because
it answered my question somewhat, but because the comeback was so...I
dunno...witty.<g> And I just never pictured Aquaman as the witty type. But
apparently even he has trouble with the one-liners. ;)
I found it very interesting that apparently the green Martians and pale
Martians once lived together in the same society. They look so different
(natural green Martian form can be seen in the JLA: Midsummer's Nightmare
miniseries), yet both species are Martians. That just strikes me as strange.
I'm sure none of the rest of you care. Ah, well.
One of the best aspects of this issue was the raising of the Justice League
Watchtower. However, don't you suppose that's going to be a little awkward
for the likes of Aquaman, Flash, and Batman? I mean, going to the moon isn't
exactly just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Possibly Wonder Woman, and J'onn
too, depending on how fast they can fly. The only ones who could get there
with no problem are Supes and Green Lantern. Why in the world stick the HQ on
the moon, then? I suppose we'll be seeing some...er...Star Trek-like
"transporting," hmmm? "I just can't duit, Batman! I don't have the pow'r!"
[Didn't read the Giffen JL did ya Matt? The JL already has transporters. :)
--Jeff]
Oh well, enough about this issue. I want to voice concern about something
starting with the next few issues: Member additions. I'm not against having
more members hop on board, but I really, *really*, do not want more than *ten*
(I repeat, *ten*) permanent members in the JLA. Too many members ruined the
old JLA series, and I'm really afraid that'll start to happen here if we
stockpile the JLA with everyone from Plastic Man to Hitman. I hear Tomorrow
Woman's only temporary, which saddens me, because from what I saw of the
sketches, she looked like she could have a good permanent residence (I'm a big
supporter of more women superheroes because I feel they don't get enough
attention...and I'm not talking about the three B's...bad, big-breasted, or
bimbo girls). The upcoming "fallen angel" sounds like fun, and I wouldn't
mind having Supergirl, Green Arrow, or the like join up. But like they say,
too many cooks spoil the soup (or broth...or something like that), so let's
hope they don't bring too many more new members into this.
So, the first story arc is over with, and we can look forward to many more
that promise to be just as good. Long live JLA! (I wonder if I'm being just
a little too excited about this title.)
Matt Combes (TheNando@aol.com)
============================================
STEEL #37, "It's French"
Written by Priest
Pencils by Denys Cowan
Inks by Tom Palmer
Letters by Pat Brosseau
Computer Colors by Stu Chaifetz
Associate Editor Chris Duffy
Editor Frank Pittarese
Cover by Dave Johnson
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.1/5.0 Shields
DS: 3.7 Shields - Natasha has disappeared for an issue which concentrates on
more typical superhero stuff. It's looking more and more like Dr.
"Will Hain" is more than he seems.
JS: 2.5 Shields - The teleportation issue is resolved, sort of. But aside
from that revelation, there's simply not much worth mentioning this
issue. Dr. Villain, it appears, might actually be living up to his
name.
Story:
The story opens with Steel duking it out with the armor beast. As the opening
splash page shows, they have teleported to Paris to wreck vehicles and
buildings and cause explosions, which the citizens of Jersey City are probably
grateful for. Steel seems to be teleporting all over the place. It's as if
deliberately refusing to teleport through the white zone has built up a need
to teleport within him and he is unconsciously releasing it. Steel and his
sentient armor fight for six pages, and as the armor beast is standing over
Steel preparing to finish him off, John Henry searches for the clue that will
enable him to survive. He thinks back to . . .
John Henry and his girlfriend(?) Amanda Quick are sitting in a French
restaurant. He is feeling down, perhaps from the concussion he received in
the last issue, or perhaps from trying to keep up with his teenage niece
Natasha. As they walk toward the park, they engage in lightly romantic small
talk, and as Amanda decides to take off her shoes and go wading in the
fountain in the park, John Henry spots Margot Fields, the police Lieutenant
who is one of the good guys.
They leave Amanda so that Margot can show John Henry a dead body that was
recently found by the cops. 8-Ball has been struck down with a razor-like
device dipped in a genetic virus. 8-Ball's real name is Nichols and when you
combine his name with Irvin, Reynolds, and Overton, three recent murder
victims, their initials spell ... IRON
John goes home contemplating the kind of situation that would cause someone to
off a bunch of guys just to get John Henry's attention.
Amanda comes over to John's house later that evening and kids him about a guy
she met that evening. He refers to Amanda as Ms. Summers, her maiden name.
John Henry notices that Summers together with Irvin, Reynolds, Overton, and
Nichols spells IRONS.
She returns home and Steel goes off to stand guard over her condo. The guy
telephones her, at her unlisted number and is immediately wise to the fact
that Steel has her phone tapped. His name is Skorpio and he blows up the
panel truck that Steel and Margot are using for surveillance. Fortunately
they both get out just before the explosion. Steel blasts off and quickly
finds Skorpio.
Skorpio shoots a virus dipped razor at Steel. Steel grabs Skorpio by the
throat and starts to squeeze. As he is squeezing, Skorpio is putting down
Steel for wearing the S shield -- a white man's symbol, when suddenly ...
Steel teleports to Paris
Meanwhile, in Dr. Villain's office, the good(?) doctor is talking to . . .
Skorpio. He has hired Skorpio and supplied him with bio-organic technology.
Steel suddenly teleports in, and as this issue draws to a close, it is
revealed that John Henry is not a metahuman. Rather Steel has a psionic
modulator implanted under the skin in his neck. So the chip was using John
Henry's brainwaves to perform his teleporting. The chip was ruined and there
appears to be no way of finding out who implanted it and why.
Art:
This month's cover by Dave Johnson is a big departure from recent covers. It
features a green-hued teal background with a black and gray Steel with a red
cape. It was so different from the usual cover that when it arrived two weeks
late in my shop I didn't even recognize it.
The overall panel layouts and designs are growing on me. Cowan seems to have
a nice knack of arranging the parts of a panel so that they resemble nicely
edited film. On page 7 for example, John and Amanda are having dinner and
each of the six panels on the page has a different perspective. I can almost
see Alfred Hitchcock editing in different shots. It tends to give a feeling
of more action within the scene when all that is really happening is two
people are sitting at a table in a French restaurant having a discussion
during dinner. I still don't care for the detail pencil work. On the other
hand, maybe I'm still associating the "correct" artwork with the old team of
Gosier and Faber. Most 'net reviewers of the new team don't seem to see a
problem with Denys Cowan's work, and those who do tend to lay the blame on
Palmer.
Summary:
I miss the presence of Natasha and Paul in this issue, but John Henry's
budding romance with Amanda Quick is nicely explored with Priest's usual sense
of humor. The "real" superhero story is also starting to get interesting.
Irons apparently has psychic powers and Dr. Villain is clearly up to no good.
A nice setup for the future.
Dick Sidbury (sidbury@cs.uofs.edu)
============================================
SUPERBOY #38, "Meltdown, Part 1: Breakout!"
Written by Ron Marz
Pencils by Ramon Bernado
Inks by Doug Hazlewood
Colors by Tom McCraw
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft/AD
Associate Editor Ruben Diaz
Editor Frank Pittarese
Cover by Ramon Bernado and Doug Hazlewood
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 2.6/5.0 Shields
RG: Story: 3.5 Shields - Getting better, but still too little story.
Art: 3.0 Shields - Some excellent detailing, good perspectives.
JS: 2.0 Shields - Not much to this except for the fact that something's
causing Superboy's powers to fade -- and it takes Marz an entire
issue to show this in an extended fight scene. And unfortunately,
Bernado's back to torture our eyes some more.
Superboy and Tana are celebrating their two month anniversary (from getting
back together) and are meeting at a posh restaurant. While getting ready,
Superboy sees that the growth on his face seems to be growing. While Tana is
waiting at the restaurant, Superboy stops to help at what he thinks is a car
accident, but is instead a trap set by Copperhead. There is the obligatory
fight scene (way too long), but SB notices that he seems to be slowly losing
his powers. The story cuts back and forth between SB fighting for his life and
Tana waiting at the restaurant for him to show up. She is about ready to
break up with him when he literally arrives as the restaurant is closing. The
book ends with the revelation that the growth is spreading quickly.
Well, this is a step in the right direction, in my honest opinion. Marz
actually had a story hidden in this book. If you look in between the panels
of the fight, it's right there!
Sorry. I shouldn't be so sarcastic. This is actually a good book. Better in
many ways than the past few. Ron seems to be getting a handle on the
characters and is beginning to make better use of them. We see some good
spirited banter between Dubbilex and SB, and Roxy and the kid seem (on the
kid's side anyway) to be coming to grips with the change in their
relationship. Roxy even makes a passing reference to Aura (see SUPERBOY AND
THE RAVERS).
On the bad side, the growth on Superboy's face seems to be getting worse. We
see how much worse by the end of the book. It may just be that Amanda, Match,
and the Agenda are going to cause more trouble than we thought.
On the art side of things, either the style is beginning to grow on me, or it
is getting better. The rough look to the figures and the (slightly) too-heavy
inking doesn't distract me the way it did. I do think that the book needs
more and better backgrounds, but the perspectives are getting much better. If
we could just lose the sharp edges on the human figures I would like it a lot
more.
All-in-all, this was a pretty good book. If you stopped reading when the team
changed a few months ago, it might be time to give the book another look.
Rene' Gobeyn (bedlam@frontiernet.net)
============================================
SUPERBOY AND THE RAVERS #8, "The Romance of the Road"
ROAD TRIP: SECOND STOP
Written by Karl Kesel and Steve Mattsson
Pencils by Paul Pelletier and Jim Aparo
Inks by Dan Davis
Colors by John Kalisz
Letters by Kevin Cunningham
Associate Editor Ruben Diaz
Editor Frank Pittarese
Cover by Paul Pelletier and Dan Davis
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.9/5.0 Shields
JS: 4.0 Shields - Extremely fun issue, with all sorts of little tidbits
thrown in to keep the readers guessing. Some of the art was just
a bit off, though, and I'm not too certain what the Gotham City
interlude was all about.
JG: 3.8 Shields - Great issue, but felt too "loose" in it's pacing. *Very*
interesting developments in the Sparx/Hero relationship.
Several interesting developments in this issue, as the Ravers' road trip takes
them through New York and Gotham. In the primary story, Superboy and the gang
visit Warriors, the bar and restaurant owned by former Green Lantern Guy
Gardner. Of course, the Ravers are all underage, so the story focuses on
getting the group into the bar.
Aura manages her way in with a fake passport, and while in the bar, she fends
off the advances of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold by buying them enough drinks
to make them pass out. (Just a word of note -- none of the Ravers ever drinks
any kind of alcoholic beverage in the story. The point is to meet the adult
superhero crowd, not to get loaded.)
Rex is recognized by Lead (of the Metal Men) as Rex the Wonder Dog (though
we're still technically not privy to that information just yet), and he finds
the company of Lady Blackhawk inside. He also later serves as the distraction
necessary for Superboy to sneak in.
Sparx apparently has connections, because she is let in without any problem,
and Hero uses the H-Dial to call up an adult hero. More on these two in a
moment. Half-Life stays out in the family area, engrossed in the fifties
memorabilia (remember that General Glory and Elvis were his contemporaries).
Kaliber, ever the hero, doesn't wish to be involved in breaking any rules, so
he wanders off to explore the museum/memorial area.
Guy Gardner eventually hunts down the Kid -- it seems he's not too happy with
the idea of a Qwardian running around his establishment. Of course, he's also
not real happy with underage patrons loose in the bar. And for the straw that
broke the camel's back, one of Superboy's villains, Loophole, bumps into the
Kid, setting off mayhem which results in quite a bit of destruction.
It's been fairly clear that DC (Sparx) and Hero have been growing close. It's
also been apparent that when he uses the H-Dial, Hero is not really in control
-- the "dialed up" hero takes over. Well, this time, Hero becomes Titanic, a
mountain of a guy, and Titanic enthusiastically returns DC's affection. But
when he changes back to Hero at the end of the tale, he seems a bit hesitant.
There's also a short backup story, pencilled by Jim Aparo, in which the team
drops through Gotham City hoping to see Batman. There are a few interesting
exchanges, and Half-Life gets mistaken for Two-Face, but generally this seems
only to serve as an advertisement for the Bat-books.
Pelletier and Davis are a bit loose this issue -- things just seem a bit
rushed, not quite as detailed as in the past few issues. Great cover though!
More than anything, it's still the small touches thrown in by Kesel and
Mattsson which make this such a fun title. For example, a scrapbook/diary of
Sparx's includes a photo of Superboy "falling to his death" at the Grand
Canyon, along with the caption, "We are all very concerned." My favorite --
emphasizing Gardner's problem with Qwardians -- is Kaliber's line to himself:
"If what the Warrior told me is true... Lobo will pay for his crime! This I
swear!" (This is why I miss Guy Gardner's title...) SB and Aura have a cute
discussion on whether or not Batman really exists (it seemed to me that Aura
was likely just playing the Devil's advocate here).
Unfortunately, the Raver killer story (Kindred Marx, Jack Nebula, and the lot)
takes a back seat this issue, and there are really no new developments. But
when the rest of the story is so much fun, what the heck -- it can wait!
Jeff Sykes (sykes@ms.uky.edu)
________________________________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
SUPERGIRL #8, "My Dinner With Buzz"
Written by Peter David
Pencils by Gary Frank
Inks by Cam Smith
Letters by Pat Prentice
Colors by Gene D'Angelo
Color Separations by Digital Chameleon
Edited by Frank Pittarese and Chris Duffy
Cover by Gary Frank, Cam Kennedy, and Patrick Martin
April 1997
$1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.0/5.0 Shields
JS: 3.0 Shields - A fairly riveting tale, but quite a bit more exposition
than I would have liked. It also seemed that Gary Frank was a bit
uncomfortable with all of the non-action scenes, though he managed
some exceptional facial expressions.
DC: 3.0 Shields - While learning Buzz's possible history was interesting,
his story seems out of place for a Supergirl title. Supergirl's
actions (or lack thereof) seemed inappropriate under the
circumstances.
Headgames and confrontation. That's what this one is all about.
Opening the door to greet her blind date, Linda finally discovers that her
mother has set her up with Buzz. Linda spends half of her time trying to
figure out what Buzz is actually up to, and the remainder of her time is spent
trying to trip him up. Essentially, the date turns into Buzz telling
outlandish stories while at the family dinner table, including, perhaps, his
origin.
At one point, and I'm still trying to figure this out, they all apparently
leave the dinner table, and Supergirl confronts Buzz rather violently in the
study. But before she can "pulp" him, Mr. Danvers calls them to dinner. Do
the Danvers always eat in two sittings?
Finally, Buzz plays his trump card in the form of Tempus, who explodes onto
the scene, knocking the Danvers across the room. To be continued...
There's not much in the way of action here. Rather, Mr. David treats us to
tons of philosophical and teasing discussion, both in the form of exposition
and, especially, dialogue. At one point, Buzz even casually reveals Linda's
secret identity to her parents, but immediately sloughs it off as
preposterous. There's simply too much cat and mouse for my tastes.
Gary Frank and Cam Smith once again turn out beautiful art, but David's
writing allows the artists to keep Linda in skimpy clothing throughout the
issue -- Linda's mom springs the date on her, but rather than run upstairs to
change, she instead answers the door in the short shorts and spaghetti strap
halter top that she's already wearing. So we see a lot of skin, especially in
the two pages where Linda morphs into Supergirl (let me remind you, once
again, that Frank is drawing Supergirl "bigger" than Linda).
However, with all of the dialogue, Frank gets to draw a lot of "head shots",
rife with varied facial expressions, from Buzz's calm smugness, to Linda's
cacophony of emotions, to Supergirl's rage.
While this team has managed an interesting run so far, I'm starting to miss
the Supergirl which came before.
Jeff Sykes (sykes@ms.uky.edu)
============================================
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #6, "seonimoD"
Written by Scott McCloud
Pencils by Rick Burchett
Inks by Terry Austin
Colors by Marie Severin
Letters by Lois Buhalis
Edited by Mike McAvennie
Cover by Rick Burchett, Terry Austin, and Marie Severin
April 1997
$1.75 US/$2.50 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 4.5/5.0 Shields
CS: 5.0 Shields - Easily the Best Superman book being published. An
innovative tale with crisp art and a fresh version of a story that
would have been approved by Mort Weisinger with modern sensibilities.
Read this book!
JS: 4.0 Shields - Wonderful take on Mxyzptlk, and I loved the framing
device of Clark relating his adventures to his parents.
I should have known I was in for a treat when I saw this issue on the racks.
The cover jumps out at you, with Superman running toward the viewer, away from
an explosion. Not only does the use of color set it apart from every comic
around it, but it also is wonderfully designed. Many comic book covers seem
like they were slapped on at the last moment, or they give too much
information on the story inside. The best covers work like movie posters, an
image that makes you want to know what's going on. This is one of those.
One of the things I like best about the "Adventures" series from DC is the
fact that they go out of their way to introduce the character. The splash
page shows Superman walking calmly toward a group of terrorists, bullets
bouncing off of his chest. With one image, the stage is set. On the second
page, it is quickly established that Superman is telling the story to Ma and
Pa Kent as Clark Kent after the story is over. In two pages, we have a sense
of Superman, his secret identity and his family, all in the midst of an action
sequence.
The fact that the story is told by Clark Kent to his parents gives us insight
into Superman that we would not have gotten with any other style. Most of the
First Person narratives in comics are the offspring of Alan Moore's Rorschach,
and it's refreshing to get inside the head of a sane hero, rather than an
insane psycho vigilante living on the edge. It also gets us ready for a story
that would have been very difficult to tell any other way because of the
complicated structure.
After Superman had defeated all but the lead terrorist, there is a bright
flash of light and he stands in the midst of a destroyed Metropolis. The
two-page spread showing the devastation was far more impressive that the
destruction of Metropolis in the continuity Superman books. Superman
describes his feelings, and we are given only a few establishing panels to let
us imagine the extent of the destruction.
Soon after Superman discovers Lois Lane's body, he also finds Mxyzptlk
floating above the rubble. It is to McCloud's credit that he keeps us
guessing as to Mxy's role in the destruction throughout the rest of the story.
Lois comes back to life, and it soon becomes apparent that time is running
backward so that Superman can see the chain of events that have led to the
destruction of Metropolis. However, when time rights itself, will he be able
to prevent the tragedy from happening?
The story shows how small events and large ones mix together to cause a
tragedy, and does it in a fresh and interesting way. The story also features
a number of little elements that felt right, Superman eating a bomb before it
explodes so that innocent bystanders aren't harmed by it going off, Mxy's
teasing Superman, a chunk of Kryptonite, and Superman having to catch a
baseball to save the day. The art by Burchett should get more recognition
than it does in the comics press because it eschews stylistic cheats and tells
the story. Every panel serves to further the impact of what is going on.
With the re-release of STAR WARS, I have been thinking about how the best
entertainment is made for all audiences. Not only will an 8-year-old reading
this be entertained, but this 32-year-old was entertained and thought about
the stories he read as an 8-year-old.
Cory Strode (c.strode@genie.com)
============================================
OTHER APPEARANCES:
-----------------
ADVENTURES IN THE DC UNIVERSE #1, "Now You See 'Em..."
Featuring the Justice League of America
Script and Breakdowns by Steve Vance
Pencils by John Delaney
Inks by Ron Boyd
Lettering by Tim Harkins
Coloring by Bob Le Rose
Associate Editor Frank Berrios
Editor KC Carlson
Cover by John Delaney and Ron Boyd
April 1997
$1.75 US/$2.50 CAN
RATINGS:
Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
RG: Story: 4.0 Shields - Well written, stayed true to characters.
Art: 4.5 Shields - Loved the detailing and backgrounds.
DC: 3.5 Shields - A good story in the style of "old-fashioned" fun comics.
The series is off to a good story in both story and art, but readers
need to recognize that it is generally aimed at a younger audience.
JS: 2.5 Shields - Overly simplistic tale, seemingly aimed more at younger
readers than SUPERMAN ADVENTURES is. And I must admit that I'm not
too thrilled that they choose to base this on the "real" DC Universe,
Superman and Batman excepted. Won't this limit future DCU animated
efforts?
As many of you have no doubt figured out, this title is another in DC's
Adventures series. This book, BATMAN AND ROBIN ADVENTURES, and SUPERMAN
ADVENTURES all take place in the world originally created for the animated
Batman TV show (now on FOX, and soon to be on WB), and now shared by the
animated Superman. This world is more like an Elseworlds view of the DC
Universe than anything else. Whatever happens here only needs to be true to
its own continuity. Also, as it is based on a cartoon (and doesn't seem to
take itself all that seriously), the writers are able to do simpler stories
that should appeal to younger readers.
I tested this out by letting my eight-year-old read the book. It was great to
see her actually get excited by a comic for the first time. She can't wait
for the next issue. (I have also started picking up the Batman and Robin and
Superman books for her.) DC seems to be doing something right here. If DC --
and comic publishers in general -- don't start getting the younger kids
reading now, who's going to buy their products in a few years?
The art is somewhat stylized, but to my mind this is a good thing. The look
and feel remain consistent between the three books. This seems to be making
it easier for the younger kids to identify and grasp. It is also very close
to the style of the two cartoons; again, making it easier for the kids to make
the jump from the TV screen to the printed page.
While the story itself is not great literature, it managed to appeal both to
me and to my youngest at the same time. All the characters stayed true to the
mainline DC Universe, but only the essentials of the characters are brought
along without all the emotional baggage that adults and older kids seem to
need to stay interested.
As the story starts out, each of the members of the JLA (the most recent
incarnation: Flash, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green
Lantern, and Batman) have had a villain escape by vanishing, leaving no trace.
When the JLA gathers at its moon base, Batman quickly determines the most
likely location for the criminal hideout. Meanwhile, the villains are not
getting along so well with the mastermind of the operation, who seems to have
some hidden agenda. The JLA breaks in and there is a very short fight, which
the JLA easily wins, but the mastermind gets away, promising to return.
For me this book is another winner. It's not often I read a comic just for
mindless enjoyment. It was a pleasant break. I recommend it highly, and not
just for the kids either.
Rene' Gobeyn (bedlam@frontiernet.net)
________________________________________________________
MANUSCRIPTS OF STEEL
------------------------------
Reviews of After-Byrne Superman Special Stories
by Denes House (dhouse@itsmail1.hamilton.edu)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUPERMAN SPECIAL #1 -- THE SAND MAN
Storytelling by Walter Simonson
Colored by Glenn Whitmore
Lettering by John E. Workman, Jr.
Cover by Walt Simonson
1992
Regular Format, $3.50 US/$4.25 CAN
Rating
------
4.1/5.0 Shields
---------------------------------------------------------
"Superman! What are you and Luthor doing?"
"I've been saving a number of Mr. Luthor's employees, Lois."
"And...I've given him a little snack as a gesture of thanks, Miss Lane."
The SUPERMAN SPECIAL is set before Lois and Clark started dating, but after
the Supergirl Saga in the final issues of John Byrne's run. It came out just
before Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday. It contains a tremendously
significant milestone in Superman's career, yet I don't recall that milestone
ever being referred to again.
The story opens with Superman inside his Antarctic Fortress of Solitude,
carving a memorial to Zaora, Zod, and Quex-Ul, the three Kryptonian criminals
from a "Pocket Universe" created by the galactically powerful Time Trapper.
Superman was forced to execute these criminals for their heinous crime -- the
slaughter of all human beings on that Universe's Earth. It was genocide on an
incomprehensible scale, but though the execution had every justification,
their deaths plagued Superman's conscience long after the fact. Here, he
sculpts a memorial out of living stone, engraved with a powerful slogan:
"Superman will forever be the champion of life and never its destroyer as long
as he walks the green hills of Earth!" This is a concept long celebrated in
the pre-Crisis era, and perhaps even more poignantly through his decision to
kill in this one instance, and the repercussions that it caused. It is a
concept forgotten by Tom Veitch in SUPERMAN: AT EARTH'S END, a fact which
contributed to that book's nastiness. Some might say it is the central tenet
of Superman's character.
Back in Metropolis, Clark Kent emerges from a broom closet, into a
conversation with an acid-witted Lois Lane. She is headed off to Cosmography
Industries, a high-tech firm that is rumored to be working on Stealth
technology. Lois' investigative work leads her to believe their operations
are crooked, though no one seems to know who owns the company.
There is a mysterious scene at Cosmography Industries, showing them working
with radioactive materials. They are somewhat foolhardy, though, and
accidentally cause an explosion. Clark hears it, and dashes off, right past
Jimmy Olsen. Clark emerges from the building clad as Superman, and heads off
towards Cosmography Industries. Superman sees people trapped inside the
building, and zooms in to save them, but a secondary explosion throws him
clear of the building and slams him into a rock wall.
Within the nearby Cadmus project, the Newsboy legion's Big Words picks up the
shockwave of the explosion -- and the Newsboys see Superman's predicament on a
monitor. The boys escape in the Project's intelligent rocket car, the
Whiz-wagon, and fly off to pick up Jimmy Olsen. Lois jumps in as well,
stating that evil goings-on at Cosmography Industries are HER story, and
neither Jimmy nor Clark will steal it from her.
Superman, still embedded in the rock wall, comes to and emerges to rescue
survivors. While he does so, a helicopter arrives bearing Lex Luthor, who
orders Superman off of his property. The stealth rumors were apparently
planted by Luthor to distract attention from the facility's real work --
synthesizing Kryptonite! Luthor picks up the sample the scientists were
working on, and threatens Superman with it. To his amazement, Superman grabs
the chunk and eats it!! The scientists' testing had turned the Kryptonite
into lead. The implications of this are HUGE, almost as significant as when
the Superman team did a similar thing in the Julius Schwartz era. They had
turned all Kryptonite on EARTH into lead, and showcased it with a similar
scene. In John Byrne's revamp of the Superman continuity, he made Kryptonite
far rarer than in the previous administration. Here, Superman consumes the
vast majority of it. Unless I am mistaken, after this story, the only
Kryptonite on Earth is in the signet ring that Lex Luthor had made to keep
Superman at bay, which is now in the possession of Batman. I am quite
surprised that more mention has not been made of this fact.
One thing, I think, that robs this event of some significance is that the
Kryptonite is destroyed on page 14 of a 64-page comic. The larger story has
nothing to do with the Kryptonite, so far as I can tell. Superman flies off
confidently, but gets dizzy and falters above the spot where he had been
driven into the rock. No one notices but Luthor, who dashes off to plan.
That night, from the indentation Superman made in the rock, a creature of sand
and stone arises, presumably of magical origin. It assaults the guards placed
at Cosmography Industries, and marches on towards Metropolis. In his
apartment, Clark Kent is washing his dishes, and drying them with his
Super-breath, when it cuts out on him. Connecting this with his earlier
weakness, he flies off to investigate. When he arrives at the spot, he is
again overcome. Meanwhile, the Sandman gains heat-vision...
The Sandman gains more and more of Superman's powers, and is recruited by
Luthor to hunt down and kill Superman. The Sandman agrees, because every
power he gains is accompanied by greater pain. Luthor tricks Superman into a
confrontation, and the two duke it out. As he loses each power, Superman
pieces the puzzle together. He flies off to the Antarctic, the Sandman in
close pursuit. There, in the Fortress, the battle continues. The Sandman
gains all of Superman's powers, memories, and appearance, and just as he is
about to kill Superman, he spots the statue. For an instant, the Sandman
thinks it is really the Kryptonian criminals, and he lashes out, destroying
the sculpture. The Sandman recalls Superman's vow. Overcome with guilt over
what he was about to do, the Sandman destroys himself, giving Superman back
all that he had stolen in the process.
The story ends with Superman confronting Luthor with yet another failure -- to
Luthor's everlasting frustration.
It is an interesting story, tense and well-paced. Of course, every Simonson
Superman story features the Newsboys, Cadmus, and Kirby's Kreations quite
heavily -- but he uses them to good effect. There is snappy dialogue and good
characterizations. What there is NOT, however, is much in the way of
explanation. All that we know is that the Sandman is magical, and we know
what he did. We don't have any idea where he came from, why he came into
being, or how he did what he did. He is an enigma. That's cool in an ongoing
series, but in a one-shot special, it is frustrating.
It did leave the door open for some rampant speculation, however. Shortly
after this story appeared, Superman died at the hands of Doomsday. Many fans
speculated that the Superman who died was really the Sandman, and that
Superman was still down in the Fortress. Some said the same thing when
Superman returned from the dead. I suppose the possibility is still open --
though it is similar to Marvel's Spider-clone saga, which fans found
atrocious.
Simonson's art is dynamic and hits with a powerful punch. Key to any Simonson
tale is the heavy use of sound effects, ably rendered by Simonson's personal
letterer (and in my opinion, one of the BEST in the business) John Workman.
Try reading the story and imagining it without the sound and lettering
effects. They are as much a part of the art and storytelling as the
pencilling or writing. There are several pinups at the end of the book, a
classic pose by Barry Windsor-Smith (STORYTELLER), a pretty gruesome shot from
SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE by Frank Miller, a Superman/Lois piece by
Curt Swan and Art Thibert, Superman soaring with the falcons by Michael
Golden, a classic Superman scenario by Jon J Muth, a stupidly mugging Superman
by Todd McFarlane, and a hilarious and classic confrontation by Geof Darrow.
QUESTIONS THAT I WANT ANSWERED:
So, whatever happened to the Man of Sand?
CAPSULE REVIEW:
Story: Tight and suspenseful, with a significant happening in Superman's life.
The only drawback is the frustration factor of the unexplained. 4.0 Shields
out of 5.
Art: Vintage Simonson -- powerful, graphically clean, and packed with all the
lettering tricks in the book. Also, some great pinups. 4.2 Shields out of 5.
Overall: Well worth the price, as long as you can handle the stress of not
knowing. 4.1 Shields out of 5.
NEXT MONTH: Clones, but no cigar!
________________________________________________________
LOIS AND CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
------------------------------------------------------
Ratings Panelists:
DEM: Demi JJO: Joe Jones NOT: Neil Ottenstein
DSB: Dick Sidbury LKF: Lee K. Fink SDM: Simon Del Monte
DST: Debby Stark MCO: Matt Combes SDV: Scott Devarney
The first rating given after the average is that of the reviewer, if one was
submitted. The average rating given for a particular episode may correspond
to a larger sample of ratings than what is printed following the average.
Given airdates correspond to the date of first US airing.
============================================
Episode #4-14: "Meet John Doe"
----------------------------------------------------
Reviewed by Scott Devarney (devarney@ll.mit.edu)
March 2, 1997
Written by Tim Minear
Directed by Jim Pohl
Guest Starring: Lane Davies as Tempus
Fred Willard as President Garner
William Christopher as Andrus
Victor Raider-Wexler as Doctor Dussel
Robert Arce as Barrett
Richard Cody as Randolph
Dennis Fimple as the homeless man
Ben McCain as the anchor
Shirley Jordan as the cop
Scott A. Smith as suit no. 1
Cynthia Kania as suit no. 2
Mary Amadeo Ingersoll as suit no. 3
RATINGS:
Average: 4.0/5.0 Shields
SDV: 3.7 Shields
MCO: 5.0 Shields - This is now my favorite LOIS AND CLARK episode, ousting
out "Just Say Noah" for the top spot. Tim Minear did an *excellent*
job writing this, and Tempus just seemed so...so...so much more evil
than before. I like that. The "time window" effects were very cool.
We need more episodes like this!
SDM: 2.0 Shields - No wonder ABC pulled this series for sweeps, if this
campy, unrealistic farce was up the producers' sleeves for February.
This was little more than a very bad episode of PINKY AND THE BRAIN,
only the Brain won, albeit with a plot worthy of Pinky. When they
can't figure out what to do with Tempus, they are in deep trouble.
DEM: 4.9 Shields - What a tremendous amalgam of witty dialog, romantic
tension and extreme empathy for Lois and Clark. All of "Meet John
Doe" -- every single moment, was executed with skill and feeling
enough by all involved to merit any award I could or would ever be
in charge of giving out. A++!
NOT: 4.8 Shields - No obvious resolution for part 2. Lots of fun. Good Lois
and Clark emotional interaction. Tempus has more time paradoxes
than it is good to think about.
John Davies returns as Tempus, the second-best villain ever to appear on LOIS
AND CLARK. (John Shea's Lex Luthor is the show's best villain.) Tempus
returns to the motives of his first appearance, sabotaging the present so that
his utopian future never comes to pass. This time, Tempus uses a mind-control
device to steal a Presidential election, influencing voters to elect Tempus,
in the guise of John Doe. There are only 3 other people who recognize Tempus
for who he truly is: Andrus, a utopian peacekeeper sent to bring Tempus back
to the future, and Lois and Clark.
Davies' portrayal of Tempus succeeds because it is witty and low-key. Much of
the wit can be attributed to Tim Minear's dialogue, and Davies delivers those
lines with such wonderful bite. Davies doesn't overpower the viewer with his
malevolence; he underplays the part. It's this coolness that makes Tempus and
Lex Luthor such memorable characters on this show.
The actual plot was a hurdle to get over. I couldn't get into the whole
rigging of a Presidential election. Much of that was due to the timing of the
airing. Having endured the real elections 4 months ago, I'm not ready to be
exposed to any more election talk for another 4 years. This story would have
been more effective had it aired during late October or early November with
the actual elections as a backdrop.
It was more fun to see what Tempus did once he gained the Presidency. The
harassment of Superman by various Federal agencies was a neat idea.
Superman's standing with the Federal government should be further explored in
its own episode. Likewise, Tempus' verbal sparring with Superman was fun,
especially the implied threats to reveal Superman's secret identity. It is
entirely possible that Tempus WILL reveal the secret before the end of this
storyline.
However, the wrap up of the episode, involving the dissolution of Andrus,
confused me. I can understand this man disincorporating because his future
never came to be as a result of Tempus' meddling, but why didn't Tempus
disappear as well? After all, the same future that spawned Andrus also
spawned Tempus, so both of them should have been erased if that future ceased
to be. Nothing was mentioned about Tempus having taken any precautions.
As to Lois and Clark's relationship, while nothing new was covered (Lois likes
being married and never had a beneficiary to declare before, Clark would lose
a part of himself if he lost Lois), we got heat in spades. We had kissing and
caressing as Clark tried to get Lois to come back to bed in the teaser, and
then we had the "I want you to make love to me" scene towards the episode's
end. This is probably the most passionate we've seen Lois and Clark since the
wedding. Apparently the writers have finally remembered that these guys are
newlyweds.
OK now, November's two-parter included a gubernatorial election as part of the
plot. This two-parter centers on a Presidential election. Does that mean
that the election of the UN Secretary General will figure into the next
two-parter?
________________________________________________________
Episode #4-15: "Lois and Clarks"
--------------------------------------------------
Reviewed by Dick Sidbury (sidbury@cs.uofs.edu)
March 9, 1997
Written by Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner
Directed by Chris Long
Guest Starring: Lane Davies as Tempus
Fred Willard as President Garner
Hamilton Camp as H.G. Wells
Rick Dean as Dragon
Ben McCain as the anchor
John Kendall as Rustic
RATINGS:
Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
DSB: 3.3 Shields
SDV: 4.6 Shields - Just a truly great episode! It was a nifty idea to bring
in Clark II as a substitute. Teri and Dean were very believable
displaying the awkwardness of the whole situation. Lane Davies gave
another superb performance. Drawbacks: Lois' dream/video threw me
right out of the episode, and I didn't understand how H.G. Wells
and Lois rescued "our" Clark.
LKF: 2.5 Shields - Just too darned cheesy. The alternate Clark shows up
again. That was fine for a one timer, but don't get carried away.
And the plot was all contrived. I realize this is a show about a
man that can fly, but they used to have plots that weren't so
ridiculous. In the attempt to use Tempus (Superman's best villain
outside of Lex Luthor), they have turned to overusing and abusing
him.
JJO: 4.8 Shields - I think that Tempus has always been the best opponent in
all of the Superman shows aired. Of course, thank goodness for H.G.
Wells and his time machine. I think the writers have done a very
good job with this 2-part episode. What would be interesting to see
is if H.G. Wells and the alternate Clark Kent/Superman can find Lois
in the alternate universe. Something to ponder, I know I would like
to see that happen.
DST: 2.5 Shields - Kind of boring despite perky moments here and there.
Mostly, "Lois and Clarks" failed to hold my interest. I found it a
predictable, manipulative follow-up to Minear's more detailed and
challenging first half.
Plot Synopsis:
After losing Clark through the time window, Lois goes home, where Jonathan and
Martha show up to lend her moral support and keep her focused on the job of
stopping Tempus and bringing Clark back.
She goes to The Planet, where Perry gives her the assignment of an exclusive
interview with the President-Elect. As she takes the elevator down to go to
the interview, she meets H.G. Wells. He had been visiting Utopia and noticed
that it had changed. He had deduced that Tempus caused the change and time
warped himself to Metropolis to seek the aid of Lois and Clark in solving the
problem. He was a darn lucky man to have picked this particular time to come
back to, but more on that later. Lois brings him up to date on the situation,
Wells promises his help, and Lois goes off to the interview.
At the interview, Tempus taunts her with clever one liners and feisty Lois
gives it back to him while reminding him that goodness will eventually triumph
over evil. Tempus announces that Congress has moved the inauguration up to
within 48 hours and passed legislation making it a crime to disagree with
President-Elect Doe and mandating that everyone use the telephone. He brings
in a thug to enforce these laws by killing anyone Tempus doesn't like. Tempus
then gives the thug an old suit and a watch that was broken at the earlier
altercation between Superman, Andrus, and Tempus and tells him to get
replacements for it. Lois then goes home to further her attempt to find a
solution to this even worse problem.
Wells returns to her apartment and brings the version of Clark Kent/Superman
from the alternate universe of last season's "Tempus, Anyone?" to help solve
the problem. Lois is unhappy to see him since it reminds her of the loss of
her Clark and seems as if Wells has given up on getting the real Clark back.
Jonathan and Martha enter and mistake the AltCK for the real one, and a
heartwarming scene ensues. Finally, AltSuperman goes off to try to find out
how Tempus was brainwashing the public, Wells goes off in search of a method
of bringing RealSuperman back, and Lois goes off to try to find a way of
bringing Tempus down.
At a rally, Tempus attempts to have two citizens shot for not using the phone,
but the alternate Superman (whom all of Metropolis believes to be the real
Superman) saves the two and flies off with them. He releases them at Lois'
apartment, and after he tells her of the situation, Lois deduces that the mind
control must be coming through the telephone lines. AltSupes goes off to find
the source.
Meanwhile Tempus captures Wells and imprisons him and his time machine in a
lead-lined bunker that Superman can't see through. Tempus then reveals to
Herb that he has modified the mind control device to send its microwave
signals through ordinary house wire, which is even more pervasive than
telephone lines and is in use more often.
AltCK returns to Lois' apartment and tells her that he was unsuccessful in
finding the solution. In a nice scene filled with UST (unresolved sexual
tension), Lois and AltCK barely avoid a passionate kiss (at least); she
babbles about the problem in her best style, and he is properly apologetic.
They both go to bed rather than tempt the fates -- she in her room and him
downstairs on the couch.
Lois has a dream about RealClark and wakes up. She goes down stairs and
discovers that AltClark is not asleep either, having just overcome the urge to
scope her out with his X-ray vision. They have a heart to heart talk about
loneliness and love that produces warm and fuzzy feelings. As they go to the
kitchen to prepare a snack, they discover that the mind control is being sent
through electric wires and he sets off to find the source.
Wells, meanwhile has escaped, but in attempting to return to Lois, he has
Tempus hitch a ride on his time machine. They both end up in Lois' apartment,
where Tempus brings both of them back to the lead-lined bomb shelter in
preparation for his final fiendish plot. President Garner has given him the
launch codes to nuclear missiles, and since Tempus has discovered that
AltSupes has disabled his mind control, he decides to take out the world as he
goes down.
With the help of Jimmy, AltCK finds the location of the bomb shelter and
crashes through to avert disaster with only one second left on the launch
counter. Then Superman takes Tempus off to the justice that he so richly
deserves while Wells and Lois take the broken watch the thug had (with the
exact time at which it stopped) and use it to locate the instant that
RealClark was transferred to the infinity of transdimensional time. The time
machine can then be used to bring the real CK back just in time for the public
humiliation of Tempus by Superman (really AltSupes). As his final revenge,
Tempus tells all that Superman is Clark Kent, but he is laughed at by the
public since they can see Superman and Clark at the same time. A fitting end
to the evils of Tempus ... at least until next season.
Analysis and Comments:
This was an excellent episode for the ordinary run of the mill TV watching
public. What I mean by this is that most people sit down to watch a show
without the intention to critically analyze it, or examine it under the
microscope of multiple viewing and freeze frame analysis of a video tape. My
wife and I both enjoyed the episode... And then I watched it two more times
to get some details for this review.
Suspension of disbelief is an important part of my enjoyment of LOIS AND
CLARK. To really care about the characters, it's necessary for them to be
believable people in relatively believable situations. For the most part,
episodes from the first two years adhered to this formula. Then along came an
episode entitled "Tempus Fugitive" -- a time travel episode that introduced
Tempus and H.G. Wells to the LOIS AND CLARK universe. The limited time travel
that exists today makes suspension of disbelief rather difficult in this
context. Nonetheless, "Tempus Fugitive" was and remains one of the most
popular episodes in the history of the series.
[A poll of online fans, done at the end of the third season placed it as the
most popular episode in the history of the series. The entire poll is
available from my home page http://academic.uofs.edu/faculty/sidbury -- follow
the link to TV.]
Next to Lex Luthor, Tempus is probably the mostpopular villain among the fans
of the series. The original Tempus was clever, ironic, fun, and he hit like a
girl. The Tempus of "Meet John Doe" and "Lois and Clarks" is mean spirited,
evil, and cowardly. His zingers don't ring as true as they did in the past.
There are some MAJOR problems that eat away at the ability to suspend
disbelief. They will be discussed below.
Things I liked:
1) Lois was feisty and fighting and intelligent, although I think she should
have figured out about the phone earlier than she did.
2) Lois' babbling after the almost kiss brought back memories of a less secure
Lois from the old days that seemed very appropriate in this context. The
entire almost kiss scene was played very well and seemed realistic and
believable, even though my intuition tells me that it's not likely to have
occurred.
3) President Garner's reaction upon having Tempus-think wear off of him. He
immediately became a politician and went off to campaign without so much as a
thank you to anyone. This is probably very typical of politicians these days.
4) The scene between AltCK and Lois after she came downstairs after her dream.
It said some good things about being lonely and appreciating your one true
love. I was amused by the prelude in which he started to scope her out with
his X-ray vision. I probably wouldn't have been able to fight the temptation.
Disappointments:
1) The Kents. If you had blinked you would have missed them. Ditto for Perry
and Jimmy.
2) In Lois' dream about RealClark, every dream involved either sex or flying.
The romantic in me would have liked to see scenes of them working together,
teasing each other, or comforting each other when one of them failed, as well
as the sex and flying.
3) The political inconsistencies were more unbelievable than the scientific
inconsistencies. Congress can't pass a law to move the inauguration -- it
requires a constitutional amendment. In fact, a write-in candidate can't be
elected President. The electoral college elects a President, not a popular
vote.
4) If the brainwashing was done through ordinary wiring, it shouldn't have
been necessary to turn on the lights to make it work.
5) I don't think that breaking a computer will disable the arming codes on
nuclear missiles, although doing it that way got a good quip from Tempus.
Launching the missiles wouldn't have presented much of a problem anyhow. They
typically take ten to fifteen minutes to reach their target, plenty of time
for a man who can fly to Paris, buy croissants, and return to Metropolis in 3
seconds to intercept each of them and toss them into the deepest reaches of
space.
6) In the last scene, when Tempus accused Clark Kent of being Superman, I
would have liked for Lois to have said "Clark Kent is MY Superman" and kissed
her husband in public.
7) The entire rescue of Clark. If the watch had been off even by a few
seconds, the plan wouldn't have worked (according to Wells). It seemed
without drama or excitement, as if it was just stuck on at the end in order to
bring things back to an orderly system. A simpler solution would seem to me
to be for Lois to write a note to Clark explaining everything, and then have
Wells go back several days in time and deliver it to Clark before he was
trapped, or even before Andrus allowed Tempus to escape from prison -- that
way none of this would have happened and the episode would have had the same
structure as the original "Tempus Fugitive".
8) Wells and his work. After seeing the change in Utopia, how did he know
what time in the past to show up in Metropolis? And how did he get Clark Kent
from the alternate Universe? Wells' time machine traveled through time --
Tempus' machine from "Tempus, Anyone?" was the one that traveled between
alternate dimensions.
9) As I alluded to above, Tempus is wearing thin. His quips are not as funny
or as sharp, and he is becoming a tired shadow of his former self.
10) You can't hide people from Superman in lead lined buildings. All he would
have to do is fly up into the sky and look down on Metropolis to find lead
shielded areas. Surely there are less than a dozen buildings in Metropolis
that are completely lined with lead.
Summary:
A very good episode if you don't (over) analyze it. But if you try to analyze
it carefully, you are left with several inconsistencies and plot holes that
detract from the ability to suspend your disbelief. Even so, there are some
nice moments.
________________________________________________________
LOIS AND CLARK ON SATURDAY
--------------------------------
by Zoomway (Zoomway@aol.com)
As everyone knows, or should know by now, LOIS AND CLARK will be airing on
Saturday nights at 8/7 Central Time beginning April 12th. The *why* is
obvious. While few publications or TV shows lauded LOIS AND CLARK beating the
likes of MAD ABOUT YOU and CYBILL last year, they are quick to remind us all
that LOIS AND CLARK is doing poorly in the ratings this year. Chances are,
should the show do better on Saturday, LOIS AND CLARK will return to media
anonymity, and no one will ever know.
Saturday, traditionally, is known as the "show killer" night. It has one of
the smallest viewing audiences, and the lowest percentage of young adults, as
well as the golden demographic of 18-49 year olds. ABC's previous Saturday
night lineup collapsed early on this season and is only just now being
replaced. Of SECOND NOAH, COACH, COMMON LAW, and RELATIVITY, only COACH was
rescheduled, and is still airing. SECOND NOAH and COMMON LAW were canceled,
and RELATIVITY (as of this writing) is listed as "on hiatus", and has been
since January. [At publication time, RELATIVITY has been given a new chance
on Monday nights. --Jeff] The new Saturday night lineup will be LOIS AND
CLARK, LEAVING L.A., and GUN. Here's a brief synopsis of the shows that are
accompanying LOIS AND CLARK to Saturday night:
LEAVING L.A. is listed as a "dramedy". If you'd like an example of a dramedy
(a drama with a light touch, or with humorous undertones), QUINCY M.E. would
be a good example. That was a show about the L.A. Coroner's office. LEAVING
L.A., on the other hand, is about the L.A. Coroner's office. Though it sounds
a bit stiff, I'm sure hilarity and drama will ensue amongst the autopsies and
toe tags.
GUN is a Robert Altman project, and is probably the next step for most
programming in the future; an inanimate object as the only recurring cast
member. That's right, each week there will be an entirely new cast of
characters, but the same gun will keep showing up. Given that it is Altman,
no doubt some big name Hollywood types who normally don't show up on
"television machines" will give the show a tumble, if only to audition for
Altman, but probably work for scale. Asking anymore than that for TV would be
vulgar (pronounced "vulgah").
LOIS AND CLARK's competition, as it currently stands, will be DR QUINN
MEDICINE WOMAN on CBS (though in some areas it might be EARLY EDITION), DARK
SKIES on NBC, and COPS on Fox. It's doubtful DARK SKIES will last -- perhaps
it will stay till the end of the season in May, but I don't see it being
renewed. Of that lineup, the biggest competitor is DR QUINN.
DR QUINN is a mid-ranking show, much as LOIS AND CLARK was last year, often
ranking in the mid-30s to mid-40s for a new episode. There is also something
of an audience overlap between the two shows, though DR QUINN skews a bit
older and more female than LOIS AND CLARK's usual audience. The problem is,
of course, an older audience watches on Saturday, though DR QUINN, having a
romantic base, does well, and so LOIS AND CLARK is covered there. Both have
action/adventure, though LOIS AND CLARK's being more comic book oriented, it
may be harder to lure away the "traditionalists" in that category. There is
one small ray of hope in that fantasy shows such as XENA and HERCULES perform
well in major market cities on Saturday night. Though it does tend to be a
very young audience who watches.
The biggest thing LOIS AND CLARK will need for its move to Saturday is
promotion and publicity. It will be just like starting over as a freshman
show on that night. It's a pity Disney doesn't show as much interest in other
ABC programs as it does in its own programs, such as ELLEN or HOME IMPROVEMENT
-- not to mention Disney's self-promotion on the Friday TGIF lineup the
weekend before the Disney film JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE was due to open. It was a
shameless display using ABC as its movie promotion department. Instead of
having cast members from one of the TGIF shows promoting the other shows, as
has been the tradition for that lineup, Tim Allen, star of JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE was
the "inbetweenie" host giving plugs for the film, showing clips, and then
belatedly asking people to stay tuned for the next program in the TGIF lineup.
Barring Disney's help, ABC has to go this alone, and has been very poor in
this department. When NBC's SUDDENLY SUSAN was on hiatus, there was a
reminder each week that it would be returning. Not so for LOIS AND CLARK when
it went on hiatus in February. People on Usenet, in chat rooms, AOL, and IRC
kept signing on asking if the show had been canceled. It was a lethal move
for the network, but given Disney wants Sunday night next year, perhaps not
completely surprising.
So, what is LOIS AND CLARK's chance of making a comeback on Saturday night?
This depends on a couple of variables. As stated, lots of promotion. It also
depends on the current competition remaining unchanged. For the time being,
if LOIS AND CLARK can lure its core group of viewers to Saturday, then perhaps
it stands a good chance of pulling out of the ratings tailspin it has suffered
this season. However, since so much hinges on the network aggressively
promoting the time change, then LOIS AND CLARK failing on Saturday could be as
easy as ABC.
________________________________________________________
THE PHANTOM ZONE: Reviews of the pre-Crisis Man of Steel
------------------------------------------------------------------
SUPER FRIENDS
---------------------------------
by Joe Crowe (j.crowe4@genie.com)
DC COMICS PRESENTS #47
Superman and the Masters of the Universe in "From Eternia with Death!"
July 1982
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Curt Swan
Inker: Mike DeCarlo
Rating: 3.0 Shields
Ladies and gentlemen, the Man of Steel has to do the job in a toy crossover.
At least it looked that way going in. The Masters of the Universe were mighty
popular in the early 1980s. I'll cop to that, because I had my Castle
Greyskull and He-Man and Skeletor, and I watched the cartoon when I got home
from school every day. However, this comic wasn't in reaction to He-Man's
popularity. It was merely a small opening salvo in the eventual He-Man blitz.
As far as the story goes, it was serviceable. Very fun in retrospect seeing
Superman and He-Man both drawn by Curt Swan and together in the same panel,
but at the time it was underwhelming. Who the heck was this He-Man? The
story was written in that spirit anyway. It had to establish all the
characters and vehicles and playsets, and put them out there so all the little
kids would pester their parents for them.
We meet the fop Prince Adam, his cowardly talking tiger Cringer, the
curmudgeonly Man-At-Arms, and the beautiful yet dutiful Teela. Also we
witness a plot by the evil Skeletor (I hear Frank Langella's wicked laugh) to
get into Castle Greyskull (good luck). The resulting blast opens up a rift
that flings Superman from Metropolis to Eternia.
Superman crashes down at Skeletor's feet, who naturally figures him to be a
threat, and attacks him. Bad idea, because meanwhile the Sorceress has sent
for Adam and Cringer so they might turn into their super-heroic identities, so
as to quickly implement a stern butt-kicking for Skeletor. Adam and Cringer
run into the Cave of Power. What?! I'm glad they changed this to the much
more fun magical saying that Adam always said on the cartoon. Join in at home
if you know the words.
"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL! I...HAVE...THE POWER!"
Well, now I'm all freaked out. That was fun. Anyway, Skeletor is a master of
evil magic, and Superman is magic-intolerant, so he gets wiped out. He runs
into He-Man, and they team up to go after Skeletor. They find him, and He-Man
and Skeletor get into a wicked fight. Then Skeletor hexes Superman with his
bad mojo ... and yes, fans, he turns Superman against He-Man. It's go time,
baby! "When these heroes clash ... it is awesome indeed!" Well, it would
have been, later on when the super strength of He-Man was well known. As this
was, Superman was in danger of getting beat up by a doll. So, of course,
Superman wins.
Skeletor thinks Superman can bust into Greyskull, but Superman resists his
hypnosis, zaps the ground with heat vision and captures the bad guy. Just as
He-Man is ready to take care of business, Skeletor teleports away. He-Man
offers to explain everything to Superman, but the Man of Steel spots a space
warp back home, and decides he doesn't care.
DC didn't do many toy tie-ins in comparison with Marvel in the 1980s, who had
practically half their line devoted to any action figure to ever pop up on a
Toys 'R Us shelf. He-Man and his people never got a comics foothold, but the
cartoons were prolific and fun enough, and there were so many action figures
and vehicles and playsets to make Mattel a buck or two.
The best thing to come out of the Masters of the Universe success, however,
ties into the reason I would be writing about He-Man in this column in the
first place. Comics have a ready backstory and colorful characters enough for
an unparalleled source of toy possibilities. I never understood why there
weren't superhero action figures all over the place, and in retrospect, it's
good that they weren't. I would have gone without lunch money if I'd been
able to pick up Green Lantern or Flash or Hawkman when I was a kid. But the
success of He-Man, at least in part, drew money back into the action figure
business, which results in us having DC and Marvel action figures to play
with. I mean collect.
See you next month. Battle Cat rules.
________________________________________________________
SUPER MERCHANDISE
-----------------------------------------------
Information on Forthcoming Superman Merchandise
Descriptions courtesy of PREVIEWS catalog, copyright 1997, Diamond Comic
Distributors. For further information on (and in many cases, pictures of)
the below merchandise, see recent issues of PREVIEWS!
THESE ITEMS ARE NOT FOR SALE BY THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET or by anyone
associated with it. For information on purchasing any of the merchandise
listed below, contact your local comic shop.
ABBREVIATIONS:
-------------
FC: Full color
HC: Hardcover
PB: Paperback
PI: Inquire about price
SC: Softcover
Unless otherwise indicated, the product is from DC Comics.
Also keep in mind that dates listed are when Diamond will be able to
distribute the product in question. For some merchandise (books and
toys especially), you may be able to find the item at a retailer
earlier than this given date.
This update lists only new merchandise solicited in PREVIEWS Volume VII,
#3 (the March 1997 issue). For a full listing of Superman-related
merchandise, visit the Kryptonian Cybernet Homepage!
============================================
MAY:
---
JLA: NEW WORLD ORDER TRADE PAPERBACK
(Offered Again)
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and Cover by Howard Porter and John Dell
DC reoffers this inexpensive collection of the first story arc (issues
#1-4) of the immensely popular new JLA series. Superman, Batman, Wonder
Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter -- the
World's Greatest Heroes -- find the public turning against them in favor
of a new group of champions: alien superbeings called the Hyperclan.
Faced with powers that rival even Superman's, and a hidden agenda that
involves the destruction of the JLA satellite, how does the new League
keep their first adventure from also being their last? A great starting
point for new readers who missed these already-valuable back issues.
Scheduled to arrive in stores May 7
SC, 7x10, 96 pgs, FC
$5.95
SUPERMAN '97 GLOW-IN-THE-DARK POSTER
Art by Ron Frenz and Josef Rubinstein
This breathtaking 22" x 34" poster features all-new artwork of the Man
Beyond Tomorrow as he surges out of the Metropolis skyline by night.
Glow-in-the-dark ink brings his new powers to light.
Scheduled to arrive in stores May 14
FC, 22x34, $8.95
SUPERMAN '97 LOGO T-SHIRT
This black 100% cotton t-shirt features Superman's shocking new
blue-and-white logo on the front.
Scheduled to arrive in stores May 14
L-XL, $15.95
KINGDOM COME: THE DELUXE SLIPCASE EDITION
(DC Comics and Graphitti Designs)
Written by Mark Waid, Art by Alex Ross
ELSEWORLDS. A handsome 2-volume set collecting the acclaimed miniseries
by Mark Waid (THE FLASH, IMPULSE) and Alex Ross (MARVELS), co-produced by
DC Comics and Graphitti Designs. The saga of the DCU heroes' final battle
with the forces of evil -- with 12 new pages of story and art -- is
contained in the foil-stamped 216-page first volume, while the second
volume, REVELATIONS, is a 96-page collection that includes Ross'
preliminary character illustrations, cover legends and a key to cameo
appearances in the original miniseries, a 5-page, double-sided gatefold
"family tree" of more than 200 DC Comics characters and artwork originally
designed for promotional use. All this is accompanied by text written by
Waid and Ross. The first volume features an introduction by Alex Ross'
father, Rev. Clark Ross, who served as inspiration and model for everyman
Norman McCay, a ribbon place marker and a numbered, full-color signature
page signed by both Waid and Ross. NOTE: The 12 new pages of story and
art will be included in all future collections. The KINGDOM COME SLIPCASE
EDITION will be limited to initial orders received.
Scheduled to arrive in stores May 29
Hardcover Set, FC, 216/96 pgs
$89.95
________________________________________________________
COMING ATTRACTIONS!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A List of Upcoming Comics Featuring The Superman Family of Characters
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.
Descriptions courtesy of PREVIEWS catalog, copyright 1997, Diamond Comic
Distributors. Diamond is the exclusive distributor of DC Comics!
NOTES
---------------
Just a few things to note this month.
First, the guest-appearance by Superman in May's SOVEREIGN SEVEN #24
is *not* part of the backup story I've been telling you about these
past few months. That concluded in issue #23. This issue apparently
picks up where the backup story left off, but given what I've read in
the backup, I doubt it's necessary for understanding this issue.
Second, May brings the debut of DC's 1997 annuals, which this year
sport a "Pulp Heroes" theme, paying homage to the classic "pulp"
magazines of the 1930s. Each annual falls under one of six genres.
May's SUPERMAN ANNUAL #9 is classified as "High Adventure." Here's
a quick peek at the rest of the summer in the Superman family:
JUNE: SUPERBOY ANNUAL #4 -- High Adventure
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL ANNUAL #6 -- Hard Boiled
JULY: ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN ANNUAL #9 -- Western
AUGUST: SUPERGIRL ANNUAL #2 -- Romance
ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #9 -- Macabre
SEPTEMBER: JLA ANNUAL #1 -- Hard Boiled
All of the 1997 "Pulp Heroes" are 64 pages, in the Standard format
(like SUPERMAN ADVENTURES), and priced at $3.95.
Finally, note that Memorial Day pushes the arrival date back by one
day that week. Expect your comics to arrive one day later than usual
in the last week of May.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIST OF TITLES BY EXPECTED ARRIVAL DATE
---------------------------------------------
Arrival Date: Comic title and information:
------------ ---------------------------
March 5: JLA #5 (Supergirl guest-stars)
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and Cover by Howard Porter and John Dell
$1.95
Steel #38
Written by Christopher Priest
Art by Denys Cowan and Tom Palmer
Cover by Dave Johnson
$1.95
Superman Adventures #7
Written by Scott McCloud
Art and Cover by Rick Burchett and Terry Austin
$1.75
Superman: The Man of Steel #67
Written by Louise Simonson
Art and Cover by Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke
$1.95
March 12: Supergirl #9
Written by Peter David
Art and Cover by Gary Frank and Cam Smith
$1.95
Superman #123
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art and Cover by Ron Frenz and Josef Rubinstein
Standard and Collector's Editions, each $1.95
March 19: Adventures of Superman #546
Written by Karl Kesel
Art and Cover by Stuart Immonen and Jose Marzan, Jr.
$1.95
Aztek: The Ultimate Man #10 (JLA guest-stars)
Written by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar
Art by N. Steven Harris and Keith Champagne
Cover by Steve Lightle
$1.75
Superboy #39
Written by Ron Marz
Art and Cover by Ramon Bernado and Doug Hazlewood
$1.95
March 26: Action Comics #733
Written by David Michelinie
Art and Cover by Tom Grummett and Denis Rodier
$1.95
Superboy and The Ravers #9 (Superman guest-stars)
Written by Karl Kesel and Steve Mattsson
Art and Cover by Paul Pelletier and Dan Davis
$1.95
April 2: Spider-Boy Team-Up #1 (Amalgam)
Written by Karl Kesel and Roger Stern
Art by Jo Ladronn
$1.95
Super Soldier: Man of War #1 (Amalgam)
Written by Mark Waid and Dave Gibbons
Art by Dave Gibbons and Jimmy Palmiotti
Cover by Dave Gibbons
$1.95
April 9: JLA #6
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and Cover by Howard Porter and John Dell
$1.95
Steel #39
Written by Christopher Priest
Art by Denys Cowan and Tom Palmer
Cover by Dave Johnson
$1.95
Superboy #40
Written by Ron Marz
Art and Cover by Ramon Bernado and Doug Hazlewood
$1.95
Superman: The Man of Steel #68
Written by Louise Simonson
Art and Cover by Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke
$1.95
April 16: Supergirl #10
Written by Peter David
Art by Jennifer Graves and Chuck Drost
Cover by Gary Frank and Cam Smith
$1.95
Superman #124
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art and Cover by Ron Frenz and Josef Rubinstein
$1.95
Superman Adventures #8
Written by Scott McCloud
Art and Cover by Rick Burchett and Terry Austin
$1.75
April 23: Adventures of Superman #547
Written by Karl Kesel
Art and Cover by Stuart Immonen and Jose Marzan, Jr.
$1.95
April 30: Action Comics #734
Written by David Michelinie
Art and Cover by Tom Grummett and Denis Rodier
$1.95
Superboy and The Ravers #10
Written by Karl Kesel and Steve Mattsson
Art by Ramon Bernado and Dan Davis
Cover by Paul Pelletier and Dan Davis
$1.95
May 7: JLA #7
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and Cover by Howard Porter and John Dell
$1.95
Steel #40
Written by Christopher Priest
Art by Vince Giarrano and Prentis Rollins
Cover by Dave Johnson
$1.95
Superman: The Man of Steel #69
Written by Karl Kesel and Louise Simonson
Art by Scot Eaton and Dennis Janke
Cover by Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke
$1.95
Superman Adventures #9
Written by Scott McCloud
Art by Mike Manley and Terry Austin
Cover by Rick Burchett and Terry Austin
$1.75
May 14: Sovereign Seven #24 (Guest-starring Superman)
Written by Chris Claremont
Art and Cover by Ron Lim and Chris Ivy
$1.95
Supergirl #11
Written by Peter David
Art by Greg Land and Cam Smith
Cover by Gary Frank and Cam Smith
$1.95
Superman #125
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art and Cover by Ron Frenz and Josef Rubinstein
$1.95
May 21: Adventures of Superman #548
Written by Karl Kesel
Art and Cover by Stuart Immonen and Jose Marzan, Jr.
$1.95
Superboy #41
Written by Ron Marz
Art and Cover by Ramon Bernado and Doug Hazlewood
$1.95
Superman Annual #9
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Sean Chen and Brett Breeding
Painted Cover by Glen Orbik
64 pgs, $3.95
May 29: Action Comics #735
Written by David Michelinie
Art and Cover by Tom Grummett and Denis Rodier
$1.95
Superboy and The Ravers #11
Written by Karl Kesel and Steve Mattsson
Art and Cover by Paul Pelletier and Dan Davis
$1.95
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPOILERS
------------------
May 7:
-----
JLA #7
In "Heaven on Earth," Asmodel and his angelic horde have laid waste most
of San Francisco -- and the rest of the world will follow unless Zauriel
surrenders. With the JLA behind him, however, the former angel isn't
about to give up without a fight. Unfortunately, the JLA's most powerful
member -- Superman -- is trapped on the moon, trying to stop it from
colliding with the Earth!
Steel #40
While Steel tries out his new hi-tech hammer against a drug-pushing
mobster family, Natasha finds herself in trouble at school -- trouble
that will end in sorrow and death, and leave a member of the Irons
family in jail.
Superman: The Man of Steel #69
Within the Bottle City of Kandor, the new Superman and guest-star the
Atom vie to keep the rebel faction from setting off a bomb that will do
more than pop the bottle's cork! Plus, Scorn wears the old uniform of
the Man of Steel, and has become the protector of Ashbury Armstrong,
Dirk's daughter!
Superman Adventures #9
In "Return of the Hero," it's no surprise that Superman is a hero to
millions of people, but, for a teenaged boy, it's multi-millionaire
businessman Lex Luthor who's the icon. Deprived of a father figure,
the boy sees Luthor as a self-made hero, but appearances are often
deceiving, especially where Lex is concerned.
May 14:
------
Sovereign Seven #24
A guest appearance by the new-powered Superman! Cascade discovers the
other Sovereigns have been felled by Siege and his dark crew. Even more
bad news: Rhian's in Smallville with Clark and Lois. The three devise a
plan of attack into Crossroads, but whether the *new* Man of Steel,
Cascade, and one spunky female reporter can defeat this force is in
serious doubt.
Supergirl #11
The stakes are raised when Supergirl battles one of Superman's deadliest
foes, the Silver Banshee. And if Supergirl loses, it will cost her not
only her life, but her soul.
Superman #125
A tale of two cities: Kandor and Metropolis! Scorn, Prince of Kandor,
continues his adventures in everybody's favorite hometown, while the Man
Beyond Tomorrow works to bring two warring factions of the bottle city to
an understanding. Guest-starring The Atom.
May 21:
------
Adventures of Superman #548
For a long time, Superman has suspected that Luthor might be behind his
strange change of powers. Now witness their fateful confrontation
alongside The Phantom Stranger!
Superboy #41
In the conclusion to "Meltdown," someone close to Superboy makes a
dangerous sacrifice to keep the Kid alive, changing their relationship
forever. Also, Superboy learns that his cure comes at a price -- one
that ensures that he will never become a SuperMAN.
Superman Annual #9
"Pulp Heroes," the DCU Annuals event, continues in this stylish tribute
to the high-adventure pulp magazines of the 1930s. In a tale courtesy
of Dan Jurgens and penciller Sean Chen (X-O MANOWAR), a doppleganger of
Jimmy Olsen, bearing a strange dragon tattoo, is the first clue to a
twisted mystery that brings Lois, Jimmy, Bibbo, and the new Superman to
Bhutran.
May 29:
------
Action Comics #735
Saviour, Superman's old foe, is back in Metropolis -- and any enemy of
the Man Beyond Tomorrow is an enemy of Scorn, who has both Superman's old
outfit, and the affection of Dirk Armstrong's daughter, Ashbury.
Superboy and the Ravers #11
Superboy is presumed dead. InterC.E.P.T. closes in on the Rave. The
Raver-killer is revealed. And it looks like the party's over when Aura
is unveiled as the traitor.
________________________________________________________
***********************************************************
End of Section 8/Issue #36
