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The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 50
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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 #50 -- May 1998
Fourth Anniversary Issue!
_____________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
--------
Section 1: Superscripts: Notes from the Editor
4/50 and Counting
Ratings At A Glance
Titles Shipped April 1998
And Who Disguised As...
J.D. Rummel takes another turn at the Burton/Cage/Peters
fiasco of a Superman movie
Section 2: News and Notes
Anniversary celebrations, International and domestic toy
news, Maybe Superman Lives isn't so dead after all, A
Superman 64 update, More comics news, and Supes tackles
land mines again
Superman: The Animated Series
"Apokolips...Now!"
Superman's clash with Darkseid and his minions,
reviewed by Nathan Bredfeldt
Section 3: The Greatest Superman Story of All Time
Part 1: The Scarlet Widow
Bob Hughes explores the world of Superman on Radio
Section 4: New Comic Reviews
The Triangle Titles
Adventures of Superman #558, by Dan Radice
Action Comics #745, by Shane Travis
Superman: The Man of Steel #80, by Mike Smith
Section 5: New Comics Reviews
Super-Family Titles
Steel #51, by Jeff Sykes
Superboy #52, by Rene' Gobeyn
Supergirl #22, by Thomas Deja
Section 6: New Comic Reviews
Other Superman Titles
JLA #19, by Anatole Wilson
Superman Adventures #20, by Cory Strode
Girlfrenzy
Superman: Lois Lane #1, by Simon DelMonte
Young Justice: The Secret #1, by Rene' Gobeyn
Section 7: New Comic Reviews
Specials
Superman Villains Secret Files #1, by Rene' Gobeyn
Manuscripts of Steel
Denes House, much to his disdain, begins a review of
the Eclipso annuals with Man of Steel Annual #1
The Phantom Zone
Action Comics #500
Scott Devarney helps us celebrate our anniversary by
looking back at one of Superman's biggest milestones!
Section 8: The Mailbag
STAFF:
------
Jeffery D. Sykes, Publisher and Co-Editor-in-Chief
Shane Travis, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor of Comic Reviews
Neil Ottenstein, Executive Editor of STAS Reviews
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 1998 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
me at sykes@ms.uky.edu for permission. Feel free to advertise subscription
information on other on-line services which have internet mail availability.
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET is available by e-mail -- to subscribe, send the
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subscribe kc
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Back issues are available via ftp at oasis.novia.net. These archives can also
be reached via the Kryptonian Cybernet Homepage:
http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sykes/kc
______________________________________________
SUPERSCRIPTS: Notes from the Editor
----------------------------------------
By Jeff Sykes (sykes@ms.uky.edu)
4/50 AND COUNTING
Our fiftieth issue. Our fourth anniversary.
Wow.
That's a long time, folks. A *lot* has happened in that time. _Lois and
Clark_ rose from obscurity to a ratings success, then fell again and was
cancelled. For three and a half years, a new Superman film has been "in
development." _Action Comics_ reached its 700th issue, and _Adventures of
Superman_ (the original _Superman_ comic) reached its 550th. The departure
of speculators and increasing prices caused a collapse in the comics
industry. Two entire Superman toy lines came and went. A successful new
animated series was launched. We saw a wedding over 58 years in the making,
and a Superman that many couldn't even accept as Superman.
We lost both Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan.
Christopher Reeve suffered his tragic accident, then showed the world what a
true super man is all about.
Through it all, we've brought you all the news we could find, bombarded you
with often heated opinions, and shared with you some of our favorite stories
of Supermen past. At times it's been difficult, but it's always been a lot
of fun! Most importantly, The Kryptonian Cybernet has allowed us to share a
love of the greatest hero of all time.
Of course, you don't turn out 50 issues, totaling over 8 MB of text, without
a lot of writers and a lot of help. And I mean a *lot* of help. I scoured
back through all 50 of our issues, and discovered that no less than 117
people have contributed to this magazine's four year history as either
writers or editors. A few of these deserve very special mention.
The past year of this magazine might not have happened at all had it not been
for the overwhelming help I've received from Shane Travis. More than just
taking care of the new comic reviews each month, Shane has kept me going
during those times when it just wasn't easy. He's constantly coming up with
new ideas, ways to keep things fresh, and I probably would have given up long
ago without his support. As a result, I've promoted Shane to Co-Editor-In-
Chief, as he's every bit the driving force behind this magazine that I am.
Thanks for your invaluable help, Shane!
There are also a few people who have been contributing to KC during its
entire four-year existence. David Chappell's "Just the FAQs" and J.D.
Rummel's "And Who Disguised As..." columns have been excellent Cybernet
staples since our very first issue. Neil Ottenstein began his wonderful
series on the Fleischer cartoons in our debut, and has since contributed to
our Phantom Zone section and coordinated our reviews of the Superman animated
series. Last, but by no means least, are perhaps our most prolific
contributors to the magazine for the past four years. Between them, Rene'
Gobeyn and Anatole Wilson have probably reviewed somewhere in the
neighborhood of 200-300 comics.
A few people who have since moved on also left their mark on KC. A
contributor and collaborator even before the first issue was released, Ken
McKee was as enthusiastic a Superman fan as I've ever known, and the man who
came up with the name Kryptonian Cybernet. Art LaMarche was my right-hand
man, playing a slightly diminished version of Shane's current role, for the
first 2 to 2 1/2 years of KC. Bob Fulkerson was responsible for providing us
with the mailing list and ftp space which has been of such great use to us.
Wherever these three may be today, I wish them the best.
At the end of this editorial, I have compiled a list of everyone who has ever
contributed as either a writer or editor. Please take a moment to look
through that list and see what kind of participation has been so crucial to
our longevity. (Oh, and please let me know if I've missed anyone.)
Here's to the next four years being even better than the first four!
Four Years of Contributors:
---------------------------
erin Javier Heredia Julian Pinder
Demi Curtis Herink Dan Radice
Modemac Denes House Leigh Raglan
Shawn Aeria Andrew Hudson J.D. Rummel
Mark Billian Bob Hughes Ken St. Andre
Nathan Bredfeldt Derek Jackson Sriya Sampath
Ben Butler Chris Jarocha-Ernst Brian Saner-Lamken
Jim Butler Kemba Johnson Mike Shields
Isaiah J. Campbell Enola Jones Yosef Shoemaker
Mauri Casano Joe Jones Dick Sidbury
Victor Chan Nancy L. Jones Dan Silverstein
Chip Chandler Steve Kaplan D.M. Simms
David T. Chappell Lee Keels Gabe Smith
Tony Cianfaglione Alan Kercinik Jim Smith
Matt Combes Jon Knutson Mike Smith
Joseph Cowan Bill Kte'pi Emmanuel Soupidis
Joe Crowe Arthur LaMarche Debby Stark
Thomas Deja Mark Lamutt Charles Stevens
Simon DelMonte Jon Lang Jimmy Stewart
Scott Devarney Diane Levitan Jenny Stosser
Carmen DiMaria Adam Lipkin Patrick Stout
Rick Doll Donald MacPherson Cory Strode
Mark C. Dooley Ben Marlin Will Sudderth
Johanna L. Draper Deborah McKee Jeff Sykes
Jeff Epstein Ken McKee Joseph Torres
Michael Etten Bill Meeks Jennifer L. Traver
Ronald Evry Kuljit Mithra Shane Travis
Randy Fairman Rich Morrissey Joel W. Tscherne
Lawrence Faulkner Bill Morse Vic Vitek
Lee K. Fink George Nelson Emes Votzedek
Suzanne Fleischauer G.M. Nelson Steve Wells
Shane Furlong William J. Nixon Mike Williams
Jose R. Galan Joey Ochoa Anatole Wilson
Trevor Gates William O'Hara Jeff Witty
Rene' Gobeyn Marta Olson Douglas Wolk
Patricia Gonzales Neil A. Ottenstein Darrin Wood
Jack Grimes Tom Pairan David Joseph Young, Jr.
Steve Hanes Martin A. Perez Steven Younis
Arnie Harchik Brian Petro Zoomway
______________________________________________
RATINGS AT A GLANCE: Titles shipped April 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
Prepared by Shane Travis (travis@sedsystems.ca)
Well, another record surpassed this month. For the first time since I started
writing this Ratings at a Glance column, we have had *fourteen* people submit
comments and ratings on an issue. Even more wonderful is that it happened on
not one, but *two* different titles this month. Also of note is that each of
the Triangle Titles were commented on by at least ten different people. Seems
that the end of the Blue Period and the visits to different eras has really
perked people's attention! Are you paying attention, DC?
There's always room for more people, though; what makes the KC so great is
the dedication of all its contributors. If you are interested in voicing your
opinions about the various Superman and Superman-family books on a consistent
basis, then I'd love to have you join the Ratings Panel. To join, see the
information at the bottom of the article.
Key:
----
Issue -- Issue for which 'Current' Rating and Rank are calculated. The
'Previous' columns refer to the issue immediately prior to this.
Rating -- Average Rating, in Shields (maximum rating is 5.0). The number
in () indicates how many people submitted ratings.
Rank -- The relative ranking of the book among the regularly-published
Superman titles.
Average -- Average of the ratings for this title over the indicated number
of months, based on the book's cumulative average. Each month is
weighted equally, regardless of the number of people rating the
book that month. If this book is averaged over fewer months than
the rest, the number of months is displayed in ().
Current Previous Avg (6Mth)
Title Issue Rating Rank Rating Rank Rating Rank
----- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------- -----
Man of Steel 80 4.1(12) 1 2.2(10) 7 2.82 6
JLA 19 3.9(14) 2 3.4(9) 4 3.52 1
Superboy 52 3.7(8) 3 4.0(8) 1 3.33 5
Adv. of Superman 558 3.4(14) 4 2.0(12) 8 2.63 9
Steel 51 3.4(5) 5 2.8(7) 5 3.47 3
Villains SF&O 1 3.4(6) -- --- -- -- --
YJ: The Secret 1 3.2(7) -- --- -- -- --
Supergirl 22 3.1(7) 6 3.4(6) 3 3.48 2
Action Comics 745 3.1(12) 7 2.5(11) 6 2.68 8
Lois Lane 1 2.7(10) -- --- -- -- --
Superman Adv. 20 2.6(6) 8 3.7(5) 2 3.35 4
Superman *** *** 1.6(8) 9 2.78 7
*** NOTE: Due to the _Superman Forever_ special and the 'Girlfrenzy' books
appearing in the 5th week, no issue of _Superman_ was published in April.
"Look! Up in the Sky!" MAN OF STEEL #80 (4.1 Shields, +1.9 Shields, 1st)
- MOS usually finishes anywhere between 6th and last; the highest relative
ranking it has managed to achieve in the past year was 5th (for the Mxy issue
of #75). Bogdanove's art is often cited as a reason for this... but there can
be no debate now that he is certainly the artist who has the closest artistic
vision to the original creators. It's good to see him finally getting some
*positive* recognition for a change. If you missed this issue, do yourself
a favour and go pick it up.
"Look! Down in the Cellar!" SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #20 (2.6 Shields, -1.1)
- The lowest rating that this title has received during my one-year tenure
on the Cybernet. A confusing hodge-podge of events poorly strung together
displaying horrendous exposition and poor characterization. Mark Millar wrote
last issue's tale, and will be taking over again in June; I'm guessing that
the regular readers can't wait.
Where'd dem Bad Guys come from? SUPERMAN VILLAINS SF&O #1 (3.4 Shields)
- Despite a mostly negative review from Mr. Gobeyn, most of the readers seem
to have enjoyed this foray into the Superman's Rogues Gallery -- those who
bought it, anyway. It had one of the lowest response-ratings of any comic
this month, probably due to the hefty price-tag that drove a lot of readers
away. The fact that there was almost *no* new information or story didn't
attract people either.
Gee, are we glad Millennium Giants is over?
- The Triangle Titles rebounded from an absolutely horrendous March to a
pretty spectacular April, gaining an average of 1.3 Shields per book.
The grade of 3.4 Shields sets a new high-water mark for AOS over the last
year, and you already know how great MOS was this month. It's interesting
to note that _Action Comics_ (which received the highest mark in the April
issue) was the low-man on the totem pole this time around. It probably had a
lot to do with the era it is representing; most people seem to want to forget
that the 70s ever existed, and not just in comics. There was no _Superman_
title this month, but you have to believe that it would have rebounded at
*least* 1.3 Shields after the pathetic MG wrap-up story it gave us in April...
Information for 'Ratings at a Glance' and the ratings accompanying the
monthly reviews of Superman comics are obtained from KC readers. Anyone
interested in contributing may contact Shane Travis <travis@sedsystems.ca>
and will be added to the monthly mailing-list to receive a Ratings Form.
______________________________________________
AND WHO DISGUISED AS...
---------------------------------------------------------
A Column of Opinion by J.D. Rummel (rummel@creighton.edu)
During the KC's third anniversary column I discussed the Superman movie.
Being a traditionalist and not the most imaginative guy, I've gone back to
the well one more time. Happy fourth anniversary Jeff! Last year I waxed
hopeful about Kevin Smith, panned the casting of Nick Cage and damned Tim
Burton. Well, as anyone who can read or even listen to the E! channel can
report, the movie has been frought with turmoil, confusion and delay; Kevin
Smith's script has been tossed and others have been brought in. Tim Burton
and Nicolas Cage have both moved on to other projects (and with pay-or-play
deals in the millions of dollars this is turning into another fiscal sinkhole
for Hollywood). Basically, the whole thing is in a pretty depressed state.
Here's my take on it all: I've had a chance to read Smith's script and I can
tell you that it is a very good first draft, but that it lacks in some areas.
I got the screenplay off the I-net, but not Smith's site, so maybe I was
suckered by the same guy that wrote the "Good Times virus." For those reasons
I won't post the URL here. I don't know what actual draft it is. It's easy to
find. Don't write me or the KC about getting a copy.
Anyway, what the script does well, it does really well. Brainiac, Luthor, the
robot L-Ron (remember Manga Khan from JLA?), these are rendered masterfully
and thoughtfully. Smith loves comics and it shows in every page. He peppers
the cognoscenti with in-jokes and references. Where he fails is that
Superman isn't in the movie enough. For a large portion of the ninety-five
page screenplay he is either powerless, in a spaceship, or wearing a rubber
armor instead of performing super feats in the blue suit. Let's face some
facts here folks. Everybody knows the guy in the cape who walks with Jerry
Seinfeld in the American Express ads. That's the guy they wanna see. Not Joe
Anybody in a costume by Rubbermaid. This is a Superman movie. If people flock
to a theater to see Superman, that is who they had better see on the screen.
However, Smith, who uses the whole Death of Superman story line as his
framework, has his hands full. He crams a lot of stuff on us, and while I
think the non-fan would get it, I almost wonder if some would be lost in the
changes that are not part of The Myth. That Lois Lane knows who he is,
Doomsday, Cat Grant, all are changes that are in the screenplay. Still, maybe
the TV show has prepped the world somewhat.
Regardless, that's all just a re-write from perfection. Why then, rather that
bring Smith back to work over the rough spots and polish the good moments,
did Burton, a man who can be justly described as "story-telling challenged"
toss out the script and bring in the guy who wrote _The Saint_? (I haven't
seen it, so I can't take cheap shots) Ego, maybe, but most likely a total
dearth of Super sense. I've written before how Burton lacks the pedigree to
helm a Superman movie. He ain't got it Hollywood! Superman is an epic, Tim
Burton doesn't know epic from enema. As for wrongheadedness, if you haven't
read Kevin Smith's interview in Cinescape, then you really need to. His
description of his meeting with producer Jon Peters and Peters' wholly
mercantile approach to story telling will leave you standing on your lower
lip.
And now, a reasonably priced fix from Script Doctor J: Those of you with no
lives will remember that I had an idea for the Superman movie trailers. I
basically suggested that some incredible disaster be portrayed, the
audience's sense of doom be stoked and then the S symbol and Superman theme
blast out of the screen. So far, I haven't heard from Hollywood on that one,
so I'm upping the ante.
You know how the Bond movies always have those teasers at the beginning? I'm
talking about the segment where Bond goes into some scene and has a cool Bond
moment that none of us could ever really have. Well here's what I think the
Superman movie series for the next century should do. They should take some
movie that is popular at the time, something we all recognize, and give it
what I call "a touch of cape." Picture the new Superman movie beginning
something like this:
The scene shows two young lovers on a boat, a BIG boat. The lovers are
oblivious to all but each other, as lovers should be. Cut to the crew
spotting an iceberg and some quick, panicked, techno babble about how this
could happen. Alarms are sounding, the captain and crew are in a mad dash
around the deck, and it's obvious, a collision is imminent. Cut to the
lovers' perspective as the mountain of ice looms closer. We've seen this,
disaster cannot be avoided. Suddenly, inexplicably, the great mound moves
away at an unnatural angle. The music begins a low dun-to-dunt
dun-to-dun-to-dun-dun-to-dunt that accelerates. Cut to an exterior view of
the ship as the ice mass begins to rock and bob in the water and the theme
music swells. The mass rises up and up into the air [the audience applause
roars here]. Fantastically, it hurtles far into the distant night and a
distant splash might be Hollywood visible . From above the ship a figure
waves at the young couple and turns to fly into the black sky. The S symbol
in full color fills the screen, and the Williams' theme soars as the opening
credits roll.
C'mon! Tell me that's not fantastic! I triple dog dare ya! It would grab
every person in the audience. Only the oldest, nastiest, most dyspeptic crabs
would carp at this one.
Hollywood, it's yours for my usual fee: screen credit, a small cash donation,
and a brief speaking part.
Away!
And Who Disguised As... is copyright 1998 by J. D. Rummel. Its contents may
not be reproduced in any format without the written permission of the author.
______________________________________________
NEWS AND NOTES
--------------
PARTIES FOR THE BIRTHDAY BOY!
** Metropolis, Illinois, will once again be holding its annual Superman
festival, this year from June 11 through June 14. This will be a
special celebration not only because of Superman's 60th anniversary,
but also because Warner Bros. pictures will be sponsoring the _Lois
and Clark_ and Christopher Reeve sections of the town's Superman
museum, meaning these areas will be expanded and improved. The
museum also contains original art, costumes and props from every live
action adaptation, animation cells, and sixty years worth of Superman
collectibles. In addition, money will be raised and donated to the
new "You'll Believe A Man Can Fly" paralysis fund, initiated for the
Christopher Reeve foundation. For more information about Metropolis,
Illinois, and their Superman Celebration, call the Metropolis Chamber
of Commerce at 1-800-949-5740.
** In celebration of both Superman's 60th and the first Christopher Reeve
movie's 20th anniversaries, the Superman 60/20 celebration is planning
two special Anniversary Chat Hours on the net. The first takes place
on May 26, during Bill Williams' Tuesday Superman Chat Hour (visit
http://www.members.aol.com/megadethdc/chat.htm for details) at 6:00 PM
Eastern. The second takes place on May 27, during The Original Superman
Chat Hour (http://www.talkcity.com/chat.htmpl?room=Superman), hosted by
the Superman Homepage, at 5:30 PM Eastern. Both of these chat hours
take place each week, so feel free to drop by and discuss anything and
everything Superman!
** The American Movie Classics cable network will be showing _Superman II_
at 2:00 PM and 9:45 PM Eastern on May 24.
TOY TIME
** We recently announced that Kenner had ceased distribution of its
Superman animated series line of action figures in the United States
and that their future plans were only to release those figures in
foreign markets. Now word has spread that the foreign markets will
also be getting some action figures never released in the US,
including the Metallo and Supergirl figures. The Countries receiving
these figures include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy,
Belgium, and Mexico.
** US fans shouldn't give up hope on seeing DC figures just yet, however.
We reported last month that Kenner has been exploring the direct market
with plans to release a set of JLA figures exclusively to comic shops.
New details are beginning to come out via Toy Mania
(http://www.toymania.com). Diamond and Kenner have plans for two
assortments consisting of a mixture of figures from the defunct Total
Justice line. Included will be some of the hard to find figures from
the third series, along with some earlier figures redecorated in such
a way as to represent the JLA Revenge Squad holograms as seen in the
"Rock of Ages" storyline. The first boxed set will include Superman,
Huntress, Green Lantern, Holo Batman, and Holo Flash, while the second
boxed set will include Batman, Green Arrow, Flash, Holo Green Lantern,
and Holo Superman. These comic shop "exclusives" will also be available
at KayBee toy stores.
** Toy Mania also notes that Diamond has secured a deal to produce a 12"
Superman figure produced in the animated style. This will be the only
time this figure is made.
** Finally, then, the biggest toy news also centers around Diamond Comic
Distributors. Toy Mania reports rumors are flying about Diamond
attempting to secure the rights to distribute the international Superman
animated series action figures by Kenner(mentioned above)! They may
come exclusive to comic shops, and they may cost a bit more than they
otherwise would have, but maybe we'll get those promised STAS figures
in the States after all!
SUPERMAN LIVES... DIES... LIVES AGAIN!?
** In April, Warner Brothers announced that _Superman Lives_ would be
filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, only to turn around days later and
announce that the project had been shelved. With all of the speculation
that the film was dead, it was only natural that the Pittsburgh Film
Office be concerned. A recent issue of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
confirmed that the film has *not* been cancelled.
Charlotte Kandel, executive vice president of worldwide publicity for
Warner Brothers, contacted the Pittsburgh Film Office to say that they
"truly, truly have not killed it." She explained that a new script is
coming in, and that Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage are still associated
with the project. She also added, "We are committed to the project. It
is too important to Warner Bros. not to go ahead with it. But we are
not going to go ahead with a script that doesn't live up to the
potential of the character."
SUPERMAN 64
** More news on the impending Superman videogame for the Nintendo 64.
Superman will have free range throughout a 3-D rendition of Metropolis,
in which he will be able to interact with other characters, use his
X-Ray vision on certain walls, and use his heat vision to burn selected
objects and enemies. The game is mission based, with 15 different
missions.
On a sillier note, a multi-player mode has been added for two to four
simultaneous players. The players will dogfight around Metropolis in
spaceships. Yes, you read that correctly.
Titus Software (http://www.titussoftware.com) is producing the game and
plans on showing a very substantial demo at the E3 expo later this month
in Atlanta. Depending on reaction to and comments about that demo, the
game will be finished between June and September. I assume this means
no sooner than a fall release for Superman 64.
AND THAT'S A WINNER!
** The "World's Finest" movie from _The New Batman/Superman Adventures_
took home the Daytime Emmy for outstanding special class animated
program.
OF COURSE WE HAVE SOME COMICS NEWS TOO...
** Steve Epting (_Marvel Universe_ #1) takes over as the new penciller of
_Superman_ beginning with issue #142 (November). The team of Mark
Schultz (_Xenozoic Tales_) and Doug Mahnke (_The Mask_) join _Superman:
The Man of Steel_ beginning with issue #87 (November).
** Get ready to empty your pockets for some more _Secret Files_ specials.
Newsarama (http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html) reports that the
JLA gets their third such issue in September by way of _JLA in Crisis_,
which will tie into all of the JLA summer crossovers. DC's newest group
of teen heroes get their own edition in _Young Justice Secret Files_,
out in November.
** Also from Newsarama is the announcement of an odd-sounding new miniseries
from Steve Gerber (_Howard the Duck_, _Nevada_) and Mark Bright (_Quantum
and Woody_) called _A. Bizarro_. (Gerber explains that the "." is not a
typo; "A" is the main character's first initial.) Superman plays a role
in the series, and there will be other guest-stars as well, but the main
character is not any Bizarro which has ever been seen before. Gerber
explains, "What I want to do with this series is take a very tiny corner
of the Superman mythos and explore it at a level of detail that isn't
really possible in the monthly books. _A. Bizarro_ approaches the mythos
on a very intimate level, as opposed to the broad sweep and scale of the
regular titles. It's a kind of Superman story that readers really
haven't seen for a while, and I think they're going to enjoy it."
SUPERMAN REJOINS THE BATTLE AGAINST LAND MINES
** A UPI story reports that a U.S. Army unit has designed a special
Superman comic book warning kids about the dangers of land mines.
Developed in conjunction with DC Comics, the oversized, 32-page book
tells kids how to recognize a land mine and what to do if they find
one. The Spanish-language comic book will be distributed to children
in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica, and will include educational
activities and exercises. A similar publication was distributed last
year to children in Bosnia. An exact distribution date has yet to be
determined.
______________________________________________
SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
---------------------------------------
Episodes #33 & 35: "Apokolips...Now!"
---------------------------------------------------
Reviewed by Nathan Bredfeldt (hal@seas.smu.edu)
February 7 & 14, 1998
Story by Bruce Timm and Rich Fogel
Written by Rich Fogel
Directed by Dan Riba
Guest-starring Michael Ironside as Darkseid
Joseph Bologna as Dan Turpin
Steve Sandor as Orion
Michael Dorn as Kalibak
Joanna Cassidy as Maggie Sawyer
RATINGS:
Average: 4.25/5.0 Shields
Nathan Bredfeldt: 5.0 Shields
As a story, this lacked nothing. Even my high expectations, based on
the previous two Darkseid stories, were easily met.
Scott Devarney: 4.9 Shields
Part I (4.8 Shields) - This was one of the most dramatic episodes to
date. The combination of exciting writing and fine characterization
by Tim Daly and Joseph Bologna (Superman and Turpin) created a real
sense of desperation and a sense that our heroes were out of their
league. There were only 2 problems: the necessary Mother Box info-
dump explaining the New Gods' origins and the build up of Orion at
Superman's expense.
Part II (5.0 Shields) - It doesn't get any better than this. The
writing was superb and the animation was really exciting. Although
some may complain that Superman was ineffective, I like that "regular
guy" Turpin was the one to inspire the forces of Earth; it made a nice
bookend to Turpin's introduction in "Tools of the Trade". I'm going
to miss him.
Curtis Herink: 3.1 Shields
Part I (3.0 Shields) - It was good to see Orion, and I am looking
forward to the conclusion, but I must say there were parts of this
episode that seemed to drag on too long.
Part II (3.2 Shields) - The biggest -- and most terrifying -- menace
Superman has faced. Turpin's defiant stand at the end was inspiring,
but the "defeat" of Darkseid was disappointingly deus ex machina.
Neil Ottenstein: 4.0 Shields
Great Kirby elements. Lots of destruction to Metropolis. How will
their budget survive the rebuilding?
REVIEW
First and foremost, a warning: this story is the single biggest story ever to
grace America's screens during the Superman Animated TV show's timeslot.
Consequently, this review contains spoilers galore. If you plan on seeing
these two episodes, and want to be surprised, skip ahead! Just be aware that
I think this episode was as good as they get! My only complaint was that it
was only two parts! (I read somewhere that Darkseid will be back at the
beginning of season three!)
"Apokolips...Now!" starts innocently enough. Detectives Sawyer and Turpin are
escorting a load of freshly laundered Intergang money to a warehouse with
some of Metropolis' finest. From the go, this is as much Dan Turpin's show as
it is Darkseid's. Either way, I am very happy! I've got my Omega Blast
Darkseid action figure on the desk to my right, and I've always liked
Turpin's big, bushy eyebrows!
Rather suddenly, the warehouse comes under siege by a Jack Kirbyesque flying
machine piloted by two Intergang thugs (last seen in the Steel episode)!
Sawyer is down, and Superman swoops to the rescue, getting a taste of the
versatility of the machine's weapons array. First up: the Nova Bomb
(apparently, Superman needs to be able to see in order to fly). Superman
recovers quickly, but is once again put down by a wicked looking sonic
device. The villains escape.
Cut to Maggie Sawyer, hospitalized. This is a very important scene for those
of us who follow the comics, as well. At Maggie's side sits a woman who seems
to care very much for her, but is never identified; nor is the relationship
between the two women stated. Unless I miss my guess, my hat is off to the
writers, DC, and Kids' WB for a very nice piece of subtle characterization
(not to mention continuity with the comic book version).
Bruno Mannheim is back in charge of Intergang, after a brief visit to the
fire pits of Apokolips (seen in "Father's Day"; another personal favorite),
and he's ecstatic over the success of their heist. Why someone would be so
excited over fake money is beyond me. Anyhow, this is against the wishes of
Darkseid, so Mannheim receives a holographic message, that serves as
backstory, issues a mini-ultimatum, and gets Mannheim back into line.
Meanwhile, Turpin is giving a morale-boosting press conference, complete with
a picture of the attacker's craft; but the meeting is cut short by a boom
tube, which spits out an out-of-control Orion. There's a clever scene with
Orion shouting "Superman!" in front of Clark.
The other side of the act break (commercials to the common folk), a very
agitated Orion gives Superman a warning: "He's coming!" Then, thanks to the
magic of the Mother Box, viewers and Superman alike are treated to the story
of Apokolips and New Genesis, including their origins, the war between them,
and their uneasy truce, sealed with the leaders of the two worlds exchanging
their infant sons.
Backstory Theater is cut short; a pair of the Kirbyesque flying machines are
attacking an Air Force Base. Superman and Orion rush to the scene. Mannheim
and Darkseid's hologram watch, while Orion basically destroys the machines by
himself. About this time, I noticed that Orion has been nicened up from the
comic version (toned down for Television); but they did manage to keep the
core of his personality intact!
Orion voices a concern: what they went through was too easy. He has to leave,
but he gives Superman a signaling device, and a piece of information: Orion
was part of the baby exchange; he's Darkseid's son.
Time to begin phase two, says Darkseid. Phase two involves Ayers Island
Nuclear Power Plant. Mannheim and three Parademons set a bomb that takes out
the plant's coolant system. Darkseid abandons Mannheim, who attempts to
escape the explosion. [More on his fate after the review.]
Thus ends part one. This is as near a perfect episode as I'll ever see. On
the other hand, I always like the first part of multiple episode stories...
Part two opens with Superman, Turpin, and the STAR Labs doctor whose name
escapes me looking at a computer demo that shows power plant explosions will
result in several Apokolips-like burn holes. Time to call in Orion...except
the signal device is fried from the explosion.
Meanwhile, on Apokolips, Kalibak wants a second shot at Superman, but
instead, Darkseid sends Steppenwolf (who looks a lot like Kanto, Darkseid's
Personal Assassin, from _Suicide Squad_ #35). Steppenwolf (and some
Parademons) intercepts Superman en route to stop a world catastrophe.
Property damage (a trademark of this series) ensues.
The Parademons (great design, by the way) prove themselves to be quite the
threat, unlike the fodder they serve as these days in the comics; lots and
lots of them overwhelm both Superman and the city. Meanwhile, the
Turpin-copter takes out Steppenwolf with one missile! He falls into the water
(another trademark of this show...imagine the cleanup costs).
With help from the Metropolis PD, Supes clears the way to the power plant,
and burrows holes in the ocean's floor. Earth is saved, but the crisis isn't
over...Darkseid's here! The big meanie offers "a modicum of restraint" in
dominating Earth, in exchange for Superman's loyalty. You can guess what the
answer was. So, Darkseid beats Superman down.
About this time, you might ask yourself (as I am want to do): why not call in
some other heroes? We know that at least Batman, Dr Fate, Steel, and Flash
exist in this world, so why not call them in? The simple answer: they weren't
needed (unlike...say, Knightfall, where other heroes were needed badly, and
omitted for foolish story purposes only)! The Metropolis Police holds the
line against the forces of Apokolips with ease! This episode really shows
them in a great light!
Of course, the fun comes to a screeching halt when Darkseid drives up on a
monolithic tank-vehicle; complete with a bound Superman for a hood ornament.
Having successfully gotten humanity's attention, Darkseid does some
threatening. Time to turn the Earth over to him.
"In a pig's eye!" Turpin responds. People rally behind him, and Dan uses a
Parademon's weapon (and Deadshot level accuracy) to free Superman! Big S
beats on Kalibak, then offers Darkseid his own ultimatum: "Let's finish it!"
Darkseid is unfazed: "Very well. This world dies now."
Cue the cavalry! Out of several Boom Tubes comes a whole army of Kirby
characters, most notably: Orion, Lightray, Forager, Metron, Black Racer,
Barda, and Mister Miracle (the other baby in the New Genesis/Apokolips baby
trade).
Darkseid decides that Earth is no longer worth the trouble. As a parting
gift, he vents his frustration by zapping Turpin. Superman is the first to
shout "Murderer!"
A touching funeral, and fade to black "Not the end..." promises white letters
against the bleak background.
Then comes my personal favorite part: they dedicated this episode to Jack
Kirby. Aside from the obvious, this meant a lot to me. See, even after
everyone who has ever read or known Kirby in his own lifetime, even after all
of us are dead and gone, that banner will still exist. And someday, maybe
someone who didn't otherwise have the inclination to do so, will see that
banner, and will have his curiosity peaked, his eyes opened up to the magic
that is Jack Kirby.
One final note: no matter how many times Darkseid is on the show, I will
never get used to his voice. I just don't like the lack of majesty in it. It
always seems so weak. And, speaking of voices, did anyone else want to see a
matchup between Steel and Kalibak? =)
Five shields; three words: "see this episode!"
Brian Cruz' WB Cartoon Episodes site has this information in the old news and
press releases section: In two separate messages, one posted to
alt.comics.superman and one to AOL, Paul Dini cleared up a few things people
have been wondering about:
"Turpin's dead, and so is Mannheim, for that matter, though his death in the
nuclear explosion was kind of hard to see."
"The cryptic NOT THE END... refers more toward what Superman plans to do
about Darkseid in future episodes. As for Dan Turpin, I'm afraid that's it
for him."
______________________________________________
THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORY OF ALL TIME
-------------------------------------------
by Bob Hughes (rhughes3@ix.netcom.com)
Part 1
The Scarlet Widow
It's September 24, 1945. In Perry White's office, Clark Kent's face turns
ashen gray as he stares at the afternoon edition of the Daily Planet. Perry
is about to go to Clark's assistance, when Lois enters and wants to know what
the matter is. Despite prodding, Kent refuses to talk. He protests he's all
right, but Lois and Perry both know something is wrong.
"Your face is the color of the Chief's hair!" declares Lois.
"What's wrong with my hair?" sputters White.
"Nothing, but it's gray!"
"Your hair will be gray too if you live to be my age!"
As Perry and Lois get distracted by their own verbal hijinks, Clark sneaks
out and returns to his office. Lois peruses the paper looking for a hint as
what set Clark off but can't find it.
The radio version of Clark Kent is not the spineless milksop made popular in
the Sixties comics, but a crusading reporter in his own right, driven and
mysterious.
"You know as well as I that Clark is not a normal person, but actually quite
peculiar. Ever since I've known Clark I've had the feeling that he was
leading a double life...." Lois tells the Chief.
Kent is portrayed, at least in this adventure, as extremely hyper, often in a
state of near-hysteria, but his reporter's instincts are seldom wrong. Given
his remarkable inability to remember which one of his selves he's talking
about at any given time, it is only the fact that no one even suspects
Superman has a secret identity that keeps him from being discovered. At
least, until now.
Lois finally finds an article is about noted meteorologist Dr. John Whistler
who has just died. About a year ago, Lois recalls, a strange meteor fell
outside the city. Clark interviewed Doctor Whistler about it. The doctor
called it Kryptonite. He said it was a piece of the dead planet Krypton.
There must be some connection. But what connection could there be between
Clark Kent and a rock from another planet?
But when White tries to call Clark back into his office, he finds Clark's
gone home sick. Worried, Lois and Perry make plans to stop at Clark's
apartment on the way home.
But first -- New Kellogg's Pep is offering you a chance to get a "real sun
dial wrist watch". This swell watch is made of real aluminum, about as big
around as a regular watch, with a really sharp strap. Merely lift the shadow
hand, or pointer, and aim it due north. Wherever the shadow lands, that's the
hour of the day. And all you have to do is get Mom to send in two box tops
from Kellogg's Pep plus 10 cents in cash.
Yes, this is the Adventures of Superman on radio. From February 1940 until
mid-1951, radio was probably the medium in which most people got their
Superman adventure thrills. As the announcer at the end of each program
reminded listeners, "For other thrilling adventures of Superman check your
local newspaper." And as an afterthought -- "Superman is also a copyrighted
feature appearing in Superman-DC publications." (Which some people might have
realized meant comic books.)
Superman was brought to radio by Robert Maxwell, a pulp writer who had worked
for DC publisher Harry Donenfeld's pulp magazine line and somehow talked
Donenfeld into giving him control of Superman's licensing rights. The program
bounced around for a few years, before finally landing on the Mutual Network,
sponsored by Kellogg's Pep (and occasionally Raisin Bran or Variety Pack).
For most of this time, Superman was played by Bud Collyer. Collyer also
performed on many other radio shows, as an announcer, game show moderator,
and actor. He played Pat Ryan on the Terry and the Pirates show. Jackie Kelk
(radio's Jimmy Olsen) played Terry. Kelk also played a major role on the
Aldrich Family show.
Joan Alexander, radio's Lois Lane, also played Della Street for awhile on the
Perry Mason radio show, as well as secretary to radio "noir" detective, Philo
Vance, as well as many other radio programs. The beauty of radio was that
actors could perform on many programs at once, as each program was done live,
script in hand, without elaborate rehearsal or taping schedules.
Collyer and Alexander also did the voices for the Fleischer cartoons, which
sadly ignored the rest of the cast. Collyer, after a long career as a TV game
show host, returned to the part one more time for the Sixties revival of the
Superman cartoon series.
Julian Noa played Perry White. White and Olsen originated on the radio, White
in the very first serial, which also introduced the Daily Planet, as a
replacement for the Daily Star used in the comic book up until then. Having
no comic book model to follow, Noa virtually created the gruff, continually
exasperated Perry White style that was followed by Pierre Watkin, John
Hamilton, and Jackie Cooper later on.
Jimmy (Jackie Kelk) followed along on April 15, 1940. Originally an office
boy, he graduated to cub reporter and was the first of the cast to actually
meet the mysterious Superman (on September 20, 1940). It was on radio that
Jimmy became Superman's pal. His comic book appearances were minimal, but on
radio he was often the central character of adventures like "The Boy King of
Mornia" and "The Land of Illyria".
By the time our 1945 episode had rolled around, the cast of the show had been
enlarged to include Inspector Henderson, Private Detective Candy Myers and
Batman and Robin.
Kryptonite had also been introduced on the radio, but its origins are
mysterious and convoluted. There exists a 24-page story by Jerry Siegel and
Joe Shuster that was apparently drawn in the very early forties which
introduces Kryptonite. This story was never published, perhaps because in it
Lois discovers Clark Kent's identity. Kryptonite next appeared as the
mysterious metal that the Krypto ray gun was made of. This was a toy film
strip projector advertised on the back of many early Action Comics. The
Krypto ray gun eventually appeared in a story in _Action Comics_ #32 in
January 1941, but no mention was made in the story as to the origin of the
name.
Somehow, Maxwell must have gotten hold of Siegel's script and decided
Kryptonite would make a good plot for radio, so he used it in a June 1943
adventure, and then forgot about it until the war ended.
However, once the atom bomb landed on Hiroshima, radioactivity was news and
the race was on to include this new energy form in American media
presentations everywhere. Barely a month after the war ended, Kryptonite, now
touted as being even more powerful than Uranium, had returned to menace the
Man of Steel!
In his apartment, Clark paces and frets and tries to decide what to do about
the Kryptonite. The Kryptonite robbed him of all his strength before. But how
can he get near enough to destroy it? Clark realizes he needs help, but has
no idea how to get it without revealing his secret. "How can I reveal my
double identity?" he ponders, as Lois and Perry ring the bell. Should he tell
them?
Lois confronts Clark with the Kryptonite story and Perry demands the truth
"straight from the shoulder." "All right" he relents. "There is some
connection. I suppose I'll have to tell it..."
"Be sure to tune in tomorrow. Same time, same station."
Thus began the longest adventure ever run on the Superman radio program. It
wasn't until January 8, 1946 that the Superman got to catch a breath, a
whopping 77 episodes later! If each episode is considered the equivalent of a
single comic book, that story would last a year and a half at DC's current
issue a week rate! (Let's hope this article doesn't give them any ideas.)
The next day, in Episode 802, (the episode numbering is confusing, because
the program stopped and started over the years, making several number ones,
just like modern comic books) after making Lois and Perry promise to tell the
story to no one, Clark tells them the origin of Superman.
"As you may or may not know, Superman was the only survivor of the planet
Krypton when it exploded in space many years ago. He came to Earth as an
infant and grew up to discover that he had strange and unusual powers,
impenetrable skin and tremendous strength, and the ability to withstand fire
and flame, to leap great distances and sustain himself in mid-air... But
perhaps I should tell you the whole story."
Perry and Lois listen, dumfounded, as Clark tells them the story of Jor-El
and Krypton's fall and how the race of Supermen perished, all except one babe
-- launched into space to find a new home in the green hills of Earth. It's a
totally different origin from the one with which the series started in 1940.
In that one, Superman didn't land on Earth until he was an adult. He knew he
was from Krypton right from the beginning.
How the Superman who arrived on Earth as a baby found out about Krypton is
unclear. The original Kryptonite story from 1943 has been lost. Only one
episode remains, in which Clark muses about the strange meteor which
scientists have named Kryptonite and its effect on him. The name Kryptonite
rings a bell in his mind, but he can't remember why. Perhaps he was old
enough when he left Krypton to remember Jor-El, and the exposure to
Kryptonite finally jogs that memory into the open. Perhaps he found out some
other way. We may never know. (But how did the Earth scientists know that the
name of the planet was Krypton?).
The episode ends with the rocket and baby being rushed to Earth and Clark
still undecided as to whether to tell Lois and Perry that he, himself, is
Superman. He doesn't of course. The secret is too much a part of him to let
go. Instead, he tries to convince them that Superman has enlisted his help to
get rid of the Kryptonite which puts the Man of Steel in mortal danger.
Perry says not to worry. He'll call the museum in the morning and get the
Kryptonite dropped into the middle of the ocean. As Perry and Lois leave,
Clark goes to bed totally relieved. It's a relief that doesn't last long
however, for a few hours later, he's awakened by a newsboy hawking outside
his window.
"Extra! Extra! Superman in Danger!"
His best friends have betrayed him. The story he told them in the strictest
confidence has now been brandished all over Metropolis. And thus begins a
confrontation with the greatest collection of villainy Superman has ever
faced! -- and the greatest threat to his life and civilization itself that he
ever will face!
Lois is unrepentant however. No harm is done. The meteor will be destroyed in
the morning. "It's selling a lot of newspapers and that's what counts."
But across town, a thin, gaunt woman dressed in scarlet reclines on a white
velvet couch surrounded by two Persian cats. A ghost of a smile plays on her
bluish lips and her parchment skin almost develops some color. She is the
most dangerous woman in the world. Her weasel-faced henchmen, Sniggers,
smiles.
"By dawn that meteor should be in our possession."
"If I can't do it, Widow, there ain't nobody who can!"
Episode 804 -- "For the first time in all his existence, Superman knows the
meaning of fear!"
At the home of Inspector Henderson, shortly after midnight, Clark gets the
inspector out of bed. In a state of advanced panic, he shows Henderson Lois's
story and asks for an armed guard to be put around the museum. Fifty men!
After a great deal of coaxing and begging, Henderson reluctantly agrees.
The police guard is not enough to dissuade The Widow, however. She lures the
police away by setting her car on fire. Kent is there at the museum, but he
can't stop the police from running to the car fire. In fact, he runs himself.
Meanwhile a shadowy figure moves along on catlike feet, collars Officer
Halloran (the only cop who stayed behind), and sticks a knife in his back.
Dragging Halloran along with him, Sniggers picks the lock and breaks into the
museum.
When Clark finds the burning car is empty, he becomes suspicious. Then, when
Halloran turns up missing, Clark is petrified.
"Great Scott!" he exclaims to the puzzlement of Sgt. Mulrooney. "He's got the
Kryptonite!" Yes, his x-ray vision has seen Sniggers in the vault holding the
jagged green-glowing Kryptonite!
Using the policeman as a hostage, Sniggers escapes with the Kryptonite, but
Superman (his first appearance this week; Collyer's voice drops half an
octave to indicate to the radio audience that Clark is finally changing his
clothes) is soon on his trail. His performance is hardly heroic, however.
Although he quickly catches up with Sniggers, in the ensuing scuffle the
Kryptonite rolls loose from its lead box. Superman staggers like a drunk,
while Sniggers gloats. Superman begs him to put the Kryptonite back and then
passes out cold.
The Kryptonite not only glows, but makes a wooshing noise. This is radio
after all. Everything needs to be expressed as a sound effect here. The
famous Superman flying woosh from the TV series was originally developed on
radio, as was the tag line "Up, up and away!" to indicate to listeners that
Superman had left the ground. There was also the less memorable, "Down!
Down!" to indicate landings.
Sniggers pops the Kryptonite back in the box and starts to drag the inert
hero to the street. "Superman's red cape trails in the gutter like a broken
wing!" But fortunately for the Man of Steel, Sniggers is interrupted by a
policeman on his beat, so he drops Superman and hops a fence and runs away.
The policeman thinks Superman is a drunk on his way home from a masquerade
party. He slaps Superman back into consciousness. Weakly, Superman jumps into
the air, leaving the astonished cop behind.
Meanwhile at the Widow's posh apartment hideout. The gloating Widow listens
to the Kryptonite. "That stuff burns -- It does!" says Sniggers. "What I want
to know is what's it worth?"
"More valuable than gold," replies the Widow.
The bell rings. Four men, their hats pulled over the eyes silently move into
the apartment. They are Superman's greatest foes: The Laugher, Der Teufel,
Papa Rausch, and the Vulture. Der Teufel is the head German agent in America.
The Vulture was put in the death house by Superman back in April, 1943. Two
years ago Papa Rausch (German for "pandemonium") was well on his way to
destroying America's war plants with his tiny model planes. The Laugher was
head of America's rackets. All agree that they want revenge on Superman. The
Widow offers them each a share of the Kryptonite -- for one million dollars
apiece! (No, none of these villains ever appeared in comic books, and as far
as I can determine, none of the comic book villains ever appeared on the
radio.)
The four are skeptical and demand proof, so the Widow takes out an ad in the
Daily Planet, hoping to attract Superman to her apartment. She hides tiny
slivers of Kryptonite in her house plants, where Superman won't notice them
until too late. It's a plan that works only too well. Soon Superman is
helpless at her feet.
Papa Rausch wants to finish Superman immediately, but the Widow wants her
money first. The four finally agree and Sniggers starts to cut the
Kryptonite. But there is no honor among thieves. Der Teufel ("The Devil" in
German) pulls a gun and demands his piece for free. The other three villains
take off after him. The Widow and Sniggers are left with the unconscious
Superman.
Boys and Girls, it's National Religious Education Week. President Truman says
to go to Sunday School every week.
Episode 809 -- The Vulture calls and tells the Widow that Teufel went to a
drug store to have his burned hand treated. (Kryptonite not only glows and
makes an eerie noise, it's also extremely hot!) He thinks Der Teufel has
turned them in to the police. In a hurry to cover their tracks, the Widow and
Sniggers stuff Superman in a big chest. They stick a sliver of Kryptonite
into the chest with him, then drive to a small cove on the sea coast where a
motorboat is moored. They haul the trunk with Superman in it out to sea and
miles out, they dump the chest overboard!
What will happen? What WILL Happen? Be sure to return for our next chapter as
Superman faces the greatest menace he and civilization have ever faced when
"The Atom Man Attacks!"
But first, there's a brand new series of comic buttons coming from Kellogg's
Pep -- including Superman, Moon Mullins, Smiling Jack and Smoky Stover -- 18
in all. One free in each box of Pep, or a military insignia or war plane
button. They're great fun to trade with your friends, and are really swell!
______________________________________________
NEW COMIC REVIEWS
------------------------------------------
Comics Arriving In Stores April 1998
We interrupt your new comic reviews in order to bring you the completists'
report, mentioning titles involving the Superman family of characters which
were chosen not to be reviewed this month. First up are some brief
appearances of the Man of Energy in _JLA: Tomorrow Woman_ #1, part of April's
Girlfrenzy week. As usual, the saga of Clark Kent's adopted ancestors
continued in _The Kents_ #11. Seven years after the fact, the Legion finally
got around to their tie-in to "Time and Time Again" in _Legionnaires_ #61,
and then followed that up with the involvement of a "time-slip" Superboy and
Supergirl in _Legion of Super-Heroes_ #105. Finally, reporter Clark Kent
decides to snoop out the not-so-new kids on the block in _Teen Titans_ #21.
We now return you to your regularly-scheduled reviews.
Ratings Panelists:
-----------------
AW: Anatole Wilson EJ: Enola Jones RD: Rick Doll
CoS: Cory Strode ES: Emmanuel Soupidis RG: Rene' Gobeyn
DC: David Chappell GS: Gabe Smith ST: Shane Travis
DJ: Derek Jackson JO: Joey Ochoa SDM: Simon DelMonte
DR: Daniel Radice JP: Julian Pinder TD: Thomas Deja
DWd: Darrin Wood JSy: Jeff Sykes VV: Vic Vitek
DWk: Douglas Wolk MS: Mike Smith
As always, the first rating given after the averageis 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 TRIANGLE TITLES:
-------------------
22. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #558 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
"Another Typical Day"
Plot: Karl Kesel
Script: Jerry Ordway
Pencils: Steve Yeowell
Inks: Denis Rodier
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
Separations: Digital Chameleon
Letters: Albert DeGuzman
Ass't Editor: Maureen McTigue
Umpire: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Tom Grummett
RATINGS
Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
DR: 4.5 Shields
DJ: 2.2 Shields - A decent attempt at silver-age writing -- it was just
very boring. The alien story line was unexciting and the Luthor
plot seemed like page-filler.
EJ: 3.6 Shields - Took me back to the stories I loved as a child. The
Schaffenberger-esque art brought tears to my eyes; he was my
favourite artist.
ES: 2.9 Shields - Silver-aged fun that revisited the great Clark/Lois
pre-relationship with great accuracy. If only Immonen had drawn
this... but would his style have suited the era?
GS: 4.5 Shields - Finally, we're back to the kind of stuff that the readers
deserve. I didn't grow up with this Superman, but in reading this
book, I felt as if I had.
JO: 1.5 Shields - God! I hope I'm not the only one confused and praying for
the current time line to return. The only thing that has remained
constant is Jimmy's stupidity.
JP: 4.9 Shields - Carefully evokes the fun of the Silver Age without
slipping too far into parody; the only things that seemed out of
place were the Steel and Superboy appearances. Still, I'm not
complaining.
ST: 3.0 Shields - Enjoyable, but 'off' in minor but significant ways. Unlike
_Action_ and _MOS_, there seemed little effort to capture the 'feel'
of the period's art, and the type-face diary entries didn't help.
Only the excellent twist with Jimmy saved it at all for me.
I can't believe I'm about to say this. I have to apologize to any purists or
casual fans of Superman that I may offend with this statement. I'd like to
absolve the Kryptonian Cybernet up front from my blasphemy, but... this issue
reads like...*gulp*...an Alan Moore issue of _Supreme_. I'm sorry! Don't hurt
me! It's just that _Supreme_ was sooooo good after Moore took it over! It
captured the silver-age sensibilities of Superman and supplanted them in a
modern era. The book is "on hiatus" right now, but if you get the chance,
pick up any of Moore's issues, and pretend that _Supreme_ is Superman. Trust
me, you'll enjoy it, much like anyone will enjoy this issue.
This is the shortest and simplest plot summary I'll ever give, since it is
not the plot, but the action that goes on within that makes this issue a
winner. The issue starts up with Superman playing a game of "baseball" using
a ship's mast for his bat, and a specially designed "ball". The bases are
located around the world, with Supergirl (Kara!), Steel, and Superboy playing
the field. Standing guard at home plate is Superman-Robot 1, with Lois Lane
looking on. Of course, Superman manages to arrive safe, with a little bit of
inadvertent help from Krypto. Turns out that the "ball" is to be auctioned
off at a charity that day! But the events are far from over.
Cub reporter, Jimmy Olsen, after struggling to get to work on time, is almost
immediately dispatched to the roof of the Daily Planet ("home plate") to take
some photos. On the way up there he suffers from the effects of the alien
isotopes he drank in _Superman Forever_, and emerges on the roof not as
Jimmy, but as an alien with a golden touch. Lois and Alien-Jimmy are sent off
to the charity auction, planned as a dedication for the just-opened Krypton
Park. Disaster strikes (doesn't it always?) and Jimmy goes missing. Who's to
blame? Who else? Lex Luthor, criminal mastermind! The issue winds down with
Superman stopping Lex, the revelation that Jimmy didn't actually turn into an
alien (he just had his clothes stolen by the extra-terrestrial chap), and the
wrap-up of a data entry into Superman's journal. Just another typical day.
Wow! I loved it! Great issue! Kesel didn't do what I had expected, which was
a pound-for-pound copy of the Silver Age style. Instead, it was Silver Age a
la Moderne. I half expected to see the same panel layouts, faded-looking
paper, Swan-esque drawings and so on. I was pleasantly wrong. The script was
cute, reminiscent of stories from years gone by, yet not derivative. An
excellent homage to the era. The dialogue by Jerry Ordway was spot-on as
well, yet had modern touches to it. "Weep-Wow(!)", indeed!
Steve Yeowell was a welcome fill-in on art and (listen well, because you may
never hear me say this again) he worked really well with Denis Rodier. They
made an excellent combination, I thought. I was astonished when I looked at
the art because I didn't gag due to the inking. Yeowell's Superman was a nice
mix between the modern-day Supes and the silver-age version. I would have
preferred Anthony Williams (he apes Swan's style in _Superman Forever_), but
this was just as good.
If I had been a child during the Silver Age, I'd say that this book made me
feel like a kid again. Heck, even my father enjoyed this, and he hates comic
books. I was thoroughly impressed with this issue, and I'm really looking
forward to the last two parts of this time-slip story. Good work, fellows.
The acclaim is well deserved.
Dan Radice
<dradice@caninet.com>
=================================================
23. ACTION COMICS #745 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
"Polyesteryear Part 1: Ready, Fire, Aim"
Writer: Stuart Immonen
Guest Penciller: Anthony Williams
Inkers: Jose Marzan, Jr., and Jimmy Palmiotti
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Separations: Digital Chameleon
Assistant: Maureen McTigue
Wayback Machine: Joey Cavalieri
RATINGS
Average: 3.1/5.0 Shields
ST: 3.5 Shields
DJ: 4.6 Shields - A great story in the spirit of the Polyester Age. It was
entertaining and fun!
DWk: 2.9 Shields - Clever, yes, but... not *that* clever. It captures the
surface appearance of the '70s' comics, but not quite their spirit.
EJ: 3.4 Shields - The Polyester Age Superman was the one I grew up with.
Seeing the fashions and Lana's comments about Lois being unfeminine,
I got homesick.
ES: 2.8 Shields - The 70s are not a nostalgic time for me, but hey, all
this issue needed was the goodness of Curt Swan and I'm a kid again.
I'm slowly forgetting about the Millennium Giants tragedy...
JO: 2.0 Shields - Better than the Silver Age issue, but still bad. If we
must revisit the '70s there are better ways to do it than this.
SDM: 3.1 Shields - Not profound but still quite a rush for someone who grew
up reading comics like this. It's a nice change to see villains who
don't kill and the super-square Superman of my childhood. Not great
art here, either, but the Prankster hasn't looked this good in ages.
TD: 3.0 Shields - An okay piece of work which hits all the right notes.
Nice to see a goofy villain like the Prankster again.
If you've ever accosted someone with a picture of what they looked like 20
years ago, then you know that they will often say, "Did I really look like
that? Did I really *act* like that? Please -- take that thing away and burn
it!" Well here at Nostalgia Central we have an opportunity to hold up a
20-year-old mirror to Superman and see how well he's aged. Yes, it's another
Superman 'era' story, and this time, we've landed firmly on April 1st, 1977.
Synopsis:
It seems that even (especially?) in 1977, there's a sucker born every minute.
We enter with Superman trying to hold up a bomb-damaged bridge while several
hundred people argue and bicker above him, oblivious to the danger. Using a
blast of Super-Breath to freeze the bay under the bridge (I miss some of
those old, hokey powers), Superman confronts the mob and learns that each of
these people has answered a billboard ad and paid $1000 for sole title to the
Queensland Span. Unfortunately, as Superman points out, a span can also be 9"
long -- the same size as their deeds. At that point, most of the letters on
the deed fade, leaving only the words, "Here you go, sucker." Talk about
adding insult to injury!
Returning to his job as anchor of the Evening News on WGBS, Clark runs into
Lana in the hallway (who comments on his out-of-date clothes) and they both
run into Lois in the elevator (who comments on the company Clark is keeping).
She already has the story of the bridge explosion, and knows that it was
Oswald Loomis -- the Prankster -- who set it all up. Lana and Lois exchange
verbal blows, and Clark ducks out to pay a visit to Oswald. Unfortunately,
nothing Loomis has done is *technically* illegal, and there is no proof that
he set the bomb, so Superman is forced to let him go with a stern warning.
One-page interlude of Lois pining over Superman, and trying to reconcile her
unrequited love with being a 'thoroughly modern Ms.' Jimmy (who looks about
50 years old) thinks that she is missing Clark and tries to console her, but
only succeeds in infuriating her more.
Now the pace picks up a little. Lana, doing an on-site interview with the
captain of the world's largest ocean liner, is kidnapped by said captain --
who reveals himself to be the Prankster in disguise. Superman has finally
figured out some of Loomis' earlier clues and arrives on the scene, but is
delayed when a mob-fight breaks out over another of Oswald's distracting
little tricks. Superman is delayed twice more (by dummies made to look like
crewmembers thrown overboard, and by being 'propelled' into a giant sugar-
iceberg) and despite diverting the ship, he is unable to stop the liner
before it hits international waters.
Oswald has Lana booby-trapped so that Superman can't just come busting in,
but he doesn't really want to harm her; he only wants time to explain his
genius to Superman. Since Superman 'piloted' the ship around the iceberg,
that technically makes him the captain. The ship is now in international
waters, so the Captain is the highest authority. All of which leads to...
Prankster's request that Superman marry him and Lana!
Opinions:
When I first read this story, I freely admit that I was unimpressed. It
didn't compare well, I thought, to the Silver-era story in AOS #558. I have
realized, however, upon subsequent re-readings, that this book is much less
superficial, and by far the better story.
The main barrier to enjoyment of this story was the visuals. I'm not just
talking about the art (although Anthony Williams seemed to have some real
problems drawing the faces of Lois, Jimmy and even Superman from time to
time) -- I'm talking about the whole visual package. The clothes. The hair.
The furniture. The buildings. The jewelry. The people. All of these things
just scream 1977 at me, and I wanted to scream right back.
Another thing that I found really off-putting was the actions of the
'common man' throughout the story. At every instance, they seemed mean,
petty, selfish, and prone to stupidity and violence. The first answer to
any question was to hit somebody, and we see two full-scale mob fights
within 22 pages.
If the intent of this title was to evoke the comics of the 'Polyester Era',
though, it has done a good job. This is what people *acted* like in those
comics. (I know; I looked through my back-issues to check.) This is how they
dressed. This is how the writers thought the buying public viewed the world;
with a lot more cynicism and skepticism than we do today. I think that they
goofed a little with the time period -- this would have been better set in
1972 than 1977 -- but it's close enough that I won't quibble.
So, leaving all the trappings aside, let's concentrate on the story. It
wasn't until I tried to synopsize it that I realized how dense this story
truly is! Every panel has significance, so much goes on, and there is such a
strong mesh between the words and pictures that to describe every relevant
detail would take far more space than I have. Furthermore, it was nice to see
Superman back in his role as Big Blue Boy Scout; confident and assured, and
so square he was almost cubed; contrast that to the successful and preppy
Clark and doubt-ridden Superman we've seen pop up since the reboot.
"But what about the Prankster," I hear you ask. "Isn't he sort of lame?"
True, he seems rather antiquated nowadays, but he has a long and rich history
going back to Superman's earliest days. In the Golden Age (before the
introduction of the Comics Code) he was a much nastier person. Death in
comics was much more common; then, his bomb would not have failed to blow up
the bridge and the suckers on it. After the Comics Code neutered his sadistic
urges, he continued on for a long time, but never had the same 'zing' as he
originally did. Still, in an era where Superman was only a half-step down
from God Himself, Oswald Loomis was one of the few people who could 'put one
over' on Big Blue, which he does again in this issue. It was a refreshing
change to run into a villain who fights with his mind and not his fists
(or with other people's fists -- cf. Lex Luthor), and whose great ambition
is not the domination of the world, but rather to marry a contemporary
version of Connie Chung!
Art-wise, Whitmore does a beautiful job of colouring this issue. In a lot
of the books of late, he seems to be just phoning it in; not so here, where
the colours are more vibrant than I've seen on any super-title in the last
six months. Anthony Williams does a creditable fill-in job (except for my
previously-noted problem with the faces), and yet I hate the result. It's
not that he's done a poor job with the art; in fact, it's just the opposite.
Everything in the book so successfully evokes the feel of a late-1970s
comic that it makes me shudder to look at it.
This, then, is the true strength of this book (and of _Man of Steel_). In
reading these stories, I don't feel like I'm taking a 'loving look back' at
the period in question, but rather that I've just picked up a previously-
unread back issue from that era. Unlike the Silver-era story, which mixed
as many SA elements as it could to try and evoke a 'feeling', this story
simply plunked itself down in 1977 and told a good tale.
Final thought: I'd like to see the Prankster make another appearance in the
Post-Byrne universe, if only to keep the history of the character alive.
The last time we saw him was in _Adventures of Superman_ #500, where he
electrocuted his cellmate -- an act which to this day is unexplained, but
wonderfully in-character. If he ever does come back, I would love to see
Williams draw him; never has Oswald Loomis looked so good.
Shane Travis
<travis@sedsystems.ca>
=================================================
24. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #80 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
"Superman"
Writers: Bogdanove and Simonson
Pencils: Bogdanove
Inks: Janke
Letters: Lopez
Colors: Whitmore
Separations: Digital Chameleon
Godsend: McTigue
Godforsaken: Cavalieri
Special Thanks: Cullen
Cover: Bogdanove, Janke, and Martin
RATINGS
Average: 4.1/5.0 Shields
MS: 4.6 Shields
DJ: 1.6 Shields - Cheesy attempt at a Golden Age propaganda story. I'm a
little of sick of seeing Nazis, although they were (and still are)
the definitive bad guys of the time.
DWk: 3.3 Shields - Bogdanove finally gets something he's really good at
drawing, and the writing team has a ball--I liked the spirit of the
captions and the snarliness of the '30s Superman.
JO: 3.5 Shields - A nice surprise. I like books of this period; artists were
allowed to be crappy, but writing was always character-rich.
JSy: 4.5 Shields - Simply beautiful. If I believed in such a thing, I'd swear
that Bog channelled Joe Shuster to draw this issue.
SDM: 3.9 Shields - The best work Simonson and Bogdanove have done in ages.
The duo captures the 1938 Superman perfectly in both character and
appearance. The scene with Supes at the Nazi rally was a delight and
an inspiration - this is what Superman was and is about.
ST: 4.7 Shields - This story was as chock full 'o stuff as those GA stories
are, bursting from scene to scene. No subplots here!
TD: 4.0 Shields - So far my fave of the 'alternative Supes' stories; Jon's
got a real feel for the era.
VV: 4.0 Shields - This was almost a "grim and gritty" Superman; a bully
with the bad guys, threatening a high level of violence, but unlike
today's heroes never resorting to it. A true American hero.
Yeah! Here we go! After three months of the Super Mario Bros. here comes
the original Superman to turn it all around. Check that. I mean the ORIGINAL
original Superman. The one-eighth-of-a-mile leapin', Sedan chuckin', door
bustin', eye squintin', jaw squarin' All Time Ace of Action himself! Yeah!
I told you I'd get back to gushing over this title.
So how much cooler is this than the Millennium Giants? It's a Superman title
with Superman in it, and it's even called "Superman"! No supporting cast at
all, no guest stars, no mindless supervillains. Just tons and tons of
SUPERMAN! Yeah!
Just so we're all up to speed: For unknown reasons, Superman is shifting
between four different realities, one being the 1938 setting of this issue.
So it's a crossover, but we get Golden Age Superman for three months at the
same time. Nice to see the editors woke up this year.
This puts Superman back in the days of his very first appearance: _Action
Comics_ #1. Back then, there were no colorful villains or guys like Captain
Marvel to armwrestle, so Superman was less powerful. He jumped instead of
flying, had no vision powers, and could be knocked silly with conventional
explosives -- but hey, the superhero genre was in its infancy.
Superman battled social ills of the day (crooked orphanages, abuse, corrupt
mining companies, etc.), and struck dynamic poses while doing it. Flash
forward to Simonson and Bogdanove, who write stories about social ills which
feature dynamic poses. It's a natural combination.
The plot is surprisingly complex: Superman is a new figure in Metropolis, and
he'd prefer to keep it that way. Some people consider him mythical, others
compare him to the "Ubermensch" of Nazi propaganda. Superman remains
unavailable for comment as he saves an innocent death row inmate and
threatens an abusive husband.
Interlude #1: Does that wife beater sound familiar? He should, since Simonson
and Bogdanove did a similar nod to that scene from _Action_ #1 in the pages
of _Man of Steel_#15. This time, Superman goes a little easier on the man and
there's a strange little girl insisting something is wrong. She disappears.
Back to plot: Lois Lane reluctantly teams up with Clark Kent to investigate
the growing Nazi support in Metropolis. Superman saves her and a Jewish
family from some teenaged thugs and leaps away. Lois discovers a secret
meeting from one of the toughs and goes undercover to learn more. Turns out
it's a secret conspiracy of powerful Nazi sympathizers who want to give U.S.
military secrets to the Germans. At the same time, they plan a "Rally to Save
America" starring their figurehead, Lawrence Dennis. He's a former actor who
now portrays the Atomic Skull for the German cause.
Interlude #2: Remember the Atomic Skull? The kid deluded into believing he's
the serial hero of the same name? This would be the original guy, except he
isn't supposed to be around in the 1930's. The word "atomic" wasn't
popularized until after World War II, and the general public wouldn't
understand the name in '38.
Back again: Superman saves Lois after she's caught by the conspirators (just
for kicks, he picks up a Sedan). She tells him the plot, and Superman
realizes that the only way to expose the truth is to interrogate the Atomic
Skull at the rally. As he does, another conspirator tries to silence Dennis
by arranging for a giant swastika to fall on the rallygoers, but Superman
stops it in time and rights it. Seizing the moment, Dennis claims that
Superman saved the swastika out of support for the Nazi cause. The crowd
salutes Superman with chants of "Seig Heil!" It's a bizarre moment to say the
least.
So Superman punches out the swastika, smashing it into rubble before the
startled populace. Superman explains that he wants to be a champion of
tolerance and justice, like any American should. The next day, Lois turns in
the story seconds after Clark; the editor, George Taylor, suggests that they
share the next byline on Superman.
As for the interludes, I point them out as clues to the larger picture. These
anomalies are what should have been in the "New Powers" story a year ago, but
weren't. We're actually getting a progression in this story, so that the
ending won't be another _Superman_ #135. I'm enjoying this.
Anyway, there you go. Pretty interesting stuff. This issue successfully
combines the best of Siegel and Shuster with the best of Simonson and
Bogdanove. The art is expressive and dynamic, while maintaining a simpler
feel. The story throws in a lot of scenes from _Action_ #1, but with modern
layouts. Later on, the story becomes more modern in style, but takes on the
smaller panels of the Golden Age. It was Siegel's Superman in character, but
he takes on a new light thanks to modern advents like the thought balloon and
Simonson dialogue (Lois now has lengthy conversations with both Clark and
Superman).
Most important, the story is a period piece but executed from a perspective
Siegel and Shuster wouldn't have had. How could they know that Superman's
greatest power is his influence as an icon? How could they have published a
story on Nazism in the thirties? Superman couldn't have handled that kind of
controversy in his first year. So in playing on these elements Mrs. S. and
Mr. B. can create a tribute to the Golden Age, yet make it a wholly original
tale.
I'd say it works. What's better is that this party is still on for another
three months, so there's still time for Superman to outrun bullets, wear
disguises, and find his likeness being used to sell gasoline.
This is gonna be great.
Mike Smith
<mpsmit0@pop.uky.edu>
______________________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES:
-------------------
STEEL #51 May 1998 $2.50 US/$3.50 CAN
"Quest"
Writer: Christopher Priest
Breakdowns: Denys Cowan and Eric Battle
Finishes: Tom Palmer and Vince Giarrano
Letterer: Clem Robins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Separations: Digital Chameleon
Asst. Editor: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Denys Cowan, Tom Palmer, and Josh Myers
RATINGS
Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
JSy: 3.5 Shields
DWk: 3.6 Shields - Priest is trying *so* hard to finish up the million plot
threads here that it all gets confusing. This issue shows off his
trademark twisty plots and moral ambiguity, and what an ending!
ES: 2.6 Shields - Great dialogue from Priest makes for a fun action read.
I have to admit that this really didn't feel like the penultimate
issue, but I assume that's due to DC's hasty cancellation.
MS: 3.8 Shields - Kinda goofy, but I needed something to cheer me up anyway.
This book is at it's next to last issue and you'd never notice it
from the story.
TD: 3.5 Shields - Priest raids his _Task Force_ stuff and comes up with
what I think was supposed to be a filler if it wasn't for the
cancellation.
Maybe there just weren't enough abnormally-formed, half-naked women. Maybe
the guns and violence just weren't big enough for today's crowd. Maybe John
Irons was just too darn normal in an industry full of mutants and demons
from hell. Or maybe a large part of today's comic audience just doesn't care
about characterization and development of a supporting cast. Whatever the
reason, _Steel_ is now just one issue away from joining the ranks of the no
more.
The penultimate issue of _Steel_ unfolds in two distinct tales. The first,
illustrated by series regulars Cowan and Palmer, allows Priest to follow up
on a concept from the end of his run on _Justice League Task Force_ (Does
this man have a history of writing doomed titles, or what?), as the alien
bounty hunter Glenn Gammeron pays a visit to Jersey City. In a nutshell,
Gammeron has been exiled on Earth since events in _JLTF_ and is hoping that
he can restore his reputation by capturing an alien spore that skipped bail.
Yes, a spore.
That's not as easy as it sounds though. The spore, "Billy," takes control of
organic hosts, after which it can rearrange the molecular structure of
anything it touches. Steel and his pals eventually capture Billy and Gammeron
goes on his way.
To be perfectly honest, this half of the issue is absolutely silly. Really,
doesn't it sound like something out of a schlock sci-fi film from the
fifties? Furthermore, Cowan and Palmer's illustrations continue to be
scratchy and overdrawn. The inks are too often being used to illustrate
shadows and details of the characters' faces, when these things can be much
more convincingly handled by varying color shades -- the responsibility of
the colorists. Palmer should allow John Kalisz to do what he's paid to do.
Priest *almost* manages to make up for the plot's shortcomings with some
excruciatingly humorous dialogue and characterization. At one point in their
pursuit of the alien spore, Steel and Gammeron return to the GMSC, where they
run into Dr. Villain (pronounced Will-Hayne -- it's French, remember?). Much
to Steel's chagrin, Villain and Gammeron hit it off immediately, initially
discussing the finer points of expensive suits. Villain joins the hunt for
Billy (the spore), at which point we learn that the good doctor owns his own
battle suit -- Hugo Boss, of course. These scenes, along with the pursuit,
are painfully hilarious, but they still fail to remedy the fact that this is,
at its base, a ridiculous plot for a book which has spent most of its time so
well grounded in reality.
Fortunately, the second tale in this issue concentrates on Natasha, and it
begins to wind together the long-running threads that had been put on hold
for the "Millennium Giants" crossover. Unfortunately, this serves to remind
the book's fans that the title itself is winding to a close.
As if that's not depressing enough, Priest has to go and show us just how
interesting things might otherwise have been. (Thanks, dude.)
John has decreed that Nat shall join the ranks of the employed. As it's
difficult to find a job if one is not looking, Boris/Paul helps boost Nat's
confidence, drawing her out from beneath the bed and directing her towards
the hunt. Her one and only interview is for the position of President of
Verner Brothers, but astonishingly, she doesn't land the job. This of course
means that *nothing* is out there for her. Later, at the ice cream shop,
Boris comes upon the perfect solution -- Nat can work there!
Meanwhile, Skorpio has joined forces with Crash in order to better set into
motion his plans for gaining revenge against Steel. As you may recall, one
of Crash's goals is the removal of all drugs from Jersey City. Skorpio points
out that Crash can better accomplish *all* of his goals by bringing Steel
on-side to help wage the war on drugs. Skorpio promises to get Steel's
attention for this purpose, but he makes a potentially fatal error: unaware
that Crash is Natasha's father, Skorpio draws Steel's attention by brutally
attacking Nat.
The ramifications of this will be explored in the final issue of _Steel_.
In addition to the always brilliant characterization and dialogue in scenes
involving Natasha and her teenage woes, Priest intrigues us by letting slip
what he had originally intended for the near future of this title. Skorpio
and Crash were teaming up not to kill Steel, or to embarrass him in public,
but to get him to work for them and make him their lackey! Priest has
mentioned online that this scenario would have played out for several months,
and that Natasha would not have been Skorpio's victim had the saga unfolded
as originally planned. Unfortunately, the reshuffling of storylines (caused
by the mandates of DC, the "Millennium Giants" crossover, and the sudden
cancellation) meant major rewrites and different results. We'll see how this
all turns out next month.
This second tale is illustrated by Eric Battle and Vince Giarrano, and their
art presents even more distress for the fans of the title. Unlike the pain
wrought by the efforts of Cowan and Palmer, however, this heartache is caused
by another glimpse of what might have been. Battle's Skorpio is a truly
menacing figure, and his Natasha exudes the brilliant combination of attitude
and vulnerability that so perfectly matches her dialogue. Most importantly,
the artists avoid the problem that has plagued Cowan and Palmer in the past
-- we can actually tell what's going on. Had these guys been the regular
artists for the past year and a half, perhaps _Steel_ wouldn't be coming to
a close.
Then again, maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part...
Jeff Sykes
<sykes@ms.uky.edu>
=================================================
SUPERBOY #52 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
"Destination: Unknown!"
Words and Inks: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Tom Grummett
Letters: Comicraft
Colors: Buzz Setzer
Assistant: Frank Berrios
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Power & Purpose: Jack Kirby
Cover: Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields
RG: 4.0 Shields (Story)
4.5 Shields (Art)
DWd: 4.0 Shields - Yet another well-rounded episode of the Boy of Steel.
I hope the Wild Men will stay with Superboy for a while.
ES: 3.6 Shields - As the revelations come about, this tale is not as mind-
blowing as it first was, but the title still consistently kicks butt.
Buy this book, dammit! _Teen Titans_ is outselling it, and that's a
real crime!!
JSy: 3.8 Shields - I'm kind of disappointed by the idea that Roam may be
a Cadmus project. Regardless, Kesel continues to flesh out a large
new group of supporting characters, keeping their interactions with
each other and with the Kid fresh and interesting.
RD: 3.9 Shields - It's so good to see Tom do his thing that I'd give the art
a perfect 5.0, but the story unraveling with Sacker, and the energy
ray just doesn't do it for me.
SDM: 3.0 Shields - Entertaining but rushed; I would rather have seen the Kid
stay in Roam longer. Some of the humans were too typical, but the art
is great and the Kid never fails to amaze and amuse in Kesel's hands.
If you aren't reading this book you should be!
The story opens with Superboy, the Wild-men, and Nosferata talking things out
with Canus and Sacker. The Kid has things pretty well figured out, except for
how he actually arrived at the island. It's going pretty well when Sacker
lets it slip that all the humans on the island are from the outside world and
kept drugged. When he does, he tries to make a profit from it; Nosferata
makes him `an offer he can't refuse' and Sacker gives the humans over to the
princess' care. It doesn't take long for the drugs to wear off, and Superboy
manages to put together a plan and a crew (that includes Canus and the Wild-
Men) to venture beyond the reef that surrounds the island. They leave, and
for a few days it seems like they are truly alone -- until they spot a plane.
In a flash, Superboy picks up the ship and flies everyone to Hawaii, only to
find that he has been gone for months, and everyone he cared for has left the
island.
Meanwhile, back on the island, Nosferata continues her plans to take over,
and has Rasputin kill Caesar. We also find that the whole island may be part
of a Cadmus experiment gone bad. (So what else is new?) The only reason I'm
even remotely pleased at this development is that it means Dubbilex and The
Guardian will be in next month's book.
This is a first. I didn't think it was possible in today's superhero books,
but believe it or not there is not a single fight scene in this whole book!
Lot's of action, plenty of things happening, but no fights.
The story is just short of fantastic, with art that is a breath of fresh air;
not at all what I had hoped for, but excellent all the same. My only problems
with the book have nothing to do with either the story or the art. They have
to do with the possible re-writing of a part of the DCU history that has so
far been spared -- that of the Jack Kirby's Kamandi. I'm a long time Kirby
fan, and Kamandi was always one of my favorite titles. I just hope that the
team isn't planning this as some kind of revision of DCU history. Kamandi
deserves better.
I am also certain that there were other equally entertaining ways for this
story to have taken place, without it being some old Cadmus experiment. That
said, I have a lot of faith in the ability of the Kesel/Grummett team to do
the right things for the story. I can't wait to see how they tie this one all
together next month.
Rene Gobeyn
<bedlam@frontiernet.net>
=================================================
SUPERGIRL #22 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
"Comet's Tale"
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Leonard Kirk and Prentis Rollins
Letterer: Pat Prentice
Colors: Gene D'Angelo
Seps: Digital Chameleon
Assists: Frank Berrios
Edits: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Leonard Kirk, Robin Riggs, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 3.1/5.0 Shields
TD: 3.8 Shields
ES: 2.7 Shields - Did anyone else find it odd that she went to retrieve some
old treasure to help pay off Comet's 'bounty' without question? Sure,
this was her way of sticking it to her ex, Lex, but I'm not sure I
buy the 'love is blind' angle.
JO: 3.5 Shields - Consistently good Art and Story. Is it just my opinion, or
do all women have a soft spot for ponies?
JP: 2.8 Shields - Comet's origin was just. . . silly, and the prolonged
fight scene in the last few pages didn't help things. David should
ditch Comet and focus on the far more interesting Wally/God subplot.
JSy: 2.0 Shields - The only two pages I found of any interest were the two
that didn't involve Supergirl or Comet. We need to see more of the
supporting characters and get back to the angel motif.
ST: 2.8 Shields -- A chilling origin story and PAD's handling of the sub-
plots worked; flat villains and Supergirl's characterization (esp.
the last panel) did not. Why is she falling for Comet so fast anyway?
And what *was* that big explosion?
VV: 4.0 Shields - If it wasn't for the last page, I would have rated this
lower. But PAD throws in a twist ending that I hope is going to have
repercussions and be addressed next issue.
(Tom takes a sip from his mint julep and applies more sunscreen, putting down
the comic he's about to review)
Boy, this vacation--only *one* book to do this month--is great. But then,
with me covering the _Resurrection Man_ segments of the crossovers, I guess
Shane thought I needed a break.
(Grabs some strawberries from the tray at his side and eats his fill)
What I've got here is the continuation of the Comet storyline--beginning with
the Maid of Might and the Horse with No Name making out. Am I the only one
who thinks Comet is a bit too, I dunno, creepy looking to be the stud Linda
thinks he is?
But I digress.
After they finish their liplock, Linda leads our boy to an ocean liner marked
for salvage by Lexcorp in 1999; the idea being they will turn in the 'holy
relics' contained within to the Israeli government and buy out Comet's
contract. While on their way, we finally learn Comet's origin, and it's not
pretty. A multiple amputee from a sporting accident, Comet is experimented
upon by the Atlas Corporation (from issue #19's 'Blast Off' story). Given
horse DNA, Comet becomes the freakish number he is today, and is forced into
servitude by the company. The boy decides to bolt, which leads him to where
we first saw him.
(Wipes his chin)
Anyway, they find the ship, but so does 'The Stable,' Atlas' in-house super-
team. There's a fight, during which Linda learns more about how her wings
work--seems they can act as teleportational devices a la' the wormholes in
_Sliders_. (Yes, I watch the show--you got a problem with that?) Learning
what Linda and Comet uncovered, Fracture (who seems to be the leader of the
group) declares the contract void upon taking custody of the relics. Of
course, the team also takes custody of the booby trap within....
As super-hero stories go, this is a decent one. Comet's origin is dark in the
way David's _Hulk_ was dark initially, and Kirk rises to the occasion with
some gruesome visuals. The only thing that bothers me about the main story is
that it borrows yet again from David's _X-Factor_ run. Not only is the idea
of a threat going away because it is bought off borrowed from David's
previous work, but the Stable seems an *awful* lot like The Nasty Boys -- the
super-villain team that plagued _X-Factor_ in David's initial arc. The
villains are too similar for this to be coincidence (Oblique = Gorgeous
George, G.E.M. = Hairbag, Stalker = Ramrod, etc), and I have to wonder if
David is just being sloppy and recycling ideas, or if he feels that those
reading _Supergirl_ probably never read _X-Factor_. In issue #19, I felt that
his borrowing from his previous work was clever; here I'm not as thrilled.
(Asks the waiter for more time to order breakfast)
Another problem is the resolution. I don't want to give much away--I rarely
do--but David never makes it clear what happens to The Stable. Something
terrible does, but we are never made to understand if it's divine or earthly
retribution. Also, Supergirl's reaction to their fate seems callous and cruel
-- the sort of thing you'd expect from The Punisher or George Costanza, but
not from a proud member of Team Superman. [For the record, I think that was
Comet's line, not Supergirl's. --Jeff]
One thing I *do* like is the background use of the Atlas Corporation. It
seems that the Atlas Corporation is shaping up to be a major menace in the
months to come, and it's nice to see it being subtly introduced into the
book. I'm sure we'll see it, and its representative Stubbs (a Jamaican
dwarf!) again.
There are two subplot scenes. In one, David once again proves that he knows
how to write the Kents, as Fred decides to divorce his wife and Jonathan
tries his damndest to convince him otherwise. When he's not using it as a
delivery system for vaudeville jokes, dialogue is one of David's biggest
strengths, and it shines like gold here. Here are two people so decent, so
without doubt that when they are unsure what to do, it has a palatable
impact. In the other scene, Mattie gets a call from an African-American civil
rights organization asking for help in preventing a speech from a 'racist
bigot' at Stanhope College. This is basically a set-up for next issue's Steel
appearance, and for what it is, it works well.
(Turns over to expose his back to the sun, asking a waiter for an order of
biscuits and gravy)
Artwise, we got Leonard Kirk on the upswing here. Even though this is, on
the surface, just another fight issue, there's enough of the psychological
stuff he does so well to make him shine. The origin sequence is particularly
creepy -- pages six and seven stand out, with the conversation between Stubbs
and the damaged Comet being particularly well blocked-out. That being said,
there are pages when Prentis Rollins falls down on the job, giving Kirk's
pencils a sketchy, sloppy quality--page ten's dream of dancing horses looks
simply goofy, and the operating room sequence (save for one panel that has a
surreal, Gene-Colan-ish quality) never quite seems substantial. Kirk *is*
getting better at moments-of-wonder, though--page 14's top panel shows that
his performance in the Millennium Giants crossover wasn't a fluke.
The upshot is The Comet storyline is turning nowhere near as bad as I had
expected it would be, and David is raiding his own closet a bit much. I'm
looking forward to next issue's Steel appearance, since it will act as a
break between this movement and the next in the storyline, and will hopefully
resolve the Mattie/Cutter deal. And bring Wally back... I miss Wally.
(Asks the attractive Latina next to him to apply some suntan lotion on his
back--hey, it's my imaginary vacation, I decide what happens....)
"Comet's Tale" is dark like the best of David's _Supergirl_ issues, it has a
couple of knockout scenes, and it entertained. For that, I'll forgive the
raiding...as long as it doesn't happen again.
Thomas Deja
<manciniman@rocketmail.com>
______________________________________________
OTHER SUPERMAN TITLES:
---------------------
JLA #19 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
"Seven Soldiers of Probability"
Guest Writer: Mark Waid
Penciller: Howard Porter
Inkers: John Dell and Walden Wong
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Pat Garrahy
Separations: Heroic Age
Ass't Editor: L.A. Williams
Editor: Dan Raspler
Cover: Howard Porter and John Dell
RATINGS
Average: 3.9/5.0 Shields
AW: 4.8 Shields
DC: 2.3 Shields - A little fun but overly wild and weird. Best feature was
the true science comment at the end.
DWk: 2.4 Shields - Nice in terms of its exploration of a theme, but docked
a few notches for egregious pseudo-science, and for Oracle being
rather seriously out of character.
GS: 4.3 Shields - High marks given because it's refreshing to see a plot
that isn't entirely based in fiction (see lettercol). A nice
conclusion to what started out as an average two-parter.
JP: 4.6 Shields - Oracle's willingness to risk everything for Bruce's
happiness was touching. Similarly, J'Onn's accusations about her
motives had me looking at both characters in a new light.
JSy: 4.0 Shields - Waid takes a science concept which could have been way
over everyone's heads and makes it both interesting and fairly easy
to understand. Best issue since the early "Rock of Ages" stories.
MS: 4.0 Shields - Once in a while you get a story that has a resolution even
better than the set up. Waid's fill-in was one of those stories. I'd
give it a 7.7, but someone would probably get upset.
ST: 4.3 Shields - I lamented DC's treatment of Ray Palmer in my review of
_Action_ #734, and am thrilled to see him restored to his previous
status as a scientist; let's hope it sticks. I'd have given high
marks for that alone: the wonderful story was an unexpected bonus.
Mark Waid has defied the odds.
He's taken a '60s-style story, added '90s sensibilities and a compelling
moral dilemma, and even guest-starred the Atom without degenerating into
corny dialogue, preachiness, or camp. It is, in fact, one of the most
enjoyable issues of JLA to date.
As you may remember, several JLA members have disappeared, due to the
machinations of Julian September and his oddsbreaking Engine of Chance. The
engine, you see, changes past probabilities, making it possible for Julian to
be phenomenally successful in life--eventually becoming President of the
U.S.--and preventing the existence of Batman by causing a mugger's bullet to
misfire, saving the lives of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Before he disappeared,
Batman deduced a pattern to the seemingly random disappearances--a pattern
correlating to the number 7.
Unfortunately, finding the pattern doesn't solve the problem. History is
still changing at a rapid pace; J'onn J'onzz suggests that the universe is
playing a "countergame with probability" that is tearing history--and the
Earth--apart. The JLA finds Julian September again, but too late; the
26-year-old lost the probability war and dropped dead of a heart attack.
J'onn scolds Oracle, believing that she is purposely stalling so that the
probabilities will alter her own fate and restore her ability to walk. Her
reluctance, however, is actually because she realizes that restoring the
present would mean killing the Waynes again and stealing Bruce Wayne's chance
for a happy life. She hopes to calculate a way to restore the present and
still save the Waynes, but J'onn tells her that she knows she has to make a
choice. Regretfully, she unlocks September's files, revealing information on
sub-atomic particles.
The JLA is baffled by the complexity of the information, but probabilities
shift again and J'onn disappears, to be replaced with--The Atom! Fortunately,
he has enough memory of his years as a physicist to decipher the notes that
explain the relationship of a recent experiment in sub-atomic physics to
September's experiments dividing photons. (More on this later.) Reality can
be restored, the Atom concludes, if these photons are re-joined.
Needless to say, the JLA rejoins the photons and reality is restored, but at
a price only J'onn and Barbara Gordon fully understand.
My hat is off to Mark Waid. He manages to weave Barbara's dilemma--and the
faith that allows her to make a difficult decision--into the scientific
discovery upon which the story is based, and never did I feel as if the story
was contrived just to fit around her or the scientific principle.
In centering a story around a recent experiment and its implications, Waid
recalls one of the identifying trademarks of the editor who virtually created
the Silver Age of comics. Back then, Julius Schwartz would often explain a
super-power or a solution to a problem by relating it to real-life science.
Old-timers may remember that before Wally West discovered the Speed Force or
Barry Allen had the power to control the vibrations of every molecule in his
body, the Flash's ability to run through walls was explained by the real-life
principle that allowed a straw to go through an oak tree when propelled by
the force of a tornado. I always loved these little science factoids; they
added a grounding in reality--however slight--that made the stories more real
to me.
Waid goes a step further by basing his story on a real-life experiment that
has deep philosophical implications. In the experiment, a photon was split
and its halves were stored miles away from each other. Changes made in one
half of the photon, however, were amazingly mirrored in the other, suggesting
a connectedness, an underlying order to the universe, that goes way beyond
the physical laws as we know them. I've read similar postulations in Fritjof
Capra's books _The Tao of Physics_ and _The Turning Point_ (both of which I
highly recommend), that discuss how new scientific discoveries can re-affirm
our faith in a higher order (regardless of religious background) and should
alter our perceptions of how this universe is put together. To see it even
hinted at in a mainstream comic book is wonderfully refreshing--certainly
more than the standard pseudo-scientific musings about mutants and the
effects of telekinetic powers on society that dominates today's comics.
Another '60s-style element to the story is--gasp!--smart heroes! For once the
team doesn't have Batman to think for them, and we find that they're able to
think for themselves. J'onn uncovers the rest of the meaning of the sevens
they keep encountering, and as he disappears, correctly guesses that the Atom
would appear in J'onn's place because the Atom was the seventh member to join
the original JLA! Even the Atom was elevated from his usual role as
wise-cracking teenager to the more respectable (and much-missed) role of
physicist--one of the only scientific minds left in DC super-herodom.
Of course, this can't continue. If J'onn and Barbara Gordon are allowed to
continue showing off their intelligence, and even the Atom can come off
looking more like an intelligent hero than a smart-assed kid, people may
start questioning why Superman--who has been virtually lobotomized since
Byrne "revitalized" him--is the leader of this group.
Porter and Dell--with Walden Wong's assistance--continue their traditions of
smooth, well-planned layouts and artistry. I sometimes think it's a shame
that in a medium that depends as much on the artwork as the story, I can't
seem to find a better or more prominent way to laud their talent. The cover
this month stands out in both its artistry and its creativity.
Whether he meant to do it or not, Mark Waid accomplished something wonderful
this issue. He showed that you can revive the creativity and intelligence
that exemplified the best comics of the '60s without delving into camp or
in-jokes. After going through a month of fun but nearly nonsensical
reminiscences in the Superman titles, I hope other creators are watching and
learning from Waid's example.
Anatole Wilson
<awilson@us.oracle.com>
=================================================
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #20 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
"Hide 'n Seek"
Writer: Jordan B. Gorfinkel
Penciller: Neil Vokes
Inker: Stan Woch
Colorist: Rick Taylor
Letterer: Lois Buhalis
Assistant: Frank Berrios
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Rick Burchett, Terry Austin, and Rick Taylor
RATINGS
Average: 2.6/5.0 Shields
CoS: 1.5 Shields
DWd: 3.5 Shields - Still the most enjoyable of all the Superman titles.
Why the 8-track, though? Maybe I'm just too stupid to work it out.
ES: 3.2 Shields - Not a bad idea. It had me guessing as to the identity of
MasterTrax; I suppose it could've been clearer if I knew that only
teenagers spell 'tracks' with an 'x'.
JP: 2.5 Shields - MasterTrax's identity was clever, but the plot never
really rose above mediocre, and the art was a little too exaggerated
(especially Supes' chin).
JSy: 2.3 Shields - An interesting villain concept, but a poorly executed
story. Vokes does *not* capture the feel of the animated series in
his pencils.
ST: 2.6 Shields - A very engaging idea hampered by poor development and
uneven flow. Points for originality and interest; Wish I could give
more for execution.
_Superman Adventures_ is between creative teams right now. It will soon get
a new writer -- Mark Millar, who has done a few issues of this book in the
past, and is currently filling in for Grant Morrison (who is filling in for
Mark Waid) on _The Flash_. Now, for a book that doesn't have on-going sub-
plots or continued stories, you would think that a fill-in issue wouldn't
be anything to be concerned about, but you would be wrong. Issue 20 is the
first major wrong turn this series has taken. I suggest that if you haven't
already bought it, to pass it by as it waits on the comic dealer's shelf.
The story starts with someone (Lois? It's never really made clear) filling
us in on the crimes of MasterTrax, new armored thief in Metropolis. Captioned
comments quickly bring the reader up to speed on MasterTrax, informing us
that he has been committing a series of random crimes around the city, with
Superman just a step behind, unable to capture him. The opening scene is no
different; we see Superman swooping to rescue someone who has been thrown out
of a window, supposedly by MasterTrax. Superman tosses him back in the window
(where a gun battle is going on) and follows him inside in search of
MasterTrax. No luck, though, because as the battle rages, MT is off robbing a
shoe store. Superman shows up at the shoe store after everything is done,
just in time to be told that MasterTrax has vanished again.
After talking with Jimmy (who shows him photos of the kids in his "hood" --
famous rappers and gang members with flashing knives), Clark Kent guesses
that MasterTrax must be randomizing his crimes so as not to have a pattern or
give clues. Superman discusses the theory with Professor Hamilton while
trying to help him with some delicate experiments (he isn't much help, since
he can't keep his mind on what he's doing). The Professor gives Superman a
random tracking device, since he has been unable to find an energy signature
to trace. (Point of order: even if MasterTrax was randomizing his
teleportation signature, they'd be able to detect it...it would just be
different every time)
By process of elimination, Superman is able to track down which of the
machines in the city is the armor for MasterTrax...at least I think that's
how he does it. It's really not overly clear. When MasterTrax teleports,
Superman has a lock on his signal, and tracks him to a warehouse full of all
the different things that MasterTrax has stolen. Why were the crimes random?
Because every time MasterTrax appeared, a different teenager was inside the
suit, and they all had a different agenda.
Sound messy? It is. Instead of breaking down the logic flaws and character
errors, I'll just have a quick Top Ten List of the things I really disliked
about _Superman Adventures_ #20:
10) MasterTrax involved in a drug shootout, and then leaving and changing
occupants so fast that he's at a shoe store, robbing it at the same time.
9) Clark and Lois coming to the fantastic realization that the crimes are
being committed at random, when the reader's been told by both of them that
the crimes are being committed without a pattern. Don't they have a
thesaurus?
8) There is no energy signature where MasterTrax teleports, until Superman
gets a device that can pick up its energy signature... which it doesn't
have...
7) Jimmy, Lois, and Clark spend a page (with 3 Big Panels) discussing a rap
tape that has nothing to do with the story.
6) A modified 8-track tape player is used as a tracking device, and when we
find out it's an 8-track, it's supposed to be ironic.
5) Lex Luthor using the kids as a "test" for the suit of armor. Maybe it's
just me, but after Superman figures out the secret, isn't the armor just
about worthless? That's one darn silly test.
4) Lois telling Superman he's wasting his time with the device, and then two
panels later saying she knew what he was up to all along. She's says she's
trying to lighten the mood...but I just don't get the "joke".
3) "Story Exposition Man" in the opening narration is never revealed.
2) Jimmy Olsen taking pictures of the rap stars, skateboarders, knife-
wielding criminals, and kick-boxing women in his neighborhood. Does he live
on the back lot of Troma Films? I just can't see Jimmy Olsen, Boy in da hood.
1) Superman tossing a person he just rescued back into the middle of a gun
battle.
Vokes does a passable job considering what he has to work with, but the story
is such a mess, I really can't pick out anything he does that rises above the
chaos. Avoid this one, and wait for Millar to take over, I guess.
Cory Strode
<Solitaire.Rose@worldnet.att.net>
______________________________________________
GIRLFRENZY:
----------
SUPERMAN: LOIS LANE #1 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
Screenplay: Barbara Kesel
Cinematography: Amanda Conner
Lighting: Jimmy Palmiotti
Subtitles: Gaspar Saladino
Cinemascope: Jon Kalisz
Widescreen: Digital Chameleon
Production Assistant: Maureen McTigue
Key Grip: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Leonard Kirk and Karl Story
RATINGS
Average: 2.7/5.0 Shields
SDM: 2.1 Shields
ES: 2.1 Shields - Barbara Kesel tells a fairly ordinary tale, with no sense
of closure, and jerky pacing. The artwork by Amanda Conner was a
nice surprise, even with Lois sneaking around on *huge* high heels.
JO: 3.7 Shields - I always knew Lois was tough, but after reading this book
I'm convinced that she could beat up James Bond.
JP: 3.0 Shields - A fun story and some nice art. My only major complaint:
did Lois really have to wear that Black Canary-esque costume?
JSy: 3.7 Shields - Despite the absurdity of Polar Bear/Human hybrids, I
actually enjoyed this issue. Superman had some wonderfully personal
and humanizing moments; we should see these more often.
MS: 2.9 Shields - Pretty campy stuff. Like Lois said, "Too X-Files. Too
Watergate. Too cute." That about sums up this story. Nice to see
Lois in her own one-shot though.
ST: 1.8 Shields - The first six pages get 4 Shields, but the rest of the
issue was horrible. Someone needs lessons on the tensile properties
of ice, and the bear-boy hybrids were too awful even to laugh at.
TD: 4.0 Shields - Amanda conner does a *fine* Lois, and the story was fun
in a goofy, mock-_Honey West_ way.
VV: 2.5 Shields - An interesting tale that didn't give us Ninja Lois as in
the past, but I don't think I'd dive into a freezing ocean through a
small hole in the ice.
>From the start, I found the "Girlfrenzy" gimmick dubious. From its vaguely
sexist name to the choice of what characters would appear, the idea bothered
me, screaming from its lungs that it was DC's latest demonstration that
appealing to a female audience is not really part of its plans. A read of
_Superman: Lois Lane_ confirms my worst fears. This is just another Lois vs.
The Bad Guys comic, with a plot we've seen far too many times and not much
else.
We begin with a shot of Lois in a Modesty Blaise pose, and immediately see
where we're headed. The story opens in the far reaches of Manitoba, where
Lois has gone for a story. After checking into the local inn, she gets a
brief "Hi, wanna play?" visit from SuperHubby, who stays just long enough to
leave. Lois goes to wait for her 'mysterious contact', but is annoyed when
the contact misses his second meeting with her. She falls into a story about
the disappearance of nine local kids. The local constable doesn't believe the
government line about bears being behind it, and the local eco-tour guide
suspects that the strange research facility on the frozen wastes is behind
it. Haven't we seen this before?
All becomes obvious when Lois tries to get answers from the head of the lab,
Dr. Bruin (naturally an expert in bear research). Getting no help from the
doctor, Lois gets her hands on a rather fancy SCUBA suit and breaks in
through the part of the base under the ice. (Who builds a research lab of any
sort in Hudson Bay?) Lois gets into the base, knocks out a guard, and finds
the inevitable genetic research into bears. She then overhears Dr. Bruin's
plans to make super-soldiers using bears being turned into humans and humans
into bears, as part of a plan for something called the Agenda for an unknown
woman.
Lois keeps exploring and finds the missing kids -- some of whom are looking
rather bearish -- and her contact, Sarge Steel (who really doesn't have much
right snooping around in Canada). She breaks him out, and as thebad guys get
wise to her efforts, he helps the kids get away. Lois is captured and
inexplicably taken outside to be disposed of, where the constable and the
tour guide are waiting to help. A firefight ensues, but the battle ends when
the lab's real bears--somehow released in the battle--attack their
tormentors. Dr. Bruin, however, survives long enough to destroy his lab. The
kids get treated, Steel turns data he liberated from the lab over to the
constable, and Lois gets set to find this Agenda. Meanwhile, however, the
Agenda has all the info it needed and the mysterious woman--who seems to be
the Contessa--plots away.
In the end, there was just about nothing here I haven't seen before; I'm
reminded especially of a lame episode of "GI Joe." Why does it always have to
be mad scientists hoist by their own petards? Why does it always have to be
the overcapable Lois Lane to the rescue? Yes, she's good, but she's a
reporter and not a spy. There isn't much in the way of characterization here,
just a lot of cliches from a character who can rise above those cliches but
rarely does anymore. Throw in an unusually cooperative Sarge Steel and some
plot holes and you get an uninspired story. Barbara Kesel can do a lot better
than this, but I would suspect she was told to "do a spy story that leads
into a longer story arc" and thus didn't have any reason to try harder.
On the plus side, the art by Amanda Conner (isn't that Linda Hamilton's
character in "Terminator"?) and Jimmy Palmiotti is sharp, if a bit over-
wrought. I find it amazing that Lois could get her hands on a very sexy, very
well-equipped SCUBA suit in the middle the Canadian wild. Nonetheless, she
and rest of the cast is worth looking at.
In the end, though, this is a very run-of-the-mill comic. Lois Lane deserves
better. Of late, she's been shoved far too often into bland stories like this
one. I miss the old Lois--the reporter who found adventure in the big city
and who found more to write about than mad scientists and conspiracies. I
would have much rather read a tale of Lois in Metropolis investigating more
realistic crimes and doing more than fighting and cracking wise, but that's
not what we get from Lois these days, it is?
Simon DelMonte
<SDelMonte@aol.com>
=================================================
YOUNG JUSTICE: THE SECRET #1 Jun 1998 $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN
Writer: Todd Dezago
Pencils: Todd Nauck
Inks: Lary Stucker
Colors: Jason Wright
Seps: Digital Chameleon
Letters: Ken Lopez
Assoc. Ed.: Dana Kurtin
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Leonard Kirk and Karl Story
RATINGS
Average: 3.2/5.0 Shields
RG: 4.0 Shields (Story)
3.5 Shields (Art)
ES: 2.9 Shields - The artwork is great, but Dezago weaves a pretty ordinary
tale; the interaction between the three boys was a little wanting.
I did like The Secret, however, and hope we see more of her.
JO: 3.5 Shields - Nice story and good characterization. If this were a
monthly, it would be near the top of my pile every time.
JP: 2.9 Shields - I like the fact that the DEO is starting to have a major
influence in the DCU. As for Young Justice itself, I think I'll pass
thank you. I'd much rather see the return of the original Titans.
JSy: 3.5 Shields - This book should not have been a part of Girlfrenzy,
because the story was not really about a female lead. The story was
good, and the art was adequate, but The Secret plays only a minor
role. This probably should have just been saved for the series.
ST: 3.5 Shields - Nice teamwork with everyone written true-to-character.
(Impulse was better here than in his own book of late.) No reason
to be a 'Girlfrenzy' book, though. One flaw: why did the smoke pellet
'check out' as The Secret when the DEO tested it?
TD: 2.5 Shields - It's a set-up, but a decent one. I have no idea where this
takes place in 'continuity,' though.
When Robin, Superboy, and Impulse team-up, you know that things are going to
be interesting. While the rest of the Young Justice team may still be shaking
down, DC seems to be going in the right direction with this group of young
heroes. What a great kick-off to a new series.
While transporting a meta-human through Gotham City, the DEO makes Robin
curious as to what is going on. When he later finds out that a nearby town
has been evacuated due to a hazardous waste spill, he decides to investigate.
He arrives at the same time as Superboy and Impulse show-up. It turns out
that the DEO (Department of Extra-Normal Operations) was transporting a
dangerous meta-human (volatile, and able to alter it's toxicity) to a more
secure facility when it escaped, killing several people. The three youngsters
offer to help re-capture it, and do so. The plan that they come up with
manages to make use of all of their greatest skills and powers and shows a
bit of what they may be able to accomplish when they work as a team.
To make a long story short, it seems that the DEO was lying (anybody
surprised?) and that they were instead planning to take a young female meta
out to destroy her, when she managed to escape. The three heroes decide that
they trust her more than the DEO and Robin comes up with a plan to save her
while convincing everyone else that she is dead.
All-in-all, this was (in my opinion) the strongest of the `Girlfrenzy'
titles. It combined solid story telling with better-than-average art, while
telling a story that managed to introduce and show off three of DC's
strongest young heroes. What pleased me most was that while telling the
story, Dezago managed to convey the powers and talents of each of the heroes
while showing off their very different styles, and converted a group of
strong individuals into a working team. There was some friction in the
beginning, but Robin smoothed it over quickly. I suspect that we will see a
bit more balance in future stories, but this one worked well.
If this book is any indication, the title is off to a great start, and may
prove to be one of DC's strongest new titles.
Rene Gobeyn
<bedlam@frontiernet.net>
______________________________________________
SPECIALS:
--------
SUPERMAN VILLAINS SECRET FILES #1 Jun 1998 $4.95 US/$6.95 CAN
"Secret Origin: A Child's Garden of Villainy"
Script/Pencils: Stuart Immonen
Inks: Jose Marzan, Jr.
Letters: Gaspar Saladino
Additional Features:
Writers: Kevin Dooley, Evan Dorkin, Dan Brereton, Matt Brady,
Scott Sonneborn, and Roger Stern
Illustrations: Stephen DeStefano and John McCrea
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
Colors: Tom McCraw
Separations: Digital Chameleon
Asst. Editors: Maureen McTigue and Alisande Morales
Editors: Joey Cavalieri and Dan Thorsland
Cover: Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
RG: 1.5 Shields (Story)
3.5 Shields (Art)
JO: 4.0 Shields - These are always a pleasure to read, and always have
something to teach the reader.
JSy: 3.0 Shields - A fairly well-executed "origin" concept, and some
wonderful pin-ups, but again we spend five bucks for essentially
no new information -- a very bad deal for existing readers.
ST: 3.5 Shields - I mostly avoid these SF&O because of the price tag, but
had to buy this one when 'Tickle Me Ammo' made me laugh like a loon.
Immonen's opening story was better in concept and execution than
his last bedtime story, 'Chanticleer's Tale' in _Action_ #741.
TD: 4.5 Shields - This is mostly for the abso-bloody-lutely perfect
little-Lexie-in-slumberland origin lead. The rest of it, though, I
could take or leave.
VV: 3.0 Shields - Nice format and framing device, with Luthor telling his
daughter fairy tales that might even spook the Brothers Grimm <g>.
It's yet another of the DCU (DC Universe) Secret Files and Origins (SF&O)
books. While it's a great place to learn more about your favorite villains,
the story setup and feature choices could have been better.
While the stories in the SF&O books are not usually as good as the ones in
the hero's own titles, the Lex story in this one was poor by any standard. On
the other hand, if you're looking for a solid background on the current
status of a given villain (if he/she is one of the few who made the cut) then
the profile pages are an excellent starting point. The profiles could bring a
new reader up to speed fairly quickly.
This book was no exception to the SF&O formula; what *was* different was that
it was a single book concentrating on the main foes of Superman. While most
of the choices made sense, a few (Rock and Obsession) have never been heavy
hitters. The logic of including these and not some of the many others escapes
me.
The introduction story of the book establishes the time as being sometime
after the end of the Millennium Giants story; Superman is never shown in his
old costume or his Red/Blue containment suit, but they are still working on
the Hyper-sector of Metropolis so it has to be close.
Luthor has taken some time off and is spending it with his daughter Lena. He
tells her a story about Superman and his foes, mostly those that Luthor has
had some contact with. All in all, this wasn't great, but then again how else
would they have managed to cover all villains that they did in such a few
pages? The art within the story varied greatly. from some truly excellent
modern-style work to some overly stylistic cartoons. Most of it was readable,
but it didn't carry the story well.
There were a few other features included. The Toyman's Catalogue was (in my
opinion) the low point of the book; it was even worse than the 2 page piece
on Simyan and Mokkari (Darkseid's monster makers). The Lex Luthor interview
was actually much better than I expected, and the Obsession web-page had a
few good bits as well.
The remainder of the book (like others in the SF&O series) contains single-
page profiles that go a long way to introducing the members of Superman's
Rouges Gallery. Each page has a picture of the villain and a brief run-down
on their history, powers, and motivations. While not all of the ones chosen
were on my list of all-time favorites, there was a fair representation. What
I can't figure out is why they left out Intergang, Dabney Donovan, and
Darkseid.
My favorite feature of the book was the condensed time line that anchors the
villains into the rest of Superman's history (post Zero-hour).
Art-wise, what can I say? I think that nearly every current Superman artist
at DC contributed to this book. As such, some of the pages were fantastic and
others not so great. It happens in a book like this.
Overall, I can't recommend this book. If you are a regular reader this one
can be skipped. Spend your money on a few good back issues instead.
Rene Gobeyn
<bedlam@frontiernet.net>
______________________________________________
MANUSCRIPTS OF STEEL
------------------------------
Reviews of After-Byrne Superman Special Stories
by Denes House (househld@borg.com)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL ANNUAL #1
"The Gathering Darkness"
Art by Chris Wozniak and Brad Vancata
Dialogue by Robert Loren Fleming
Colored by Matt Hollingsworth
Cover by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti
1992
Squarebound Format, $2.50 US/$2.95 CAN
Rating:
0.75/5.0 Shields
---------------------------------------------------------
I feel kind of guilty reviewing this book, since my mission is to review
"After-Byrne Superman special stories," and _Superman: The Man of Steel
Annual_ #1 is neither special *nor* much of a story, but I think I'll stick
to the spirit of that phrase rather than the letter, and use this as an
opportunity to warn readers off from a comic that is an utter waste of time
and money.
1992's DC Comics Annuals shared the theme "Eclipso: The Darkness Within."
You may remember the brouhaha over _Eclipso: The Darkness Within_ #1's
special "Black Diamond" enhancement on the cover. Many comic collectors
were worried that a 3-dimensional solid cover addition would bend the other
comics in their comic boxes. I was one of the legions of fans who picked it
up, excited about a cool, inter-connected story. What I got instead was one
disappointment after another. "Maybe the next one will be good," I hoped --
in vain.
Eclipso was for years a second-rate villain. Dr. Bruce Gordon, the world's
preeminent solar scientist, was scratched by a black diamond on a trip to
Africa. Thereafter, whenever there was an eclipse, he turned into Eclipso,
God of Vengeance. Gordon spent the years examining the diamond, seeking a
cure for this Jekyll/Hyde condition he found himself in. 1992's annuals
proved that "everything you thought you knew is WRONG!"
Turns out all of that was a ruse perpetrated by Eclipso, a being who exists
apart from Gordon. It was not the scratch, but the diamond itself, which
enabled Eclipso's transformations, and Gordon's rage, not the eclipses, which
triggered them. While Eclipso allowed himself to be driven away by any light
source, it is only direct sunlight which would vanquish him. Now, thousands
of black diamonds are showing up, and Eclipso is out to enslave any superhero
that he can trick into getting angry while holding a black diamond. Soon, he
vows, he'll plunge the earth into total darkness!
Ooooh.
To try to recap the "story" of this Annual would be a well-nigh futile
attempt. No one is even listed as a "Writer" in the credit box, if that is
any indication! There are "pencils" and "dialogue," but no "story." And
therein lies one of the key weaknesses of this book. Things happen for little
apparent reason, explained only by snatches of dialogue that do little more
than strengthen the confusion that reigns supreme over the pages of this
comic.
Eclipso captures the Creeper, Starman, and Rampage (who gets better) and
dukes it out with Superman again and again. At the same time, Eclipso avoids
capturing Phantom Lady without even a grain of explanation. Apparently, the
"Eclipso" evoked by an angry transformation cannot be controlled until after
it has accomplished what it was evoked to do. Hence, an "eclipsed" Starman
enrages Rampage, triggering her "eclipse," but once she's eclipsed, Eclipso
cannot truly control her until she has accomplished whatever triggered her
rage. Thus, Eclipso fights Eclipso. Confused? Don't look to anything in this
comic to help you.
What should you look for? Chris Wozniak's outrageous, sloppy, and overblown
pencils, perhaps? His Superman seems to be continually suffering from
tonsillitis and several gastric disorders at once. Wozniak's poses, meant to
be inspiring, are merely frenzied collections of jagged lines which seem
ripped more from the pages of Rob Liefeld's sketchbook than Byrne Hogarth's
_Dynamic Anatomy_. There are no "quiet" moments in this book, thanks to
Wozniak's conviction that even regular, ordinary people never stand still
unless they are seductively cocking their hips and bending one knee.
I finished this comic only to pick up an Advil and a glass of water. It gave
me a headache.
Capsule review:
Story: 0.5 Shields out of 5. Um... *what* story?
Art: 1.0 Shields out of 5. Must...have...Tylenol! Must...have...Pepto! The
only thing that brings this rating above a zero is the Quesada/Palmiotti
cover.
Overall: 0.75 Shields out of 5. If you had $0.99, and buying and reading this
book in a back issue bin was the only way to save your life, I would
seriously consider getting right with God and enjoying a final Dunkin' Donut.
Next Month: "The Darkness Within" gets a *little* bit better...
...of course, could it get any *worse*?
______________________________________________
THE PHANTOM ZONE: Reviews of the pre-Crisis Man of Steel
------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTION COMICS #500
----------------------------------------------------
Reviewed by Scott Devarney (devarney@ll.mit.edu)
"The Life Story of Superman"
Written by Martin Pasko
Art by Curt Swan and Frank Chiaramonte
Lettered by Gaspar Saladino
Colored by Adrienne Roy
Edited by Julius Schwartz
October 1979
Rating: 3.6/5.0 Shields
To commemorate _Action Comics_' 500th issue, the first DC comic to reach
number 500, DC presented an overview of the 70s Superman's life. Published in
DC's "Dollar Comics" format, this issue contained a single 64 page story with
no ads.
The story begins with Superman arriving amidst a crowd of fans at the opening
of the Superman pavilion of the Metropolis World's Fair. Superman is there to
give the first tour. In exchange for the Man of Steel's help in preparing the
exhibits, the pavilion's operator, entrepreneur J. Robert Arngrim, is
donating $1,000,000 to charity.
Superman leads the crowd into the Krypton exhibit. Because of repeated
exposure to kryptonite, Superman admits that he has forgotten most of his
early life on Krypton. Arngrim cajoles Superman into using his mind-prober
ray to retrieve those memories from his subconscious.
Superman relives the terror of the groundquakes rumbling through his home as
his mother, Lara, comforts him. Jor-El arrives, fresh from his science
council meeting where his predictions of doom were again met with derision.
He relays his frustration to his wife and vows that at least he, Lara, and
Kal-El will survive.
Superman next remembers how his dog Krypto was lost during one of his
father's tests when a stray meteor knocked Krypto's rocket out of orbit.
Finally, Superman recalls Krypton's last day as his father places him into
his last rocket. Superman recalls the rocket blasting off as his parents
embrace amidst the collapsing building. Overcome with emotion, Superman snaps
the restraints of his chair and breaks down, his head in his hands, sobbing.
After collecting himself, Superman leads the crowd into the Superboy room
which details his arrival on Earth and his career as Superboy. Privately, he
reminisces about his landing on Earth, his subsequent discovery by the Kents,
their discovery of his super powers, his debut as Superboy, and how he began
contrasting Clark's and Superboy's appearances and personalities. He later
recalls the deaths of his foster parents. Publicly, he discusses Krypto's
arrival on Earth, his first exposure to green kryptonite, the Phantom Zone,
and his various powers and their sources.
>From there the tour enters the Superman room. Again Superman has private
recollections about the changes in Clark's life, from his days at Metropolis
University, to landing his job at the Daily Planet, to his television career.
Publicly, he talks about his Fortress of Solitude, Supergirl, his various
friends and enemies, the bottle city of Kandor, and the various isotopes of
kryptonite.
As Superman leads the tour towards the exit veranda, Arngrim presses a button
which drops Superman into an underground lab and replaces him with a
duplicate. Luthor reveals himself and proceeds to attack Superman. Luthor
forces Superman into a cell whose artificial red sun and gravity have
stripped Superman of his powers.
Luthor reveals how he extracted a sliver of kryptonian metal from one of the
exhibits and had Arngrim, who is really a Luthor-controlled clone, use the
sliver to scrape Superman's hand when the two men greeted each other. Arngrim
delivered the small skin sample to Luthor just prior to the start of the
tour. Luthor then created a clone of Superman and rapidly aged him as the
tour progressed. As Superman was reminiscing, his memories were fed into the
clone, but Superman's feelings towards Luthor were altered; Luthor does not
yet know Superman's secret identity due to the sensitive nature of tampering
with the memory transfer process. Luthor also reveals that the entire
pavilion is lined with a plastic explosive which will explode when the
departing guests trip an electronic beam near the exit door; tripping the
beam will also trigger a laser to stab into Superman's cell and kill him.
While Luthor is distracted directing the clone, Superman escapes, turns off
the power sapping devices, taps Luthor into unconsciousness, and prevents
Lois from triggering the explosion. Superman quickly deals with the clone by
throwing him into the kryptonite display where the gold kryptonite takes away
his powers. After using super-breath to clear the kryptonite away, Superman
apprehends both the Superman clone and the Arngrim clone.
This had something for everyone. For the newcomers, it presented a nice
overview of Superman's history; for the veteran readers, it had a
Superman-Lex Luthor battle which neatly tied into the main story. For
today's readers interested in reading about the Pre-Crisis Superman, this
makes a great starting point. It gives enough details about this Superman's
world without becoming overwhelming.
Writer Martin Pasko provided great characterization throughout this issue.
Superman ran through a range of emotions, from utter grief over the
destruction of his homeworld, to nostalgia about his Superboy days, to wonder
at the changes in his adult life. This gives us better insight and
perspective into the man. Luthor was his usual megalomaniacal self who, as
portrayed in the late 70s, had a penchant for tripping himself up; this trend
continues here as Luthor leaves Superman's cell keys out in the open and
unguarded. Mr. Pasko also slipped in a great character bit between Lana Lang
and Lois when Lana's callousness and Lois' insight were demonstrated in a
scene revolving around Superman's fond memories of Krypto.
The clone plot was neatly handled. It makes sense that invulnerable Superman
would be immune to certain sensations; after all, when bullets don't cause
pain, how could some minor skin scraping? The fight between Superman and the
clone was brief and efficiently dealt with. Using gold kryptonite to rob the
clone of his powers was masterful, but it calls attention to two glaring plot
holes. First, seeing as how Luthor had access to the exhibits before the
pavilion opened, why didn't he appropriate some gold kryptonite to
permanently rob Superman of his powers, instead of relying on the artificial
red sun to temporarily rob Superman of his powers? Second, why would Superman
allow genuine kryptonite to be put on public display? This would be a magnet
for criminals. Superman would have to spend all of his time constantly
guarding the display. Superman is very respectful of kryptonite's danger; it
is inconceivable that he would put such a large collection in such a public
place and thus place himself in such danger.
Finally, a word about the packaging of this issue. The front and back covers
were very striking. The front cover showed Lois and Supergirl presenting a
large copy of this comic to Superman; the background consisted of covers to
_Action Comics_ back issues, done in red ink. The back cover showed baby
Kal-El rocketing away from an exploding Krypton; the background consisted of
the covers to _Action Comics_ #'s 100, 200, 300, and 400, again done in red
ink. On the inside covers was an interesting article by E. Nelson Bridwell
detailing the various features that had run in _Action Comics_ to that point.
Unlike today's big anniversary blowouts, the entire issue was done by one
creative team. There are no jarring transitions between different art teams
and the story flowed smoothly.
Overall, this was a decent anniversary package. It provided a fitting tribute
to DC's premiere hero by celebrating his history and giving the readers a fun
adventure as well.
______________________________________________
THE MAILBAG
-------------------------------------
(sykes@ms.uky.edu, KryptonCN@aol.com)
KC Responses are indented and begun with ****
=========================================
From: Cole Odell (coleo@biggs-gilmore.com)
Hi, Jeff, sorry it took so long to respond, but I just read the section of
this year's awards where you commented on _Superman_ #121 and included my
response. I haven't looked at the issue in a while, and I apologize if one or
two of my specifics are off, but I think I can remember the central
disagreements I had with it.
The worst aspect of the story is that the "happy ending" shows the lucky
black family being rescued out of their neighborhood by a beneficent rich
white guy (Mr. Jupiter from Jurgens' Titans) and plunked into another part of
town. No indication that Jupiter's money, or the family's time, might be
better spent trying to *reclaim* Suicide Slum and make it a better place to
live for all the families who aren't "lucky" enough to have millionaire
benefactors -- apparently it's a lost cause, and the only viable option is to
abandon it. This is a hopeless view of urban blight, as well as a celebration
of whites as paternalistic saviors of meek blacks from their unredeemably
dangerous, even "animalistic" criminal brothers. I believe Clark refers to
the gang members as animals, which really bothers me, as it entirely misses
the tragedy of criminality -- that these horrible things can be done by
*humans*. Calling someone an animal implies that they are sub-human, and
further, that they can be punished by extermination, as we do to animals all
the time for food, research, or when they attack a human. What a small,
defeatist, scape-goating way to look at crime.
**** I'm going to preface my responses with the statement that I lived a
very sheltered, very rural life while growing up in South Arkansas.
I have no view of urban blight because it's outside of my experience.
That said, I agree with your conclusions -- that Suicide Slum should
be improved and not abandoned. However, it should be pointed out that
the story never implies that Jupiter *isn't* donating money towards
the improvement of Suicide Slum. In fact, Clark points out that
Jupiter has "given away tens of millions of dollars over the years."
Perhaps Jurgens should have been more explicit in his dialogue. I also
wonder how the scene might have been interpreted if Franklin Stern had
been the benefactor.
For the record, Clark does not refer to the criminals as animals. A
quote in his article states, "I've never been able to understand human
predators who would willfully kill their fellow man." So he does refer
to them as human.
In addition, look at one of the last panels in the story, in which Jupiter
and Kal-El take the foreground, while behind them, the ever-grateful mother
and daughter are safely *contained within a fence*, and (I think) the color
scheme of the mother's clothing resembles nothing less than a lawn jockey. A
stunning panel which sticks in my mind in a way few Superman stories ever do
anymore.
**** I look at that scene and see an excited little girl pulling her mother
along the walk. They have a new home with a little picket fence. To
be quite honest, to me that's one of those _Better Homes & Gardens_,
American dream kind of images -- but as I said, my background could
have a lot to do with that.
I was also bothered by Superman's extreme reaction to the little girl's
shooting. In a perfect example of what makes the post-Crisis Superman
inferior, he simply loses it, a la Dead Again, ignoring both his position as
a specially deputized law-enforcement officer *and* constitutional protection
against unwarranted search & seizure, in his attempt to clean up all the gang
weapons in the area. He acts as if he had never thought about the problems in
Suicide Slum before, then he acts as if he has no understanding of the way
neighborhoods and intimidation work, when he meets resistance to his
inquiries as a reporter. After ten in-continuity years protecting the city,
both characterizations are way off-base. How could ace reporter Kent not
understand urban social dynamics? What exactly is his column about? In short,
Superman behaves uncharacteristically in order to get the plot to work out --
my hallmark of a bad story.
**** I think you're right to an extent, but I don't think that he's losing
it out of ignorance. I think that when he heard from the people of
the Simon Project that Superman didn't care about their situation, he
overreacted. Or rather, he acted without thinking. In that sense,
it's not that uncharacteristic of what we've seen for the past five
years or so. Since he came back from the dead, Superman has been a
leap-before-you-look hero.
As for his apparent lack of understanding of urban social dynamics,
you're dead on. This man has been portrayed as a studier of society.
He worked his way around the world, learning of myriad cultures and
societies, then returned to champion Metropolis. Now he's been living
and reporting in Metropolis for ten years and is *surprised* by how
he's treated and how the neighborhood works? That doesn't ring true
at all.
Perhaps the point was all in the last page of the story, where Superman
"realizes" that "even Superman can't fix the problems of social plight
and economic inequity. Those require solutions that come from within."
The Superman writers have always been fond of confronting Superman with
the problems of our society (environmental concerns, racism, spousal
abuse, crime, etc.), but the conclusion is *always* something along the
lines of "Superman can't fix this problem, only *we* can." That's not
a bad message for the readers, but a great moral doesn't make up for a
poorly-told tale.
I'll admit that I'm a sucker for stories with an emotional tug, and
this was one such story. In looking at it more closely, I can see
some of the problems, but what I see are not necessarily racism or
classism (though I can see a case for the latter), but weak
characterization of Clark Kent.
Dan Jurgens has access to KC each month. Maybe he'll see this
discussion and take time to address some of these concerns. As the
writer, he's really the only person who can tell us exactly what he
was intending with the story.
Of course, my conception of Superman comes from the Maggin/Bates model of the
early '70s, when instead of grimacing and losing control, Superman used to
stuff punks in garbage cans with a wry smile then go on TV as Clark to argue
against capital punishment. Back then he was a more idealistic, more
level-headed, more *competent* character (albeit in a gentler universe.) The
uncomfortable angst of recent years belies an immaturity which Superman
should not possess.
**** I wouldn't mind losing the angst and loss of control, but I actually
prefer my Superman/Clark Kent less politicized, if for no other reason
than it doesn't sound like good business sense to risk alienating
readers.
=========================================
From: David Joseph Young, Jr. (dayoung@luna.cas.usf.edu)
[Two issues ago, Derek Jackson complained that DC should have printed more
copies of the _Challengers_ issue of the Millennium Giants crossover. David
Chappell responded that the problem was not DC's, but that of the store not
ordering enough copies. I added that readers should let their retailers know
in advance when they are going to want a copy of a title they don't normally
buy, and that "most store owners won't force you to buy a pre-ordered
mainstream title" if it turns out you can't justify the purchase. That said,
the following are excerpts of a dialogue between David Young and myself in
response to those comments.]
While it is true that store owners and managers determine how many copies
they order, I don't think you understand the complexity of comic shop
ordering. As a retailer myself, I can tell you that it isn't easy. About
the hardest thing for a comics retailer to do is to decide the ideal number
of copies to order of each comic title. Order too few and you have irritated
customers, order two many and you have your (usually critically short amount
of) money tied up in unsellable (or nearly unsellable) goods. Often, orders
are done at the last possible minute each month at our store to give all of
our customers time to let us know what they want. Even so, there are always
people who sign up for titles (and specific issues) after we have sent in our
order.
You realize that a lot of your Superman fans do not pick these [crossover]
books up regularly. You're going to have to up your orders to fill the needs
of the regular fans of these books plus the "Millennium Giants" buyers. How
would you know how many more to buy? You do not have more than a couple of
fans who have turned in their _Previews_ order forms and told you that they
want [the crossover issues], but you can be sure that people will start
asking for them later (especially after they get the _Superman_ issue which
tells them to look for _Challengers of the Unknown_ this month). Quite
frankly, you have to take a guess. An educated guess granted, but a guess
nonetheless. (Remember, you can't return these if you order too many!)
When ordering these issues, I ordered about 50% more of the three titles than
I usually do. I still sold out of _Aquaman_ and _Challengers of the Unknown_
very quickly and had to try to get reorders (luckily DC and Diamond had them
available for at least a week after they came in -- did you ask the stores
about reorders?).
Now, you may wonder what the problem with extra copies is. Most stores have
to pay approximately 50-60% of the cover price for each comic they sell.
Bigger stores get a bigger discount, smaller stores a smaller one. Our new
comics bills can run between $600 to $1000 plus each week.
**** I'm going to jump in and summarize here. For reference, David runs a
*small* store, so the retailer's cost will run higher for larger
stores. After discounting subscription orders 10% off of cover, that
leaves a gross profit of around 40%. That's about 80 cents per $2.00
book. Out of that, he has to pay rent, utilities, taxes, salaries,
etc. *And* counteract the loss incurred on each unsold book.
I don't believe that there are many comic shops out there which are rolling
in the dough nowadays. Most of them are just getting by each month. This
means that they have to make their orders as close to perfect as they can.
Extra copies which they can't sell are often wasted dollars, and a lot of
small shops can't afford to waste anything.
**** I can believe this, given that there are about half as many stores in
Lexington as there were five years ago. Now, all this said, I pointed
out to David (Young) that David (Chappell) *was* correct -- it still
came down to the store not ordering enough copies, even as difficult
as it may be to determine that number. That's why I added that in
these situations, the reader really does need to let the retailer know
before he places his order. David (Young) responds:
There is one thing the publisher can do to try to compensate for expected
shortages. They can overprint an issue slightly. They do this all the time
to make up for damaged copies, shortages, and reorders reported by comic
shops when the issue arrives. I'm sure they use past market conditions and
formulas to decide how many to overprint of an issue. For books like _JLA_
I'm sure they overprint many more copies (for reorders) than they do books
like _Challengers of the Unknown_ or _Books of Magic_.
Since DC knew the extent to which _Challengers_ would tie into "Millennium
Giants" and knew that most likely more people would want copies than
originally ordered, they could have overprinted some. Of course, this
becomes a gamble for DC, since if they overprint something which relatively
few people reorder, they are stuck with copies which they have to dump at a
loss (especially since DC doesn't stock back-issues). I think DC did this.
All of the "Millennium Giants" were available for reorder at least a week or
so after they shipped. I didn't have any trouble getting my reorders for
these issues.
**** You are, of course, correct. DC *has* to plan for some reorders,
especially during crossovers. What I think we should stress is a plan
of action for readers: 1) If at all possible, let your retailer know
before he places his order whether or not you will be wanting something
you don't normally buy. 2) If you can't place that order in advance,
you have to expect that you may not be able to find the issue when it
comes out, but you should always ask about reorders.
Now, David gets to very justly take me to task over my comment about
stores not forcing you to buy what you pre-order.
By the way, Jeff, while I understand what you said above about stores not
forcing a customer to buy a crossover which isn't very important to the
series, I must suggest caution. One or two people deciding that they don't
really want _Challengers_ even though they specifically ordered it is one
thing. (Chances are we could use them for the racks.) However, if everyone
who special ordered it decided to turn it back at once, we may have 10-20
extra copies (this is assuming orders were increased and reorders made based
on subscription orders). Our general policy is if you special-ordered it and
we aren't short on the item (and the item isn't totally different from what
was advertised or something like that), we need you to buy it. This keeps
some customers from frivolously ordering a bunch of "neat" stuff they see in
the _Previews_ order form and then having to cancel items because they can't
afford them down the line or simply have changed their minds. (That's part
of the reason mail order companies take money down on orders.) I'm not
saying we never let people put things back, but we have to make a judgement
call in each case, and customers shouldn't be encouraged to think they can do
it anytime they wish.
**** David is 100% correct. I was speaking from personal experience with
that remark, and most certainly should not have generalized it to
"most" stores. Furthermore, while that policy was explicitly spelled
out for me by the owner of the shop I frequent, it was done so *way*
back in 1993, before the bottom fell out of the market. I expect he
would feel differently today. In short, every reader should ask their
retailers what policies they have on such pre-orders.
It's simply not fair, especially in these slow times, to stick the
retailers with a lot of extra copies. That said, there needs to be
some protection for the consumer here, and perhaps this lies back with
DC. Neither the publishers nor Diamond accept returns of unsold books,
which means that in all cases, it's the stores which get stuck with
the unwanted copies.
All things considered, _Challengers of the Unknown_ was completely
unnecessary to the story of "Millennium Giants." The only thing a
reader would *need* it for would have been to complete the 9-panel
grid composed from the covers. DC has a responsibility, in my opinion,
to make it perfectly clear whether or not a crossover or tie-in issue
is essential to the story. Blanket statements do *not* cut it, as
evidenced by some of the tie-ins to _Genesis_.
In my not so humble opinion, when the market is as bad as it is (or is
perceived to be) today, the publishers have a responsibility to make
certain that their zeal for marketing doesn't end up screwing over the
retailers. It won't do anyone any good if the stores keep closing down
and the market continues to shrink.
Out of all this, David suggested that there might be a place in KC for
a semi-regular column touching on retail issues -- how the publisher,
distributor, retailer, and consumer all live together in what isn't
always harmony. As long as we can keep this discussions related back
to how they affect the Superman fans, I think this isn't a bad idea at
all. How about it readers? Interested? (This is keeping in line
with our "tell us what you want theme" this issue. :)
=========================================
From: Steve Kaplan (phoenix@netactive.co.za)
Before I even finished KC,
before I even finished the first of the nine sections that KC comes in,
before I even got out my comics to put on the desk next to the computer so
that I can refresh my memory about which issue of Superman is currently
being panned by the KC ratings panel,
and before I even had to time to swear out loud (again!) at the fact that my
comic supplier under-ordered _Superman Forever_ and is making me wait another
week for it....
I read "And Who Disguised As..."
Wow!
J.D., you said it man.
The friends, the significant other, the slightly condescending glance from
family members when they see that pile of comics on your kitchen table.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Ain't no doubt about it, we love the guys in spandex who can fly.
And we're not ashamed.
And we *SO* understand each other.
I am truly touched.
**** [J.D. Responds --]
Thanks for writing. It's always nice to hear that the work found a
landing zone. Incidently, Jeff (Wild Man) Sykes who edits the KC,
removed my original column ending. In it, I suggested that anyone who
really enjoyed the column should send a cash donation. Fortunately,
with this letter I have gotten around the Man of Sykes and can give
you that address. Send any amount you are comfortable with. Don't
wanna bankrupt ya.
Send to: Christopher Reeve Foundation Info
Christopher Reeve Foundation
P. O. Box 277,
FDR Station,
New York, New York 10150-0277
Telephone: (888) 711-HOPE
Slick, eh? Yessir, a few more columns like that one and I'm on easy
street.
[We've *never* had a reader accuse J. of being meek. I guess he forgot
that I also edit the letters page... ]
=========================================
From: Christopher O'Brien Jr. (mxyzptlk@afn.org)
I gave DC Comics subscriptions another chance. (First chance was mentioned in
my letter, KC #48) They did fine for a little over a year. Yet, they
recently sent another issue to me out of order. Only this time, it was not
just the triangle, but the title itself.
It took about 5 or 6 e-mails to DC Subs for me to get _Man of Steel_ #79. On
April 22nd, they said "We will check. Thanks." On Monday, May 4th, they said
"You should receive it some time this week. Thanks." One week later, I said
"I have #80. If I don't get #79 in 7 days, I'm cancelling." Monday, May
11th, they said, "We sent it out 5/6. You should receive it any day now.
Thanks." ... That same day I received *three* issues of _Man of Steel_ #79,
separate envelopes.
Not to quote _South Park_, but... Dude, this is pretty screwed up right
here! I don't know how to run a subscription department. However, as a
customer, I should not have to worry about whether or not I am getting my
money's worth. Meaning, DC needs to think twice. I am surprised they even
offer subscriptions if they are this disorganized.
**** Man, I don't think I could put up with that. Is the discount really
worth the hassle?
=========================================
From: Bill Crupe (wcrupe@concentric.net)
[Regarding some of our reviewers' surprise at the Contessa letting Bizarro
anywhere near Lena in _Superman Forever_:]
After reading these comments, it struck me! It would be a piece of cake for
Dabny to whip up a baby. The Contessa tried to stop the Bizarro, only
because getting "Lena" to Luthor was part of a nasty scheme. Hard to say
what kind of crazy mutations that Donovan may have put in her.
I can't wait to see what this new storyline(s) brings the next couple of
months.
**** You and Benjamin Grose (kryptonkid@juno.com) were on the same wavelength,
Bill, as he suggested exactly the same thing. That thought hadn't even
crossed my mind until you mentioned it, but that would *certainly* be
the devious thing to do. Can you imagine Lena mutating into something
horrid and then the real Lena finding her way to Luthor's doorstep?
Would Luthor even be able to believe she was real? This would be a
great comic book twist on the "evil twin" or "switched at birth"
themes use in soap operas...
=========================================
From: Doug Randolph (dvncrandolph@earthlink.net)
Congratulations on the great job you're doing with The Kryptonian Cybernet.
Also, want to acknowledge your accuracy in predicting all along that
Superman's traditional costume/powers would return.
You mention the titles will have fewer extended storylines and be more stand
alone, with individual artists having additional creative freedom. Certainly,
this is the direction the books must take if DC hopes to recapture fans
who've abandoned the titles.
At the comic shop I frequent, sales of Superman books are just 70% of what
they were before the "Blue" storyline. Though the traditional Superman is
back, many fans aren't.
**** The current break from the weekly continuity looks, alas, to be
temporary, and I doubt we'll see a more permanent move towards this
anytime soon. I just saw Diamond's numbers on pre-orders for May, and
as I recall, sales levels for May-shipping Superman titles were about
the same as they were before the whole Blue thing got underway. No
harm, no foul -- perhaps.
Besides the return of the traditional Supes, there's good news in Warner's
axing of _Superman Lives_. Fans won't have to endure the fiasco this movie
was destined to be. This film had become the big-screen counterpart to the
awful _Lois and Clark_ TV series. Poorly conceived, poorly planned -- an
insult to the super-hero genre in general, and the Superman mythos in
particular.
**** I'll agree on the Burton/Cage/Peters film, but you'll never get me to
agree that _Lois and Clark_ was poorly conceived, poorly planned, or
an insult to the Superman mythos. What many of the comic fans have
yet to realize is that they were never the intended target for _Lois
and Clark_, which was primarily meant to be a romance -- it just
happened to be a romance involving the most famous couple in history.
As such, it was very well conceived and executed -- when ABC wasn't
sticking its nose in where it didn't belong.
Jon Peters and Tim Burton had no business being involved in this project.
They had no interest in making a great Superman film, but instead wanted to
create their own weird, dark and misguided vision of what Superman should be.
In Cinescape Kevin Smith tells how these guys wanted to eliminate the very
things that make Superman unique -- the sense of hope, the flying, the visual
lightness (the film was to take place primarily in darkness/indoors), and any
hint of the traditional costume. Its amazing Warner took so long to pull the
plug -- two years of negative buzz only served to further devalue the fading
Superman franchise.
In this revisionist world casting Nicolas Cage, someone with no physical
resemblance to the traditional Superman, made perfect sense. In the real
world, though, it made no sense and promised to be no more successful than
was casting Dean Cain in the TV series. This film was not going to be about
Superman, but it was going to be all about Nicolas Cage playing Superman.
The one down side in this is that Warner, in giving up on the movie
franchise, will hurt the long term viability of the Superman books. In the
world of comics, titles/characters exist increasingly for their
TV/movie/multimedia value, and not as viable commodities in their own right.
**** I still remain confident that this will be made. There's been too much
development, albeit unproductive, and Superman is much too important a
franchise to Warner Bros to let the property wither away.
'Lois & Clark' drove the final nail in the coffin of the Superman TV
franchise, and Warner has essentially done the same with the movie franchise.
Without this base, the Superman franchise isn't worth much, and can never
again be the major revenue source that the multimedia entertainment industry
covets. Warner/DC may come to question the value of keeping a low profit line
of titles in a high profit industry.
Only time will tell what impact all this has on the viability of the Superman
franchise.
To end on a up note, The Kryptonian Cybernet, and several other excellent
Superman websites, are proof the Superman character can be faithfully and
successfully adapted to the new electronic entertainment technology. If
dedicated traditional fans such as yourself had been the key players in
efforts to revive the Superman movie franchise, things would surely have
turned out differently.
**** Today's fans can become tomorrow's defenders. Keep the faith.
Superman has endured for 60 years, and a couple of Hollywood
whackos can't keep that from continuing.
-- Jeff Sykes
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End of Section 8/Issue #50!
