Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 67
________________________________________________________
T H E K R Y P T O N I A N C Y B E R N E T
_________________________________________________
http://www.kryptonian-cybernet.com
Issue #67 - October 1999
________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
--------
Section 0: Table of Contents
Editorial Staff
Disclaimers
Subscription Information
Section 1: Superscripts: Notes from the Editor(s)
Things I Will Miss About Dan Jurgens
In a guest editorial, Thomas Deja expresses a fond farewell
to the exiting senior member of the Superman team.
Ratings At A Glance
Titles Shipped September 1999
The KC Newsroom
Another change to the Superman creative teams, Superman
meets another batch of Aliens, Jeph Loeb talks about his
plans for Superman, Grant Morrison talks about his JLA
and Hypertime plans, and Christopher Reeve's Superman
gets restored for DVD.
Section 2: Superman Stories
Supergirl: Part 2
Sean Hogan concludes his exploration of the current
Supergirl's history and looks briefly at other post-Crisis
Supergirls.
Section 3: The One, True, Original Superman!
Some True Superman Rarities
Taking a break from the comics, Bob Hughes takes a look at
two children's records released in Superman's early days.
Phantom Zone Reviews
Weapon X, Superboy's public debut, and Superman and
Supergirl's second orphaning highlight Superman #144,
reviewed by Scott Devarney.
Section 4: New Comic Reviews
The Triangle Titles
Adventures of Superman #572, by Enola Jones
Action Comics #759, by Gary D. Robinson
Superman: The Man of Steel #94, by Mike Smith
Section 5: New Comic Reviews
The Triangle Titles (cont)
Superman #150, by Thomas Deja
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #15, by Jeremy Bleichman
Super-Family Titles
Superboy #68, by Rene' Gobeyn
Supergirl #38, by Thomas Deja
Section 6: New Comic Reviews
Super-Family Titles (cont)
Superman Adventures #37, by Cory Strode
Team Titles
JLA #35, by Edward Mathews
Young Justice #14, by Gary Robinson
Miniseries
Batman & Superman: World's Finest #8, by Simon DelMonte
Section 7: New Comic Reviews
Specials
JLA: Superpower, by Edward Mathews
Legends of the DC Universe #22, by Cory Strode
Superman and Savage Dragon: Metropolis, by Thomas Deja
Section 8: The KC Mailbag
Letters concerning confusion in today's comic books,
spoilers, the backstory for "Captain Incredible", Kara,
Vartox, and reader and publisher responsibilities.
EDITORIAL 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
DISCLAIMERS:
-----------
Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, Steel, JLA, Young Justice, and all
associated characters, locations, symbols, logos, and events are copyright
and/or trademarks of DC Comics. This magazine, its publisher and
contributors, and any content related to the Superman family of characters
are not authorized by DC Comics. Use of these copyrighted and trademarked
properties 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 1999 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 by e-mail. Permission is
also granted to advertise subscription information on other on-line
services and/or websites. Should you desire to share this publication with
other on-line services and/or web sites, please contact Jeff Sykes at
sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com for permission.
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
-------------
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET is available by e-mail -- to subscribe, simply send
an e-mail message with the word "subscribe" in the Subject: field to the
following address:
To: kc-request@kryptonian-cybernet.com
Subject: subscribe
This will subscribe the address from which the message was sent. If the
address is successfully subscribed, you will receive a copy of the list's
welcome message. If you have any problems, contact Jeff Sykes at
sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com.
Back issues are available via ftp at ftp.kryptonian-cybernet.com. These
archives can also be reached via the Kryptonian Cybernet Homepage:
http://www.kryptonian-cybernet.com
_____________________________________
End of Section 0
_____________________________________
SUPERSCRIPTS: NOTES FROM THE EDITOR(S)
------------------------------------------------------
Guest Editorial by Thomas Deja (blackair@gis.net)
THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT DAN JURGENS
As everyone knows, with this issue, I write my final review of a Dan
Jurgens _Superman_. Now I'm sure a lot of people would think I'd be dancing
in the street over this. After all, I was incredibly hard on Jurgens during
the bulk of his run, giving a lot of his stories low ratings and being
hypercritical of his stuff.
But, you know, I'm sorry to see him go. I've always felt the proper role of
the critic is to be analogous to the comic book's best friend. You know how
your best friend can say things to you that you might not want to hear, but
that are ultimately good for you? How your best friend can sometimes see
flaws in your plans and outlook that you might not, and sometimes gets
harsh because he knows only by pointing them out will you improve? Well,
that's how I approached reviewing _Superman_; I wanted to see the books
improve and thrive, and I was willing to point out flaws in the hopes that
those flaws would be diminished or eliminated.
And Dan Jurgens had flaws -- but he also had strengths that always made me
gleefully happy when I saw them expressed. And I want to share with you
what some of these strengths were, strengths that I will miss seeing in the
Triangle titles in the months to come. To wit:
1) Jurgens had an enthusiasm for Superman.
No matter how you looked at it, Jurgens loved writing for the Man
of Steel. Even when he was going through the motions, the love and
affection Dan had for The Last Son of Krypton shone through. And I'd
rather have that then a journeyman going through the motions for a
paycheck at the end of the month.
2) Jurgens understood Luthor better than anyone.
The biggest mistake the editors at team Super made in the last year was
giving the writing chores of _Lex Luthor_ to David Michelinie and not
Jurgens. Jurgens truly understood the man who was Superman's opposite,
and some of my favorite Jurgens-scripted stories -- including my
all-time favorite, "Checkmate," involved getting deep inside Luthor's
head. To Jurgens, Luthor was a man whose maliciousness was forged in
the fire of his own hostile nurturing. His Lex was evil pure and simple,
but evil with many facets, like a diamond.
3) Jurgens excelled as a short-term sprinter.
I don't know if everyone agrees with me, but generally some of Jurgens'
finest work has been in the short form. He provided the highlights for
both of the _Superman 80-Page Giants_ (including -- to shore up point
two -- _80 Page Giant_ #2's profile of Lex getting a modicum of what he
wants and realizing, thanks to the events of Superman Rex, it's no
longer enough) and pulled off a rare thing by retelling the most-told
origin in comics in a way that was engaging and fascinating in the first
_Superman Secret Files_. Maybe it's because the shorter form forces Dan
to focus his attentions and cut his stories down to the essentials, but
these short stories are some of the finest work of his run.
4) Jurgens knew the best way to illustrate what your hero is about is by
contrasting him with others.
This is something I didn't realize until I started writing a guest
editorial (which will be finished one day) on the supporting heroes of
the Superman titles. As I sifted through these characters, I noticed
many of them seemed designed to give us a better understanding of
aspects of the Man of Steel himself. From Agent Liberty, who shores up
Superman's liberal nature with his conservative leanings, to Outburst,
who demonstrated Superman's sober responsibility with his own youthful
exuberance and recklessness, Jurgens excelled at giving us different
shades against which we can measure Superman. And on top of that,
Jurgens managed to come up with one of the most logical ways to handle
the Batman/Superman relationship -- he took the 'not trusting' status
quo and slowly maneuvered both characters into a place where they
*could* be friends.
5) Jurgens excelled at the essay-story.
Take it from the professional writer: when you try to write something
in an unconventional way, you're asking for trouble. And writing a
narrative story in the form of an opinion column or a non-linear article
is tough going... yet Jurgens knew what he was doing. One of my first
exposures to his prose was in _Superman_ #79. In setting the story up
as Ron Troupe's first column for the Planet, we not only got an
interesting view of what the Cyborg was like, but also a sense of what
Ron was like as well. And Dan rarely failed with this style of story;
as recently as _Superman_ #142's debut of the Superman Robots, he's
gotten mileage from the essay form.
6) Jurgens was capable of being inspired by the right contributor
...and the funny thing is, I don't think Jurgens does his best work
for himself. But when he hooks up with somebody like Steve Epting, who
shares some of his strengths, he blossoms into an A-number-One writer
bar none. With the right artist to play off of, to get input from and
another perspective from, Jurgens' quality goes through the roof. I
mean, look at the Jurgens/Epting issues: there's only one I disliked
(not counting a solo effort and the hideous 'Strange Visitor' abortion
-- which our man had nothing to do with, Thank God). I really wish that
Jurgens had more time working with Epting, because I suspect they would
inspire each other to new heights. Of course, we will be getting this
great team on _Aquaman_, but I still would've loved to see what they
could've done with their second year of the Man of Steel.
_____________________________________
RATINGS AT A GLANCE: Titles shipped September 1999
-------------------------------------------------------------
Prepared by Shane Travis <travis@kryptonian-cybernet.com>
Not much to say this month, other than that I'm glad it's *over*. I refer
to the anxious waiting for the new creative teams to come aboard, and also
incidentally to the Strange Visitor story arc. Everyone I've spoken to
who's already seen the October-published comics has had nothing but good to
say about them... but that's next-month country as far as this column is
concerned. Before we can bring in the new, however, we have to usher out
the old one final time...
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. (T) indicates a tie.
Average -- Average of the ratings for this title over the previous six
issues, each of which is weighted equally, regardless of the
number of people who assigned it ratings. If the average is for
fewer than six issues, the number of issues is displayed in ().
Current Previous Average
Title Issue Rating Rank Rating Rank Rating Rank
----- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
JLA: Superpower 1 4.0(8) - -- - -- -
Sup./Savage Dragon 1 3.8(4) - -- - -- -
Superman Adv. 37 3.7(7) 1(T) 4.4(6) 1 3.23 3
Superman 150 3.7(13) 1(T) 2.5(11) 10 3.20 5
World's Finest 8 3.6(7) - 4.0(6) 2 3.33 -
Superboy 68 3.6(8) 3 2.8(8) 9 3.52 2
Young Justice 14 3.6(7) 4 2.8(7) 7 3.27 4
Supergirl 38 3.6(6) 5 3.6(7) 3 3.57 1
JLA 35 3.4(8) 6 3.0(10) 6 3.13 6
Man of Tomorrow 15 3.3(7) - -- - -
Legends of the DCU 22 2.4(5) - -- - -- -
Adv. of Superman 572 2.1(11) 7 2.8(10) 8 2.55 9
Action Comics 759 2.0(11) 8 3.4(12) 5 2.83 8
Man of Steel 94 2.0(11) 9 3.5(12) 4 2.90 7
"So long; it's been good to know ya"
SUPERMAN #150 (3.7 Shields, 1st place tie)
- If you've gotta go, go out on a high note, and in many people's opinions
that's just what Dan Jurgens did this month with his final Triangle Title
Superman story. Not only was it tied for first place this month, but it was
the best rating for this book (in my tenure as New Comics Editor) since his
much-lauded examination of Lex Luthor ("Checkmate!", _Superman_ #131, 4.1
Shields), finishing only slightly behind the reintroduction of Cyborg as
Ashbury Armstrong's teacher ("Within Human Reach", _Superman_ #129, 3.8
Shields), and tied with "Machinations!" (_Superman_ #126), where Lex stole
back his kryptonite ring from Batman. While there were some mixed emotions
about the new Brainiac -- much as there have always been about Mr. Jurgens
and his writing -- most reviewers thought that this was a suitable coda to
Dan's 10-year run. Whether you like or dislike his work, there's no denying
that the man has left his own indelible mark on the Superman legacy.
"And so it ends..."
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW #15 (3.3 Shields)
- It's a month of goodbyes; this time we turn our attention to the last
issue of this series. During my tenure with the KC, this series has never
received high marks or high praise, and now that DC is turning more and
more frequently to skip-week events, it can certainly be argued that it's
outlived its usefulness as a skip-week fill-in. I know I won't be sad to
see it go -- I get *real* tired of putting footnotes in this column every
third month or so -- but once again I'm happy to see something end on a
high note. This month's cumulative rating of 3.3 Shields was significantly
higher than any other I've seen for this series (the second-best being 2.7
Shields for issue #14), and DeMatteis gained a few supporters for his
future with the triangle titles with this interesting and well-grounded
outing.
"She's reaching critical... mass?"
AOS #572, ACTION #759, MOS #94 (2.1, 2.0, 2.0 Shields, respectively)
- Well, it can't *all* be roses and champagne this month, and it seems
that there's at least one goodbye that people are *glad* to make. The debut
of Strange Visitor left most reviewers happy to see her fly off into the
sunset, perhaps never to be seen again. While much dissatisfaction was
raised at the misguided attempt to make a mystery out of something that had
been revealed over six months ago in _Superman Secret Files_ #2, most
reviewers seemed able to put that aside and judge the story on its own
merits... such as they were.
Information for 'Ratings at a Glance' and the ratings that accompany the
monthly reviews of Superman comics are obtained from KC readers. To become
a contributor, or to obtain information about what is required, contact
Shane Travis at <travis@kryptonian-cybernet.com>.
_____________________________________
THE KC NEWSROOM
---------------------------------
By Joshua Elder (j-elder@nwu.edu)
CREATOR CHANGEOVER
Stuart Immonen and Mark Millar are leaving _Adventures of Superman_ later
in the year. On the heels of the announcement, Millar related that he had
always planned on leaving by the end of the year, once Stuart finished the
_End of the Century_ hardcover. This bad news is compounded by the fact
that Millar is leaving _Superman Adventures_ as well and that his work has
gotten so good lately.
On the bright side, J.M. DeMatteis is coming onboard as writer. He plans on
focusing more on Superman's villains, something I think most fans will
agree needs attention. There will also be healthy dose of humor in the
book, hearkening back to DeMatteis' old days on Justice League. DeMatteis
also writes the Spectre. So could a confrontation with the disgraced Green
Lantern/Wrath of God be far behind? They do have almost diametrically
opposed philosophies about human nature and they were both created by Jerry
Siegel. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me.
Whoever DC picks to take over the art job on _Adventures of Superman_ will
have pretty big shoes to fill. Immonen was my favorite of the current crop
of Superman artists and I will be very sad to see him go. Still, the show
must go on and therefore I cast my vote for Mike McKone and Marlo Alquiza.
Their work in _Superman_ #151 was just amazing. Most fans I've talked to on
the chat rooms seem to agree as well. Steve Epting would be the next
choice, but I would say keep him around for fill-in issues, because they're
going to happen often enough on a set of high-pressure books like the
Superman titles.
SUPERMAN/ALIENS 2: THE QUEEN STRIKES BACK
Batman scribe Chuck Dixon told the Comics Continuum
(http://comicscontinuum.com) that he'll be writing a Superman/Aliens
project that will feature art by Jon Bogdanove and Kevin Nowlan and will
probably be out this upcoming summer. The plot promises to be radically
different from the first series and is in fact not a sequel, but more of a
continuation on a theme. As Dixon put it, "What would happen if Darkseid
got a hold of a colony of alien warriors?"
LOEB ON HIS PLANS FOR SUPERMAN
In a recent interview with Another Universe
(http://www.anotheruniverse.com), Jeph Loeb talked about his debut on
_Superman_ and what the future holds for Big Blue. "When [editor] Eddie
Berganza called to ask if I would come on board to write Superman, I
thought it was a joke," Loeb says. "Superman was the first comic I ever
collected. I was thrilled at the prospect to write the monthly series, so I
jumped at the chance once I realized he was serious."
Loeb cites several influences outside the comic industry for his
interpretation of Superman. "I have tremendous respect for the animated
series, and for Paul Dini and Bruce Timm in particular," Loeb says. They
just "get" what Superman is all about -- Lois is sharp, funny, deprecating,
cynical, a babe. Clark isn't the smartest man in the world, but he's not an
idiot either. I really enjoyed an early interview I read with Dini and Timm
where they said that Superman was someone who couldn't stick around after
the job was done, there were other emergencies to attend to -- he'd be
polite, but he didn't have a lot of human contact. Clark, on the other
hand, would take a 4th grade class up to the Daily Planet for a field trip
and really enjoy it. The dual personalities of Superman and Clark are great
to play with."
Loeb also promises to flesh out the relationship between Lois and Clark
more and to try and explain how Clark can still be so much of a farmboy
while Superman is so much a creature of the city. "I just wrote a story
where Lois points out that as much as Clark is tied to Smallville, Superman
has that relationship with Metropolis," Loeb says.
The chance to work with Superman's villains was one of the main advantages
Loeb saw in working on one of the regular Superman titles. As can be seen
in his first issue, classic baddie Mongul will be returning, albeit through
his son, to plague the Man of Steel. Luthor will also play a big role in
Loeb's _Superman_. Luthor has been described by Loeb and Joe Kelly as being
the Hannibal Lecter of Metropolis and I think he lives up to that in
_Superman_ #151. His little game with Lois and the Planet, the rumors that
he is behind "No Man's Land", and that he will be the one to restore Gotham
at the end of the year are bringing him up to the level of the ultimate
manipulator. The Cigarette-Smoking Man combined with Bill Gates, that's Lex
Luthor.
In closing, Loeb stated that he felt Superman is just as viable today as he
was in 1938. "What Superman stands for today goes a little beyond the
'American Way' of the usual 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' tagline,"
Loeb says. "But he still stands for the basic ideas that America was
founded on -- and now I'm sounding a little naive. These are the things
that make Superman go and work and, maybe, are some of the reasons why the
character has survived, relatively unchanged for sixty years. Him, Batman,
and Mickey Mouse are just about the only characters that you can say that
about these days. That's pretty good company to be in."
The full interview can be found at:
(http://www.anotheruniverse.com/comics/interviews/loeb101599.html)
MORRISON TALKS ABOUT WORLD WAR III
Grant Morrison recently spoke with Another Universe.com about his final
storyline in JLA and his upcoming hardcover, _JLA: Earth 2_.
"I started JLA in 1995, just before I got sick and almost died, so the book
was perpetually behind deadline and always a source of agonizing stress for
me. It's gratifying and a little worrying to look back and realize I tend
to do some of my wildest and most freewheeling work when I'm crushed by
pressures like unto those on the ocean floor. If I accomplished anything,
it was to consolidate and define something that was happening anyway -- I
saw that the 20-year 'Dark Age' phase of comics history -- which began in
the mid-seventies with McGregor and Englehart and peaked in the
mid-eighties with Moore and Miller -- had played itself out by the
mid-nineties and that the pendulum was due to swing again. Instead of
trench coats, stubble, rape and plotless angst in the alleyways and
avenues, I went for bright costumes, aspirational nobility and widescreen
imaginative romps through space and time."
Morrison also answered criticisms that his JLA has just been too much; too
many ideas presented at too fast a pace. "My intention was to create a JLA
book filled non-stop emergency, action and crazy ideas. It was deliberately
written to be about what they do and not who they are." He also said that
he doesn't feel the need to elaborate on many of his concepts because he
has so many jostling to get out.
As Morrison's final JLA arc, WWIII, gets into full swing this month, Grant
finally feels free to discuss some of the finer details of the story. The
story got its springboard from the JLA miniseries _A Midsummer's
Nightmare_, by Mark Waid and Fabian Nicieza, that reassembled the Big 7
heroes once more. This story hinted of the coming of the ultimate
war-bringer; Morrison gave it a name, Mageddon.
Mageddon has been revealed to be a weapon of the Old Gods and has been
called the anti-sun. It is responsible for both Barda and Orion joining the
JLA and could be the cause of Zauriel coming to Earth. A lot of this
backstory for Mageddon was made up by Morrison as the series progressed.
"There was no idea what the ultimate war-bringer could be at that time, but
fortunately I had 4 years to work it out, and it tied nicely into my idea
of making each new adventure more shattering than the last." He added,
"World War III has fewer ideas per page and is a lot more relaxed and roomy
than say 'Rock of Ages' or 'Crisis Times Five'. The interaction between
characters is a lot more flowing and organic, even though we have about
three or four stories running simultaneously over five issues and a
giant-sized conclusion. This is my equivalent of something like the
Kree-Skrull war arc in Avengers."
A new Queen Bee will be introduced for this storyline, one grown from the
eggs of the old. She will have a bee-swarm attack fleet that will nest in
Metropolis during the battle. She is a part of the new Injustice Gang,
composed of the General (the former Shaggy Man), Prometheus, and the man
himself, Lex Luthor -- though they are all unknowing pawns of Mageddon in
its mission, bringing the ultimate war to Earth. Dozens of JLAers from
years past will appear in this storyline. The Watchtower will be destroyed
and several members will die. This is definitely the Big One.
The end of the year brings the hardcover _JLA: Earth 2_, which is a tale of
the Crime Syndicate of Amerika, the evil version of the JLA originally
introduced in Morrison's favorite Silver Age story: "Crisis on Earth-Three"
from _Justice League of America_ #29-30. The story deals with the first
encounter the JLA has with their twisted counterparts from an Anti-Matter
earth where everything is backwards. The Crime Syndicate formed at the same
time as the JLA and share similar, but twisted origins. "Ultraman, for
instance, was Earthman Clark Kent, an astronaut involved in a space
accident and then repaired by aliens (Kryptonians) who didn't fully
understand human biology and sent him home as a mind-twisted superhuman,
powered by Kryptonite. Owlman is Thomas Wayne, older brother of Bruce.
Thomas watched his brother and his mother being shot dead while he and his
father survived. The grown-up Thomas, blaming dad for his trauma, becomes
the super-criminal Owlman, sides with the nasty Boss Gordon and dedicates
his life to revenge against Commissioner Wayne of GCPD."
The Anti-Matter world is quite twisted as well. As Morrison puts it, "Here
crime is the founding principal of society. Evil is rewarded, cruelty is
lauded, and people live everywhere in fear of their masters all the way
through the local mobs and the corrupt police, the bent journalists and up,
through City Hall and the governments, to the top of the pyramid -- the
seedy Crime Syndicate of Amerika."
Morrison also talked about a Hypertime project he and Mark Waid are working
on that will "change the DCU forever, but that wouldn't be until 2001 if it
comes off." He also revealed what books will lead up to the event: "Mark
Waid would do _The Kingdom_ as a Hypertime primer, setting up the notion
and hinting at its future development. Then Karl [Kesel] was going to
continue in _Superboy_ -- the kid explores the first facet of Hypertime,
which looks suspiciously like parallel Earths (or does it?) -- while
secretly setting in place the most important piece of the Hypertime puzzle
to date... And then the Flash would pick up the trail as the year 2000 went
on. Hourman will also play a central role in unfolding the Hypertime
mystery. There will be lots of important clues in that book as we draw
closer to 2001."
As always, it looks like the DCU will be an exciting place as long as Grant
Morrison has anything to say about it.
SUPERMAN ON DVD: FINALLY!
Warner Bros. has begun work on restoring the original negatives of
_Superman: The Movie_ and they should be ready by next summer. Director
Richard Donner has released details about the upcoming release. It will be
in two versions on the DVD, an extended special edition or the original
theatrical edition. Plans call for it to be presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital
with restored scenes and remastered picture and sound.
A FEW FINAL NOTES
For those of you who missed the story 20/20 did on George Reeves recently,
check out the rec.arts.sf.superman newsgroup to see an interview with Noel
Neill and Jack Larson, the first Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen on television.
Also, look forward to next month's newsroom where I'll have an exclusive
interview with Jeph Loeb!
_____________________________________
End of Section 1
_____________________________________
SUPERMAN STORIES
------------------------------------------
By Sean Hogan (shogan@intergate.bc.ca)
SUPERGIRL: PART 2
-----------------
Last time, I reviewed Supergirl's story from her beginnings as an
artificial life form created by a heroic Lex Luthor on the Pocket
Universe's Earth to the many difficulties she faced in surviving after the
death of Lex and everyone else that she had known. Confused and combative,
she exiled herself in space -- eventually finding some inner peace.
Captured by Brainiac and used as his mind-controlled tool during the "Panic
In The Sky" arc, she was able to break free and join Superman and the other
heroes to defeat him.
SUPERGIRL AND LEX LUTHOR II
After taking care of some personal matters, Supergirl returned to Earth in
_Action Comics_ #676 and met Lex Luthor II. Supergirl was immediately
attracted to the young, handsome heir to the Luthor empire, identifying him
with her creator.
In _Action Comics_ #677, Roger Stern (with art by Jackson Guice and Denis
Rodier) explores Supergirl's history and her relationship with Luthor II.
She recounts her origin, explaining how she was "born full-grown in a
laboratory ... an artificial being created from synthetic protomatter,
formed from the molecular matrix of a dying woman [Lana Lang]. I carried
her memories in the early days of my life. For a while, I believed I was
her. Those memories have mostly faded and I can now recall the first true
moment of my life. I remember green ... the deep green eyes of my creator."
As we learn next issue (#678 -- the wonderfully titled "They Saved Luthor's
Brain!"), Lex Luthor faked his own death and had his brain transplanted
inside a newly cloned body (complete with a full head of hair). Luthor
arranged to return to Metropolis from Australia as his own long lost son.
Now, back to #677.
Luthor turns on his Australian charm, casually referring to Supergirl as
"love" and telling her, "I have found my heart's desire." Luthor is
fascinated by Supergirl's powers and she gladly demonstrates her
invisibility and strength as well as her shape- and clothing-changing
abilities. Supergirl notes that with effort she can increase her volume (as
when she imitated Clark and Draaga), but "that can be quite painful".
When Luthor grants a television interview, he makes sure he showcases
Supergirl and announces her as the newest member of the LexCorp family.
Shortly afterward, Superman arrives and asks Supergirl to accompany him for
a private discussion "away from any listening devices."
The innocent Supergirl protests that, "Lex would never use such things!"
while Stern shows Luthor's rage as the two fly out of surveillance range.
Supergirl bristles when Superman tries to warn her that Luthor might not be
as benevolent as he seems, noting the differences between the first
Luthor's public and private personas.
Finally, when Superman asks if her mind is "still addled from your run-in
with Brainiac?", Supergirl has had enough and blasts Superman into a
landfill. Luthor takes advantage of the dust-up to embarrass Superman for
his temper and to convince Supergirl of his good nature.
The issue ends with Supergirl fawning over Luthor saying, "I love you so
very much," to which Luthor ominously replies, "I know, dear. I know."
This issue sets up the next stage in Supergirl's life. Supergirl began as a
bright, happy, but mentally confused young super-heroine. Wrongly believing
herself to be Lana Lang and then cut adrift from her former life with the
loss of her home world -- suffering both mentally and physically --
Supergirl had a long and difficult recovery. When she finally seemed to
find inner peace, she was again victimized by Brainiac.
In the stories following Supergirl's return to Earth, Roger Stern presents
Supergirl as someone who has shed the false memories of her past and
recovered from her traumas. However, instead of finding strength inside
herself, she has fixated on Lex Luthor and draws her identity from him --
or rather from her naive, idealized vision of him.
Although Supergirl shows some (to Luthor, annoying) signs of independence,
mostly she obeys his every whim and request as she remains almost
constantly by his side. When Doomsday attacks, she reluctantly accepts
Luthor's "suggestions" to remain and not assist Superman until the fight
finally enters the city.
When Supergirl does finally join the fray in _Superman: The Man of Steel_
#19, she is quickly removed by a single punch from Doomsday that leaves her
a shattered mess in her protoplasmic form.
Luthor retrieves her in _Adventures of Superman_ #498, reassuring her as he
drapes his jacket around her and then carries her, apparently lovingly,
back to his office. Although the story doesn't emphasize it, this scene and
Luthor's jacket will play a significant role later. With encouragement from
Luthor and with great pain and difficulty, Supergirl resumes her standard
form.
With Superman dead, Supergirl becomes closer to Luthor -- even helping him
to try and recruit the new Superboy who appears during the "Reign of the
Supermen" stories. She and Luthor share a special in _Supergirl and Team
Luthor_ #1 (which also contains Luthor's ominous comment, "I wish I had a
hundred of you ... a hundred ... just like you," as the caption adds, "Only
the beginning."
Supergirl's ties to Luthor are tested when Superman returns. She finally
disobeys the directives from her love, to assist Superman in his battle
against Mongul and the Cyborg.
In _Action Comics_ #691, Luthor confronts Superman to demand what he has
done with "my Supergirl". When Superman tells her about Luthor's comment,
Supergirl passes off Luthor's behaviour with, "I know he can be possessive
at times. I wish he weren't. But ... it's something we have to work out."
She tells Lois and Clark that, "I want you two to always be as happy as Lex
and I are."
THE SUPERGIRL MINISERIES
Matters finally begin to turn sour for the Supergirl/Luthor relationship in
the four issue _Supergirl_ miniseries, written by Roger Stern (with June
Brigman on pencils and Jackson Guice on inks).
The first issue begins with Supergirl attacking Luthor's stronghold.
Smashing through the various defences, she finally confronts him before the
applause of the assembled workers. The confrontation is a friendly one
though, as Luthor thanks Supergirl for participating in the test of her
powers.
Stern uses the test to review Supergirl's origin and powers as well as her
relationship with Luthor. In addition to showcasing her strength and
invisibility, the tests also reveal that Supergirl simulates
invulnerability by using her psychokinetic powers to stop bullets and
flames before they could ever reach her.
Luthor also gets Supergirl to submit to medical testing by Dr. Kelley. Dr.
Kelley, suspicious of Luthor's motives, later berates Luthor for the way he
uses Supergirl. Her lecture is cut short when she notices Luthor appears
unwell and she orders him to takes some tests also.
Meanwhile, Supergirl drops in on Ma and Pa Kent, who greet her as Mae
(short for Matrix, as the editor's note adds -- I believe this is the first
time this nickname is used). More of Supergirl's history is reviewed over
coffee, but some of the talk is strained as the Kents express concern over
her relationship with Luthor. As Supergirl leaves, she sheds tears like a
character in a romance novel, wishing that the Kents "could see Lex the way
I do..."
The story cuts to Luthor, arriving at a secret base with his aide, Sydney
Happersen. Expressing frustration over Supergirl's increasing independence,
Luthor follows Happersen to the laboratory in the central chamber. The
issue ends with Luthor gazing up at hundreds of bubbles, each one
containing a Supergirl.
The second issue opens with Supergirl arriving in Singapore for further
testing at another of Luthor's labs. Luthor isn't present in person, but
speaks with her via videoconferencing. Supergirl tells him that she has
been worried as news stories claimed he was ill and that, "It's so
reassuring to hear your voice and see you looking so robust!"
Luthor reassures her and tells her to "run along now" as he has some
technical business to discuss with the staff. After blasting the staff for
allowing Supergirl to travel outside unescorted, Luthor ends the
conference. In Luthor's office, Dr. Kelley chides a pale, sickly Luthor for
covering his illness from Supergirl by using a computer enhanced video
image.
Tired of the testing, Supergirl strikes out on her own. She walks around
Singapore in civilian clothing, until a car pulls up and invites her for a
ride. The woman inside the car introduces herself as Elizabeth Perske, the
third wife of the late Lex Luthor. Perske, who happened to be in the city
when she saw Supergirl on television, warns Supergirl that the new Luthor
seems as possessive as his father. When Supergirl protests, Perske gives
her photographs of the man that had been following her.
Although Supergirl again storms out (as she does whenever anyone criticizes
her Lex), her suspicions are aroused. When she returns to Lexcorp and spots
the man who had been following her, she decides to investigate. Assuming
different forms and using her invisibility, she overhears the Lexcorp
employees referring to her as a "bimbo" and "Luthor's pet", as well as
discussions about Luthor's illness and the mysterious "Operation
Protomatter".
The third issue of the miniseries begins in a moment of crisis, with a
desperate Supergirl arriving on Lana Lang's doorstep, her eyes wide with
grief and shock as she confesses, "I killed them all!".
The rest of the issue, told in flashback sequences, has Supergirl explain
how she infiltrated Luthor's "Operation Protomatter", only to find Sydney
Happersen with a lab full of Supergirl variants. Although Happersen,
clearly panicking, tries to explain to Supergirl that this was necessary
due to Luthor's illness, Supergirl refuses to believe him. She tells
Happersen that Luthor was perfectly healthy just a week ago when she spoke
to him by video feed.
Happersen, desperate and afraid of an enraged Supergirl, releases the
variants from their bottles and tells them to eliminate Supergirl.
The variants have little sentience and continued to repeat Happersen's
command as they attack. Unable to reason with them, Supergirl tosses them
back towards their birth chambers, but, "When I slammed them into the eggs,
they began to revert to raw protomatter. Lana, they ... they started
melting ...". Revolted, Supergirl destroys everything in the lab so that no
one will ever grow another Supergirl.
As the final egg splits, it disgorges Luthor's body. As Supergirl holds it
in shock, it too dissolves into protomatter ooze.
Finishing her story to Lana, Supergirl overcomes her initial shock and
finally realizes how she has been used by Luthor. Morphing herself a wicked
looking anti-hero outfit (complete with metal spikes), she vows that she
will make Luthor, "regret every minute of his miserable life!"
The fourth and final issue begins with Supergirl systematically and
thoroughly destroying several Lexcorp facilities. She wants Luthor, "to
sweat, knowing who's destroying your precious hideaways ... knowing that
I'm coming after you ... knowing that there's no way to even see me, unless
I allow it ... knowing that you can't stop me!"
When Supergirl finally confronts Luthor in person, she instead finds a
wasted old man. Luthor, dying from a disease that is attacking his cloned
body, takes advantage of Supergirl's pause to gas her into unconsciousness.
Enraged, Supergirl renews her attack and only the intervention of Superman
stops her. Superman convinces Supergirl that Luthor is indeed dying and not
putting on a "sick act".
Supergirl flees, realizing that Luthor never loved or trusted her. Even
though Luthor was dying, he intended to trick or trap her for his own ends
and uses, rather than simply ask for her help.
At the miniseries' ends, Supergirl finds comfort first in Smallville with
Ma and Pa Kent, Lana, and Superman and then, a few months later, in Paris.
It is in Paris that she asks Elizabeth Perske to act as a mentor for her.
As she tells Perske, she wants someone who has had experience dealing with
the 'Luthors' of the world. "I think it's time I stopped being a girl and
started acting like a woman."
Supergirl's personal story mostly remains in a holding pattern for the next
few years. She does get a starring role in _Action Comics_ #708, by David
Michelinie with art by Jackson Guice and Denis Rodier. There's not much new
here, with most of the issue spent chatting with Ma and Pa Kent, and the
usual interruption by a villain. Supergirl gets to demonstrate her powers
and let readers catch up on her background.
Aside from that, Supergirl puts in some team time, both as part of the
Superman family (which includes Superboy and Steel) and a version of the
New Titans (the one led by Arsenal after Zero Hour).
"PAD"-ING THE LEGEND
Then, in 1996, everything changed again for Supergirl when she received her
own ongoing series, written by Peter A. David. PAD immediately shakes up
the status quo by having Supergirl merge with a dying human female, Linda
Danvers. The basic setup and the introduction of the main supporting cast
occurs in the first two issues of the series.
The series begins with a wounded, mentally-confused female huddled in the
shower as the water washes blood and goop down the drain. Slowly, over the
issue, she remembers that her name is Linda Danvers and that something bad
and something strange has happened to her.
Memories begin to surface of someone evil, named Buzz, and of a demonic
cult that captured her, as well as memories of an unhappy family life with
her parents, Fred and Sylvia Danvers. As the memories intrude, Linda
realizes that her wounds have inexplicably healed, that her eyes have
changed from brown to blue and that when she begins to run, she does so at
super-speed.
Finally her memories of Supergirl re-surface. She recalls being asked by
Linda's parents to help find their daughter. But by the time she does,
Linda is being sacrificed as part of a demonic cult's summons of a devil.
Supergirl interrupts the summoning and as she comforts the dying Linda,
reflects on her own inner emptiness: "I've had human sensibilities layered
onto me ... like a brightly painted statue. But that's ... all I am."
Supergirl's body begins to revert to protoplasm and joins and merges with
Linda's body. The issue ends with Supergirl reflecting, "We are as one ...
my morphing body, somehow joined with that of Linda Danvers. I've given her
life ... and she has given me ... hope ... And may God have mercy on my
soul."
More complications arise in _Supergirl_ #2 as our heroine realizes her
powers have changed (she can't morph her clothes or to any shape other than
Linda's smaller body), and she realizes that Linda had been an active
member of the cult, and not an innocent victim. And she gets to meet her
parents for the first time.
Meanwhile, Buzz mentally taunts Supergirl as the cult begins murdering one
of her new friends, Cutter, to summon the feline demon to this world. As
expected, Supergirl defeats the demon and saves Cutter while learning to
deal with her corrupted human half.
Her closing comments echo many of PAD's themes for future issues: "Linda
Danvers was a horrible, twisted person. God knows what atrocities she
committed, and she'd be dead if I hadn't saved her. But maybe ... somehow
she was chosen to be saved for some higher purpose ... and I was chosen to
be the instrument of that salvation. I'm bonded with her. Her essence, her
consciousness is a part of me. If there is some greater plan ... I cannot
rest until I find out what it is."
And fan favorite PAD is still exploring those issues and storylines in the
_Supergirl_ comic (along with his trademark puns and humour). Along the
winding path, Supergirl dealt (at least for the time being) with Buzz, met
a mysterious young child who may or may not be the Creator (Wally the
God-boy), and sprouted wings of fire as she learned that she is (or perhaps
may or may not be) an Earth-born angel. A reader can never get too smug
about predicting where PAD is going with his plots.
PAD's tales have been tremendously enhanced by wonderful art -- at first by
Gary Frank and Cam Smith and later by penciller Leonard Kirk (with current
inker Robin Riggs).
PAD has also incorporated many references to the Silver Age Supergirl --
the most obvious of which is Linda Danvers as Supergirl's brown haired
alter ego, as well as supporting members including her parents, the Danvers
(now Fred and Sylvia instead of Fred and Edna), Dick Malverne (potential
boyfriend then and now), and Comet (formerly a Super-Horse and now with an
equally strange origin). Even the home city, Leesburg is named after the
original Supergirl's pre-adoption name of Linda Lee. And it wasn't until
quite a while after the first two issues that PAD revealed on the racdu
newsgroup that the demonic feline villain Chakat was modeled on Kara's pet
cat, Streaky.
It can sometimes be a little difficult to jump into a PAD-written series,
since he builds his stories, with his characters changing and evolving
along the way. This benefits the regular reader more than a new reader. But
every once in a while, PAD writes an issue that serves as a good jumping on
point for new readers. If you aren't a regular reader of the series but are
interested in trying a few issues, _Supergirl_ #35 (the second of a two
part fight against the Parasite) has a good recap of the storyline over the
past two years.
One of my favorite stories is _Supergirl_ #30 and 31. The protoplasmic ooze
that went down the shower drain in the first issue has reassembled itself.
Returning as a Bizarro-type version of Supergirl, with memories of herself
as Matrix, the Maid of Protoplasm attacks and absorbs the combined
Supergirl/Linda. PAD uses the story to recap events, explain and explore
Supergirl's motivations and (split) personality and her relationships with
various cast members and guest-star Superman.
There are a number of Supergirl sites on the Web, but one that I enjoyed
and recommend you check out is the Earth Angel site
(http://www.sg-earthangel.com). It has lots of information on the current
Supergirl, as well as Kara Zor-El and the _Supergirl_ movie.
SIDELINED SUPERGIRLS
The disappearance of the Silver Age Supergirl left a big hole in the DC
Universe that has been largely filled by the current version. However,
other characters have been rewritten or created to fill gaps created by the
post-Crisis Superman reboot.
The animated series universe (_Superman: The Animated Series_ television
series and the _Superman Adventures_ comic) has a hip teen Supergirl which
combines and alters many of the Silver Age Supergirl's origin. This
Supergirl (with her debut and origin in issue #21 of the comic) is a
super-powered Kara from Argo City. However, in this case, Argo was a
neighbouring planet to Krypton and her last name is In-Ze (which was the
surname of Kara Zor-El's mother, Alura).
Supergirl's Earth-2 counterpart, Power Girl (who had my teenager's vote for
best costume), was re-written after the Crisis to be the granddaughter of
the ancient Atlantean wizard, Arion (see _Justice League Europe_ #9 -- Dec
1989). Her powers were revealed to be a combination of genetic alteration
and magic.
Supergirl's membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes and her romance with
Brainiac 5 was taken over by a new character, Andromeda. Andromeda
resembled Supergirl in looks and powers, but came from Daxam (the same
planet as Mon-El/Lar Gand/Valor/M'Onel -- who also had his history changed
by the Superman revamp).
Supergirl's history as Kara from the doomed and domed Argo City was
incorporated by Dan Jurgens into the _Superman vs Aliens_ series. Last seen
drifting alone in a space capsule, Kara's fate may be indefinitely on hold
while PAD's series continues to shine. Hopefully we will someday find out
her fate and see where she can take a place in the Superman family.
_____________________________________
End of Section 2
_____________________________________
THE ONE, TRUE, ORIGINAL SUPERMAN!
---------------------------------------
by Bob Hughes (bobhughes@ttlc.net)
(or see Bob's web page, "Who's Whose in The DC Universe"
at http://members.ttlc.net/~bobhughes/whoswho.htm)
Some True Superman Rareties
What would you say to owning a copy of a Superman collectible that is so
rare nobody ever bothered putting it into the Overstreet Price Guide? Over
on another website, http://www.wfcomics.com/alvin/columns/9937as.vs, Golden
Age Superman writer Alvin Schwartz has written about one of the more
unusual Superman assignments he ever had, writing songs for a set of
children's records based loosely on the Superman radio program.
Basically, the story is that Alan Ducovny, producer of the radio program
and the man in charge of all Superman licensing for Superman, Inc. (One of
Harry Donnenfeld's many comic book companies, before they were all rolled
into National Comics, Inc.) had set up a deal to produce children's records
using the cast of the radio show. Each set would contain two records and a
comic book covering the same events. The novelty would be that the cast
would sing!
But writer Ben Friedman found that he just couldn't come up with anything
singable. Poetry, even at the crude level required for a children's record,
was beyond him. But Alvin Schwartz had been producing an entire strip told
in rhyme, purely for his own amusement. Hayfoot Henry was a charming
bucolic detective story told entirely in rhymed word balloons and captions.
It was usually drawn by Superman inker Stan Kaye and ran for several years
in the back of _Action Comics_ (#75-118 and 123). As Alvin tells it,
Whitney Ellsworth and Jack Schiff let him do it to keep him happy. They
would much rather he spent his time working on money makers like Superman
and Batman.
So Alvin took those same poetic talents and applied them to Superman and
Lois Lane. The first record came out in 1947 and was entitled "Superman and
the Flying Train".
After Jackson Beck intoned the standard "Faster than a speeding bullet"
routine, the record opened with a chorus of voices singing:
"I know I know the secret of Superman's identity
He's really Clark Kent, that thin man non-entity,
the Planet reporter who's meek as a lamb
and who always gets frightened when he gets in a jam
When he gets in a jam"
"Is it therefore surprising that really Lois Lane
should take the side of Superman and drive him insane.
Since Clark won't admit that he and Superman are one
For to give away the secret would really spoil the fun,
That would really spoil the fun."
Lois and Clark are seated on a train hurtling across the countryside. Perry
White has assigned them to cover the dedication of a new railroad bridge.
Clark is furious at being assigned to such a humdrum story. He and Lois
should really be tracking down those notorious hoodlums, Frog and Snicker.
Lois snorts. Even Superman hasn't been able to find Frog and Snicker. What
makes Clark Kent think that *he* has a chance?
That's just the kind of put down that makes a man want to break into song.
"Though I'm really very mild,
It's gets me rather wild
When with Superman I'm compared.
It really isn't right
To take such cruel delight
In my being so easily scared."
Lois is properly chastised and is apologetic about having hurt Clark's
feelings, in her own way of course:
"While your talent as a hero
Comes to practically count as zero,
Still I find you a very fine fellow.
But Frog and Snicker are a pair
To give a braver man a scare
So I'm really not calling you yellow."
We've only got four 78 rpm sides to get this whole story in, so
coincidentally, the same train that's going to the bridge dedication is
also carrying a shipment of gold. That's the sort of thing that Frog and
Snicker have an abnormal interest in, so they've planted a bomb on the very
new bridge and carefully timed it to blow up just in time to separate the
gold car from the rest of the train. While everyone else is concerned with
the fate of the passengers, Frog and Snicker plan to make off with the
bullion.
Snicker:
"I'm gonna have a car with a cream-colored top
that will go twice as fast as a motorcycle cop.
Gonna buy a house with shiny marble floors
And equip every room with two revolving doors."
Frog:
"And I'm gonna buy a fancy silk shirt
And special-made shoes so my corns won't hurt,
50 suits and a home with tall shady trees
and a new set of tools that will crack safes with ease."
But Frog and Snicker have reckoned without that super-busybody Clark Kent
who has overheard their conversation with his super-hearing (does he need a
warrant for that?). Clark tells Lois he's going for a stroll and heads for
the observation platform at the rear of the train. There he quickly changes
to Superman. "Up! Up! And away!"
But just because you're Superman doesn't automatically solve everything. If
he stops the train the cars could be thrown off the track and the
passengers could be hurt. If he grabs the bomb it could go off in his hands
and blow up the bridge anyway. (Quick! Turn the record over!)
Superman cleverly lifts the entire train into the air and flies it over the
bridge, much to Frog and Slicker's dismay. (I'm not really sure this is an
improvement over just standing in front of it and stopping it. The
passengers must have taken an awful jostling. And how exactly did he get
all the cars back on the track?
"We're sunk! Snicker, we're sunk!" says Frog. Imprisonment looming closely
in their future, Snicker looks for a way out. He notices Lois Lane watching
Superman from the observation platform and figures to use her as getaway
insurance. They grab Lois Lane just as Superman flies around to grab them.
"Lois!" barks Superman. "Great Scott!"
"Superman!" says Lois.
Frog and Snicker:
"For we're quite a wicked crew.
There's no evil we won't do.
We'd rather cheat and rob and steal,
than think of working for a meal.
"So for the present you'll agree,
If you let us both go free
You can spare yourself the pain
Of any harm to Lois Lane."
Superman:
"Alas! I must admit
That I'm powerless right now,
But I vow I'll never quit
Till I get you both somehow.
Yes, I vow I'll never quit
Till I get you both somehow."
With that, Superman pretends to leave but, without being observed, he
quickly uncouples the railroad car and it rolls backwards towards the
bridge where the bomb is still located. (The bomb, remember the bomb.)
Frightened, Frog and Snicker call Superman for help. He promptly stops the
rolling car, once they've released Lois Lane.
Normality restored, Lois finally notices that Clark is nowhere to be seen.
Not to worry, explains Superman. He left Clark at a phone booth so he could
call in the story. Lois is furious. "Superman! You didn't! What a mean
trick, letting him scoop me!"
And Frog and Snicker?
"Here in a prison cell we sit
Throughout each lonely day.
Before turning crook we should have quit,
For we learned crime does not pay.
For we learned crime does not pay."
The recording is quite cute and tuneful, though it took me quite a while to
decipher all the lyrics. Contemporary listeners, however, had the printed
lyrics to follow along with.
All the major players are encompassed, the Lois, Clark, Superman triangle
is dealt with. A cliffhanger is included, as well as an excuse for Superman
to exhibit his great powers. And the bad guys end up in jail and we wind up
with a moral. Not a bad exercise all around.
It went well enough that there was a sequel, "The Magic Ring", featuring
Superman "in song and adventure with the original radio cast" was issued
shortly afterwards, bearing a Number 2 in large red letters in the upper
left corner of the cover. Superman, a boy, and his dog form the central
illustration, surrounded by a giant representation of the ring in question.
It is not drawn by any Superman artist I recognize. The text indicates the
presence of a book and two "unbreakable" records and indicates Musette
Records of Steinway Hall, New York as the publishers. No price is
indicated. The records must not really have been unbreakable, because the
only copy I've ever seen only had one of the two discs.
Jackson Beck once again intones the famous opening lines, followed by the
expository chorus.
"It was only a prize on a pop corn box
A cheap glass ring that a little boy dropped.
But it made a splash for blocks and blocks
When news of its powers traveled about.
When Superman made it a wishing ring
So a little boy's tears would change to a smile.
By holding the ring,
One could wish for anything,
Across the Mississippi to the faraway isles."
It all began when Clark saw a little boy crying. The little boy's popcorn
prize ring was all bent when he pulled it out of the box and not as good as
the ones the other boys had. (He should have stuck with Pep.) Clark tries
to console him and searches for a silver lining. Maybe your ring isn't
broken, he stretches. "Maybe your ring is really better than the other
boys."
The little boy tries to comprehend how this could be.
"Gee, do you think it's a magic wishing ring?" asks the little boy.
Clark winces a little, but he wants the boy to cheer up.
"Let's try," says Clark. "Close your eyes, make a wish, and count to ten."
"I wish I had a little dusty dog" the boy says to the ring.
As the little boy counts with closed eyes, Clark changes to Superman and
zips to the dog pound and returns with a dog before the boy finishes
counting. Dogs are easy, but he waits uneasily to see what will happen
next. Will the boy continue wishing?
Little boy:
"With tail so long and ears so flappy,
This little dog sure makes me happy.
Riches I'm sure have no allure
So I won't be greedy you can be sure."
Clark is quite relieved:
"You're a wise little boy, I must admit.
Not everyone knows when it's time to quit.
Some folks I know never get their fill,
Whatever they have, they want more still."
Clark must know a lot of comic book collectors.
The problem solved, Clark saunters off towards the Daily Planet and the big
problems of the world. But good deeds often bring unintended consequences.
Aboy can't just show up with a dog in a city neighborhood and not explain
where he got it, can he? Soon, everyone knows about the "Magic Wishing
Ring." And some people are gullible enough to believe in it.
Two neighborhood teenagers, Chuck and Steve, can't believe the luck of the
little boy. And even more, they can't believe the kid doesn't want to use
the ring to make himself rich. Clearly, this is a prize which belongs in
wiser hands. Why not theirs? After all, it's as easy as stealing candy from
a baby.
But from the roof of a nearby building, Superman has witnessed the whole
robbery and determines to teach the bullies a lesson.
Chuck and Steve:
"Just rub the magic wishing ring and all your dreams come true.
Just ask for anything you want and it will come to you.
When my wish is granted I will be a billionaire,
I'll have diamonds, guns and houses and I'll live without a care.
Like confetti we'll toss dollar bills all around the street,
So everyone who passes will be scrambling at our feet."
"Ring! We wish to be rolling in dough." The greedy teenagers intone.
Hiding nearby, Superman hears the wish and flies to a nearby bakery.
Scooping up a vat of raw bread dough, he flies back at super speed and
hurls it, unseen, at the two toughs. "Ow!" they scream. "What hit me?" The
ring has interpreted their wishes literally and given them real dough.
Furious the two attempt to clarify their meaning. Wampum. They ask for
Wampum. "Real Money".
Superman decides to ignore the last clarification and scoots off to the
ocean where he gathers up a stack of sea shells and strings them together.
He drops the real wampum on the two from on high. Which is a very painful
experience. Usually, one gets three wishes, but time is running out, so
Steve and Chuck give up after only two.
"This silly ring ain't no good. It's dangerous!" The two throw the ring
away.
Chuck and Steve:
"Though we dreamed of lots of wealth,
Lets be glad we got our health.
We got bruised when that stuff spilled,
But I'm glad we weren't killed".
Superman:
"You can't find an easy road
To fortune's soft abode.
It's better by far to be a clerk
And live by honest work."
Chuck and Steve:
"The only thing we got from greed
was a bump on the head from the wampum beads.
From this lesson we have learned,
Honest work should not be spurned."
Clark picks up the ring to return to the little boy, but he doesn't want to
have to keep making the ring work.
"I certainly wish he hadn't decided this was a wishing ring."
The little boy, however, doesn't want the ring back. "It's not really a
wishing ring. You can't fool me. You just wanted me to believe that so I'd
stop crying. The dog just showed up right then when I had my eyes closed."
Clark ponders. If the ring isn't really a wishing ring, why did Clark's
wish come true?
Chorus:
"The moral of the wishing ring is this,
So guide your conduct by this clue:
Bad wishes always go amiss,
Good wishes all come true."
As Alvin himself has admitted, the second record really isn't as good as
the first one. For one thing, Lois is missing. Then there is no real
villain, no conflict, only a lukewarm attempt at comedy, using a plot that
Schwartz had more success with in "The Genie of the Lamp" in _Superman_
#32. The music itself is also less memorable. (To be fair, originality
isn't a musical strong point in either set.)
But both records would be wonderful souvenirs of an era when innocence was
still something to be cherished and believed in.
If you could find them, that is.
_____________________________________
PHANTOM ZONE REVIEWS
--------------------------------------------
By Scott Devarney (devarney@ll.mit.edu)
SUPERMAN #144
April 1961
Edited by Mort Weisinger
THE SUPER-WEAPON
Luthor gives plans for Weapon X to his cellmate, Bert Talbot, who's about
to be released from prison. Posing as Amos Dexter of Ace Newsreels, Talbot
offers Superman cash for charity if he'll perform some super-feats. While
Superman is doing various stunts, Talbot and his gang drain the expended
super-energy which is used to power Weapon X. The power of Weapon X keeps
Superman at bay while the criminals rob at will. When one encounter with
Weapon X pushes Superman a few days into the past, Superman catches on to
the scheme. With Jimmy's help, Superman is able to drain Weapon X's power
supply and then put Talbot and his gang back in prison.
This is a repetitive story. It follows a pattern of Superman doing a stunt
to power Weapon X followed by Talbot's gang committing a crime and using
the weapon to incapacitate the Metropolis Marvel. The first time that
Weapon X stops Superman is excusable, as he is used to having bullets
bounce off of his chest, and Weapon X does look like a bazooka. However,
after sampling its power once, one would think that Superman would use his
super-speed to avoid the weapon's blasts.
Once again we have Superman creating news for the benefit of one particular
organization, in this case Ace Newsreels. As mentioned in my review of "The
Superman Spectaculars" from _Superman_ #278 (KC #55), I have real problems
with the ethics of this. Regardless that this was a scam, Superman did not
know this at the time he accepted the offers. By the way, "Ace Newsreels"
seems a little outdated, even for 1961. With the gaining prevalence of
television and television news, were there still newsreel companies in
operation at the time?
SUPERBOY'S FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE
As Superman flies around the world, he reflects on how he's acclaimed
everywhere, but he remembers a time when his super powers were known to
only two people...
At his parents' store in Smallville, young Clark sees an emergency. The
Kents believe that it's time for Clark to go public as Superboy. Superboy
stops a robbery, which brings him to the attention of the mayor and then
the governor. Superboy delivers a reprieve from the governor to the prison
warden, which stops the execution of an innocent man.
From there he goes to the White House, where he saves President Franklin
Roosevelt's life from a bomb and performs various chores for the military.
While staying at the White House, Superboy is besieged by an avalanche of
letters and telegrams requesting his services. Superboy informs the
President that he'll be setting up regular patrols to keep an eye out for
people and situations needing his help.
This is a fairly straight-forward tale of Superboy's first days. Obviously,
this story needed updating as time progressed and Superman eternally
remained 29 years old. The scene of Superboy stopping the execution is a
nice parallel/tribute to the similar scene from Superman's debut in _Action
Comics_ #1. Other fun scenes include the amazement of the officer on the
scene of Superboy's first arrest and the fear of a released convict who
doesn't want to tangle with Superboy.
FDR's invitation for Superboy to stay at the White House is in character
for the President; he reportedly enjoyed having many guests at the White
House. FDR's presence also raises the question of why Superboy didn't fight
in World War II. It's hard to believe that FDR wouldn't have used such a
resource to battle the Axis powers.
A second question raised is why no one inquired about Superboy's parents.
Granted, this is a boy with amazing powers, but he's still a minor.
Eventually someone should have questioned Superboy about his parents. There
could have been a panel of Superboy explaining to the President that he
lives with his parents, but he'd prefer to keep their identities secret.
THE ORPHANS OF SPACE
While Supergirl and Krypto visit Superman in his Fortress, Superman tries
to disassemble a machine that he found floating amid debris in space.
Unfortunately, the machine explodes during the examination, throwing the
three Kryptonians into space and shattering Earth. Taken into custody by
the cosmic police, Superman is found guilty of abusing his powers;
Supergirl and Krypto are found guilty of aiding Superman. All three are
stripped of their powers and exiled to a primeval world. There they are
forced to live in a cave and are menaced by dinosaur-like creatures.
Eventually, all three wake up, safe and sound, in the Fortress; the episode
had been a dream induced by red kryptonite dust on their capes.
This story shows the burden of responsibility that Superman bears. He must
be very careful because his mistakes could have catastrophic consequences.
In this case, Superman notes that he should have taken the alien machine to
an uninhabited planet before examining it. Because he didn't, Earth
exploded. Once he recovers from the dream, Superman resolves to investigate
the machine off-planet.
It's interesting to compare the different reactions of Superman and
Supergirl to Earth's destruction. Superman is devastated and extremely
remorseful. He willingly surrenders to the cosmic police and submits to
their judgment. Supergirl, on the other hand, is more concerned about the
effects of the explosion on them. She notes that they are now homeless
again and she argues against Superman's verdict, claiming that Earth's
destruction was an accident. Putting things into perspective, this story
was published about two years after Supergirl's debut, which is probably
only a few weeks "DC time". Supergirl's loyalty is to her only known living
relative, as at this time she did not know that her parents were still
alive. She is probably still adjusting to Earth and has not yet developed
the deep affection that her cousin has.
This story is featured on the cover. It shows Superman, Supergirl, and
Krypto staring at the exploding Earth with Superman lamenting that they're
homeless orphans again. Although this scene is striking and depicts one of
the most dramatic moments in the issue, it still practically screams "hoax,
dream, or imaginary story".
_____________________________________
End of Section 3
_____________________________________
NEW COMIC REVIEWS
------------------------------------------
Comics Arriving In Stores September 1999
September brought the _Day of Judgment_ crossover to the DC Universe, and
though we chose not to review the miniseries, Superman fans should note
that the entire Superman family did participate in the five-issue
miniseries, at least to some degree. We also chose not to review _JLA
80-Page Giant_ #2 -- though it contained a cute Superman/Atom "team-up"
story, and though the 853rd Century Superman appeared in the final story,
the overall book didn't contain enough Superman content to bump any of the
(still a total of 14) books we did choose to review.
Ratings Panelists:
-----------------
CoS: Cory Strode JB: Jeremy Bleichman SDM: Simon DelMonte
DWk: Douglas Wolk JE: Josh Elder SI: Seth Isaacs
EJ: Enola Jones JH: Josh Hill SL: Sebastian Lecocq
EM: Edward Mathews JSy: Jeff Sykes ST: Shane Travis
GC: Glenn Crouch MS: Mike Smith SY: Steven Younis
GD: Gavin Douglas RG: Rene' Gobeyn TD: Thomas Deja
GR: Gary Robinson
As always, the first rating given after the average is that of the
reviewer. The average rating given for each book may correspond to a
larger sample of ratings than what is printed following the average.
===================================================
THE TRIANGLE TITLES:
-------------------
41. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #572 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Who is Strange Visitor, Chapter Two: When?"
Writer/Storyteller: Randall Frenz
Artist/Storyteller: Ron Frenz
Finisher: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Separator: Digital Chameleon
Associate: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 2.1/5.0 Shields
EJ: 3.5 Shields
GC: 3.0 Shields - The character of War saves this issue since Strange
Visitor isn't the mystery this current thread implies. Eve and
her son add a welcome depth to the story but it probably could
have been told even better without Strange Visitor.
GR: 2.5 Shields - Not bad; it moves along. The artwork is slick and
professional and seems to match the "just marking time" nature of
the story. As for War, "What is he good for? Absolutely nothing!"
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
SI: 1.5 Shields - It's a shame Strange Visitor has to stoop to War's
level to stop him. Maybe the next part of this storyline will
pick up.
SL: 2.6 Shields - Even though I love the art of Ron Frenz and Sal
Buscema, the story is too flat. An average idea and very few
developments make this one a rapidly forgotten story.
Review by: Enola Jones <jennynesmith@hotmail.com>
PLOT
Superman finds Strange Visitor at Professor Hamilton's lab. He informs her
he's been searching for her just in time for her to run off to help someone
-- a mother despairing over her stolen child and about to commit suicide.
After talking her down and taking her inside, Strange Visitor introduces
her -- Eve -- to Superman and Professor Hamilton.
In a cab, Billy Wilson races to find Strange Visitor.
Switch to the kidnapped son, who watches his father -- the gang leader
known as War -- crush a man's head. As the SCU, Superman, and SV surround
War's hideout, he comes out with fists swinging. He catches Superman and
Strange Visitor by surprise, defeating them both until SV siphons off all
of War's energy. Unfortunately this leads to another power-spike and a near
meltdown of SV's powers.
War is taken into custody. Hamilton reveals that if Strange Visitor's power
keeps discharging like this, the containment suit will break down and SV
will disperse. It's now a matter of survival that she find out who she is
so that her frustration at her amnesia will not cause any more power-filled
emotional outbursts. At that moment, Billy bursts onto the scene and grabs
Strange Visitor, calling her Sharon and kissing her, declaring she's his
fiancee.
REVIEW
This story is the second of a story arc introducing Strange Visitor to the
DC lineup. Personally, I hope she stays. I liked Superman Blue, and it is
nice to see a female version.
There are three things I did not like about this issue. For one, the art
was less stellar than usual, except in a few exceptionally good places.
This leant an uneven feel to the book and made the good places stand out
that much stronger.
Another thing I did not like was the fact that the book seemed unfinished.
Perhaps this was due to the fact this is only one part of a four-part arc,
but the "Superman Rex" stories did not strike me this way. Strange Visitor
herself may be part of the problem. Her uniform lacks the black outline
common to comic characters, so she tends to blend in a little too much with
the background.
Also, I did not like that the story seems to be slightly rushed. We're
dropped in the middle of the action. There are no subplots, and War is not
fully explained to my satisfaction. I feel slightly let down, as if I've
been promised a T-bone and given hamburger.
That said and done, I'd like to focus on the three main things that held my
interest in this issue.
One of these was the *villain* of the piece! War is a most intriguing
character. We learn from the book that he's a father, a gang leader, and
incredibly powerful. We learn his name is Wardell Washington. Still there
is so much left unanswered.
What *are* War's powers exactly? They seem to consist primarily of strength
and invulnerability, and it was hinted that some sort of energy was
involved, but they are never fully explained. Neither were the most nagging
questions of all: why would someone so powerful kidnap his own baby, and
does Malik share his powers?
War is truly a villain we are supposed to hate. The fact that he kills a
man as callously as one would swat a fly -- and does it while holding
Malik, who sees the whole thing -- cements this impression. I actually felt
sorry for the man when Superman blasted him with heat vision, though.
The funniest line in the book came when War was down and Superman was
giving him the obligatory lecture on misusing his powers. As he gets up to
attack again, War says, "Is this the part where I weep my apology and blame
society? THAT AIN'T HAPPENIN'!" It was *so* refreshing to see a villain
this rotten to the core that I had to laugh out loud!
I hope we see more of War. He was a refreshing character and he has some
potential. It would be very interesting to see him reform for his son's
sake... but in his own words, it's likely that, "That ain't happenin'."
The second thing that held my interest was Strange Visitor -- only this
time she's not from another planet. (Sorry, couldn't resist!) Or is she?
The amnesiac super-hero with Superman Blue's powers is a most intriguing
addition to the DC fold. Is she an attempt to keep the Energy-Powered 'S'
in play? If so, it's a good one! I hope she stays!
I suppose I'm in a minority, but I *liked* the Superman Blue storyline. The
electro-magnetic powered energy-being was one of my favourite developments
in recent Super-history. I was very disappointed that the reasons behind
his power change were never satisfactorily explained, nor was his return to
normalcy. To see the same powers now manifested in a female is a satisfying
and intriguing development.
I've noticed the starfield on her face when she uses her Cosmic Empathy --
a development I enjoy. It's like seeing The Force manifested in DC. I'm
curious to see how Strange Visitor's origin plays out. I have my theories
about who she is and where she came from, but I'm curious to see which, if
any, the writers choose to follow.
And what of Superman himself?
In this issue, he seems like little more than a minor character. The focus
of the book is, understandably, on Strange Visitor and on the battle
between Superman, Strange Visitor, and War. Superman and Strange Visitor
make a great team! I often wondered during the Electric Superman story arc
what would happen if Energy Superman and Regular Superman teamed up. I'm
finally getting my chance to see a version of said team-up, and I like what
I see.
... With one exception. My husband says my jaw literally dropped open when
I hit page 14. I simply can *not* see Superman deliberately using his heat
vision on another living person, regardless of whether or not that person
was a meta-human.
Remember when I said earlier that there were a few exceptions to the
lackluster art in this issue? Page eleven, where Superman goes flying
through the roof, is such an exception. The shock, surprise, and pain on
Superman's face are obvious, as is the instinctive splay of his left hand
as he tries to put the brakes on. The angle the artist chose is a difficult
one, and despite the less than stellar quality of the overall art, this one
page is incredibly powerful and well-done. You have to wonder, though, if
Superman is double-jointed; his hand positions seem rather unbelievable.
Other wonderful art can be found on page 21 (Hey, what happened to
Professor Hamilton's hand anyway?) and page 19.
I miss the regular art team, with their ability to convey powerful things
with just facial expressions and body language. I hope they're back soon.
Would I recommend this issue? Yes, as part of the Strange Visitor arc. As a
stand-alone story, no, I would not. I feel it is too weak to stand on its
own. This issue was neither a reward nor a disappointment, neither
spectacular nor awful. It simply -- was.
I can't yet decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
===================================================
42. ACTION COMICS #759 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Who is Strange Visitor, Chapter Three: Where?"
Writer/Storyteller: Randall Frenz
Artist/Storyteller: Ron Frenz
Finisher: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Separator: Digital Chameleon
Associate Editor: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 2.0/5.0 Shields
GR: 2.6 Shields
EM: 3.5 Shields - Much better. The Parasite is like the anti-Firestorm
with his dueling identities. I'm glad to see him used to great
effect.
GC: 2.6 Shields - The story line seems to be trying to surprise us with
what we already know. Even the use of Parasite and his escape is
reasonably predictable.
JB: 0.0 Shields - Just what this story needed, a Big Stupid Fight (TM).
Frenz recreates every bad moment from Marvel's silver age while
neglecting all the good stuff.
SL: 2.8 Shields - I want to like this new character, but the way they've
introduced her to us is way too linear. The art is very good but
without a story to back it up it's like when I read comics as a
child; beautiful pictures, but nothing to understand.
ST: 1.0 Shields - You mean to tell me that Billy *and* Sharon are from
Smallville, and Clark only *thinks* he recognizes them? The town
just ain't that big, guys...
Review by: Gary D. Robinson <robinfam@akron.infi.net>
_Action_ #759 begins with Superman and Professor Hamilton trying to figure
out what to do with/for the mysterious female energy-being who has recently
appeared in Metropolis. She displays the same electro-magnetic powers
Superman did a while back and, thanks to Ham, sports a copy of the same
containment suit. Her powers, linked to her volatile emotional state, are
growing more dangerous with each use. Perhaps a session with the
power-draining Parasite will calm things down.
The situation is complicated, however, by the appearance of Billy Wilson
from Smallville. If this Strange Visitor isn't his fiancee, Sharon Vance,
he'll eat his greasy mechanic's coveralls. But Sharon -- if Sharon she
truly is -- wants nothing to do with the yokel, not until she discovers for
herself her true identity. The lovers' tiff results in another
electro-magnetic explosion. Superman spends eight pages chasing SV. He
tries shorting her out via waterspout, then grounding her with a cable.
Man, I wish I'd paid more attention in science class! Twice comes the dire
warning, "She's reaching critical mass!" Isn't "critical mass" a term
applied to nuclear fission? Yet Randall Frenz' script goes to great lengths
to ground (no pun intended) Strange Visitor's powers in electricity, not
the atom. Of course, "She's reaching critical mass!" does carry a more
dramatically literary ring than, "She's gonna fry us all!" Still, I'd like
to know whether we have here an example of sloppy science.
To resume, SV is subdued and taken to Dr. Kitty Faulkner, who has prepped
the Parasite for what we might call 'lectrical liposuction. With Parasite
having been drained as fast as he was filled, the operation seems a
success. Sharon is calm, Billy is elated, Superman is relieved. But
Murphy's Law ("Anything that can go wrong...") is still in effect. While
the title of the last installment will be "Why?", the old movie-serial fan
in me would prefer "The Purple Monster Strikes!"
What did I like about this issue? I liked Professor Hamilton's flying car,
a throwback mixture of Olds convertible and the inside of an old TV set. I
liked the colors. I don't know what kind of crayons Glenn Whitmore uses,
but, boy, they catch the eye -- the very thing a Superman story should do.
I liked the same writer and artists producing the multi-issue story in one
style (even though Ron Frenz' Superman is built like an inverted
coathanger). I'm sorry to say, though, nothing else in the story grabbed
me.
I'd like to like this one better. "Strange Visitor" isn't bad; it's
professionally done, but it's made out of recycled material.
I realize that recycling is hard to get away from in super-hero stories;
indeed, it's the bane of all pop fiction. The famous law of physics which
states that energy can't be destroyed certainly applies to any accretion to
the Superman legend. It's why we have to have Doomsday-sequels and the
like. It's why that (in my opinion) boring, frustrating hiatus involving
the Bluepersuit can't just be swept off into the dustier corners of the
writers' imaginations. The reappearance of these blasted barnacles is as
inevitable as it is regrettable.
Thus, Sharon Vance has inherited that suit and those powers, and I'll bet
good money she'll get the super-hero gig to go with them. Okay, if it's
gotta be, it's gotta be. Yet Sharon's character, around which the plot of
"Strange Visitor" revolves, is weak. She's not the cypher her boyfriend is,
but how interesting can a character whose actions are limited to irrational
outbursts be? Her emotions aren't even real. They're just excuses for
explosions and super-fisticuffs. In fact, SV is just another beauteous babe
in a leotard.
If they had to recycle the suit and powers, why couldn't they have given
them to, say, a fat girl with pimples? Sigh. Yeah, I know. Fat girls with
pimples wouldn't appeal to the targeted young-adolescent male audience --
or so the DC Powers That Be evidently think. Right now, I can't think of
any super-hero creator who's had the guts to show a hero/heroine carrying
even a few extra pounds. (No, wait a minute; Jim Shooter comes to mind.) SV
is properly, stultifyingly slim.
Not that she'd have to be fat. She could just be more... real. For example,
her motivation to help people is never explained, yet it seems to me that
her origin provides a credible reason for her desire to do good. She
apparently "died" in a plane crash, didn't she? Why couldn't she believe
she's become an angel? After all, she's from the rural, God-fearing town of
Smallville. What would be more natural, if such a woman suddenly received
super-powers, than for her to think in terms of Divine Mission? (This
motivation hung like fog all over the last chapter, by the way, and was
ignored.) True, it's been done elsewhere, but not as often as you might
think.
I guess the only thing that would be more natural, more to be expected,
would be the mere recycling of the same old same old. It's a good idea when
applied to cans, plastic, and glass. When applied to comics, however,
recycling makes for small entertainment.
===================================================
43. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #94 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3,25 CAN
"Who Is Strange Visitor, Chapter Four: Why?"
Writer/Storyteller: Randall Frenz
Penciller/Storyteller: Ron Frenz
Inker: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Separator: Digital Chameleon
Associate Editor: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 2.0/5.0 Shields
MS: 1.5 Shields
EJ: 3.8 Shields - Parasite's up to his old tricks, and I loved the line
about not being able to go home again. Poignant ending that
literally made me cry.
EM: 3.2 Shields - Hey, who saw that coming? <g> Should the guardian of
reality be wearing an ice skating outfit? I'd probably choose
something more versatile, but maybe that's just me...
GC: 2.6 Shields - And so it ends (begins?). I do hope Strange Visitor is
handled better in the future. Whilst I think the character has
some potential, she is definitely no Supergirl.
SI: 1.7 Shields - For those who remember it, I always thought the 'Dead
Again' story arc was bad and stupid. The 'Strange Visitor' arc
was just plain bad; at least I could laugh at stupid.
SL: 2.9 Shields - I love the art but it's all we have here. The Parasite
is only here for an excuse to learn the origins of Strange
Visitor, which are laughable. Perhaps the next time we see her,
things will be better.
Review by: Mike Smith <mike_p_smith@hotmail.com>
I for one will be glad when the Triangle Titles cut back on the crossover
style stories, just because I'm tired of recapping three other books as a
lead-in to my reviews. I'm not the only one who needs to collect his
thoughts, though; after Superman is thrown head-first into a tree, he
thinks back on what led up to this moment.
See, this lady showed up in Metropolis wearing Superman's old "electric
suit". The media dubbed her "Strange Visitor" and Superman soon discovered
that she had procured the suit from Emil Hamilton, who had been helping her
control her energy powers and memory loss. Superman decided to lend a hand.
Together they fought a Louise Simonsonesque crime-lord named War, and a man
named Billy Wilson confronted Visitor, proclaiming her to be his missing
fiancee, Sharon Vance. (Hey, S.V. -- I just got that.) Anyway, Strange
Visitor couldn't take the emotional stress of Billy's revelation, and
nearly lost control of her powers. Superman took her to S.T.A.R. Labs to
have her excess energy drained off by the Parasite before she reached
critical mass (Mass? An energy being?).
Now S.T.A.R. had gotten the Parasite to cooperate for the procedure, but as
a precaution, they fixed it so he wouldn't retain any of the energy he
drained off of Strange Visitor. Of course, this is S.T.A.R. Labs, so the
Parasite miraculously busts loose and he still has her energy powers.
Which brings us to Superman getting tossed into the lumber.
Superman, Strange Visitor, and the SCU battle the Parasite to no avail,
until Strange Visitor realizes that she can simply drain the energy back
from the Parasite's body and end his menace right then and there. As she
does so, her memory comes back; she sees Kismet injured at the hands of
Dominus only to have her essence transferred back in time into a young
Sharon Vance. She remembers that as Vance she left her fiancee to seek her
destiny in Metropolis, but her plane was struck by lightning. Kismet's
power saved the plane and transformed Sharon into a third entity with an
uncontrollable electromagnetic power -- Strange Visitor -- who found her
way to Hamilton's lab. With her memory restored, Strange Visitor turns in
the Parasite, breaks up with Billy, and soars off into Comic Book Limbo.
The End.
For some reason, each installment of this story arc was titled with a one
word question. This one was "Why?", and having finished this issue I find
myself still looking for an answer to that question.
Why should there be any suspense to this story at all? Sharon's origin was
played out here like it was some big payoff revelation, but I already knew
her origin, because I read _Superman Secret Files_ #2 several months ago,
which spoiled the whole thing. As if it wasn't unsatisfying enough, Visitor
spends four issues trying to uncover her identity, and when she finally
does, she abandons it. As far as she's concerned, she's neither Kismet nor
Sharon Vance. When the secret origin fails to interest even the character
herself, something's seriously wrong.
Why was the Parasite used at all here? First of all, you'd think Superman
would have learned by now not to trust the big purple lout. Second, the
last time the Parasite tried a stunt like this was when he attacked
Electro-Supes in _Adventures of Superman_ #552, and it nearly killed him.
Why on Earth would the Parasite want to go through that again? And why
would Superman so casually put him at risk? And why did it take so long for
Sharon to figure out that she could reverse the Parasite's energy drain?
Oh, I understand that she's inexperienced, but Superman knows her powers
inside and out; you'd think he'd have come up with a few pointers. Oh no;
he's too busy trying to grab the Parasite, even though he should know by
now that's the *last* thing he should be doing.
On that note, why would the SCU fire missiles at the Parasite? Ignoring the
collateral damage to Metropolis, the Parasite can absorb kinetic and
thermochemical energy. Don't they keep files on this guy? I swear, the SCU
seems to get dumber every week. I'm surprised they didn't send the 'Roo
after him.
Why is it that Metropolis hated Superman's electric look, but Strange
Visitor is a 'media darling'? I mean, it can't be the snappy banter; she's
worse than Superman-Red ever was. And there's plenty more unanswered
questions where that came from. Did Kismet have a hand in the New Powers
Storyline? What happens to Kismet's role as Guardian of Reality? Won't
Strange Visitor's powers trigger another attack of the Millennium Giants?
Of course, none of these questions may ever be answered, because this is
just intended to be a fill-in arc to mark time until the New Wave comes in.
Really, that's a shame, because Strange Visitor has the potential to be
something big. Unfortunately, all she's been created for is to be a
variation on the Spider-Girl formula: add a marginally familiar costume to
a cute girl and see if it clicks. Well, Spider-Girl worked because she had
a supporting cast and a personality; all Strange Visitor has to go on is a
flashy visual and a cookie-cutter "free spirit". Let's just say I'm not
optimistic.
I *want* to like Strange Visitor; I really do. The problem here is that the
Frenzes are trying way too hard to sell me on her. Her tragic plight is
just a bit too tragic, her charm is just a bit too charming, bordering on
the saccharine. This reads a lot like a Strange Visitor mini-series that
got shunted to the ongoing Superbooks at the last minute. Superman's
presence here has almost been reduced to a mere formality to draw readers.
This wouldn't be the first time Superman played guest star in his own book,
but I sincerely hope it's the last.
This issue isn't a total loss. I have missed Ron Frenz's artwork on
Superman, and Randall Frenz makes up for his plotting with some decent
dialogue. Still, I had high expectations of Strange Visitor's debut, and in
the final analysis she simply failed to live up to them. With a few more
appearances and stronger characterization, she might start to grow on me,
and could one day take her place in the Superman supporting cast. Here's
hoping her next visit is a little more palatable.
_____________________________________
End of Section 4
_____________________________________
THE TRIANGLE TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
44. SUPERMAN #150 Nov 1999 $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN
$3.95 US/$6.25 CAN
"Earth's Final Hour"
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Penciller: Steve Epting
Finisher: Joe Rubinstein
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Assoc. Ed.: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Dan Jurgens, Kevin Nowlan, and Patrick Martin (newsstand)
Dan Jurgens, Joe Rubinstein, and Patrick Martin (direct)
RATINGS
Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields
TD: 2.5 Shields
DWk: 1.8 Shields - Farewell to an era I'm pretty happy to see end: a
great big long dull fight scene with no real sense of excitement,
and dialogue like "Insolent -- meddling -- fools!"
GC: 4.0 Shields - The "new" Brainiac seems to be a good combination of
"pre" and "post" Crisis version. The story and art were both
appropriate for this anniversary (and thus more expensive) issue.
GR: 3.5 Shields - The Man of Steel not only uses his brawn but his brains
to save the world. The cover ought to be required in a textbook
entitled "How To Attract Comics Buyers." An honorable departure
for Jurgens who, I believe, really loved this character.
JB: 4.3 Shields - Jurgens goes out with a bang, delivering big thrills
and bigger action, aided and abetted well by the able artistry of
Epting. Extra half-shield for not being by the Frenz Brothers.
JSy: 3.5 Shields - Love the redesign of Brainiac, and Jurgens gives us a
classic, outlandish Brainiac-type plot in his farewell issue. A
solid self-contained story. Still, I've just gotta wonder if DC's
ever gonna stop foisting these gimmick cover enhancements on us.
SI: 4.5 Shields - Dan Jurgens goes out strong. Brainiac has not been
this menacing since 'Panic in the Sky'. If you can only buy one
Superman comic this month, this is it.
SL: 3.8 Shields - For the last time in the pages of Superman, Dan Jurgens
make us dream. Good-bye Mr. Jurgens and thanks for years of real
pleasure, interesting stories, and great developments.
SY: 4.3 Shields - Was hoping we'd see more of these "heroes" from other
worlds. The new Brainiac is interesting... kind of like the
Animated Series version. A formidable foe.
Review by: Thomas Deja <blackair@gis.net>
Here we are at the end of an era -- the last story in Dan Jurgens'
looooooong run on the Superman titles. After the last year, where Jurgens
was hitting more often than he missed and seemed to be particularly
inspired by the solid storytelling and innovative layouts of Steve Epting,
I was especially hoping that this last story would end with a bang -- a
story both he and the fans could be proud of.
Sadly, he disappoints with the grandiose "Earth's Final Hour". It's not
that the story is sub-par (it does present us with a couple of interesting
ideas), but there's just nothing to set it apart from a dozen other Jurgens
stories. It's business as usual, and that's too bad.
Superman is busy trying to repel a massive barrage of needle-like missiles
that are raining down all over the world. These missiles bury themselves
into the Earth and are of alien origin; while Metropolis' citizens worry
that the end is nigh, Supes himself follows a lead to find Vartox, Vestion,
and Paz waiting for him. The three champions throw the Man of Steel a
beating, including a dousing with Kryptonite dust, setting him up for the
true mastermind of this plot -- Brainiac 2.0. Brainiac, now fully machine,
plans to exact his revenge on Supes by reducing the Earth to ash with his
missiles. What follows is a series of confrontations between The Man of
Steel and the Man of Microchip, the villain's three henchmen desperately
looking for a way out of their bondage.
The problem is that that's *all* it is. Superman chases his adversaries,
engages them in combat, persuades them a tiny bit that trusting Brainiac is
a bad thing, and then has to retreat. Brainiac, now shorn of his flesh, and
apparently his psionic abilities, serves a role here that could have been
filled by any one of a dozen star-faring villains. He's become a generic
bad guy in this latest upgrade, resorting to brute force and hard blows to
get what he wants. The supporting cast is given eyeblink cameos (Jimmy
shows up for a handful of panels to gawk at the danger of the needles, and
Lois plays host to Lana and Pete Ross just long enough to put that weird
sub-plot about the naming of Lana's child to rest), and the only real
indication that this is a farewell performance is the rushed-sounding last
page narration about how there will always and forever be a Superman.
Nothing special, nothing sentimental -- just another day in Casa Del
Jurgens. Even though this is not bad Jurgens, the effect does leave you
wanting a bit.
As usual, Epting does a great job full of some dynamic layouts and some
cinematic-style pans and zooms. It's moments like the opening sequence,
where Epting places the initial battle against the backdrop of Mount
Rushmore and utilizes the setting to emphasize the scale of the event, or
page 26's rapid *zoom* from a distant construction sight to a determined
Superman, cape flying, that I'm going to miss once Epting finishes spotting
Stuart Immonen at _Adventures of Superman_. Epting also creates a really
formidable, unique looking Brainiac with cables in the place of muscles;
pity Jurgens didn't give this massive, menacing creature much to do.
So what do we have for the final hurrah of Dan Jurgens? Business as usual.
While "Earth's Final Hour" is a decent piece of work, I wish, deep down in
my heart, that Jurgens had given it that extra push to make us *really*
remember him.
===================================================
45. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW #15 Nov 1999 $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN
"Heart of Hell"
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artists: Ryan Sook and Jeff Gan
Colorist: Felix Serrano
Separations: Digital Chameleon
Letterer: John Costanza
Assoc. Ed.: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Ryan Sook and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields
JB: 3.6 Shields
GC: 3.5 Shields - A good tie-in with Day of Judgment as it answers a
question left hanging from there, but I felt the artwork let the
story down. Some more insights into Banshee were welcomed and well
handled.
JH: 4.5 Shields - Perhaps _MOT_ isn't necessary anymore, but Marc
DeMatteis and Ryan Sook ended it with a single story that was
greater than the sum of the entire series' parts. Easily as
touching as when Swamp Thing went into hell to save Abby.
SDM: 3.4 Shields - DeMatteis is as good a scriptwriter as he ever was, and
a story built around the love Lois and Clark feel for each other
is such a treat after so many months of her being a non-character.
The art worked to the story's advantage.
SI: 1.7 Shields - This comic had three things working against it: it was
part of a crossover, the art didn't appeal to me, and the story
moved slowly.
SY: 2.5 Shields - The artwork really pulled down this issue. "Lois' love
saving Superman" is a great plot, but they're pounding us over the
head with it lately.
TD: 3.5 Shields - This story, in its simplicity and honesty, ended up
being a damn good read, with something to say about Heaven, Hell,
and Neron. Plus we get Ryan Sook's Mignola-esque artwork which,
with its focus on human emotion, works in this setting.
Review by: Jeremy Bleichman <krytentoo@aol.com>
We begin in a lab on Krypton, as Jor-El and son prepare to slice n' dice
some specimens, including one very familiar-looking Earth-female by the
name of Lois Lane. Clearly, something is wrong here. The shock of seeing
Lois snaps Superman out of his trance. No, he isn't on Krypton; he's
actually in Hell, battling the demon Neron to save Lois Lane.
Yep, it's Crossover month in the DCU, and _MOT_ is the obligatory Superman
tie-in to _Day of Judgement_. For those who didn't pick up DOJ, here's a
brief summary of What Has Gone Before: The fallen angel Asmodel (from _JLA_
#7), in league with Etrigan the Demon, has taken control of the embodiment
of the wrath of God, AKA the Spectre. Hell literally freezes over, demons
roam the Earth, and much wackiness ensues. Superman, with a number of
others, descends into Hell in order to rekindle the fires.
Which brings us to where we left off. Neron is tempting Superman with
visions of what his life could have been. Having failed with a Krypton that
never exploded, Neron tries again; this time, Clark is a simple farmer
working his parents' land, married to Lana Lang and unaware of his powers.
Once again, Clark's memories of Lois intrude on this fantasy, enabling him
to tear through the veil of Neron's illusion. Meanwhile, Lois isn't exactly
idle. She is attempting to reach the humanity within her captor -- Neron's
thrall, the Silver Banshee. The Banshee puts on a brave front, but slips
Lois the one clue she needs... but I've said enough.
The story:
I've had very little experience with DeMatteis's writing outside of his
work on the previous JLA series, and that series wasn't exactly known for
dark, brooding horror. I'm aware of his other work, mind you, but the
DeMatteis I remember was incredibly silly. Imagine my surprise when _MOT_
#15 turns out to be one of the creepiest stories I've ever had the pleasure
of reading.
While there's nothing in the plot that I haven't seen before (in fact, I
found the story extremely reminiscent of a number of Star Trek episodes --
notably TNG's "Frame of Mind", in which Riker finds himself in an insane
asylum and has to break through layer upon layer of illusion to escape, and
DS9's "Distant Voices", in which an alien locks Bashir up in a hell of his
own making), Dematteis manages to combine the elements of the plot into a
tale that satisfies. Though his Neron is a bit over the top, spouting
dialogue like, "Who's to say what's real, and what's not? What's God... and
what's Neron?" his Superman is dead on, his Lois is vulnerable yet tough
and resourceful, and he captures the Banshee's sympathetic side ably. I
hope he'll be able to keep up this level of quality when he takes over
_AOS_ in a few months. (Yeah, I miss Millar and Immonen already)
The art:
Ryan Sook's art seems to have heavy Mignola influences. Generally, Mignola
isn't my cup of latte; I usually prefer a more realistic style, in the vein
of Immonen, Land, or Kirk, to Mignola's rough, highly stylized pencils.
Heavy, dark inks aren't a turn-on either. That said, I have to say that
Sook's pencils really worked here. While I wouldn't want to see Sook's name
on the masthead next to DeMatteis's every month, he'll be my first choice
the next time Superman has to descend into Hell.
Final analysis: _Superman: The Man of Tomorrow_ #15 is a deep, affecting,
and genuinely disturbing journey into the psyche of Superman.
_____________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES:
-------------------
SUPERBOY #68 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Demons!"
Dialogue/Co-plotter: Karl Kesel
Penciller/Co-Plotter: Tom Grummett
Guest Inks: Mike Manley
Color: Buzz Setzer
Letters: Comicraft
Ass't Editor: Frank Berrios
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover by: Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields
RG: 4.5 Shields
EM: 4.0 Shields - Much better! If we must have you play with Kirby's
toys, at least Etrigan is a fun choice.
GC: 3.5 Shields - The delusions of Superboy and Guardian were well
handled, and Demon's deal with Dabney also opens a future story
I eagerly await. Dubbilex and other Cadmus staff are still out of
character, though, and the series seems to be lacking direction.
JH: 4.0 Shields - The triumphant return of Tom Grummett, backed up by
some great inks by Mike Manley. A fun story of Etrigan wreaking
havoc and giving villain Donovan even more of an edge for us to
look forward to.
SDM: 3.0 Shields - The plot is just OK, but the glimpse into Jim Harper's
feelings and the interactions of the Kid and Etrigan are quite
entertaining. Still, this series is not what it used to be.
SI: 3.1 Shields - It's always fun to see the Demon rhyming. This was a
fun, enjoyable comic, although I still have trouble believing
Dabney could blackmail Roquette so easily.
SL: 2.3 Shields - Grummett's art is always great, but Dabney's escape
and the guest appearance of the Demon didn't deserve an entire
episode. Also, the interaction between the characters is rather
badly written.
ST: 4.2 Shields - A very fun romp that set up future developments, tied
in with the crossover unobtrusively, and even examined the
Guardian a little more. Best issue for quite a while.
Reviewed by: Rene Gobeyn <rgobeyn1@rochester.rr.com>
Well it's that time of year again. Where did the time go? It seems that
only a few months have gone by since the "DC One Million" books were out.
<sigh>
This issue opens only hours after the end of last month's. Superboy,
Mickey, and Dr. Roquette are returning to Cadmus where The Guardian, who is
under the influence of a mystical gauntlet called Hyssa's Fist, attacks
them.
The Guardian, under the Fist's influence, thinks that he is fighting in
WWII and that Cadmus security guards are Nazi stormtroopers. It seems that
Guardian was declared 4F (unfit) and spent the war in Suicide Slum; this
time, he's getting his licks in. During Guardian's attacks he frees Dabney
Donovan, who leads him to the Geothermal Reactor that powers Cadmus. There
he again meets and fights with Superboy, but is driven off by the
appearance of The Demon (another Kirby creation).
This is where we find out more about the Fist. The Fist is a gauntlet left
behind from something called the Lizard Kingdom. (Could be another
sub-plot; we'll have to see.) While we know the Demon's appearance has
something to do with the Fist, we don't find out for sure that he is after
it until later.
After another brief fight, Superboy manages to KO Guardian and removes the
Gauntlet. Not trusting Etrigan, he puts it on before the Demon can grab it
away, and is transformed into Black Zero Jr. After frying Etrigan with his
heat vision, Superboy realizes how he is dressed and freaks; using his
Tactile Telekinesis he destroys the glove. The resulting explosion
collapses the cave where they had been fighting leaving Dabney and the
Demon behind as SB and Guardian escape.
The story ends with some rather tantalizing glimpses of possible things to
come. For Dabney's help in escaping from the tunnel, he is given a whistle
that the Demon will answer only once, and a hair of "hellish kind" to
plague the boy. Hmm, wonder what Dabney will make of that?
For me, it is a sign of a good writer that they are able to put out a story
that works well with one of the mega-crossovers, yet still advances the
ongoing plots and sub-plots in the regular monthly title. For the second
time, Kesel and Grummett fit the crossover into the ongoing story
seamlessly. For the first time in years, I didn't purchase any extra titles
because of a crossover. If you hadn't read the "Day of Judgment" books, you
could still read, understand, and enjoy this one. I didn't feel like I was
missing anything.
After the brief introduction to the Glove in the last issue, we get a
better look at the situation from Guardians point of view. It was
interesting to see the scenes change as we looked through different
characters' eyes; almost the same disposition of characters but the
backgrounds and surroundings were very different. I would have liked to see
what the Generator looked like from Guardians view, but the moment is past.
Meanwhile the situation surrounding Dubbilex continues to deteriorate. The
Gene-gnome didn't make an appearance this issue, but you got the feeling he
was close by.
One (only one?) thing really puzzled me. I can't remember Superboy using
his heat vision before, and in fact he says as much (issue #62, pg. 15). So
how is it that he has the power on pg. 16? Black Zero did have heat vision,
but the glove should not have given the Kid a power he never had. As
glitches go, I'm sure that there will be an explanation forthcoming. After
all, it couldn't be a mistake. Could it?
The art in the book was fabulous as always; if anything it was better than
it has been. It might have been that the shifting points of view between
Guardian and everyone else forced them to provide more background detail
than they normally would have, but whatever the reason I loved it. There
were very few talking head panels; almost all had at least some reference
characteristic, even if it was only the ground where the characters were
standing. Mike Manley did a fine job as guest inker.
Next month Superboy and Serling head for Hawaii so that the Kid can tie up
some loose ends. Looks like fun.
===================================================
SUPERGIRL #38 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"City of Angels"
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Leonard Kirk and Robin Riggs
Colorist: Gene D'Angelo
Seps: Digital Chameleon
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Leonard Kirk, Robin Riggs, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields
TD: 3.2 Shields
EM: 4.0 Shields - Zauriel actually contributes to the book in the most
logical team-up in a long while. PAD uses the angel Zauriel well.
Come to think of it, everyone uses him well outside of the main
JLA title...
JB: 3.9 Shields - PAD's got a way of fitting crossovers into the WGSOMM
(Whole General Sort Of Mish-Mash). This one was entertaining, and
offered intriguing hints at things to come.
SI: 4.1 Shields - Peter David has fun with the Day of Judgment crossover,
and advances the main story at the same time. I'm anxiously
waiting to see where this Fallen Angel plotline is going.
SL: 2.2 Shields - A hint of Supergirl's future surrounded by "Hollywood
agents are demons!" and a big brawl. Ho hum. Not one of Peter
David's better outings.
SY: 4.0 Shields - Loved the interaction between Zauriel and Supergirl. An
interesting change with the flame wings; wonder what it means?
Loved it when Supergirl asked Zauriel about God being a kid with a
baseball bat.
Review by: Thomas Deja <blackair@gis.net>
Peter David does not seem to care for big crossover tie-ins. He seems to do
his best to write about everything *but* what the crossover is about.
During that "Millennium Giants" nonsense David was busy telling us about
the reincarnation of Cassandra. During "DC One Million" David decided to
ignore everything and tell a horrid story that was both this series and
that crossover's low point.
So here, again, David is faced with a company wide crossover, and here
again he focuses more on a character we've never seen before. At least this
time David ties the Maid of Might into the story, and manages to say a few
interesting things about the place of Earth-born angels in the DC Cosmology
along the way.
Our character-we've-never-met-before is Patrick, an aspiring actor living
out of a van. We learn that Hollywood is particularly hard hit by Hell
freezing over, with demons tearing up the place in a destructive frenzy. As
Patrick tries to make it to his agent, Supergirl and Zauriel arrive in
pursuit of the Spectre.
During the course of the story, we learn a few interesting facts: in Peter
David's world, most agents are demons; Patrick is particularly valued by
the Asmodel-ized Spectre and the demons; and that the tarot reader Patrick
saw was right -- he *is* going to be a star, although not the star he was
planning on being.
This is arguably the best of David's attempts to date at fitting his series
into a crossover. (Well, save for the 'bunch of guys playing poker' gag
chapter of 'The X-ecutioner's Song' in an issue of _X-Factor_.) One of the
reasons it works is that David proves himself the only *other* writer
capable of writing Zauriel effectively. A lot of the story hinges on the
interplay between Supergirl and Zauriel, and David works this sort of
rivalry well. The jabs coming off as very subdued as opposed to the
cats-and-dogs squabbling a lesser writer might go for.
Of course, Patrick's ultimate fate seems like little more than another
excuse for a vaudeville gag, with the punchline being particularly heinous.
Luckily, David does redeem himself with a nice moment that explains the
cattiness between Zauriel and Supergirl in a way that's logical and
touching. On top of that, David sneaks in *another* hint that the upcoming
confrontation with Carnivean is going to be nasty as all Hell.
As for the art job, I appreciate without a doubt Kirk and Riggs' capacity
to keep the scale of the Asmodel-ized Spectre consistent. This Spectre is
_huge_, and Kirk is able to drive home how out of her depth the Maid of
Might feels. It's also interesting to look at Kirk's effort to
'choreograph' the airborne scenes in an attempt to give the reader the
sense of actually being up in the air; in this fight between angels, Kirk's
angles and layouts swoop and soar as the smaller characters weave around
the gargantuan Spectre. It makes for a dizzying, which-way-is-up effect
that contributes to the effectiveness of the whole.
"City of Angels" is a better tie-in story than the one David submitted for
the "DC One Million" event (but what *couldn't* be better?), and even a
slight improvement over the "Millennium Giants" tie-in. That it could've
been better still is beside the point; it has enough signs and portents to
make it at least entertaining.
_____________________________________
End of Section 5
_____________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #37 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Clark Kent: Public Enemy"
Writes up contract hits: Mark Millar
Pencils and rubouts: Aluir Amancio
Inks at lineups: Terry Austin
Letters Tombstones: Phil Felix
Calls in markers: Marie Severin
Separates colors & kneecaps: Zylonol
Dirty rat editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Mike "Mugsy" Manley,
Terry "Crusher" Austin,
Marie "K-Tone" Severin,
and those loveable thugs at Zylonol
RATINGS
Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields
CoS: 4.0 Shields
GC: 3.5 Shields - Still a bit too violent for this series, although I did
enjoy the story and the insights into Clark's character in this
particular "Universe".
JH: 3.9 Shields - Typically solid story, but I'm wondering if penciller
Aluir Amancio isn't being held back by Terry Austin's inkwork.
JSy: 3.5 Shields - Millar had a nice idea with recycling Multi-face, and
there are some really good character bits with Clark's gaining
prison buddies. I just don't know how I missed the escape route,
though.
SL: 3.8 Shields - The art is perfect and the story is almost without
flaw. The dialogue and interaction between the characters is
fluid. Even though I don't like this villain, everything is so
good that's it's pure fun.
SY: 3.0 Shields - Nothing too crash-hot in this issue. Multiface sure
doesn't have much of a brain for villainy does he?
ST: 4.1 Shields - This and _Superboy_ were easily the best reads this
month. An excellent return of the only villain original to the
series. A real page-turner throughout; I couldn't wait to see what
came next, and was sorry to see it end.
Review by: Cory Strode <Solitaire.Rose@worldnet.att.net>
Personal confession time. When I was in college, I answered one of those
ads in the CBG looking for writers. I was also submitting stuff to the
bajillions of small publishing companies that sprung up during the black
and white glut after the Turtles, and got accepted by a lot of them as well
-- usually right before they would go under. The CBG ad was for a small
fanzine, however, and the editor was looking for a specific kind of story
that wasn't in comics anymore: death traps and how to get out of them. In
the 1980s, writers and readers were more interested in soap opera type
stories than tightly plotted puzzle stories, and he wanted to bring them
back. I wrote for thefanzine for about 6 months and it taught me a couple
of things: 1) Writing for fanzines that don't ever get published is a silly
waste of time, and 2) writing deathtraps is hard to do if you play fair
with the reader.
That's why when someone puts together a good puzzle story in a comic book,
I am impressed. It's much harder to have a strong plot than to just throw a
bunch of characters together and see how they interact with each other.
This issue of _Superman Adventures_ does that not once, but twice, and
manages to have a good story in with the puzzles.
We open with a machine-gun-toting Clark Kent robbing a bank, and escaping
in a hail of gunfire. While the reader is trying to figure out what is
going on, the scene shifts to Mars, where Superman is helping NASA with a
rover that has run into trouble and needs to be repaired. Since Superman is
on Mars while Clark Kent is robbing banks, what could be causing it? Red
Kryptonite? Mxy back for another go at Superman? Transporter accident on
board the Enterprise?
OK, the last one is far-fetched, but it could happen.
When Clark arrives at the Daily Planet the next day, there are more cops
waiting for him than were involved in the car chase in The Blues Brothers.
Since he cannot give an alibi without exposing his secret identity, Clark
is forced to go to jail until the mess can be straightened out. Who's left
to investigate the story with Clark behind bars? Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen,
of course. Their investigation doesn't get very far, however, before we
find out that Multiface has replaced Jimmy, and was the one behind Clark's
problems.
As with most super-villains in Metropolis, Multiface has a grudge against
Superman and the people who work at the Daily Planet. Now that he's
captured Lois and Jimmy, he broadcasts a message giving Superman 15 minutes
to show up and save them. Only problem is, Clark Kent is still in jail.
Luckily, one of the inmates comments that you are put into solitary if you
start a fight. Convenient? You bet. Clark is in solitary and able to leave
to become Superman in a quick two pages.
When he arrives to rescue Lois and Jimmy, Superman finds that he has
stumbled into a death trap. The room is equipped with Red Sun generators,
which take his strength, and bombs, which will blow him up. How does
Superman escape? Read the story, I'm not going to spoil that for you.
Suffice it to say that the solution is right in front of the reader, but
not so obvious that there's no challenge to guessing it. After Superman
escapes, everything is wrapped up neatly, and Clark Kent is cleared of all
charges.
The story works as a series of puzzles for the reader, none of which take
more than a few pages. The good thing about this is that it pushes the
reader through the story with the oldest reason to read something, "What
happens next?" Will we find out why Clark Kent is robbing banks? How will
he get out of his deadly predicament? Each puzzle builds a part of the
plot, and the story avoids making it seem like the whole thing is just an
excuse to get from one trap to another. The only flaw in the writing is
that the revelation of Multiface comes too quickly, and there wasn't enough
build-up leading to the scene. When his identity is revealed, instead of
being a major point in the story, it just sets up the next scene. I would
have liked it more if Lois had figured it out instead of having it handed
to her on a platter.
Amancio turns in one of his better jobs, and helps the story move along
with active layouts that flow easily. The opening sequence of Clark Kent
robbing the bank is a great example of how the artist can control the
pacing of how the reader goes through the story. Breaking panel barriers,
showing the action at the most exciting moment, and story flow all are used
perfectly in the first four pages to pull in the reader. There are a few
pages that are text heavy, and not much can be done to quicken the pace in
those instances, but wherever he can Amancio helps set things up so that
the reader doesn't *want* to take the time to put the clues together. The
pace rarely lets up, and the solutions seem fresh and original.
Millar is leaving this book soon; that's too bad since he has really come
into his own here. He does good Silver Age plotting without falling into
the stilted storytelling of that era. This issue is highly recommended, and
is -- again -- the best Superman comic out this month. Too bad so many
readers are put off by the animated style, since the triangle titles could
learn a few things from this book about delivering their money's worth when
you pick up an issue.
_____________________________________
TEAM TITLES:
-----------
JLA #35 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"The Guilty"
Guest Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Guest Penciller: Mark Pajarillo
Guest Inker: Walden Wong
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Pat Garrahy
Separations: Heroic Age
Assoc. Ed.: Tony Bedard
Editor: Dan Raspler
Cover: Howard Porter and John Dell
RATINGS
Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
EM: 4.1 Shields
GC: 3.8 Shields - The handling of the "new" Spectre was done well, and I
think the merger of Hal and the Spectre will give the character(s)
much-needed new life.
JB: 2.5 Shields - Average art, repetitive story saved only by Plas's
scene and the interesting twist at the end. I can't see the
new Spectre series as being too exciting.
JH: 4.0 Shields - Another great contribution by DeMatteis to the DCU this
month, preparing Hal Spectre for the path that lies ahead and
intriguing us, the readers. I especially enjoyed Hal haunting
Supes with the Phantom Zone villains.
SDM: 3.9 Shields - I'm shocked how much I buy the idea of Spectre/Hal,
and I think I might buy the new series following this outing. The
interaction between Hal and Supes is excellent.
SI: 1.0 Shields - No, no, no. One line from Superman ruins this story
for me. After killing the Phantom Zone villains, Superman swore
that he would *never* kill again -- that he would *always* find
another way. That Superman wasn't in this story.
TD: 1.8 Shields - Please tell me that this isn't the direction DeMatteis
is taking the Hal-Spectre -- mopey and whiney, and suffering from
some awful pretentiousness. This is a sad coda to a miserable
storyline.
Review by: Edward Mathews <em11@is3.nyu.edu>
Synopsis:
After the events that took place in the _Day of Judgement_ mini-series, Hal
Jordan, former Green Lantern and founding member of the JLA who (a) went
crazy, (b) killed off his fellow members in the Green Lantern Corps, (c)
become a being known as Parallax who tried to (d) restart the multiverse,
and (e) died re-igniting the sun, has (f) been brought back from purgatory
to become the new human host for the Spectre.[1] While the JLA catches up
with the Spectre to make sure everything is ok, an interesting twist on the
character is revealed; yes, Hal Jordan is the new Spectre, but no one will
ever know it is him. The internal conflict between Hal's quest for
redemption and the Spectre's function as the spirit of wrath sets up an
exploration of what it means to be a hero. Oh, and we deal with the Joker.
Wacky hi-jinks ensue.
Review: How do you take a convoluted mess and manage to turn out a good
story? I don't know, but J.M. DeMatteis seems to. Let it be known that this
reviewer feels that making Hal Jordan the new host for the Spectre is bad
fan fiction. "Hey, the Spectre needs a dead human host... Hal Jordan is
dead... hmmm..." Jim Corrigan was the Spectre, so bringing Hal Jordan into
the role will not satisfy most Corrigan fans. Hal Jordan got the wrong end
of the stick by editorial fiat and was turned into a mass murderer. Given
this context, making Hal's joining with the Spectre a punishment and a
means of redemption could make sense, but why bother? Will this satisfy the
fans that have been asking for Hal Jordan to return as Green Lantern? I
doubt it.
But I digress. Given that Hal Jordan *is* the new Spectre, this is a pretty
good story written by someone who is partially responsible for my favorite
Justice League run. Given the thematic shift in JLA from a group based on
super-science to a group that deals with magical threats and religious
mysticism, having Hal Jordan switch from a super-science motif to a
spiritual/mystical power motif works.
The best part of the book is the level of characterization. For the first
time in a long time, someone finally gets how to write Hal Jordan. The
blend of humor and action reminded me of the early Giffen/DeMatteis run of
_Justice League_. I was even amused that he managed to sneak one
"Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!" in there for good measure.
There's only one problem with this book; it wasn't a JLA story. It was a
Hal Jordan/Spectre story. The Spectre is going to have a series soon with
J.M. DeMatteis writing. This felt a lot less like an issue of JLA than it
did issue #1 of a new Spectre series. Sure, DeMatteis uses the book to
explore the inner demons of many JLA members, but for some reason, it just
didn't read like a JLA story.
Art:
Why weren't Pajarillo and Wong the regular art team? I find their art much
more enjoyable and far less confusing than the work of Porter and Dell.
They really shine in the personal hell that the JLA members visit. Clean
pencils and logical layouts can make or break a story and the art team
pulls through this month.
Conclusion:
In spite of the flawed premise that Hal Jordan would be given the power of
the Spectre, this was an enjoyable read. A satisfying stand-alone issue
that is well worth the $1.99 US.
[1] Seriously. These events took place in the current run of _Green
Lantern_ #48-50 (becoming Parallax), the _Zero Hour_ mini-series, and in
_The Final Night_. So much for simple origins.
===================================================
YOUNG JUSTICE #14 Nov 1999 $2.50 US/$3.95 CAN
"Like Heck, You Say"
Hecka Writer: Peter David
Hecka Pencils: Todd Nauck
Hecka Inks: Lary Stucker
Hecka Colors: Jason Wright
Hecka Seps: Digital Chameleon
Hecka Letters: Ken Lopez
Hecka Associate: Maureen McTigue
Going to Heck: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Nauck, Stucker, and Wildstorm
RATINGS
Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields
GR: 3.0 Shields
GC: 3.6 Shields - More info on Secret is always welcomed as I find her
an intriguing character. Red Tornado's segment was also very
enjoyable. I would however like to see YJ get back to lighter
issues as they seem to be having enough "hell" of late.
GD: 3.0 Shields - Jason Wright's colouring is the star of this issue;
nice to see someone can still do non-computer generated effects.
On the story side the payoff to the Secret and Harm plots shows
PAD at his best.
JB: 4.2 Shields - PAD can really make these obligatory crossovers seem
like they were all his idea.
JSy: 3.6 Shields - Whoa. Didn't see that one coming at all -- though, in
the end, Secret's origin seems a little less sinister than I had
envisioned. Hope we're not done with that yet. PAD continues to
use Red Tornado very effectively, and it was nice to see the
return of the kids' playful banter.
SL: 3.9 Shields - Even if the pages with Red Tornado are boring, this
episode is sumptuous. A little clash between Robin and Superboy,
an interesting development for Suzie and a real team in action;
everything is here for a good read.
Review by: Gary D. Robinson <robinfam@akron.infi.net>
What the, uh, heck is going on here, anyway? Fire, ice, demons? Oh, I
forgot. It's Crossover time again. Let's see. According to the KC "Coming
Attractions" section, this year's entry is Day of Judgment: "The condemned
dead are rising, hell is freezing over, and earth will burn to a cinder
unless..." Okay, got it. Thanks, guys. I guess I've been too involved with
reality lately. Naturally, Young Justice is participating in the Big
Event. An alternate title is provided for their contribution: "Crossovers
Are Heck." Sigh. They sure are.
The story begins in the Justice Cave. There, the tormented Secret struggles
to repress memories of the violent act that created her. To her horror, she
finds herself turning to ice. Meanwhile, the rest of the team battles the
opposite element in the form of fiery volcanoes. Sure 'nuf, Hell is
a'freezin' over down below and somehow spouting its flaming innards through
the surface of the earth. The situation is so bad, Red Tornado, locked up a
couple issues ago, is freed on a magnificent technicality -- he's a
super-hero!
Of course, RT could've freed himself any time, as he demonstrates to the
official holding the android's walking papers. What's more, he declares
that he would have helped without any promise of pardon. At this, the
official backpedals, providing an occasion for the best line in the whole
story. Plucking the emancipating envelope away from the startled flunkie,
RT says, "I'm an altruist, not an idiot. Good day." Then he's off to deal
with demons.
Back at the Justice Cave, YJ is doubly dismayed. First, they must deal with
the sight of poor, freezing Secret. Then, they're faced with the horrifying
return of their arch-enemy, Harm. Did I say doubly dismayed? Make that
"triply" -- Harm turns out to be Secret's brother and her
murderer! Desperately, the kids battle an enemy they can't hope to
defeat. He can't be killed since he's already dead -- a point brought
grotesquely home on page 17. Striking at Impulse, Harm thrusts his smoking
broadsword through his own body. Bart receives a flesh wound, but the
close-up of his shock and wonder (with a characteristic thought-balloon
showing a band-aid) is at once funny and frightening.
Somehow Secret is able to pull herself together in time to stop, or at
least stall, her deadly brother. The episode ends mysteriously in a
snowbank. Harm has vanished. His sister is... well, let's just say she's
yet to be found.
I don't really understand the Frozen Hell (sounds like a demonic dessert)
concept as rendered here. Apparently, Hell is located beneath the earth and
is, very literally, freezing over. Okay, no problem. That would explain all
the hot stuff, not to mention little devils, erupting topside. Apparently,
Hell is being kicked upstairs. If that's the case, why does the freezing
Secret (again, sounds like something from the DQ, doesn't it?) speak of the
"coldness" of the abyss -- assuming, that is, that the "abyss" is Hell? If
Hell affected Secret as it's affecting everything else on earth, wouldn't
she get really, really hot or something? Perhaps if I'd read the Day of
Judgment mini-series, I'd understand better. At the moment, however, I
think either the cold or the heat has affected the brains in DC's Editorial
department.
By the way, what the hell/heck/abyss is Secret's other name? Wasn't she
given the name Suzie? Why, then, is she called "Cassie" on page 11? Did I
miss something?
Gaffes and plot holes aside, it's a pretty good issue. PAD's script
delivers action, humor, and suspense. These young heroes, for whom he
obviously has great affection, complement each other well. Harm makes a
compelling villain. Nauck and Stucker are at their peak on a title they
were born to illustrate. If it can just get away from obtrusive guest-stars
and sales-spiking crossovers, YJ might just pick up some steam again.
_____________________________________
MINISERIES:
----------
BATMAN AND SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #8 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Year Eight: Cat and Mouse"
Story: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Peter Doherty
Inks: Robert Campanella
Colors & Seps: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Clem Robins
Assoc. Ed.: Joseph Illidge
Editor: Darren Vincenzo
Cover: Dave Taylor and Robert Campanella
RATINGS
Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields
SDM: 3.2 Shields
DWk: 3.7 Shields - Some inconsistencies (couldn't Kal wrap up this whole
mess in a few seconds?), and a rather forced plot, but I'm
delighted to see this kind of focus on character. The Batman/
Catwoman tension is always fun.
EM: 3.9 Shields - I love a good Catwoman story, and this was a good
Catwoman story. Of course, one of the cool things about this
series is that it puts events we've been reading for years into a
cohesive time line.
GC: 4.1 Shields - The high quality of this story line is being well
maintained. Alfred's comments to Superman at the end are very good
and insightful, and Catwoman and Lois are both handled well. One
of the best maxi-series in a long time.
JH: 3.9 Shields - Not as strong as any of the previous issues, as the
story didn't do much to strengthen the bond between the two
heroes, but still entertaining.
JSy: 3.1 Shields - A pretty good Catwoman story, and a pretty snug fit
into the Superman/Lex Luthor continuity. Would have liked to see
more of the Man of Steel, but the interaction between Lois and
Alfred was interesting.
SY: 3.5 Shields - Nice change of pace for this series. I felt Catwoman
got away from Superman too easily at the end, but she worked
Batman and Superman off each other well.
Review by: Simon DelMonte <sdelmonte@aol.com>
The setting is Lexcorp Tower shortly before Luthor's "death", as Lois is
snooping around for facts to support rumors of his ill health. Luthor is
more concerned that Bruce Wayne, due at the tower for a meeting, is ninety
minutes late. When Wayne (with Alfred) arrives and congratulates Lois on
her engagement, Lois notices the day is the same date he was in Gotham two
years earlier. The meeting between Lex and Bruce never happens; Luthor and
company discover that someone has tapped into top-secret computers and
stolen the plans for the X-27 airplane.
That someone is Catwoman, and before long Superman arrives to investigate
while Bruce Wayne takes a powder to change his clothes. Catwoman is still
in the building, enjoying the challenge of matching wits with Superman. She
leads the heroes on a merry chase, encountering Lois and briefly using her
as a hostage; each notes that the other has the hots for the hero in her
life, which both deny. (This is before Clark has told Lois the truth and
she's not comfortable that she loves Supes and Clark.) Catwoman almost gets
away clean, but Supes manages to take the disk from her before she slips
his grasp.
The fight done, Alfred offers Supes a word of advice: tell Lois the truth
soon. Clark sequesters Lois in a storage closet at the Planet to do just
that, but they are interrupted by news of Luthor's death in the plane for
which Catwoman tried to steal the plans. Naturally, her attempted theft was
part of a scheme by Luthor to justify his death flight.
Had this been an issue of _Adventures of Superman_, I would have been quite
pleased. I like seeing heroes square off against other people's enemies
every so often, and Karl has a good grasp of what makes Catwoman tick. The
character bits -- from Luthor's disgust with Bruce to Lois and Catwoman
playing off each other -- work well. The pacing for the chase is strong,
and the art is up to par; the faces very expressive. Given what we've been
reading in Superman lately, this looks great.
There was very little interaction between Supes and Batman this month,
however, so it feels like this issue was a bit of waste, given the idea
behind the miniseries. The closest we come to getting inside our heroes'
heads was a chat between Alfred and Lois about Harrison Grey that points
mainly to how perceptive Alfred is. It feels like Karl hasn't quite figured
out how to have both an action-oriented plot and the kind of character play
that made issue 7 so special. That might be why this series has been
disappointing. At some level, Karl really wants to get inside the heroes'
heads but the active nature of the comic book requires the heroes Do
Something. Perhaps we would have been better off with a series of shorter
stories where Bats and Supes just talk. Or maybe there's only so much you
can do with such different heroes.
_____________________________________
End of Section 6
_____________________________________
SPECIALS:
--------
JLA: SUPERPOWER Nov 1999 $5.95 US/$9.25 CAN
Writer: John Arcudi
Penciller: Scot Eaton
Inker: Ray Kryssing
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: John Kalisz
Separators: Digital Chameleon
Asst. Ed.: L.A. Williams
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover: Eaton and Kryssing
RATINGS
Average: 4.0/5.0 Shields
EM: 3.0 Shields
DWk: 4.2 Shields - Nice to see an exploration of a big ethical issue
that's always nagging at the superhero-comics premise. It falters
in the big fight scene, and the conflict with Kyle doesn't click,
but at least there's an idea beyond the literal plot.
GC: 3.9 Shields - A good -- if slightly expensive -- story that would
rate higher if some of the themes had not been used recently in
the recent "Superman Rex" arc. Good artwork also.
JB: 4.3 Shields - A powerful story of obsession and betrayal, and one of
the best Superman stories I've seen. Green Lantern comes off as a
real jerk, though, and he isn't.
JSy: 4.0 Shields - A strong, intriguing story that kept me riveted from
start to finish, though I think that the ending was a bit harsh,
with Superman's remarks to Green Lantern darkening the conclusion
even more than it already would have been.
SL: 4.5 Shields - Only 64 pages? Why? It's so amazing! Arcudi writes a
new chapter in the Super Heroes' myth, and what a chapter -- not
only that, but the art is perfect for this story. The psychology
of the characters involved and they way they each approached the
eternal dilemma of 'how much is too much?' was superb.
SY: 4.7 Shields - Loved it! Had a real _Kingdom Come_ feel about it when
it came to Superman's action and reactions. The end of the book
was fantastic!
TD: 3.1 Shields - It's not _Foreign Bodies_ by a long shot, and it runs a
mite too long, but this has its moments. I do, however, wish that
the whole 'GL is a scrud' wasn't so lathered on, especially since,
in his inarticulate way, Kyle was right about Antaeus.
Review by: Edward Mathews <em11@is3.nyu.edu>
Synopsis:
Mark Antaeus, a new member of the JLA, wants to make the world a better
place. Before he was made a full member, Green Lantern had voiced concerns
about Mark Antaeus' mental stability. Antaeus impresses the other members
of the JLA with his courage and strength until he crosses the line by
getting involved in the internal political affairs of a Middle Eastern
country by killing off the repressive dictator in control. This places
Antaeus at odds with the JLA as they try to contain him. Wacky hi-jinks
ensue.
Review:
An honorable man crosses the line and kills in order to make the world a
better place, no matter the cost. This puts him in conflict with his former
teammates, on whom he is willing to use lethal force if need be in order to
achieve his vision. In the end, he realizes what he has done is wrong and
he commits suicide. If you think this sounds an awful lot like what
happened to Hal Jordan, the former Green Lantern, I'd be inclined to
agree.[1]
This is not a bad story. Through this new character Mark Antaeus, Arcudi
examines what it means to be a hero and how far is too far when it comes to
intervention.
The good: Antaeus is well fleshed out as a character. The most enjoyable
part of this book was the conversation between he and his father, and
watching how he drifted away from his family due to his obsession to save
the world from itself. His rise and fall is played out well within the
context of this story, which by all indications takes place before the JLA
doubled in size.
The bad: The main problem with this book is that it really is nothing
spectacular. It's a fine JLA story, don't get me wrong, but it could just
as easily have been told in two parts in the regular monthly title. There
is nothing in this book that warranted this format or the price.
The other problem with this book is that some of the characterizations seem
just a little off. Batman, who trusts no one and forgives even fewer people
than he trusts, readily grants his support for Antaeus' membership. This
would be the same guy who won't trust Hal Jordan even after he reignited
the sun and saved our civilization.
Art:
Adequate is the only work I can think of to describe the art. It's not
bad... it's just not fantastic. An expensive format like this one should
have more than just adequate art.
Conclusion:
While this is an enjoyable tale, it is an expensive one, too. If you have
to spend your JLA dollars on an enjoyable one-shot this month, buy _JLA_
#35; you'll get more bang for your buck. If you have some spare cash,
consider this book.
[1] The notable difference is that Hal Jordan sacrificed his life in order
to reignite the sun in Final Night. His death was not a suicide.
===================================================
LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE #22 Nov 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Supremum Vale"
Writers: Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier
Penciller: J.O. Ladronn
Inker: Keith Aiken
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Assistant: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Painted Cover: Steve Rude
RATINGS
Average: 2.4/5.0 Shields
CoS: 3.0 Shields
GC: 2.1 Shields - No matter how Kirby-like the art is, I don't really see
the need for another Kirby style Superman story -- especially
without Jimmy Olsen. I think _LotDCU_ has much better subject
material on which to draw.
JH: 1.5 Shields - Superman acting far out of character for any era or
continuity and lackluster scripting couldn't even be saved by Jose
Ladronn's eye candy.
JSy: 3.0 Shields - Nice artwork, though Superman's facial expressions seem
a bit too strained at times. There are some interesting concepts
in the story, but I was a bit lost by the end. Most annoying,
however, was that they bothered to fit this into continuity, but
couldn't be bothered to give us a reasonable explanation for why
Dabney's not at Cadmus.
TD: 2.5 Shields - Ladronn's pencils sometimes try *too hard* to be
Kirby-esque, and the Lofficiers try very hard to capture that
sense of wonder of those Kirby 70's epics, but both sort of
fail, producing something that smacks of prefunctionary bowing
and scraping to the King.
Review by: Cory Strode <Solitaire.Rose@worldnet.att.net>
As an unofficial "Kirby Mark" of the KC crew, I asked to review this book
when it was first announced. When I was granted the opportunity to do so, I
was warned not to get all gushy and fanboy-ish as I did so. Oddly, that
would be the opposite of what most people who consider themselves huge
Kirby fans would do. There is a small, vocal, and in many ways correct,
group of Kirby fans who think that his creations should not be touched by
anyone but Jack -- in fact, there are still die-hard Kirby fans who are mad
about John Byrne's work on the Fantastic Four. After seeing the sort of
stuff done with The New Gods and The Eternals by other hands, I can
understand this argument, but I am of mixed feelings about it; Kirby left
behind so many characters that have so much unused potential.
One of the few groups that seem to be using Kirby's creations right is the
crew on the Superman books. Kirby brought in a lot of great ideas when he
did _Jimmy Olsen_. He took a book that relied on silliness and sit-com
contrivances and turned it completely on its head, making it an adventure
book. Yeah, not all the ideas on it were good -- you won't see me clamoring
for a revival of Goody Rickles any time soon -- but the year's worth of
issues he did spawned ideas that would ultimately give us the new Superboy,
and is being used in the Superman books at some point every month. In fact,
the only time Jimmy Olsen has been an interesting character since Byrne's
1986 reboot was when he was involved with either situations or characters
that paralleled Jack's run on _Jimmy Olsen_.
Another historical note to remember is that Jack Kirby was a pop culture
vacuum; anything that was popular at the time eventually showed up in his
work. Surfing was big in the 60's, and he created the Silver Surfer. Skiing
was popular in the early 70's and ...OK, no matter how you cut it, the
Black Racer was a darn silly looking creation. In the early 70's when Jack
was working on the New Gods stories, there was a huge 'horror boom';
classic monster movies were revived on tv, in the movies with Hammer Films,
in monster mags, and with Aurora's incredibly popular model kits. It was
just a matter of time before it showed up in the work of Jack Kirby, and in
the two part Jimmy Olsen/Transilvane story, it so did with a classic Kirby
twist.
When I picked up the issue of _Legends of the DC Universe_ that purported
to give an updated version of that tale, mindless praise wasn't what I had
in mind. I'd read that Jimmy Olsen wouldn't even be in the comic, and was
thinking to myself, "They are going to really screw this up." Thankfully, I
was wrong, but it still doesn't come up to the level that it should.
The story opens with a very odd device to aid in the narration; Superman is
writing a description of the adventure in an e-mail to the President. Since
when does Superman have an e-mail address at Fortress.com? Anyway, Supes
is, by Presidential request, investigating an abandoned complex once used
in a project to simulate the atmosphere of other planets in a controlled
environment. Alarms have gone off at the complex, so it seems that this is
a job for Superman. Upon arrival, Superman finds that some of the creatures
are escaping from the program.
Creatures? Yep, since Dabney Donovan created the program, he took it upon
himself to create creatures for the miniature planet that was to have its
atmosphere studied. Problem is, he filled it with tiny machines that have
evolved past their basic programming; they have incorporated into their way
of life a week's worth of cable TV horror movies Dabney sent them long ago.
Superman and Dabney enter the tiny world -- Superman to try and contain the
small creatures, and Dabney to see how they are doing.
When Superman and Dabney arrive on the tiny planet, they are captured by
the House of Frankenstein, whose leader conveniently fills in the
exposition needed to know what's going on, They learn that the planet's
creatures have divided into seven cultures based on the horror movies, and
that they see Dabney as a God. The two escape, but their freedom is
short-lived. They find a tiny, abandoned house in the middle of nowhere,
but as they attempt to rest inside... oh, come on, you've seen horror
movies. What happens when you stop to rest in a deserted farmhouse? Zombies
attack!
While the story condenses down quickly, it does fill the book and then
some, mostly due to Ladronn's art. I know a number of people dislike his
art, saying it is too Kirby-ish, and accusing him of swipes, but he's not
the first artist to start his career drawing like Kirby. The best example I
can think of is Barry Smith, whose early Conan work is highly Kirby
influenced. Smith used what he learned to find his own style. OK, there are
some artists like Rich Buckler, who never really did evolve past using
other people's style, but every artist has to start somewhere, and Ladronn
is growing beyond his early work while remembering the lessons learned.
Ladronn is still relying on Kirby-esque poses and some of the superficial
trappings of Kirby's art (the squiggles for muscles jumps out at me), and
he also seems to be using Mobius's layout style. On some pages, though,
such as the two-page spread that first shows us the unique world of
Transilvane surrounded by fantastic machinery, he shows a lighter style
that tempers the Kirby power he puts in the figures. The establishing shot
as Superman goes into the Castle of Frankenstein is also a very powerful
page that makes one stop, not because the art calls attention to itself,
but because it conveys a genuine feeling of power.
The story, however, seems rushed and poorly thought out. The reason for
Superman to be at the facility is pretty specious. The reason he and
Donovan go to Transilvane together is worse than the old Marvel "Let's
fight and then team up," as they have *no* reason to work together. "I'm
coming with you. You can't be trusted on your own," is the only dialogue
that points to why Superman would go with him instead of just dragging him
back to Cadmus, and the reason Donovan has to go is that the creature
Superman was fighting was a signal that the residents want Donovan there?
The motivation is missing, so I found myself wondering why instead of
following the story.
In a way, without motivation, a story becomes a series of scenes that just
happen to follow each other. Kirby's work had this problem from time to
time as well, but he had the new ideas flying at the reader so fast that
you didn't have time to catch your breath and figure that out until you
were done reading. These ideas are on their second trip though, so the
writer has to spend more time on plotting to get them to blend together.
Maybe the second part will help with this problem, but I can only recommend
this one for people who want to be visually wowed.
===================================================
SUPERMAN AND SAVAGE DRAGON: METROPOLIS Nov 1999 $4.95 US/$7.95 CAN
"Metropolis"
Writer: Karl Kesel
Artist: Jon Bogdanove
Special Thanks: Dennis Janke
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorists: Richard and Tanya Horie
Consulting Ed.: Erik Larsen
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Millennium Bog
RATINGS
Average: 3.8/5.0 Shields
TD: 3.6 Shields
JH: 3.5 Shields - Fun story, fittingly mixing Kirby's New Gods characters
with Savage Dragon and his universe, but Bogdanove's artwork
suffered without Dennis Janke's full inks.
SL: 4.6 Shields - Kesel and Bogdanove are as perfectly teamed as Dragon
and Superman; the whole thing was fun, laughable, and Bog-perfect.
Some great scenes between characters, especially Lois & Superman,
Dragon & Jimmy. Knowing the talent of Erik Larsen, I'm impatiently
awaiting the second part of this association.
SY: 3.5 Shields - A fun issue, but nothing to get too excited about. The
meshing of the connection between the situation Superman finds
himself in and Dragon's origin seemed forced.
Review by: Thomas Deja <blackair@gis.net>
If you're one of those guys who hates Jon Bogdanove, you might want to pass
up on this review, because this is heavy in praise for the man.
I know Jon is not a big fan favorite. I know that some of you find his
abstract approach to comic art and his emphasis on sharp angles and
exaggerated musculature inappropriate, but I've always thought he was a
great artist. Bogdanove has a real dynamism to his pencils, a power that
sometimes punches through the page.
Which brings us to _Superman and Savage Dragon_, the latest intercompany
crossover special. This one features the Man of Steel getting involved with
Image Comics' befinned ass-kicker of a cop -- a character created and drawn
more often than not by Erik Larsen, another penciller who is willing to
sacrifice accuracy for dynamism and power. It's a perfect match, made even
more perfect by the black-comic use of Jack Kirby's Third World characters.
Superman wakes after a mental blackout to find himself in the middle of a
burning field in Centennial Park. Not having any memory of how he got
there, he enlists the aid of The Dragon, whose first memory is of waking up
naked in a burning field, fully-Dragonized. The two heroes (who, in a
refreshing change of pace from most of these crossovers, are established as
knowing each other and being friends!) have as their only clue notes Clark
Kent made on a series of derelict murders in Suicide Slum. What they find
is a conspiracy to overthrow Darkseid conducted by the son of Steppenwolf
and his "Bad Boys" (who are apparently only cooperating to impress the
Female Furies!), and abetted by The Dragon's old foe, the demonic spirit
known as The Fiend.
Writer Karl Kesel apparently knows enough about The Savage Dragon to
realize it's a *fun* book, and he makes sure the readers know his tongue is
planted firmly in cheek. Even though there are some incongruously gruesome
moments (dealing primarily with Kilroy's hobby of murdering transients),
Kesel's story is freewheeling and goofy, and tries to keep things moving at
an even pace. Of course, there are moments when he falls down: one
sequence, which seems to be there only so Kesel can pile on a slew of
in-jokes about the Newsboy Legion and Bibbo, reads a lot longer than its
three pages, and the sequence toward the end seems *too* rushed as Kesel
drags out every (and I mean *every*) New Gods character he can think of.
Overall, though, the story is true to both characters, and Kesel has fun
with them.
One thing Kesel does well is use the Dragon as a commentator on some of the
silliness inherent in the scenario. Unlike some writers, Kesel holds off
until the moment of biggest impact. (My favorite: confronted with Darkseid
as the Lord of Apokolips explains his take on what's going on, Dragon says
in honest befuddlement, "This is the guy everyone's worried about? But he
just stands there with two hands behind his back. I could do that!") The
fact that the Dragon doesn't begrudge Supes anything, treating him as a
friend and a peer, makes this a lot more fun to read than it could've been.
Now we return to the art, and to be honest it's somewhat schizophrenic.
There are moments when Bogdanove's sense of linework and layout shines like
the sun; a particularly well choreographed fight scene between the Dragon
and two very Larsen-esque assassins named Hitt and Miss, a car chase
sequence midway through, and the utterly hilarious confrontation between
the Furies and Dragon stand out. There are also moments -- sometimes in the
same scene -- where it looks like Bog is slipping. Some panels look
woefully underinked; others seem to be bald-faced Xeroxes of others.
There's also the matter of Dragon's body-hair, which seems to appear and
disappear at random intervals. I suspect that a lot of these missteps are
the fault of Denis "He-Who-Destroys-All-He-Inks" Janke, who gets a 'special
thanks' credit. Is it too far-fetched to think the guy was taken off the
project in mid-flow?
"Metropolis" is a fun story with enough chuckles and a faithfulness to both
characters to make everyone happy. I just hope Larsen's half of this
crossover arrangement (featuring Superman heading to Chicago) will be as
fun.
_____________________________________
End of Section 7
_____________________________________
THE MAILBAG
-------------------------------------
(mailbag@kryptonian-cybernet.com)
KC Responses are indented and begun with ****
=============================================
From: Neil A. Hansen <Neil4161@aol.com>
As usual, KC comes out again with a good read. Whether I agree with certain
opinions or not, they always give me an opportunity to think twice. In
addition, the material on the older comics is so well researched, I think
the people that work on these items should have PhDs in Superman lore.
My comments are not about the issue, per se, but they are about the reasons
why comic books are so difficult for new readers to become interested in
mainstream superhero titles. Back in the '60s, Stan Lee was able to
describe his heroes and villains in one simple sentence. "Four people, on a
rocketship, encounter cosmic rays in outer space and become the Fantastic
Four." "A teenager gets bitten by a radioactive spider and develops super
abilities like a spider." "A baby is rocketed to Earth, gaining strange
powers beyond those of mortals and becomes Superman, do-gooder." These are
not the greatest written examples, but I think my meaning is clear. The
reason I bring this up is because of the exploration of the new Supergirl.
John Byrne developed one of the most convoluted versions of a heroine I've
ever read and since then, she's become even more complicated with powers of
an angel. Arrrrgggghhhhhh!!!! There are no simple premises any more because
everyone is overly concerned about creating grandiose letdown epics. Hal
Jordan, a former Green Lantern takes over the mantle of the Spectre. This
just gets to be too much. Nobody can create a simple concept any more. I
don't know whether to blame the writers who create this crap or editors who
actually approve it. Or even worse, the writers and editors who killed the
characters that created the concept in the first place. It really makes me
not want to read comics any more.
I thought Earth-1 and Earth-2 were confusing, but this stuff is much, much
worse. Thank God for the animated series. Everything is simplified and made
easy to understand while character integrity isn't thrown out the window.
The question is: What can be done to straighten all this confusion? It's
now so ingrained into the DC universe that cleaning house every five years
becomes even more confusing.
Stuff like this is why comic books are losing old and new readers alike. It
scares me. I hope something can be done, but I doubt that will happen.
**** I think the WB/DC animated series are a good example of what comics
should be doing better. There are so many characters at DC that have
long, rich histories, but these histories are at once intimidating to
new readers (one of the main reasons I buy very little Marvel, even
though I've always liked the Spider-Man and Fantastic Four characters)
and a cause for confusion among established readers. With the Batman,
Superman, and Batman Beyond animated series, people have been given
the opportunity to experience these wonderful old characters without
having to know all of the back story.
Unfortunately, I don't have a clue exactly how comics could be made as
accessible as the animated series have been -- at least not without
alienating a large part of the existing readership. Certainly I don't
think there are any easy answers to this problem.
=============================================
From: Brian Seidman <bhs210@is8.nyu.edu>
Haven't read the rest of the issue yet, but an addition to your comment in
Superscripts about spoilers: In _Superman Secret Files_ #1, I was
especially disappointed that they revealed that Mayor Berkowitz was going
to be killed, a week before it happened. That certainly stole some of the
surprise from that otherwise great story. I purposefully didn't read _Flash
Secret Files_ #2 until after the Flash issue the following week, so as not
to have the Flash's identity spoiled for me.
**** That first _Superman Secret Files_ also included some good examples
of how these books can be used effectively. As I recall, there were
several hints and references to the (then) upcoming Superman
Red/Superman Blue/Millennium Giants arc -- information that
foreshadowed, but did not ruin, upcoming plot lines.
=============================================
From: Jim Lesher <JLesher@npr.org>
Although I did buy _Green Lantern Secret Files_ #2, I bought it mostly for
the cover by Mike Grell, so I don't really know what the deal is with the
Green Lantern storyline. I don't really care about Kyle Rayner, since I'm
one of the [hopefully many] people who feel that Hal Jordan is, was, and
MUST AGAIN BE Green Lantern. Needless to say, I'm still furious about the
whole "Parallax" fiasco, but I'm encouraged by the recent "Day of Judgment"
storyline. Just bring Hal back and make him a good guy, DC!!!
Anyway, the point of this message is to describe the biggest goof I have
seen with regards to spoiling the ends of storylines recently. As you
probably know, Kevin Smith has been writing the last eight issues of
_Daredevil_, and doing a pretty damn good job of it too. However, there
have been delays of several weeks in between nearly every issue. So, the
issue in which "all the secrets were revealed" was delayed by a few months.
Before that issue was published, however, there was a single footnote in an
issue of _Spider-Man_ that gave away *everything*! What a goof! It did kind
of ruin the surprise, but I think it worked out okay. If you haven't read
the issues of _Daredevil_ in question, I don't want to give away too much
more, but if you can imagine what would have happened if someone had given
away the ending of _Watchmen_ two months early, you should have an idea of
how monumental this particular mistake was.
**** I can at least understand why that particular goof happened. But with
the GL and Superman examples we've been talking about, there were no
delays. The spoilers appeared months before the storylines actually
played out in the ongoing titles, which all appeared as scheduled.
Heck, the Strange Visitor spoiler even *referenced* the issue in which
she would be appearing!
I mean, this was like publishing a special the week *before* "Reign
of the Supermen" began and including in it the information that the
Cyborg was Hank Henshaw. How much would *that* have sucked!? (I think
the only reason we're not hearing quite so much about this is that
the recent DC goofs didn't really ruin any *great* storylines...)
=============================================
From: Brad Ferguson <thirteen@fred.net>
I enjoyed Scott Devarney's review of the memorable Captain Incredible story
in _Action_ #354 (Sep 1967). However, I think it's important to note the
context in which the story appeared.
The _Batman_ television series premiered on ABC on January 12, 1966, and
the show's initial success was so marked that the show spawned two
imitators: _Mr. Terrific_ and _Captain Nice_.
_Mr. Terrific_ featured Stephen Strimpell as a mild-mannered garage
mechanic who took a power pill that gave him super-strength for an hour at
a time. Mr. Terrific was a government operative. He wore a
government-issued silver jacket and goggles, and flew by flapping his arms.
_Captain Nice_ featured William Daniels as a mild-mannered police scientist
who took a potion of his own making in order to gain a standard set of
superpowers for a brief period of time. He wore a baggy, ludicrous costume
that he made himself.
The "Captain Incredible" story was a nod to these two shows. Captain
Incredible is built like the spindly Strimpell and wears a more colorful
version of the Captain Nice costume. While there are no direct references
to either TV series, the story in _Action_ is rather light-hearted, and at
least attempts to be funny.
It's also important to note that "Captain Incredible" was Cary Bates' first
published story.
Fun facts: Although _Mr. Terrific_ and _Captain Nice_ ran on competing
networks, they were joined at the hip. Both shows premiered on the same
evening, January 9, 1967 -- _Mr. Terrific_ on CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern, and
_Captain Nice_ on NBC a half-hour later -- and they ended their runs the
following August 28. There was nothing remarkable, charming, or exciting
about either series: The shows were thrown together quickly, in the
networks' demented belief that the public's embrace of _Batman_ meant that
there was suddenly a great demand for funny superheroes on television. As a
reviewer at the time pointed out, however, the later shows were simply
parodies of a parody, and the joke had already grown old.
_Captain Nice_ has shown up in recent years on the Comedy Central cable
outlet. While the _Mr. Terrific_ series has been retired for decades,
several of its episodes were re-edited into a 1973 TV-movie called _The
Pill Caper_. It's said to be available on video.
=======================================================
From: Jenny Stosser <jenerator@ozemail.com.au>
I hope *someone* has planned a detailed history of the original Kara for KC
readers! I would love to do something, but I don't have the time or the
resources to do something as detailed as that which Sean [Hogan] has
written [in KC #66].
**** There are no immediate plans for such an article (or series of
articles), but I think it sounds like a really fine idea. If anyone's
particularly interested in exploring Kara Zor-El's history, please let
me know before I go hunting people down!
========================================================
From: Jim Lesher <JLesher@npr.org>
There actually isn't very much to say about Vartox. His first appearance
was in _Superman_ #281 (Nov 1974) by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Bob Oksner.
I'm told that Vartox was based on Sean Connery, as he looked in the movie
"Zardoz." When you consider that Superman's appearance was based on Fred
MacMurray, the choice of Sean Connery as a model for a comic book character
seems very reasonable...
Vartox was, ostensibly, the hero of the planet Valeron. He was their answer
to Superman, except that he had been a hero far longer than Superman, and
had "hyper-powers," instead of "super-powers." Vartox appeared several
times over the years, and he and Superman ended up getting into a
super-fight almost every time he appeared. Sometimes Vartox was out of
control, sometimes there was an honest dispute between him and Superman,
and sometimes they staged a fight to deceive a third party. But a battle
between Superman and Vartox was practically a guarantee, no matter what the
circumstances. For the most part, Vartox and Superman were evenly matched.
Superman's strength and endurance countered Vartox's hyper-powers. However,
Vartox usually managed to gain the upper hand by using a never-before-seen
power. The full range of Vartox's abilities was never fully explored.
Vartox always considered Superman to be his best friend. In fact, Superman
was Vartox's only real friend, especially after Vartox accidentally
destroyed Valeron... Vartox also fell in love with Lana Lang at one point,
and she with him, but it obviously never worked out. With all of the
trouble that Vartox always brought with him, I'm tempted to say that a
friend like Vartox negates the need for enemies. However, Vartox did appear
at the end of the pre-Crisis Superman saga, in part 2 of "Whatever Happened
to the Man of Tomorrow?" by Alan Moore, Curt Swan, and Kurt Schaffenberger.
He can be seen at the end of the story, holding and crying over the dead
body of Lana Lang. I never really liked Vartox, but that one image of him
expressing his grief did a lot to redeem him as a character. In the end, I
guess he really was Superman's friend...
=======================================================
From: Francis Barel <francis_barel@hotmail.com>
Concerning the letter written by "Name Withheld" in issue #65. I first want
to state that the KC people have been doing a divine job for more than five
years now. Why divine? Because you have been able to withstand every fad,
every fashion, every skirmish brought by the internet and still publish the
longest running fanzine of the net. Each KC is edited with care, attention,
and love. It flows from almost every word. Love for comics, love for
Superman, but most of all love for the art and the fans. So, when I see
Mister Sykes telling us about his work, I feel just ashamed of not helping
in doing anything for KC. Hence my two cents for the discussion regarding
_Last God of Krypton_.
**** Thanks for your praise of the magazine, though I'm a touch skeptical
about being the longest-running fanzine of the net. *Maybe* the
longest-running comics-related fanzine, but I don't even really know
about that...
It's funny because since I come from France, we don't regard sexual issues
the same way as Americans do (and I don't intend here to say which way is
the best, because there is no answer for this). So when someone is shocked
by a letter concerning sexual issues published in a "family fanzine", I
feel that I have to speak. Freedom of the press is something so flagrant
that I won't use that as an argument for this. I will just say that if a
reader believes that his or her kid or kids shouldn't read it, then she
should talk about it with her kid, and not ask KC not to publish such
materials. I know that there is a responsibility of the press for looking
at what they publish, but blaming the press for a bad thought and not
education or the responsibility of the parents is just not right. I'm 22
and I love my parents, we've talked about everything, and I feel free to
say that for their wisdom and moral values they remind me a lot of Jonathan
and Martha Kent. We should all look up to these parents and see if our
parents didn't already instill in us the good values so that we don't have
to censor any letters.
I don't think everything I said was clear, but my point was this: do not
censor any letters, or don't feel bad about publishing one with special
content. I'm sure that since we are Superman fans, we are able to judge
this right from this wrong. I'm also sure that since the readers know how
moral, right, and thoughtful every participant of KC is, we the readers
will never be shocked by such a thing. I hope we won't. At least, I won't.
And don't start by saying it's because I'm French. Well, maybe it is, but
at least I wanted to reassure Mr. Sykes.
**** As the publisher, I find myself in all sorts of situations that I had
never dreamed about before starting KC, and there are times that I
publish material in KC which I don't agree with. However, I have made
a fairly strong effort to present a publication which could be read
by Superman fans of any age. To be perfectly clear, there may be
occasions on which we publish something that our readers consider
uncharacteristic of this publication's history, and I think it is
perfectly reasonable for readers to point this out. In my opinion,
that applies to any publication. It's only through feedback that a
publication can determine whether or not it is providing what its
readership truly wants.
Now, I don't think any individual reader should expect that their
voice alone will warrant any changes in future issues, but they
*should* expect that reasonable concerns will at least be considered.
I hope it's clear from this continuing discussion that I have
considered the comments of this particular reader. I also hope it
is clear that I have not simply dismissed them -- even if I don't
agree with her on the particular letter involved, I do agree with
her sentiment.
-- Jeff Sykes
_____________________________________
****************************************************************
End of Issue #67
