Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 69
________________________________________________________
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 #69 - Early January 2000
Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
--------
Section 0: Table of Contents
Editorial Staff
Disclaimers
Subscription Information
Section 1: Superscripts: Notes from the Editor(s)
Welcome to MM
Thoughts on the whole "Is it or is it not" debate over
the new millennium.
Ratings At A Glance
Titles Shipped November 1999
The KC Newsroom
Realworlds news, DC's new trade dress, a new release of
the Superman movie score, a copy of Action #1 is stolen,
Superman/Bugs Bunny rescheduled, and updates on the search
for a new Adventures of Superman artist.
Superman in the Sixties
Sean Hogan reviews the recent trade paperback collecting
a host of Superman stories from the 1960s.
Section 2: Adventures in Silver
New columnist Brad Ferguson spotlights the Silver Age
Man of Steel, beginning this month with "The Man Who
Married Lois Lane", from Superman #136.
Phantom Zone Reviews
Scott Devarney continues his look at the Superman
Specials of the mid-eighties, this time reviewing the
imaginary Brainiac story of Superman Special #2.
Section 3: Superman Stories
The Eradicator
In light of the character's recent return to the pages
of the Superman comics, Sean Hogan relates the history
of the malevolent artifact from Krypton's past.
Section 4: New Comic Reviews
The Triangle Titles
Superman #152, by Thomas Deja
Adventures of Superman #574, by Jeff Sykes
Superman: The Man of Steel #96, by Mike Smith
Section 5: New Comic Reviews
The Triangle Titles (cont)
Action Comics #761, by Shane Travis
Super-Family Titles
Superboy #70, by Rene' Gobeyn
Supergirl #40, by Thomas Deja
Section 6: New Comic Reviews
Super-Family Titles (cont)
Superman Adventures #39, by Cory Strode
Team Titles
JLA #37, by Edward Mathews
Young Justice #16, by Edward Mathews
Section 7: New Comic Reviews
Miniseries and Specials
Batman & Superman: World's Finest #10, by Simon DelMonte
Son of Superman, by Joshua Elder
Section 8: The KC Mailbag
Superman Inc writer Steve Vance, the two-part Transilvane
story, finding collectors in your area, Hypertime, and a
few other odds and ends.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
---------------
Jeffery D. Sykes, Publisher and Co-Editor-in-Chief
Shane Travis, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor of Comic 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 2000 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)
--------------------------------------------------
By Jeff Sykes (sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com)
WELCOME TO MM
I'm gonna break tradition here and steer away from Superman content for
this editorial. Instead I'm gonna share my thoughts on a ridiculous little
debate that's persisted all around the world in recent months. In
particular, let's talk about New Year's celebrations and the start of the
millennium.
Let's get the facts out of the way first. Yes, according to the Gregorian
calendar, used by much of the planet, we are not yet in the 21st Century or
the 3rd Millennium A.D. There was no year zero, so the 1st Century's 100
years spanned 1 A.D. to 100 A.D., the 2nd Century occupied the years 101
A.D. to 200 A.D., and so forth. So the 20th Century began with the year
1901 A.D. and will not end until the close of the current year. Likewise,
the 3rd Millennium does not end until December 31, 2000.
Now, to those of you smugly patting yourselves on the back for being
correct -- who cares!? If you pay very careful attention to the statements
of others, you'll find that there are very few people who incorrectly
believe that we are already in the 3rd Millennium. There are a ton of
references being made to "a new century", "the new millennium", etc. --
without the use of the numbers 21 or 3. Since a millennium is simply a
period of 1000 years, then it is completely factual to say that January 1,
2000 was the beginning of a new millennium.
Sure, if you hear someone refer to us as now being in the 3rd Millennium,
then it does no harm to explain the reality of our calendar. But there is
no reason to correct those who are not using the word "third". The
millennium of the 1000s is over, and the millennium of the 2000s has begun.
The century of the 1900s is over, and the century of the 2000s has begun.
More to the point, why are there so many folks up in arms about people
celebrating the year 2000 and calling it a new millennium? The majority of
the general populace knows very well that there's another year before the
"official" beginning of the Third Millennium, but that same majority has
decided that the arrival of the year 2000 is more significant than the
arrival of the Third Millennium. If you want to be in the dissenting
minority, so be it -- just don't expect that you're going to change popular
opinion (which'll probably change anyway as we approach December 2000)!
For that matter, why are we worried so much about it in the first place? As
is widely known, Christ's date of birth was almost certainly miscalculated
when the Gregorian calendar was established, and so we are probably several
more than 2000 years past his birth right now. There are many other
cultures that follow other calendars, so why should we assume that ours is
so much more important than theirs that we lay claim to *the* 21st Century
or *the* Third Millennium.
We live in a society artificially divided by ideologies, wealth, race, and
other insignificant "defining" characteristics. In the United States we are
taught (by media-fueled religious leaders and politicians who spend all of
their time demonizing their opponents) to hate those whose beliefs and
status are different from our own. Among all this, can't we manage not to
spat about what year we choose to celebrate as most significant?
Would Superman worry over something so silly?
________________________________________________________
RATINGS AT A GLANCE: Titles shipped November 1999
-------------------------------------------------------------
Prepared by Shane Travis (travis@kryptonian-cybernet.com)
Sort of a reduced turn-out this month, as I think a lot of people got too
busy around the Christmas holidays to send in their ratings. Just a
reminder that the Ratings Panel is always looking for new members; if
you've got an interest in contributing your opinions to the magazine, or
are thinking that you'd like to get into review-writing, the Ratings Panel
is a great place to start out. Just contact me at the above address and let
me know you're interested.
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
----- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Son of Superman 1 4.4(4) - -- - -- -
Superman 152 4.1(9) 1 4.5(11) 1 3.58 2
Young Justice 16 3.9(5) 2 4.1(6) 4 3.40 4
Man of Steel 96 3.8(8) 3 3.8(12) 7 3.17 7
JLA 37 3.7(7) 4 3.7(9) 8 3.42 3
Adv. of Superman 574 3.3(8) 5 3.9(12) 6 2.83 9
Superboy 70 3.2(6) 6 3.2(6) 9 3.27 6
Supergirl 40 3.2(6) 7 4.4(5) 2 3.73 1
Action Comics 761 3.1(9) 8 4.2(12) 3 2.88 8
Superman Adv. 39 2.8(5) 9 4.1(5) 5 3.35 5
World's Finest 10 2.1(5) - 2.6(8) - 3.20 -
"The Legacy Continues..."
SON OF SUPERMAN (Elseworlds hardcover, 4.4 Shields, 1st place)
- While a lot of people were happy with this Howard Chaykin Elseworlds
story, it seems that the real winner was the art of J.H. Williams III and
Mick Gray. No matter how spectacular, though, $25 is pretty steep for a
single comic...
"World's Finest? I think not."
SUPERMAN AND BATMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #10
- The final issue of this mini-series was by far the worst received of
any, and the price and artwork were singled out as the major contributing
factors for that. That brings to a close this scattershot, roller-coaster
ride, leaving a lot of people disappointed. For all its potential, and for
all that there were a few good ideas here, this series was plagued with
continuity problems and never seemed to live up to what it could have
been. Many people cited issue #7 (Batman and Superman talking after
Superman kills the Phantom Zone criminals and Jason Todd has died) as the
direction they'd wished the series had taken more often. Unfortunately,
that issue was just one shining moment in an otherwise-lackluster run.
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 Jeff Sykes (sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com)
SUPERMAN IN THE REAL WORLD
A few months ago we mentioned DC's upcoming Realworlds series, comics which
take place within our own reality, but which still somehow focus on the
familiar DC characters. The first of these features Batman and has been
scheduled for a March release. Its description, courtesy of Another
Universe's Daily Buzz (http://www.anotheruniverse.com/buzz) provides a
better idea of the general concept:
Realworlds stories are tales of extraordinary ordinary people -- people
whose real lives and real ambitions intersect with familiar iconic figures
from the DC Universe in surprising ways.
The series continues in April with a Wonder Woman title and continues later
in the year with JLA and Superman installments.
NEW LOOK FOR DC COMICS
The following information comes via Another Universe's Daily Buzz, and has
also appeared on several other news sites as well.
DC Comics has announced that it is making modifications to the trade dress
of its comic-book covers beginning in January. The primary change will be
that the Universal Price Code (UPC) box will be made slightly larger to
include the cover price, which will now appear in the UPC box only.
Other changes will include a repositioning of the DC Bullet logo, movement
of the Comics Code Authority seal to the box containing the issue number,
and either the DC Comics or WildStorm Productions web site addresses being
added to the cover near the UPC box.
SUPERMAN MOVIE SCORE TO BE RE-RELEASED
Rhino Records has confirmed a new release date of February 15 for the
complete John Williams score for _Superman_. The release had previously
been postponed until April, but _Superman_ has now been moved forward in
Rhino's revised schedule for 2000, making it their major soundtrack release
for the first part of the year. The two CD set will contain the complete
re-mastered score from the film, including 40 minutes of previously
unreleased music, a 36-page supplementary booklet, and 7 bonus tracks.
KEEP AN EYE ON THE ONLINE AUCTIONS
APBnews.com has reported that a copy of _Action Comics_ #1 was stolen from
a Connecticut home, along with a copy of _Batman_ #1. Conservative
estimates value the two books at around $200,000 and $63,000, respectively.
There are an estimated 75 copies of _Action Comics_ #1 in existence, of
which only four are known to be in top condition, though the exact
condition of the stolen copy isn't known.
Of course, it would be kind of difficult for a crook to sell a top
condition copy of _Action_ #1 in many countries, as any self-respecting
comic dealer would immediately recognize the rarety of the comic. One might
have an easier time unloading the Hope diamond...
SUPERMAN AND BUGS BUNNY, TAKE TWO
Remember the four-issue miniseries starring the Man of Steel and the cast
of Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and Daffy Duck
which was solicited to begin this past summer? The one that was suddenly
cancelled with no explanation? It appears that DC has finally rescheduled
the miniseries to begin in May 2000. No official explanation has as yet
been given for the delay.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN ARTISTS
Though fans impressed with their work on _Superman_ have been requesting
that Mike McKone and Marlo Alquiza join new writer J.M. DeMatteis on
_Adventures of Superman_ when Stuart Immonen and Mark Millar depart, it
doesn't appear that assignment is in the cards for McKone.
Though McKone will provide fill-in pencils for issue #579 in April, he will
then be moving on to illustrate a two-issue Elseworlds story by Howard
Chaykin (_Son of Superman_). The miniseries, titled _The Secret Society of
Super Heroes_, proposes a take on the DC Universe in which Superman and the
Justice League conduct a covert war on crime, their existence completely
unknown to the general public.
No permanent penciller has yet been assigned to _Adventures of Superman_,
though several online news sites are still reporting the whispering that
_JLA_ penciller Howard Porter may get the position. In the meantime, expect
some fill-in work by McKone and a couple of Marvel's X-books artists, Mike
Miller and Cary Nord.
________________________________________________________
SUPERMAN IN THE SIXTIES
---------------------------------------------
Review by Sean Hogan (shogan@intergate.bc.ca)
This trade paperback was released a few months ago as a companion volume to
_Batman In The Sixties_ and the recent _Batman In The Seventies_. Unlike
_The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told_, published in 1987, this
collection doesn't pretend to collect the best stories of that decade.
Instead it showcases the many writers, artists, styles and themes from that
era.
Don't get me wrong -- they may not be the best stories, but they are all
great, often classic, tales. The 240-page collection has 17 stories, most
of which are written by Jerry Siegel, with contributions from Otto Binder,
Edmond Hamilton, and Leo Dorfman.
The collection identifies the various artists (pencillers and inkers) and
offers a great opportunity to compare the art of such classic Superman
illustrators as Al Plastino, Wayne Boring, George Papp, Jim Mooney, Kurt
Schaffenberger, and Curt Swan (or even just to compare Swan's pencils with
different inkers).
The title should more properly have been called "Superman In The Early
Sixties" since, with the exception of a Neal Adams-drawn _World's Finest_
story from 1968, all the stories were originally published between 1960 and
1964.
Roughly arranged into categories such as Mythology, Cast, Classic Tales,
Relevance, and Lighthearted Fun, the stories provide an excellent showcase
of stories from _Superman_, _Action Comics_, _Superboy_, _Adventure
Comics_, _Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen_, and _Lois Lane_, as well as the
_World's Finest_ tale.
Some of the more notable tales include:
"The Story Of Superman's Life" -- an origin story;
"The Last Days Of Ma And Pa Kent" -- how Superboy's parents died of a
deadly fever;
"Superman's Return To Krypton" -- Superman accidentally returns to Krypton
before its explosion and attends his parents wedding, befriending both of
them and falling in love with the beautiful actress Lyla Lerrol;
"The Superman-Batman Revenge Squads" -- the Neal Adams-drawn _World's
Finest_ story;
"The Showdown Between Luthor And Superman" -- has the two battling on a
planet which comes to worship Luthor as a hero (in a later story, the
citizens rename the planet Lexor);
"The Sweetheart Superman Forgot" -- a bittersweet Red Kryptonite story that
has Superman lose his powers and memory and win true love;
"Superman's Mission For President Kennedy" -- the story promoting Kennedy's
fitness program that had to be delayed after the President's tragic
assassination, but which was published months later in tribute to him;
"The Giant Turtle Man" -- do you really need an explanation?
"The Halloween Pranks Of The Bizarro Superman" -- couldn't be the 60s
without a Bizarro World story;
"The Bizarro Invasion Of Earth" -- also known as "The Great DC Contest",
this story invited readers to use their detective skill to find out what
made it so unusual. The answer was that the story was crafted to only use
the letters D and C once each.
(SPOILERS HO! -- as far as I can tell, the letters only appear together in
the opening splash panel which takes place in front of the "City Dump"
sign. However, the bottom panel on page 4 has a caption referring to the
"Daily Planet." I believe this was said to be an editorial mistake.)
Aside from the stories themselves, another gem is the reprint of single or
double page spreads on such things as the "Map Of Krypton", "How The
Super-Family Came To Earth", "The Secrets Of The Fortress Of Solitude", and
several cover galleries.
Much appreciated is a two-page spread on the writers, artists, and editors
with brief biographical commentary. Mark Waid also does the four-page
introduction.
_Superman In The Sixties_ should still be available at your local comic
shop and it's well worth buying and enjoying!
___________________________________________________________
End of Section 1
___________________________________________________________
ADVENTURES IN SILVER
------------------------------------
by Brad Ferguson (thirteen@fred.net)
"The Man Who Married Lois Lane"
SUPERMAN #136
April 1960
One of the truly marvelous things about Silver Age Superman stories was
that major characters could undergo important and seemingly permanent
changes in their lives, live with those changes for a very brief while, and
then have the status quo ante quickly and conveniently restored at the end
-- and all of this would happen in only eight or nine pages.
Such is the case of the tale of the first marriage of Lois Lane. It wasn't
an Imaginary Story or a dream or a red kryptonite hallucination, nor was it
one of those stories involving doubles from Kandor, or Loises from another
planet or dimension. Lois Lane really did marry somebody once -- and it
wasn't Superman.
The story opens on April 6, 1960. Clark and Lois arrive at the aptly named
Desert Inn, which is in "a small town in New Mexico." They are there to
cover a scheduled super-feat by Superman: He is to remove a mountain so
that a hydroelectric dam can be built on the spot. An admiring Lois sighs
and says, "Really, Clark, by comparison, you and I are such little people!"
(The art is by Wayne Boring, so you can be sure that all the characters in
the story will occasionally strike awkward poses as they deliver their
lines. In this instance, Lois looks as if she's hailing a cab.)
Clark makes some dumb excuse and ducks off to change into his dam-building
clothes. Superman quickly constructs a big digging tool out of some old
railway scrap, coming up with the best shovel by a dam site. (Sorry.) Lois,
who's fuming over having to do the job of the missing Clark, takes pictures
of Superman scooping away that old, nasty, inconvenient mountain. As the
Man of Steel finishes, a disc-like object whirrrrs into existence in front
of him and Lois. The pilot of this two-seater is a green, pointy-eared,
antennae-bearing humanoid who announces that he, X-Plam, has come from the
year 2360 to marry Lois.
"Me marry you?" Lois gasps. "That's crazy! I'm in love with Superman!"
In response, X-Plam holds up a copy of the Daily Planet (no plastic bag)
for April 7, 1960. The headline announces: LOIS LANE WEDS MAN FROM FUTURE!
Superman uses his microscopic vision to verify that the paper is a genuine
edition, and that it's four hundred years old. X-Plam is telling the truth!
Not only that, but X-Plam declares that he's human! Then why does he look
like a poorly drawn alien? Says X-Plam, "In the year 2185, a comet passed
over the valley in which I now live! Its tail contained a strange gas which
filled every corner of the valley! The gas had a shocking effect on my
people! It gave us super-speed, super-strength and the ability to fly! But
it also changed our appearance! Overnight we became a strange-looking
species! This change became permanent and was inherited by succeeding
generations!" With all those bases covered, X-Plam says his people sealed
their valley off from the rest of the world, and that they never left it,
for fear of being regarded as freaks.
In an aside, Lois urgently tells Superman she can't marry X-Plam. "He's so
awful-looking!" she says. "You must get me out of this!"
Suddenly X-Plam is surrounded by a strange glow, and instantly changes into
what Lois calls "the handsomest man I ever saw!" The human version of
X-Plam is a strapping blond Adonis. Even though his appearance is now
human, he conveniently retains his super-powers. Superman says the normal
atmosphere is probably responsible for X-Plam's new look.
With all the fervor of someone who's just managed to dodge a paternity
suit, Superman says, ""Well, that's it, Lois! No need for me to hang
around! X-Plam's got super-powers! He loves you! He'll make a wonderful
husband! Good luck!" He flies off, despite Lois' cries of "No! Don't go!"
(Fully adult relationships are not this story's strong suit.)
X-Plam returns with a big lump of coal. Although he is not invulnerable, he
has no trouble squeezing the coal into a diamond and faceting it at
super-speed with the flat of his hand. As he works, Lois grows thoughtful.
"I've turned down every proposal of marriage, hoping Superman would marry
me someday! Once and for all, I'll show Superman I won't die of a bleeding
heart because he never returned my love!" She recalls that Power-Man (the
King of Outer Space), Mr. Mxyzptlk, and Bizarro have all proposed to her,
and she turned them down. (Well, maybe Power-Man was all right, but the
other two?)
By the way, this sequence includes a truly bizarre Bizarro: a flesh-colored
version with a "B" shield on his chest. The adult Bizarro had been around
for less than a year at this point, having made his debut in "The Battle
with Bizarro" (_Action_ #254, Jul 59), but that's still plenty of time to
have gotten his look right for the X-Plam story ... especially when you
consider that there was a memorable two-part Bizarro story under way in
_Action_ that same month ("The World of Bizarros" and "Superman Becomes a
Bizarro," _Action_ #263 and 264, Apr and May 60), also illustrated by (if
memory serves) Wayne Boring.
Lois decides to marry X-Plam, who happily points out that "I'm not
invulnerable like Superman! But if you married Superman, you'd die in your
old age and he'd live on and on! This way, we can grow old together!" Says
Lois agreeably, "I never thought of it that way! I guess I *will* be
happier married to you!" This spat of dialogue is a perhaps unique
reference to Superman's ageless immortality as witnessed personally by a
man from the far future. (This notion didn't last, though. Five years after
this story, the Superman of 2965 series firmly established that Superman
would eventually father at least one successor and, at some point, die.)
Lois and X-Plam find a justice of the peace and, with Superman as witness,
they get married. A hurt Lois thinks Superman seems emotionless, but the
Man of Might's thought balloon betrays him: "I'm heartbroken! But what's
the use of spoiling her happiness? This is destiny! Lois will soon go into
the future and I'll never see her again!" As the happy couple's time
machine disappears, Lois tells Superman to make sure Clark gets the scoop
about her wedding. Back at the Desert Inn, Clark calls Perry White and
files the story.
Meanwhile, as Lois and X-Plam hurtle forward through time, she thinks,
"We'll raise a big, handsome family and forget all about Superman!" But --
ah-ha! -- upon their arrival back in 2360 and their landing in X-Plam's
valley, X-Plam instantly changes back to a green, pointy-eared, yadda yadda
yadda -- and the new Mrs. X-Plam becomes the same! "N-No! No!" she cries.
Lois, who now has the same super-powers as X-Plam, crashes through the
walls of his house looking for a mirror. Finding one, she sobs, "I can't
bear to look at myself! Oh, why did I ever leave 1960?" (The young and
relatively unsophisticated readers of that year probably didn't wonder much
about why X-Plam and his people didn't simply move outside their valley and
live normally, since X-Plam's experience in 1960 proved they would retain
their super-powers even as their appearance became human.)
X-Plam tries to distract his beloved with a TV set that "has an attachment
that tunes in the past." While some might have tried to sneak a peek at
Richard Nixon sitting on the pot, Lois dials up 1960 and finds Superman, in
the Lois Lane Room of his Fortress of Solitude, staring sadly at all the
paintings and statues and busts of his departed Lois. "He misses me!" Lois
realizes. "He cares!"
Well, you don't have to hit X-Plam over the head with a rock more than once
or twice before he gets the point. "What a fool I am!" he thinks ruefully.
"I thought I could make her forget Superman! She'll never be happy here,
recoiling from me and hating her own face!" X-Plam knows he must send Lois
back to 1960. He flies away to secure some radioactive material from a
nearby seabed to replenish the fuel supply in the time machine. Doing so
will kill him, as he is not invulnerable, and X-Plam is apparently too
distraught to think of wearing protective clothing or even using a pair of
tongs. With the last of his strength, the now-glowing X-Plam fuels the
machine and hits the starter button, sending Lois back through time.
"Farewell, Lois!" he calls out with his last breath. "I don't mind dying!
I'm glad I could do something to make you happy!" What a guy!
Lois barrels back through time. Superman rescues her from the
out-of-control time machine as it rushes through 1960, heading for the dawn
of time. Superman reassures Lois that her normal appearance "will soon
return in this atmosphere! Funny, though! Tomorrow, history will record
your marriage! It's too bad X-Plam never read the next edition which
reported how you became a widow!" Too bad, indeed. Perhaps this was editor
Mort Weisinger inserting a subliminal message: Hey, kids! See what happens
when you miss an issue?
The next day, Superman and a normal-looking Lois are at the Planet. "Did
you miss me while I was away?" coyly asks Metropolis' most carefree widow.
Responds the Man of Might, "Well, er, I was too busy, er ... " Thinks Lois,
"I know better now! He *did* miss me, so there's hope for me in the *near*
future!"
Well, no, there isn't, Lois -- and perhaps that had something to do with
your terrible karma catching up with you. Good Lord, you were married to
poor X-Plam for about ten minutes, you never even *kissed* him, he gave his
life to send you home, and there you are the very next morning sniffing
around your old boyfriend. La-dee-da. I swear, this kind of stuff makes a
Tennessee Williams play seem downright normal.
There is an epilogue, sort of, to "The Man Who Married Lois Lane." In "The
Weirdo Wedding of Jimmy Olsen" (_Jimmy Olsen_ #100, Mar 67), Jimmy marries
Lois' younger sister Lucy. (No, it doesn't last.) An astute reader later
pointed out that Lucy had often fended off Jimmy's proposals of marriage by
saying that she would never marry before Lois did. Why had she gone back on
her word? Nelson Bridwell, editor Mort Weisinger's assistant, reached back
seven years and said that, well, Lois *did* marry once, and that had let
Lucy off the hook. You could look it up.
________________________________________________________
PHANTOM ZONE REVIEWS
--------------------------------------------
By Scott Devarney (devarney@ll.mit.edu)
We're continuing our look at the Superman Specials of the mid-80s. This
month's story features the final appearance of Brainiac in his original
green-skinned android body. In _Action Comics_ #544, June 1983, Brainiac
escaped imprisonment in a planet's core by becoming the new, silver
Brainiac. This Special presents an imaginary story of Brainiac escaping
while still retaining his original body.
SUPERMAN SPECIAL #2
1984
"The Demon with a Cape"
Writer: Cary Bates
Penciller/Inker: Gil Kane
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Editor: Julius Schwartz
The story begins with Brainiac's escape from the planet's core. He has
psychokinetically transmuted matter from energy to create a cocoon around
himself. His mind then tricks monitors reading the core so that the
planet's inhabitants think that the cocoon is reaching critical mass, and
they eject it into space.
The scene changes to the mobile planet Tymmx whose people worship a
gigantic computer named Drod. Drod was built by the people's ancestors, but
a plague erased all scientific expertise from the minds of subsequent
generations. Disguised by a hooded robe, Brainiac is posing as the "Mystic
Seer" who can commune with Drod and pass Drod's wishes on to the people.
Brainiac dupes the Tymmxans into creating powerful weapons to be used
against Drod's enemy, the Abominable One, i.e., Superman. Bringing Tymmx
just beyond Pluto, Brainiac lures Superman there with a phony distress
signal. Using super-dense gravity weapons and an overhead red sun filter,
the Tymmxans eventually capture Superman, but not before he discovers the
identity of the plot's mastermind.
While Superman languishes in a cell awaiting public execution, he is
visited by Olpha, a psychic. She is troubled because she senses nothing
from the Mystic Seer and senses Superman's essential goodness, despite his
being branded evil. Superman reveals the truth about the Mystic Seer and
together they devise a plan to overthrow Brainiac.
The next day, as Superman is placed before Drod in the Throne of Agony, he
plants doubts about the Mystic Seer until the Tymmxans remove his hood and
expose his true identity, but not before Brainiac manages to engage the
torture device. Meanwhile, Olpha's compatriots sabotage the solar filter,
allowing Superman to survive the Throne of Agony. With his powers back,
Superman makes quick work of Brainiac. He reveals Drod's true function and
exhorts the Tymmxans to study Drod and regain their heritage. He departs,
taking Brainiac with him.
Although billed as an imaginary story, this felt more like an inventory
story. The term "imaginary story" brings to mind Silver Age classics like
"The Death of Superman" or "The Amazing Story of Superman Red and Superman
Blue". These stories feature sweeping changes to the Superman mythos, and
that "anything goes" attitude makes them special. By contrast, this story
features no changes to the status quo and thus lacks the epic feel of
previous imaginary stories. Other than the fact that Brainiac was a silver
robot at the time, as opposed to a green android, this tale could be an
in-continuity adventure. In fact, this could easily have been presented as
an untold story.
Other than Brainiac's escape, the plot isn't very original. The primitive
society that worships an advanced computer has been seen in various _Star
Trek_ episodes; a society that vilifies Superman is reminiscent of Lexor,
the planet where Lex Luthor is idolized and Superman is despised; and the
red sun trap is a staple of numerous Superman stories.
Another problem is that the climax feels rushed. The psychic Olpha's
appearance is too convenient, as is the Tymmxan rebellion. Pages devoted to
the sub-plot of Clark as Jimmy's magician's assistant could have been
devoted to fleshing out the rebellion. As it is, that sub-plot contributed
nothing to the story, instead reinforcing its mundane nature.
Brainiac's escape from the planet's core is well-executed and less
confusing than the escape depicted in _Action Comics_ #544. Overall, the
storytelling is straightforward, with none of the overwriting that plagued
the first Special. The captions are kept to a minimum and the plot points
are explained through dialogue and thought balloons. The dialogue, for the
most part, sounds natural and not stilted.
Gil Kane's art shines as usual. The inking isn't as heavy as it is in the
first special, so the art looks cleaner. His Brainiac looks truly menacing,
and the white cloak, when not covering his head, is a nice addition to his
costume. The scenes of Superman in action are very cinematic. They convey
the sense of motion incredibly well. Of particular note are the scenes of
Superman overcoming the Throne of Agony and the full-page splash of
Superman knocking out Brainiac; the latter would make a great poster.
All in all, this is an OK story, although certainly not a great story. The
execution is solid but the final appearance of the original, green android
Brainiac could have been more epic, especially since DC ran it as an
out-of-continuity tale.
___________________________________________________________
End of Section 2
___________________________________________________________
SUPERMAN STORIES
------------------------------------------
By Sean Hogan (shogan@intergate.bc.ca)
THE ERADICATOR
Since our favorite Kryptonian artifact has recently returned to the
Super-titles, I thought it might be helpful to review its/his background.
Superman first encountered the Eradicator in _Action Comics Annual_ #2
(1989) during his captivity on Warworld. (since story and art are shared by
the entire Super-team at the time, I'm not going to indicate who wrote or
drew particular issues. A trade paperback collection on the Eradicator's
origins is available as _Superman: Eradication! The Origin of the
Eradicator_.)
In Krypton's ancient past, an alien called the Cleric arrived to seek
converts to his beliefs. The Cleric denounced the Kryptonian practice of
using clones for spare parts, arguing that cloning does not replicate the
soul and that each clone was a living being, entitled to life.
To fight the Cleric and his growing movement, the Kryptonian ruling class
created a weapon called the Eradicator. The device had a golden,
multi-finned base and four prongs which arose to grasp a blue orb above.
When used against the Cleric, the device emitted a beam that caused him
great pain, although it did not kill him. However, when the Kryptonian
using it manipulated the controls incorrectly, it caused a massive
explosion.
After the devastation, the Cleric gained control of the Eradicator. Shortly
afterwards, he and his followers left Krypton on his space ark, bringing
the device along. Tragically and horribly, all Kryptonians died as the
craft left the planet. Only afterwards did the Cleric discover a genetic
link which tied the Kryptonians to their planet. In shame and guilt, the
Cleric retreated into self-imposed exile, keeping the Eradicator with him.
Two hundred thousand years later, the Cleric becomes aware of Superman's
presence on Warworld. The two begin to share a strange mental connection
and an exchange of memories. When the Eradicator shows the Cleric that
Mongul is about to kill Superman, the Cleric yells, "No! That must not
happen! ... He must be saved!" The Cleric, believing the Eradicator is
nothing more than a weapon, is shocked when the device transports Superman
to the Cleric's asteroid. (_Superman_ #32).
The Cleric says that he has felt a change within the device and, in
_Adventures of Superman_ #455, he adds that, "now I see it to be something
more -- a protector of Krypton's sole heir!" In _Superman_ #33, he says
that, "The ancient Kryptonians did develop the Eradicator for use as a
weapon, but the forces contained within changed it. It has evolved into
something much more! I believe it to be responsible for preserving my life
over the ages ... despite the darkness of my soul."
The Cleric convinces Superman to let the device heal our weary hero of his
own burden (for the execution of the Phantom Zone criminals). He tells
Superman to hold the device and "let it see your soul". Superman had
previously used the device to transform his gladiator's outfit into his
Superman uniform. Using it again, Superman and the Cleric link with each
other and together relive their darkest moments. The psychic journey heals
both men and the Cleric passes the device into Superman's care. As he hands
over the Eradicator, the Cleric collapses, his body aging until he passes
away.
When Superman returns to Earth, the Eradicator causes a number of strange
incidents. In _Action Comics_ #643, it causes a massive, silent explosion
when Matrix handles it. It also creates a mental link between the two
(leading to a confrontation between them in _Action Comics_ #644). The
Eradicator also genetically alters Jimmy Olsen's DNA to cause him to
stretch uncontrollably and painfully (_Adventures of Superman_ #458). Two
items of note about this issue are the homage to the Silver Age Olsen's
occasional super-hero career as Elastic Lad and the start of Dan Jurgens'
stint as a regular writer on the series.
Jurgens further explores the powers and history of the Eradicator in
_Adventures of Superman_ #459-461. The Eradicator causes more destruction
when Professor Hamilton tries to examine it. Superman, deciding that the
device must be placed far from human hands, drops it into a crevice in the
Antarctic. But as he flies away, the device activates itself.
In _Adventures of Superman_ #460, the device creates the Fortress of
Solitude under the Antarctic ice. It co-opts two scientists, mind
controlling them into acting as Kryptonians, and it begins drawing
Kryptonian artifacts through a portal connected to a "Phantom Zone".
Superman links with the Eradicator and learns that it was created by one of
his ancestors, Kem-L, to keep Krypton pure from alien influences. In a
memory flashback, Superman hears Kem-L explain, "The Eradicator will
ultimately bind every soul to Krypton -- slowly establishing by genetic
manipulation a common element in our race's genetic matrix. Bluntly, if a
Kryptonian should leave this planet he will die. Conversely no offworlder
will be able to survive here. Once the device is activated -- this will be
the way."
Into this interactive memory, Superman meets the Cleric again and learns of
the device's goal to "eradicate all life save Kryptonian life." The
Eradicator is introducing machinery and genetic material to convert Earth
into a New Krypton. When Superman tries to interfere, the Eradicator takes
control of his mind also -- causing him to temporarily forget about the
device.
In _Adventures of Superman_ #461, a chat with Professor Hamilton restores
Superman's memory and he returns to the Fortress with a vengeance. Deciding
to stop the material coming from the dimensional portal, Superman enters
the Phantom Zone and meets a 'phantom' Kem-L (who describes himself as a
holographic manifestation of his long-dead consciousness which was recorded
by the Eradicator -- but I prefer 'phantom' because, well, it's shorter).
Kem-L explains that the Eradicator is programmed so that one family line --
the House of El -- is able to control it, as they are genetically linked to
the Eradicator. (Alright students, we need a volunteer from the House of
El. Anyone? Anyone? How about you, Kal?)
Kem-L explains that the reason Superman has been unable to control the
Eradicator so far is that he must first undergo a Kryptonian rite of
passage. Passing through a vortex in the Phantom Zone, Superman is
transported to Krypton's past, to meet his genetic parents moments after
they have launched his rocket towards Earth.
After a brief introduction, Jor-El assists him in completing the rite --
which has Superman use a ceremonial headband for a type of vision-quest to
confront his savage and civilized natures until the latter triumphs.
The meeting with his parents is brief. Lara is horrified by her son's
barbaric appearance, although Jor-El is quicker to accept him. Soon, Kal-El
fades back to the Phantom Zone and returns to the Fortress of Solitude.
This time when Superman commands the Eradicator to leave Earth alone, the
device shuts itself down -- becoming just another artifact on display in
the Fortress.
Life returns to normal for the Man of Steel (at least as normal as it gets
for him) for several months. During this period, Clark Kent leaves his job
at the Daily Planet to be managing editor for Newstime's weekly magazine.
Then the Eradicator returns again to haunt Superman in the six-part story
arc titled, "The Day Of The Krypton Man".
In Part I (_Superman_ #41), Clark is acting strangely and noticeably out of
character. He refuses to see a troubled Jimmy and has his secretary lie for
him. He refers to Ma Kent as "Mother" and continues to be cold and aloof
when he reluctantly attends a birthday party for Lana.
Since just having Superman act like your favorite pointy-eared Vulcan would
be boring, the story tosses in a number of different elements to spice
things up. In Part II (_Adventures of Superman_ #464) Lobo and his new pal
Bibbo drop into the Fortress, leading to a grand old slugfest. Maxima
serves much the same function in Part III (_Action Comics_ #651). Both
issues show that the Eradicator is changing Superman. Even his outfit is
changed to one of Kryptonian influence.
Now calling himself Kal-El, he accepts a fight to the death with Draaga in
_Superman_ #42 and _Adventures of Superman_ #465. Only Professor Hamilton's
interference prevents Kal-El's execution of Draaga. Cutting all ties with
his role as Clark, he drifts serenely back to the Fortress where he removes
the Eradicator from its case and holds it up as if in worship.
The conclusion in Part VI (_Action Comics_ #652) has Ma and Pa Kent come to
Clark to try and discover the reason for his strange behaviour. Almost
completely under the Eradicator's control, Kal-El's facade briefly cracks
to reveal Clark's persona. When Kal-El brings his parents to the Fortress,
the Eradicator tries to kill them and this is the stimulus Clark needs to
restore himself and fight off the device's control.
Demanding to know what the Eradicator has done to him, it answers, "This
unit has restored your proper heritage. Divest yourself of things
emotional. Accept the world of Krypton." But with Pa Kent's help, Clark
blasts the Eradicator and defeats it. He tells his parents, "This time its
threat is truly over". To ensure its destruction, he flies into space and
tosses the Eradicator into the sun.
The Eradicator reappears the following year in a four part story that
begins in the new _Superman: The Man of Steel_ #1. The Eradicator, now no
longer a mechanical device but a being made of pure energy, re-assembles
itself into a humanoid form. As it travels to Earth it reviews its history
and prior encounters with Superman. It also reasserts its mental connection
with Superman.
When the Eradicator confronts Superman it tells him, "I have returned to
show you your duty" and that Superman will either lead humans toward the
Kryptonian way of life or "join this world that has tainted you in total
annihilation!" The Eradicator has also begun the process of changing the
sun into a red dwarf, like Krypton's sun, and causing massive global
upheaval.
The confrontation continues in _Superman_ #57 and _Adventures of Superman_
#480 before concluding in _Action Comics_ #667 (triangle numbers
1991:19-22). This time, Professor Hamilton succeeds in trapping the
Eradicator inside Mister Z's mystical, soul-collecting gemstone. The
gemstone shatters, apparently dispersing the Eradicator's energy form.
In 1993, after the death of Superman, several new characters appear to
claim the Superman legacy, including one who is referred to as the Last Son
of Krypton. In "Born Again" from _Action Comics_ #687 (written by Roger
Stern with art by Jackson Guice and Denis Rodier), the robots at the
Fortress of Solitude work to recreate their master.
The robots' conversation is purposely vague as to who they are retrieving,
with comments such as, "his essence dispersed following dysfunction of the
corporeal body". The humanoid energy form that emerges recognizes his
surroundings as "my Fortress" and says, "I remember a battle". Reviewing
tapes of Superman's battle with Doomsday (he has the robots create the bank
of monitors which were prominently used in the recent Superman Rex
storyline) and entombment in Metropolis, the being heads off for the
memorial seeking the "real power [that] must be in the body!"
On touching the body in its casket, great energies ripple and the Last Son
of Krypton stands before the casket in material form and bearing Superman's
face. The body is different, in that it can sense electrical circuitry and
send energy blasts. The eyes are overly sensitive to light, forcing him to
wear a visor.
Back at the Fortress, the Kryptonian notes that he can no longer absorb
energy directly from the sun and must channel it through a regeneration
matrix that "has insured that the heart of Krypton's last son keeps
beating!"
Wearing a black uniform with a blue centre stripe, the new Superman does
not hesitate to use violence and to take the life of a criminal. When Lois
finally meets him, she finds him to be cold and hollow. She finds that he
has memories of Clark's but he tells her that, "Kent is gone. There is only
Superman now."
During the "Reign of the Superman" arc, we learn that the Last Son of
Krypton is the Eradicator -- reconstituted by the Fortress it created
(_Action Comics_ #690). The Eradicator's physical merging with Superman's
body and his placement of the body in the regeneration matrix played
important roles in Superman's eventual resurrection.
The Eradicator was again rendered discorporate by the Cyborg's attack on
him and by the destruction of Coast City. The Eradicator returns to the
Fortress and, to restore itself and assist Superman, draws all available
energy -- destroying the Fortress in the process (_Action Comics #691).
The Eradicator plays a vital role in the final confrontation. When the
Cyborg uses deadly kryptonite radiation to attack Superman, the Eradicator
absorbs the blast and alters it, channeling it into Superman to restore him
(_Superman_ #82).
The Eradicator's ruined and apparently mindless body is delivered to STAR
Labs. In _Action Comics_ #693, the body is examined by several scientists,
including Dr. David Connor. Connor is a grumpy bugger whose problems are
compounded by a nasty recent divorce and incurable cancer. He explains that
the Eradicator's body has apparently restored itself, but that there is
still no sign of any brain activity.
Connor's illness causes him to stumble against the controls to the chamber
containing the Eradicator's body and in the resulting explosion, Connor's
mind apparently merges with and assumes control of the Eradicator's body.
The Eradicator's face is now older and scarred, but otherwise the body is
still powerful. Over the next period, he joins the misfit team known as the
Outsiders (in their self-titled book) and occasionally joins Team Superman
as the black sheep of the family (such as in the "Trial Of Superman" arc).
In 1996, the Eradicator was given his own three-part mini-series, written
by Ivan Velez with pencils by Roger Robinson and inks by John Lowe. The
Eradicator has been suffering from strange delusions that have been causing
him to react violently.
In _Eradicator_ #1, Superman confronts the Eradicator amidst the ruins of a
Metropolis street. While undergoing tests at STAR Labs, Connor has another
outburst, decimating the lab. Deciding to destroy himself in order to
protect others, he first decides to make his farewells.
The first farewell he makes is to Lana Lang, whom he calls "my first love,
my first playmate, my first best friend". Lana, of course, has never met
him. Connor tries to sort out his memories, saying "I ... that wasn't me. I
-- oh God. What am I doing? Forgive me", and then flies away.
He next visits his ex-wife and two sons -- whom he hasn't seen since before
his death and re-birth. In a jealous rage over seeing her with another man,
he smashes into her apartment. However, somehow he has failed to recognize
the other man as her brother. When his son asks if he is really their
father, he is unable to reply and thinks, "I don't have the strength to
tell him that cruel a l-- a lie?"
His confusion is compounded by a voice inside him, angering and cajoling
him. A portal opens before him and he follows the voice towards it.
Stepping through he finds himself apparently transported to a mythical
Krypton -- complete with Thought Beasts and Flamebirds.
In _Eradicator_ #2, a lovely young lady calling herself Faora tells him
that they are merely programs and that, "this is a virtual world. Almost
real. But not quite." He is both drawn to and repelled by Faora. She tells
him that he absorbs "essences and information ... feelings like a sponge.
You aren't alive. You aren't human. You've been experiencing different
thoughts and memories, but none of them are yours. They're from those whose
essences you've absorbed. Kem-L, the alien Cleric, Superman ... and finally
David Conner. But you're none of them. You are simply the Eradicator".
However, while distracting him she tries to drain him of his energy.
As if summoned, the Cleric's presence comes forward to counter Faora's
efforts and to explain the Eradicator's history. The Cleric says that his
people created the device. As their world was slowly dying, they sent
machines to preserve their culture and teaching, to learn from other worlds
and to link their far-flung colonists. "You were an instrument of life.
There was nothing of an Eradicator in you."
However, when a group of the Cleric's people arrived on Krypton, a small
militaristic faction slaughtered them to begin a great purge. Velez paints
a dark picture of Kem-L as one of the faction's leaders who destroyed the
Cleric's people, altered records and killed sympathizers, "further insuring
that future generations need never suffer our pollution".
He states that Kem-L took one of their devices, twisted its original
functions and "made you into a weapon of hate and destruction. All that
would matter to you was the preservation of Kryptonian culture and ideals
... or rather Kem-L's twisted vision of what was Krypton."
However, the Cleric credits the device for fighting the "influence of your
program ... it was this goodness inside you that could not destroy me. It
was that love that allowed you to help me preach to other Kryptonians".
It is this dichotomy that has created a schism within the Eradicator as
"Faora" reveals itself to be the evil part of the program, "as Kem-L's true
heir". The program wants to absorb the Eradicator's essence and in so doing
gain tangibility to escape the Phantom Zone and enter the material world.
In anger, the Eradicator sends all of Kem-L's programming to his twin: "You
take his influences ... his corruptions ... his skewed and cruel visions
... take them all!! I'm done with them."
Unfortunately, in doing this he also allows his dark half the means to
enter the real world. To lure the Eradicator, the evil monster takes David
Connor's family hostage. Although the Eradicator wins the ensuing battle
("I took back whatever held him together and blew him to kingdom come. The
composite is nothing more than a memory now. A memory I'll have to live
with forever"), it is at the expense of his wife's life.
Although the Eradicator has by now mentally accepted that he is not really
David Connor, and that he merely absorbed the human's essence at the moment
of Connor's death, he discovers the true nature of his being again when he
absorbs the essence of Connor's ex-wife.
At the mini-series end, the Eradicator vows that his future is now linked
with that of humanity and that as a measure of atonement he will spend his
life to protect them. He is unable to offer any real comfort to the
Connors' orphaned children. He philosophizes that "I will always be my own
fortress of solitude."
It will be interesting to see if this mini-series will be followed or
ignored in any future development of the Eradicator's character. It
presents a much darker view of Kem-L than his helpful phantom would suggest
and it ties the history of the Eradicator to the Cleric and his race in a
way that is hard to reconcile with the original story in _Action Comics
Annual_ #2. That story made no reference to any prior arrival of the
Cleric's people and leaves the impression that the Cleric was a solo
missionary to Krypton. The Cleric also showed no recognition of the device
in the earlier stories. Had his people created it, one would expect him to
recognize it or at least not to be surprised centuries later that it is
more than just a weapon.
An annoying aspect of the mini-series is that, in the last two issues,
Connor's name is incorrectly but consistently referred to as Conner and his
wife's name changes from Maria to Sarah.
Pickiness aside, I enjoyed the story and it does give the Eradicator a more
complicated nature that could illuminate a struggle between its original
nature as an emissary and teacher and its reprogrammed nature as an
eradicator (hey -- maybe he can show up in the new _Spectre_ series for a
chat with Hal Jordan). ;-)
The Eradicator dropped off the radar screen after the mini-series. Now that
he has returned to the Super-titles, maybe we'll find out where he's been
-- and where he intends to go.
___________________________________________________________
End of Section 3
___________________________________________________________
NEW COMIC REVIEWS
-------------------------------------------
Comics Arriving In Stores November 1999
We have eleven reviews for you this month, including looks at the final
issue of the _World's Finest_ maxiseries and at _Son of Superman_, the
first of several hardcover projects offered by DC at year's end. Young
Justice fans will want to take note of two guest appearances that we chose
not to review. The first was _Impulse_ #56, which brought an earlier
opponent of the young speedster into battle with the three boys and Secret.
The second was _Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E._ #6, the second issue of a two-part
story in which the team goes to investigate the new Star-Spangled Kid just
at the same time that aliens decide to invade.
Ratings Panelists:
-----------------
CoS: Cory Strode GN: G.M. Nelson SDM: Simon DelMonte
DWk: Douglas Wolk JE: Josh Elder SL: Sebastian Lecocq
EM: Edward Mathews JSy: Jeff Sykes ST: Shane Travis
GC: Glenn Crouch MS: Mike Smith TD: Thomas Deja
GD: Gavin Douglas RG: Rene' Gobeyn
As always, the first rating given after the average is that of the
reviewer. The average rating given for each book may correspond to a
larger sample of ratings than what is printed following the average.
==========================================================
THE TRIANGLE TITLES:
-------------------
1. SUPERMAN #152 Jan 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Deadline U.S.A."
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Guest Penciller: Mike McKone
Guest Inker: Marlo Alquiza
Colors: Tanya and Richard Horie
Letterer: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Associate: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Dwayne Turner, Danny Miki, and Liquid!
RATINGS
Average: 4.1/5.0 Shields
TD: 3.9 Shields
DWk: 4.1 Shields - The fight scenes are pretty pointless (except for the
flashback), but I love the fact that Loeb is making this a series
about difficult ethical decisions. McKone's artwork is gorgeous.
GC: 3.5 Shields - I am wary of Superman becoming "more super" as this
may lead to the old pre-crisis problems for authors. Still, a
reasonable story and good art make this a worthwhile read.
JE: 4.4 Shields - Another excellent story that shows how great a
character Lois can really be. I'm also very up on Superman
learning how to fight; this should have been a long time ago.
JSy: 4.5 Shields - Quite honestly, aside perhaps from the cliffhanger
ending which leads into a different title, I can't find much
of anything wrong with this book. I especially loved how
Luthor is portrayed when faced with Mongul.
SDM: 4.0 Shields - Great art, a thought-provoking script and story, and
the best work anyone has done with Jimmy in years. Loeb has hit
the right note with total ease.
SL: 3.9 Shields - The script is great, especially the dilemmas of Jimmy
and Clark. Difficult decisions, and ones that could have great
consequences. Now that he's learned to fight, though, Superman is
even more powerful than before... who will be able to stop him?
Review by: Thomas Deja <blackair@gis.net>
There is a thing in the music industry called the Sophomore Curse. The
Curse dictates that every time you have a band with a tremendous debut
album, more often than not their second album is going to suck. No one
knows why this is.
So here's the new team's sophomore effort. You'll be pleased to know it
escapes the Curse, providing the proper sensawonda moments while advancing
the plot.
You know what I'm talking about when I refer to sensawonda: moments where
you sit there with the comic in your hand, staring at the page, and not
believing someone was insane enough to think this up. Give me a sensawonda
moment, a few pieces of juicy characterization, and I'm happy.
Jeph Loeb understands the primal need for the 'sensawonda' moment. That's
why he started his debut story with the raising of the Daily Planet Globe.
Here Loeb manages to give us not one, but two moments where you just gotta
say, 'wow...'
Take the first sequence of this issue. We see Supes and Mogul Jr. in a big
ass knockdown, drag out. We're talking mondo fight here -- heat beams are
sizzling, punches are flying at supersonic speed, and all the while Mongul
Jr. is goading the Man of Steel on, taunting him. It's all pretty standard
stuff until McKone pulls away and we find out the two of them have been
kicking each other's hinders in the Grand Canyon.
Wow. *That's* a sensawonda in its purest form.
Loeb keeps up this level of excitement in this story. (I'm not even
mentioning the big undersea fight that Aquaman has to sort of referee later
in the book!) While it's not as sustained and entertaining as the first
effort by this team -- a reaction that may very well be due to the hype
surrounding last month, not the issue itself -- "Deadline U.S.A." continues
to work.
The trope of the issue is a simple and elegant one: Imperiex is coming to
Earth, a threat so big that it *threw Mogul Jr. down to the planet's
surface*. Afraid of something this powerful, ol' Yellow Head recruits Supes
and proceeds to train him in the more efficient use of his powers... which
is why Supes and Mogul have been going at it in the Grand Canyon.
One of the things that makes this work is that, through the entire
spectacle, Loeb doesn't lose sight of the fact that Clark is a man. He's
both actively scared and excited by what he's discovering, and he worries
about it. Oh, sure, he worries about it while pacing on the ceiling, but
there you go. Loeb also introduces a subplot that's so obvious it's a
wonder no one else ever thought of it: Jimmy discovers that a close-up of
Superman shaking hands with Mongul clearly shows a wedding ring. He
agonizes over whether to electronically erase the ring, and his decision
has major repercussions. It's good to see these characters behaving like
*characters* again and not as pawns to advance to the next big event.
Artwise, Mike McKone once again does a great job, abetted by Marlo
Alquiza's dark, vaguely film noir inking. It's odd, because you would think
a darker palette would not work with Superman, and yet the combination does
give the art a very strong, unique look. Granted, I can't wait for Ed
McGuinness to come on board, but McKone is doing an excellent job as a
pinch-hitter. At the very least, he deserves to be considered for the
_Adventures of Superman_ job when Immonen moves on -- him and Steve Epting.
I do wish McKone would draw Lois with a smaller forehead but... *shrug*.
With "Deadline U.S.A.", Jeph Loeb beats the sophomore curse. Now if only he
can make good on the promise this build-up for this Imperiex character,
we'll have an exceptional first storyline from this new team.
==========================================================
2. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #574 Jan 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Something Borrowed, Something Blue"
Plotter: Stuart Immonen
Dialogue: Mark Millar
Penciller: Joe Phillips
Inker: Rich Faber
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Separator: Wildstorm FX
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Associate: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Dwayne Turner, Danny Miki, and Liquid!
RATINGS
Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields
JSy: 3.0 Shields - I'm just not able to feel any enthusiasm for this
character. Obsession was an interesting idea at first, but
she quickly became a one-trick pony. Some things are just
better left alone.
DWk: 2.7 Shields - Can we make a new rule that if a character who has
appeared more than twice dies, it has to be in a way that's
dramatically significant, as opposed to getting a subplot out of
the way? I miss Immonen's art, too.
EM: 4.0 Shields - Once again, no complaints here with the art and the
story. I'm enjoying these relatively self-contained tales.
GC: 4.2 Shields - Great Cover, Good Story & Art makes this one of the
better Superman stories to appear in the monthlies for awhile.
Obsession and her death were handled very well, plus we get an
ending that raises more question. Hopefully this high standard
will continue.
JE: 3.2 Shields - This issue didn't do much for me. I thought they could
have done something more with Obsession, though I can't wait to
see how this Satanus storyline plays out.
SDM: 2.0 Shields - Why did Stuart and Mark bring back the two forgettable
ideas within? I think we don't want to be reminded of all the bad
stories we saw over the past five years. I hate to be callous,
but I do hope that Obsession is dead just so she doesn't come
back again.
SL: 3.1 Shields - Even if I don't really like the art in this issue,
the story and the dialogue save the boat before it sinks, but
returning Ron Troupe in the Daily Planet Staff? No, Please, no!
TD: 3.9 Shields - Considering how Obsession is a character who usually
wants to make me gack, I'm surprised at how good this story was,
which pretty much neatly ends her plotline while reintroducing a
long-forgotten story thread and featuring some nice artwork that
keeps the Super-titles looking consistent.
[[ Editor's Note: For personal reasons, Enola Jones was not able to
write a review this month or last, and has stepped down from regular
reviewing duties. Thanks for your contributions, Enola, and best of
luck to you. -- Shane ]]
Review by: Jeff Sykes <sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com>
Synopsis:
Having heard the news about Superman being married, Dana Deardon, aka
Obsession, appears in Metropolis to get the skinny from the Man of Steel
himself. After all, since she's so devoted to Superman, how could he
possibly have hooked up with someone else!? Meanwhile, a shadowy figure has
reintroduced DMN, the demon drug, to the streets of Metropolis, leaving the
Man of Steel and Obsession to combat four teenagers who are the victims of
the drug's control. As the confrontation winds down, Superman lets his
guard down enough to miss a blind-side attack, and Obsession makes the
ultimate sacrifice to protect him.
In subplot developments, Lois and Lucy worry about whether or not their
father is going to accept Lucy's multi-racial child, while Perry offers to
hire Ron Troupe back at the Planet. While Ron initially chooses to continue
working at the mission, helping to change people's lives, he eventually is
forced to reconsider his decision when Superman and Obsession's tussle with
the DMN-affected kids ends up severely damaging the mission.
Cover:
Dwayne Turner's cover art is, quite frankly, an enigma. On the one hand,
the idea is good, and Turner uses Superman's body language to wonderfully
portray his surprise at Obsession's "aggression". On the other hand,
Obsession's body language is that of a department store mannequin. There is
little or no expression to her at all. I'll leave you to draw your own
conclusions about that...
Story:
As long as Obsession remains out of the picture, Immonen and Millar present
a fairly interesting story. Millar's dialogue is as good as usual,
especially in the introductory dust-up with Gabriel van Daniken, in which
the Man of Steel, the villain, and onlookers discuss the need (or lack
thereof) for super-villain code names.
The subplots concerning Ron and Lucy and their impending family are
presented with a very realistic flair, and the writers don't go to any
lengths to tell us, the readers, what the right choices are for the couple.
This is best illustrated in Ron's debate with Perry, in which Ron must
choose between a job which can better provide for his family and a job
where he makes a direct impact on the lives of the citizens of Metropolis.
Immonen also gives us a mystery player in the form of this shadowy figure
who is giving out the DMN. In the past, Collin Thornton/Lord Satanus has
been clearly shown as the force behind the distribution of the demon drug,
so it wouldn't make much sense to conceal his identity if he is still the
main culprit. In the figure's page one appearance, his left eye is
illustrated with a star-shaped lower half, which is almost certainly some
clue to his identity, but I'm just not picking up on it.
The problems in the story appear immediately upon Obsession's arrival --
Superman has just tossed van Daniken into a tanker of liquid Nitrogen,
slowing the armor-covered villain's movements to a fraction of their normal
speed. Obsession's grand entrance involves her having done something to the
villain, who doesn't appear again in the story! The art suggests that she
has shattered the villain like a frozen banana in a high school chemistry
experiment, but Superman's reactions never seem to suggest that Obsession
has just murdered someone. But then there's absolutely nothing in the
dialogue that explains what has happened.
As for the rest of her appearance, it's pretty much the same as any other.
She spends most of the issue tangling with Superman, trying to get him to
realize how much she loves him -- generally as evidenced only by her
jealous fits -- and then she joins up with him to defeat the bad guys. The
only twist is that she then sacrifices herself against a villain which
probably shouldn't have been able to kill either her or Superman. Dana's
character was more interesting when she was introduced a few years ago, but
she has been completely wasted in her few appearances since.
Art:
I've never been much of an art critic, but I didn't much care for this
effort by penciller Joe Phillips. The art was very inconsistent, with
Superman alternating between muscular and almost scrawny, and with
Obsession's breasts growing and shrinking from panel to panel. Perhaps his
best effort was the splash on page 15, where Superman and Obsession join
forces to battle the DMN-affected kids. At times, the art became very
cartoonish, resembling a rushed version of Jeff Moy's art on
_Legionnaires_.
Overall:
While this was probably the first of the "new era" issues that I didn't
really enjoy, it also wasn't as bad as the mediocre to bad fare that we saw
in the last few arcs before the new creators came on board. In the grand
scheme of things, it was a fairly average book, but that's a bit of a
letdown in the wake of what we have seen in the past few weeks.
==========================================================
3. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #96 Jan 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Home"
Writer: Mark Schultz
Penciller: Doug Mahnke
Inker: Tom Nguyen
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Separations: Wildstorm FX
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Assoc. Ed.: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Dwayne Turner, Danny Miki, and Liquid!
RATINGS
Average: 3.8/5.0 Shields
MS: 4.8 Shields
DWk: 3.0 Shields - Nice dodge on the "wedding ring" plot, but every single
Eradicator story is exactly like this one, and the "Danger Room"
routine used to get John Henry Irons back into the picture is
very, very weary.
EM: 3.8 Shields - Ok, I am biased. I would have rated it as high as the
other books, but I think Steel belongs in Jersey City. He could
always commute to Metropolis.
GC: 3.7 Shields - While I am cautious about anything to do with the
Eradicator, I thought this issue was well handled with Clark
staying dominant of Kal-El. The comments by the neighbours were a
good extra.
JE: 4.1 Shields - A very cool issue. This creative team is approaching
Krypton and Clark's connection to it in a more interesting way
than I think I've ever seen. Great stuff.
JSy: 4.0 Shields - I'm really quite taken with this book, which appeals
to my sci-fi tastes, and it just continues to get better and
better. And bringing the Eradicator, one of the best post-Crisis
additions to the Man of Steel's rogues gallery, and Steel back
into the mix only augments my interest.
SL: 2.0 Shields - The JLA's subterfuge to save Superman from the "Mrs.
Superman" sub-plot is ABSURD! The story is saved by a good
introduction and conclusion, the presence of Steel and the scene
with Jimmy and Perry. These elements make it readable, but
otherwise...
TD: 4.1 Shields - There's nothing Doug Mahnke draws better than ugly
monsters and robots beating the crap out of each other, and there
seems to be nothing more that Mark Schultz likes to do than giving
Doug ugly monsters and robots to draw. Excellent advancement of
the Eradicator subplot that never leaves the living room.
Review by: Mike Smith <mike_p_smith@hotmail.com>
I was skeptical at first when then soon-to-be Superman editor Eddie
Berganza promised a compromise for the cross-continuity of the Triangle
books. He said that you could buy just one of the four titles and get a
stand alone story, or you could buy them all and get a bigger picture from
all four put together.
Personally, I've always felt that cross-continuity is an all or nothing
proposition. The Superman books generally made it work because they did it
all the time (although at the cost of the individuality of each title).
Whenever the Bat-books tried to do a multipart epic, however, they would
attempt to make each part "stand alone". Sometimes they succeeded, and
other times they failed, but always it weakened the main story in the
process. Of course, the Batman family recently went the "Triangle Title"
route for the critically-acclaimed "No Man's Land". I attribute its success
to the Batman editors finally giving up on trying to be two things at once.
And now Berganza has proven me wrong. It *can* be done; it just has to be
done carefully. Witness _Man of Steel_ #96.
Ordinary guy Clark Kent comes home to find his apartment redecorated in a
Kryptonian motif. It turns out that the Eradicator program has somehow
infiltrated Kent's home and now plans to finish the job with Clark
himself...
For some reason, Clark flashes back to earlier in the day, when he helped
field test some new S.C.U. equipment as Superman. It lasts about eight
seconds, which is actually pretty good, considering that the S.C.U. usually
takes on third-rate villains like Hellgrammite and Inkling. Of course this
is all thanks to the brilliant designs of John Henry Irons, who tells
Superman that he felt he could do more good working with the S.C.U. than
his old job back in Jersey City. Supes welcomes him back to town, and
reminds him of the big JLA press conference later today, and that brings us
back to the present...
Now Clark is facing down an avatar of his ancestor Kem-L (the Eradicator's
programmer), who tries once again to convince Clark to embrace his twisted
perceptions of Kryptonian heritage. Clark rejects him, and Kem-L threatens
to erase his Earthly influence using the Torquasm Vo mind control
technique. Of course, we saw Superman learn how to use this when he battled
Dominus in #88, so he's not about to just roll over for the Eradicator.
Clad in psychic armor, they duke it out in the theta state...
Meanwhile, Perry finally lectures Jimmy Olsen about digitally removing the
wedding ring from a photo of Superman. Perry gives him a chance to learn
from this mistake, and warns him that advances in photomanipulation have
given Jimmy a power he has to use wisely. Perry also notes that if he had
been aware of Superman's wedding ring, he still wouldn't have given it the
same hype the other papers have, which would have been a good call in light
of...
The JLA press conference convenes to address the whole "Mrs. Superman"
gossip. Wonder Woman admits that Superman *was* wearing a gold band on his
left hand, but only because it was an experimental JLA signal device, and
all the other Leaguers wear them, too. Later, Green Lantern and Steel
wonder why Superman didn't make it...
Back at the apartment, Clark is faltering against the Eradicator's mental
attack when Lois walks in the door. This gives Clark enough motivation to
hold off the barrage, and ask Lois if she brought anything back from the
Fortress of Solitude last issue. Turns out she did pocket a figurine which
must have been carrying a backup copy of the Eradicator program, and once
Clark destroys it the entire apartment returns to normal.
As for the hard copy of the Eradicator (The guy who impersonated Superman
in '93? Remember him?), he overcame his Kryptonian corruption a while back,
and now that he senses its resurgence, he prepares to battle it once
again...
I liked this issue because it covered all the loose ends. We get to see the
continuation of not only Mark Schultz's Kryptonian storyline, but the "Mrs.
Superman" controversy, and the Jimmy/Perry situation as well. Like Berganza
had said, I could have followed all of this had I only been reading _Man of
Steel_, yet having read the other three books has given me a greater
appreciation for what's going on. Most importantly, this installment
actually reaches a resolution. In the past, the triangle titles would just
tell part of the story, run out of room in one issue, then keep on going to
the next. Not so here. A complete story has begun and ended in one sitting,
and a sequel will follow it. That's how it's supposed to be done.
Now, there *are* a few danglers left open. The JLA may have satisfied the
media, but not all of them know Superman's secret identity, so they
probably still want to know why he was wearing that ring. (Steel comes to
mind, since if it really was a signal device he would have been the one to
have built it.) Speaking of Steel, he seemed to dodge Superman's questions
about his new job. He explained why he moved to Metropolis, but we still
don't know why he left Jersey City.
In the past, I might have wondered if things like this would ever be
addressed. Of course, I also had questions about the humanoid Eradicator,
and it looks like we'll see how he figures into this after all. For now,
though, I have faith in Mark Schultz's pacing of this story; he can get
around to it when he's good and ready.
My only real problem with this issue was with the flashback to the S.C.U.
The entire sequence seemed like it was squeezed into the story just to
follow up on the end of the last issue. It *does* play up the "Earthly
influence" Kem-L was complaining about, but it felt like it was put in the
wrong place. Still, it's more panel time for Steel, so I'll let it go.
Art-wise, I enjoyed Mahnke and Nguyen as always, although I really wish DC
would cut it out with these guest cover artists. Nothing wrong with Dwayne
Turner, but Mahnke does some pretty awesome covers, and if one guy has to
draw all four covers for a month, let's at least give the regular artists a
crack at it.
Of course, next month there's a good chance we can get Steel on the cover,
so I don't care *who* draws it...
___________________________________________________________
End of Section 4
___________________________________________________________
THE TRIANGLE TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
4. ACTION COMICS #761 Jan 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"For A Thousand Years..."
Writer: Joe Kelly
Penciler: German Garcia
Inker: Joe Rubinstein
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Seps: Wildstorm
Letterer: John Costanza
Associate: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Dwayne Turner, Danny Miki, and Liquid Color
RATINGS
Average: 3.1/5.0 Shields
ST: 3.2 Shields
DWk: 3.1 Shields - The first seven pages are just lovely -- the kind of
Lois 'n' Clark routine I adore. The rest of the story works only
as a metaphor, and even so it's pretty clunky.
EM: 4.0 Shields - Is it hokey that a thousand years of battle away from
your significant other can't tear you away from thinking about
remaining faithful? Yes. Does it work? Yes.
GC: 2.8 Shields - Lois' reaction to WW was what saved this issue for me.
Superman going away for a Thousand Years to fight with the Norse
Gods *without* killing any of the demons seems a bit silly.
JSy: 3.5 Shields - Aside from the parts set in Valhalla, I really enjoyed
this issue, from a very realistic look at Lois Lane (of *course*
any mortal woman would be jealous of Wonder Woman), to the
promise of future dealings with Encantadora. If only the fighting
for 1000 years in Valhalla thing just wasn't so silly.
SDM: 2.0 Shields - What happened? Why were Supes and Wonder Woman sent to
Valhalla in the first place, and how did the same Kelly who did
last month's romp turn in so lousy a script. Unfortunately, (as
my wife put it) it reads like dull fan fiction.
TD: 2.1 Shields - This story just didn't have the emotional resonance it
could have had. You can tell what Kelly was trying, but because of
poor pacing it never has the impact it should, so the point about
Clark's deep friendship with Diana and his love of Lois is lost.
Review by: Shane Travis <travis@sedsystems.ca>
Synopsis:
Worried about the upcoming battle with Imperiex, Superman calls on Wonder
Woman to let her know he is leaving Earth. As they converse, however, they
are struck by magical lightning that carries them both to Valhalla. It
seems Thor needed Wonder Woman's help in fighting the demonic Vrgtsmyth.
Superman just got caught in the backwash. He hasn't the strength to send
them back, though, so they must stay and fight until the battle is decided
-- over a thousand years, all told. Kal fights alongside Diana, and through
the centuries he begins to lose his memories of Lois in favour of the
beautiful, powerful and nearby Amazon Princess. In the end, however, he
remains true to Lois, fwooosh!ing to her side the instant a revitalized
Thor transports him back to Earth.
Meanwhile, for Lois, the appearance of Wonder Woman at the Kents' window
has caused feelings of jealousy and inferiority. She seeks out Jimmy and
Perry to get some comfort and advice (Jimmy providing little of either),
and is told by Perry to stop doing whatever it is she is doing that makes
her feel unworthy of Clark. Perry doesn't know of the deal Lois made with
Luthor to save the Planet, nor does anyone else; she resolves to tell her
husband, though, and writes it in a letter -- a letter that is lost to the
wind when he grabs her on his return. Lois continues to stay silent on the
matter, hiding her guilt, her shame, and her doubts as to whether or not
she deserves to be Mrs. Superman after what she's done.
In other news, Encantadora uses her magic to ensorcel a prison guard, to
have her amulet returned to her, and to free herself from jail.
Opinions:
You know, I really don't know where to start.
Let's start somewhere unusual -- like how long I've been reading Superman
comics. I got into comic-collecting rather late in life; it wasn't until
1979, in my final year as a pre-teen, that I really started reading and
collecting comics published in North America. (Prior to that, I lived
overseas.) Of course, when I did, Superman was my favourite. What that
means is that my earliest memories of reading Superman are of the six or so
years preceding John Byrne's revamp, and the odd, silly stories that were
told then. Granted, these weren't Weisinger-esque in their weirdness (no
ant-heads or Titano the Super-apes) but they were... light. Airy.
Inconsequential. They often didn't quite seem to know what to *do* with
Superman. One that I recall had Kal time-travelling back to Gaul, where he
adventured with two people who looked suspiciously like Asterix and Obelix.
That's the sort of story I remember reading when I first became a fan.
The point I'm getting to -- and there *is* a point here -- is that in
_Action_ #761, Joe Kelly has written a story that reminded me very, very
much of the stories I remember from back then. I mean, Superman travelling
to Valhalla and battling demons alongside Thor and Wonder Woman for a
thousand years? It would have fit right in!
And no, that's not a good thing.
I don't want to dwell on this part of the plot, because a) to be fair, it
did take up only half the issue, and b) I'd just rather pretend that the
whole thing didn't exist. Still, before I brush it under the rug, I need to
at least explain *why* it flopped so badly.
Firstly, there's the 'time perception' thing. If Clark fought demons for a
thousand years, then he personally feels like he's over a thousand years
old. Like it or not, that's gonna change a guy. Kelly ignores that whole
aspect, however, instead using this 1000-year skirmish only to show that
Clark really, really, really loves Lois. Nothing new there, Joe, and if
you're not going to follow through on the ramifications of your plot
choices, you shouldn't pick them in the first place.
Secondly, Joe introduces some serious ethical and moral problems. Superman
Does Not Kill -- period. Unfortunately, that's where Kelly stops; he thinks
that it's good enough for Superman not to *actively* kill anything. That's
where he's wrong, and that's where the rest of this segment falls flat on
its face.
Superman is about more than just 'not killing'; he's about protecting life
-- all life, everywhere. Superman does not allow *any* sentient being to
die if it is within his power to prevent it. The Superman I know makes
little (if any) differentiation between striking the killing blow and
holding the victim still so the killing blow can be struck. So, while it's
just barely possible that Kal didn't do any of the former, he could not
conceivably fight a ten-century long war and not do the moral equivalent of
the latter. Fighting this sort of battle, and facilitating the death of
other beings -- even evil ones like the Vrgtsmyth -- goes against *every*
moral fiber that Clark has. Once again, it is simply poor writing to put
Superman into a situation where the reader's credulity is strained past the
breaking point to believe that he even upheld the *letter* of his oath,
never mind that he has shattered its *spirit*.
Thing is, I don't want to sound down on the whole issue, because what
didn't take place in Valhalla was pure gold. Let's start with German
Garcia's art. From page one, I was totally drawn into Garcia's world. His
Lois is cute, but not gorgeous. She's slender, but not waif-like. Next to
the luscious curves and full figure of Wonder Woman, however, she looks
almost underdeveloped -- which is exactly the image he was trying to
portray. Furthermore, his whole sense of body language is exquisite, and it
adds a dimension to the book not often seen in many comics. Just try it;
look at the first three pages, but ignore the words. Kelly's dialogue,
while good, is almost superfluous to convey the emotions and feelings of
the scene. Garcia invests so much emotion in each player that they
literally come to life.
When not in Valhalla, Kelly too strikes gold. I may sound like I'm gushing,
but everything in the Earth-half filled me with joy and hope for the future
of the Superman franchise, because it's all so *real*. Kal doesn't see
Diana as a woman to love so much as a team-mate on whom he can rely, yet
his awkwardness and tongue-tied manner when trying to explain it are
perfect Clark. While she trusts her husband, Lois is still anxious -- and
who wouldn't be, when he often works side-by-side with Wonder Woman, a
paragon of femininity and power? Who wouldn't doubt themselves compared to
such an ideal? Even in the brief interludes, Kelly shows that he is able to
capture and portray the essence of a character. Witness the six panels
where Jimmy drools over WW, or the page-long discussion with Perry where
his wisdom and experience are evident.
The bit-players too have their part to play. In two panels, he uses three
passers-by to tell us what much of Metropolis must think -- that Superman
and Wonder Woman are an item. In five panels at the Metropolis Police
Department, with nothing but the playful banter between two ordinary cops,
Kelly gives us not only two interesting characters but also a window on how
Superman is viewed by the folks of Metropolis. These panels could have
easily been excised to make room for more fight scenes, and in the hands of
a lesser writer they may have been, but oh how poorer the comic would have
been for their absence.
Clark's love for Lois is an integral part of him, while Kal and Diana are
best friends and care for one another in a whole different way. Given
Kelly's deft touch throughout the earth-bound portions of the book, I can
only conclude that it is his inexperience with Superman that led him to
choose such an odd and elaborate way of showing us such a simple message.
I've seen enough good things from him, however, to trust that as he grows
more comfortable with this most iconic hero he will not make another
mis-step like the side-trip to Asgaard.
Final Thought:
As has been noted by others, the characters in the Superman titles are
beginning to act like *people* again, and not just pawns in the writers'
hands being shuffled towards the next big event. The tension, the conflict,
the joy, the fun -- all these are once again flowing naturally out of how
the characters interact with one another. I can only cheer this
development, for it is when the motivation comes from within that the
stories become memorable, believable, and -- most of all -- enjoyable. Keep
it up, guys.
________________________________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES:
-------------------
SUPERBOY #70 Jan 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"The Evil Factory: Part One"
Storytellers: Karl Kesel & Tom Grummett
Inker: Keith Champagne
Colors: Buzz Setzer
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 3.2/5.0 Shields
RG: 3.5 Shields
EM: 3.3 Shields - The art seemed a bit rushed on this issue. Please end
the Cadmus conspiracy sub-plot...
GC: 3.2 Shields - Finally starting to see some of the many subplots come
to a head. This comic has tried to do too much in the background
and I hope things will smooth out over the next few issues.
JSy: 3.5 Shields - The scenes with Lois and Superboy dancing around the
secret identity issue are just so perfectly played, but the rest
of the book is just so darn busy, as we see at least three
different plotlines developing. Still, I couldn't put it down...
SDM: 2.7 Shields - This could have been a good story, but Kesel and
Grummett give us a rather bland obligatory fight scene. At least
the relationship between Superboy and Superman is still sharp.
The parts with the Monster Factory are just set-up, so I'll hold
judgment on them till next month.
ST: 3.0 Shields - I would have welcomed a whole issue of Kal and Kon
talking about secrets and identities, but I'll settle for what I
got since it was done quite well. I'm just not excited about the
Cadmus plot at all, and the fight was boring and predictable.
Review by: Rene Gobeyn <rgobeyn1@rochester.rr.com>
If you are not already reading this book, this issue might be a good
jump-on point as it is the start of a new arc.
When Superboy and Serling get back to Cadmus with Krypto, The Guardian,
Dubbilex, and Mickey Cannon meet them... or do they? Krypto certainly
doesn't think so. He gets one look at Dubbilex and takes off. The Guardian
and his men begin disassembling the Whiz Wagon, and Mickey no longer has a
leg brace. Superboy, at Dr. Roquette's suggestion, finds out that certain
areas of Cadmus are now off limits. It isn't much, but it does start to
make Serling curious.
Superboy takes off for Metropolis to do something that he's been wanting to
do for a while. See, the Kid learned during his Hypertime jaunts that Clark
Kent is Superman -- at least on one world -- and he wants to ask the
Superman of this world why he wasn't trusted with his secret identity. He
arrives at the Daily Planet and is talking with Lois when Perry storms in
yelling that Superman is fighting a four-armed monster. The monster,
seemingly related to one that Superman fought before, causes a negative
reaction in Kal's Kryptonian physiology, weakening him to the point of
incapacitation. Superboy wades in to try to keep the monster busy while
Superman recovers. Between the two of them, they defeat the four-armed
creature.
That done, Superboy finally gets his chance to talk to Superman question he
has had since returning from Hyper-time -- namely, is he really Clark Kent.
During the talk, however, Kon decides not to ask. After Superman leaves, he
and Lois talk a bit more. While the secret-identity is never mentioned
specifically, the conversation seems to settle both their minds and Kon
leaves to escort the creature back to Cadmus.
While all this was going on, Serling is continuing her search for Krypto
when Dubbilex and the Gene-Gnome come by to show her something. Krypto
meanwhile has met Charlie (the furniture-eating monster) in an airshaft.
Also, we finally get a glimpse of what the Wild Men (Growler, Gorr, and
Howler) have been up to. We learn through their conversations that they
have been busy in India and Europe, and we catch up with them in Alaska
where they have teamed up with Lee St. Lawrence to try to find Tana Moon.
The group comes across a dome just sitting on the tundra and manages to
break in. While we don't get to meet the occupants, they don't seem happy
to be disturbed.
To wrap things up, Superboy arrives at Cadmus with the monster, but when he
arrives, The Guardian and Dubbilex take him captive. It is only after he is
subdued that we find out the new directors of Cadmus are really Mokkari and
Simyan.
Whew, this one was a roller coaster ride. Mokkari and Simyan are not my
favorite Kirby villains, but they are in the running. They are just
off-the-wall enough that you can never really be sure where they are coming
from, or what they will do next. Last issue telegraphed the villains'
identities, but the way they have taken over Cadmus was a bit of a
surprise. Anyone want to bet on who the Gene-Gnome is really working for? I
didn't think so.
For me the two best parts of the book were the talk that Superboy had with
Lois after the fight and the two-page tease that showed the Wild-Men. The
first was so full of double meanings that I had to read it over three
times, and I'm still not sure I caught everything. You get the impression
that both of them are trying not to say anything to tip off the other as to
Clark's other identity. Watching the two of them dance around the subject
reminded me of some of the pre-Crisis talks that Clark and Lois shared.
They are some fond memories to say the least.
The glimpse we were given of the Wild-Men and their current activities
gives me hope that a new sub-plot is being introduced that will bring them
back into the spotlight. The Wild-Men are my favorite supporting cast
members in the Superboy title and I would love to see more of them.
The art supported the story well. With Kesel and Grummett sharing the
writing and pencilling chores the book is becoming a wonderful tribute to
Jack Kirby. Jack laid an extensive foundation in the DCU that has been
largely ignored. I don't count the work that has been done with Jack's
Fourth World characters because there has never been any effort to give the
new titles the look and feel of the originals. Tom and Karl have, and the
effort is appreciated.
==========================================================
SUPERGIRL #40 Jan 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Fading Ember"
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Leonard Kirk
Inker: 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: 3.2/5.0 Shields
TD: 2.3 Shields
EM: 3.8 Shields - So we learn more about Ember, only to have more
questions raised. Next issue ought to be interesting.
GN: 3.5 Shields - Peter David continues to successfully reintroduce
elements of the pre-Crisis Supergirl without just making them seem
forced. And Leonard Kirk is perfect on this book -- particularly
in keeping distinct looks for Supergirl and Linda.
JSy: 3.0 Shields - I can't really think of anything I disliked about
this issue, but neither can I think of anything that struck me
as particularly wonderful. Guess that leaves us with an average
tale with some nice artwork...
SL: 3.8 Shields - The art is perfect, the fights are few, and the
interaction between characters gives us a solid story. Kirk's
faces interact marvelously with David's script. I'm waiting
impatiently the next episode.
ST: 2.6 Shields - No question that PAD knows his pre-Crisis Supergirl
history, but I do have to question his judgement on what to bring
back. I mean, Satan Girl? Come on. Some things should be left in
the past...
Review by: Thomas Deja <blackair@gis.net>
Sometimes, I really do wonder about Peter David and his compulsion to write
every gag he ever thinks of into a story. He must realize that there are
certain venues where his vaudeville jokes centering around Monet puns and
late night television shows will end up yanking the reader bodily out of
any suspension of disbelief, yet he continues to drag these jokes into his
work regardless of their appropriateness. It's as if he suffers from some
form of addiction.
Take this little piece. This story begins what is, by all account, a major
moment in the latest story line. This story fills in a lot of back-story on
a previous Earth-born, Ember, and gives us clues as to the nature of the
trials up ahead for Linda. There is a *lot* we could learn from this issue,
but David -- who has never met a punchline he didn't like -- spends so much
time doing his jokes and indulging his own taste for strangeness that the
meat of the story has to wait until next issue.
Basically, in her desire to learn more about Ember, Supergirl approaches
Tammy Neil. Tammy, it turns out, is a descendant of this long-lived
Earthborn, and she offers to project Linda's mind back in time so she can
witness what happened to the woman, but the Chaos stream chooses the moment
of the casting to act up again. Before you know it, a nearby grave spits up
Satan Girl -- a redhead wielding a trident and wearing a demon-skull mask.
There's a senseless fight, which only seems to serve to delay the Maid of
Might on her travels a short time, and Linda soon finds out that the Chaos
Stream may have done more than project her mind back in time.
There's also the usual selection of sub-plots. One, involving Dick
Malverne's potential move away from Leesburg, is intriguing (if a tad
sadistic) in light of recent developments. Another, involving the possible
existence of a church that worships Supergirl, shows promise but prolly
should have waited until after this portion of the Ember story line played
out. A third, involving Mattie avoiding Cutter, does nothing but take up
space.
It's basically minor David at best, one of those stories where his
vaudevillian tendencies disrupt the flow. Somehow, he's gotten it into his
mind that the idea that this is Tammy's first attempt at this spell is
hilarious, leading to tons of gags about her checking her instructions, and
getting all excited at the prospect of casting the spell that just disrupt
the story's natural pacing. (It's obvious David wants to write a Willow
episode of _Buffy_ *so* badly.) The whole issue reads like a bunch of stuff
David really wanted to do before telling the *real* story.
Kirk and Riggs do their usual great job, and even manage to make the
somewhat ludicrous visual for the ridiculously-named 'Satan girl' (yes I
know it's another Silver Age reference; it doesn't change the fact that the
character has a hilariously silly name) work. Of course, their talent for
facial expressions remains their strength; even though the scene is
pointless, the way Kirk has Mattie go through several emotions on page 10
is wonderful.
I could just be grousing because this is a slightly substandard story on
the heels of several really, really good ones, but the fact is "Fading
Ember" needs less jokes and more plot for it to work.
___________________________________________________________
End of Section 5
___________________________________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #39 Jan 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Reunion"
Writers: Evan Dorkin & Sarah Dyer
Pencils: Bret Blevins
Inks: Terry Austin
Letters: Phil Felix
Colors/Seps: Lee Loughridge
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Blevins, Austin, and Loughridge
RATINGS
Average: 2.8/5.0 Shields
CoS: 2.0 Shields
GC: 4.0 Shields - I actually enjoy the Animated Supergirl more than the
DCU one, so this was a welcomed issue.
JSy: 2.5 Shields - I've liked Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer's previous two
Supergirl issues of this title, but this one left me a bit cold.
Having an aspect of Brainiac turn against him was just a bit too
reminiscent of the ruining of the Borg...
SL: 3.0 Shields - This tale from the past of Kara was enjoyable, but even
with the presence of Brainiac, consistent art and good dialogues,
the story is too thin and too linear and without surprises.
ST: 2.5 Shields - I have no access to S:TAS, so my only exposure to the
animated Supergirl is through this comic. While her first
appearance was interesting enough, this one did little for me --
and made Brainiac seem like a pushover to boot.
Review by: Cory Strode <Solitaire.Rose@worldnet.att.net>
Capsule Review: Brainiac, Supergirl and Supergirl's mother (sort-of) all
return in a crowded issue that fills pages with cliches and over-busy art.
Younger readers may not be bothered by the worn-out plot, but this is not
one of the better issues of this series, and can be skipped by most
readers.
The Supergirl of the Animated series is far more interesting than the one
in the current DC Universe. I personally think it is because you can give
her origin in less than a paragraph and you don't have to talk about the
Legion of Super-Heroes, Alternate Universes, bodies merging and angels. As
for the current DC Universe's Supergirl's personal history, it's even more
convoluted than her origin, and I don't even want to get into how she got
involved in a romantic relationship with Lex Luthor. I'm sure it made
sense, story-wise, at the time... OK, maybe it didn't, but we can't dwell
on the past, since hers gets revised every time an editor gets some bad Lo
Mein. In the Animated series, Supergirl is the last survivor of Argo. She
escaped as it was destroyed and is now living on Earth. Simple. Easy. No
protoplasm.
The first Supergirl Adventures comic was supposed to be a stand-alone
special, but DC decided to publish it as a double sized issue of _Superman
Adventures_. As such, it was one of the best issues of that year. Evan
Dorkin (best known for _Milk and Cheese_) and Sarah Dyer (Best known for
_Action Girl Comics_) have worked on the TV show and showed that they
understood the character. Not only that, they gave her an interesting
story. I really thought that the pair could do a great job on this series
if they got a chance to work it into their busy schedules. Both of them
have done fresh and interesting work in comics outside the mainstream, and
it seemed like that experience served them well. Unfortunately, their
second outing shows that they have trouble with pacing a shorter story with
the same characters.
The story starts with Superman and Supergirl visiting the ruins of Argo so
that Kara can get her family's records as well as pay her last respects.
While they were there, Kara swears she could hear her mother's voice. As
S.T.A.R. Labs looks at the computer records, things predictably go haywire
and the Argo computer takes over the labs in a matter of milliseconds.
Maybe its just me, but after this sort of thing happens a few hundred
times, don't you think S.T.A.R. Labs would invest in a sealed chamber with
its own computer so that they don't get taken over by alien technology
every time Professor Hamilton starts messing with the unknown?
Superman and Supergirl arrive quickly and are captured just as quickly,
since the lab's system knows about the fact that they lose their power
under a red sun. They watch helplessly as a female version of Brainiac
emerges from a chamber left over from the set of David Cronenberg's "The
Fly." Much to Supergirl's dismay, the female Brainiac has chosen a face and
body like that of Supergirl's mother. The Bride of Brainiac is able to tap
into Lex Luthor's computers, where Brainiac has been stored, freeing him.
Brainiac arrives and explains that he left a minor version of his main self
in Argo's computers, and proceeds with his standard plan of killing
Superman with Green Kryptonite so that he can capture all of Earth's
information on one of his green globes and then destroy the now-irrelevant
Earth. Luckily, the Bride of Brainiac has part of Supergirl's mother's
personality, which reasserts itself when seeing Supergirl near death. She
frees Superman and Supergirl, who quickly make short work of Brainiac, but
she herself gets destroyed in the process.
I was disappointed in this issue. The story tried to do too much, and what
it tried to do wasn't really worth doing. The plot was a string of cliches
that have been done better by other series. The use of a dead relative's
form could be used to wring a lot of emotion out of a character, but here
it seemed more like going through the motions. I kept expecting some sort
of interesting twist, but it never came. Furthermore, Brainiac did not come
across as any sort of a threat. This is the being who caused the
destruction of two planets, and he's beaten by a couple of punches?
If this were primarily a kid's book, I guess it would be OK; many children
probably haven't seen these cliches before. This series' best stories work
on two (or more) levels, though, and this one barely worked on one level.
Bret Blevins has never been an artist I care for, but here his work seems
rushed and crowded. There was a lot in this story, and Blevins responded to
it by filling pages with very busy panels. The pages where Superman and
Supergirl are being held by the machinery in S.T.A.R. Labs are a good
example. It is poorly thought out, with endless machinery and shifts in
perspective that don't add to the story. The best art for this series is
the kind that uses the character designs and simplifies the backgrounds to
fit them. Blevins seems constrained by the simplified designs, and clutters
his panels to make up for it.
Normally, I don't notice color, which is how I think it should be. I am
very much against the flashy color techniques that overwhelm the art rather
than add to it, and this issue has page after page of garish red and green
drenching the pages, making a bad situation worse.
All in all, this was a below average issue, which is too bad, since I like
Supergirl and would like to see more stories featuring the character. I
just hope that they aren't stories like this.
________________________________________________________
TEAM TITLES:
-----------
JLA #37 Jan 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"World War Three: Part Two"
Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciller: Howard Porter
Inker: John Dell
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Pat Garrahy
Separator: Heroic Age
Assoc. Ed.: Tony Bedard
Editor: Dan Raspler
Cover: Howard Porter, John Dell, and David Smith
RATINGS
Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields
EM: 4.2 Shields
GC: 3.8 Shields - Definitely better than Part I. The dialogue between
Oracle & Prometheus is a great insight into both characters. Plus
Part II has more mystery and better handling of the heroes.
JE: 4.4 Shields - This is the JLA: big threats, smart villains and heroes
who deserve the title of Justice League.
JSy: 3.9 Shields - Surprisingly little happens in this issue, but there
are tons of great character studies taking the place of plot.
SL: 2.4 Shields - There are a lot of players in this story, and the
scene-shifts are numerous. Unfortunately, the rhythm is not this
fast and the story not this good. The double pages with the faces
of Superman and the huntress are graphically horrible.
TD: 3.7 Shields - It's a big ass fight, but damn well done -- and almost
worthwhile for Prometheus, who in this story arc is shaping up to
be what he was supposed to be the last time. It's still building,
but at least where it's building is someplace I'd like to go.
Review by: Edward Mathews <em11@is3.nyu.edu>
Synopsis:
The Injustice Gang launches a first and very successful strike against the
JLA. Oracle goes one-on-one against Prometheus, Superman and Steel take on
the General, the Queen Bee has an armada of space ships approaching Earth,
and Luthor is running the show, sort of. The Martian Manhunter returns to
active duty and we see Mageddon for the first time. Wacky hi-jinks ensue.
Review:
It is rare when issue two of a five-part story arc is actually better than
issue one, but Morrison pulls through. After last month's set-up, we get
some nice delivery. The JLA is facing an attack from all fronts by the
Injustice Gang and this gives Grant Morrison an excuse to let some of the
second-wave JLAers enter the spotlight.
This issue has some of the best character interaction seen in this book
during Morrison's run. The three pages of Oracle and Prometheus are worth
the price of the whole book; fortunately, we get a whole lot more.
Morrison is willing to push things about as far as editorial edicts will
let him. Without spoiling the book, let's just say that Steel... nah. You
read it. Plastic Man continues to be a favorite. The Queen Bee's armada
surrounds the Earth and only he thinks this is funny? It is Huntress that
assumes a role of leadership for once, however. To be honest, it suits her
and with a little time, I'm sure she could be a valuable addition to
another team, the JSA.
Little bits like empty word balloons while in space and the fact that there
are no thought bubbles at all lend to the quick pace of this issue. It
looks like Morrison has found yet another way to play Luthor dirty while
having a reasonable excuse after the fact to not be held accountable for
his actions.
We finally see the Anti-sun, Mageddon... and it sure is big. I mean, make a
Sun Eater look like "the small kid on the playground" big. It is colored
dark and it certainly does look imposing on the cosmic size level, but I
just don't see it as much of a threat as yet. Maybe that's because I
haven't seen enough of it, or maybe because it's a nasty space squid thing.
At least its introduction sounds imposing through Orion's dialogue.
Superman saves the day a couple of times, and there is a scene between him
and Huntress that is priceless. Batman's role is limited until the end when
we get the set-up for the next issue. So far, Morrison is pacing this story
well. We can only hope that the payoff is as grand as the set-up.
Art:
Pinch me. I'm really enjoying Porter and Dell on this arc. From the design
of the armada to the Plastic Man shapes, they make the book look like a
big-budget movie. In fact, this is what I'd imagine the storyboards might
look like for "JLA: The Movie". Unfortunately, Mageddon looks like a dark
mix between a squid and the creature that was created in Watchmen. I don't
know what I expected, but this makes it look like all they'll need is for
this thing to have a telepathic chat with Aquaman....
Conclusion:
This issues is heavy on the Batman characters and it does a great job with
them. If you bought last issue, keep buying; this one doesn't disappoint.
If you're looking for a stand-alone issue, at least the front cover tells
you that this is "Part 2 of 5" -- come back for the trade paperback and
read it in one sitting.
==========================================================
YOUNG JUSTICE #16 Jan 2000 $2.50 US/$3.95 CAN
"Aftermath"
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Todd Nauck
Inks: Lary Stucker
Letters: Ken Lopez
Colors: Jason Wright
Assoc. Ed.: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Nauck, Stucker, and Wildstorm FX
RATINGS
Average: 3.9/5.0 Shields
EM: 4.0 Shields
GC: 4.0 Shields - Finally Old Justice comes out of the background and it
is great to see some of these characters again. Also good to see
that Arrowette is troubled over her actions, and that YJ is about
teenage friendships -- not just beating bad guys.
GD: 4.0 Shields - Solid storytelling and a nice tying together of several
plots that have been building over the past few months. Still it
could use more of the manic element that made issues 1-10 great
and less of the half-a-dozen-sub-plots-at-once every other title
has going.
JSy: 3.7 Shields - This whole Old Justice thing is a bit lame, but I
suspect that's at least partially intentional. Nonetheless, we
see once again that the greatest strength of this title is the
characterization of the kids
Review by: Edward Mathews <em11@is3.nyu.edu>
Synopsis:
After the horrible events that took place last issue at her school,
Arrowette is confused. Having almost killed the people responsible for the
shooting (only a last minute rescue from Superboy kept the arrow from
connecting), Cissie does some soul searching. Meanwhile, her actions are
demonized by some politicians with an agenda and some old familiar faces
that are willing to help them with said agenda. Old Justice debuts with one
simple goal: shut down Young Justice. Also, Red Tornado's loyalties are put
into question. Wacky hi-jinks ensue.
Review:
Peter David (PAD) manages to constantly provide a funny book that is not
afraid to tackle real issues, and this month is no exception. As a
follow-up to the school shooting issue where Cissie develops her disdain
for guns, PAD develops her character further. What does it mean to be a
hero? Letting go of the arrow with the intent to kill -- does that make her
"a villain?" she wonders. All of us have done something at some point in
our lives that we wished we could undo, and Cissie was lucky that Superboy
was around to put the arrow back in the quiver. In another book, this would
have been the end of the story, but in Young Justice it prompts several new
sub-plots.
Several of these sub-plots are related. A U.S. Senator named Perkins takes
advantage of the coverage of the school shooting and what Cissie almost did
to prompt an investigation into Young Justice. He calls for government
action to keep them from existing as a group. To deal with this task, we
are introduced to a group of characters that some fans of Golden Age comics
may remember, but not under their current group name. Old Justice debuts,
and the members consist of many of the sidekicks and mascots of Golden Age
heroes. Their new purpose is to protect Young Justice from themselves by
having them cease operation.
Almost all of these elements work as a cohesive story, right down to where
Arrowette destroys her own bow, seemingly giving up the hero business. One
element, however, sticks out like a sore thumb. I can buy into old
sidekicks of Golden Age heroes protesting the exploitation of young heroes,
but I can't understand why they would suit up in superhero garb to do it.
It seems a touch hypocritical. Still, their motivation seems realistic
enough within the context of spandex clad superheroes.
Art:
I've always liked Nauck and Stucker on this book. Their style is what I
like to coin as faux-anime. From the beanie-baby Ambush Bug to the poster
of Superboy in Wonder Girl's room, they give the book a youthful feel. What
makes the art work even better is that scenes where violence takes place
are actually disturbing because you don't really expect it.
Conclusion:
Many interesting issues are brought to the attention of the reader and most
of the information needed to enjoy the book is contained within the book.
If you're picking this book up for the first time, you'd probably be
wondering who Secret is (she's a member of the Young Justice team), but
other than that little tid-bit this is a great jumping on point for anynew
reader.
___________________________________________________________
End of Section 6
___________________________________________________________
MINISERIES AND SPECIALS:
-----------------------
BATMAN & SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #10 Jan 2000 $4.95 US/$7.95 CAN
"Year Ten: War of the Worlds"
Story: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Dave Taylor and Tom Morgan
Inks: Robert Campanella
Color/Seps: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Clem Robins
Assoc. Editor: Joseph Illedge
Editor: Darren Vincenzo
Cover: Dave Taylor and Robert Campanella
RATINGS
Average: 2.1/5.0 Shields
SDM: 1.8 Shields
EM: 2.0 Shields - What a disappointing ending to a long story. The art
was not up to snuff with the other issues and the cost made this
feel even worse. The story was also all over the place. Sometimes,
you should delay a comic to make sure it is done right instead of
rushing it out to be on time.
GC: 3.6 Shields - For the price and what had gone before I expected more
from this, and thought the art work was not as consistent. Still a
good read and the last few pages are very good but think it could
have fitted into a smaller cheaper issue.
JE: 1.7 Shields - After an excellent run, Kesel finishes with a really
weak issue. The Harrison Grey plot is wrapped up in something
straight out of bad soap opera, and the art on this issue leaves
more than a little to be desired. Karl, how could you do this to
me after that incredible issue #7?
ST: 1.5 Shields - ...and the only reason it gets that much is because of
the *hilarious* scenes between Riot and The Joker. This was an
over-priced, over-sized piece of nothing; the writing was weak,
the art was atrocious, and the twist ending had 'soap opera'
written all over it.
Review by: Simon DelMonte <sdelmonte@aol.com>
On the ninth anniversary of Harrison Grey's death, jailbreaks from both
Stryker's Island and Arkham Asylum are launched by Lonnie and Donnie Riven
(refitted with unique artificial hands), working for an unseen benefactor.
The Metropolis criminals are sent to Gotham, where they're being set up to
fight the Arkham escapees. At the same time, Jimmy Olsen, during his brief
career at WGBS, is in Gotham to try to get Batman on tape and prove he's
real. And of course, Superman is also in Gotham.
After defusing a tense standoff between Jimmy and the GCPD, Supes has a
chat with Bats about why the latter works to remain an urban legend -- a
chat which is echoed in a conversation between Jims Olsen and Gordon.
Gordon lets it slip that something else is afoot in Gotham, and Jimmy goes
in search of it, even as Superman and Batman decide that the timing of the
breakouts is no coincidence.
The two gangs soon begin their fight with a skirmish between Bloodsport and
Deadshot that draws our heroes' attention; after breaking this up, they
learn that Deadshot is a plant and that someone is out to wreak havoc.
Batman counters, however, by calling in the troops, in the form of
Superboy, Supergirl, Steel, Nightwing, Robin and Azrael. Jimmy is in hot
pursuit.
Suddenly, who should just walk into the middle of this but a man who is
clearly Harrison Grey! During a mindless fight between the good guys and
such shining lights of villainy as Anomaly, Riot, and Charaxas, Lonnie
escapes with Grey as a hostage. Of course, who else should be on the
rooftop with them but Jimmy, still looking to tape Batman. Instead, he
tapes the Rivens' ransom demand. He then tries to get it to GBS but finds
the heroes, done with the fight first. Off to the rescue they go, quickly
stopping the brothers but meeting the mastermind behind the plot: Two-Face.
It turns out that Two-Face somehow figured out that Bats and Supes meet
every year on the same day and he concocted a scheme to use the villains
and the heroes to fight so much they'd destroy half of Gotham. It didn't
work, though; the fight is over, the heroes rescue Grey, and Supes helps
restore Grey's lost memory by finding his still-faithful fiancee and flying
her to Gotham.
Finally, we end the series in the present at Grey's wedding. It turns out
that Grey -- who you may recall was highly paranoid -- was poisoned and
replaced by the man who was supposed to be his body double/bodyguard.
Instead of killing him, though, it somehow left him with amnesia. The man
who panicked and died was the double, and somehow this proves to our heroes
that they weren't responsible for the death of an innocent man. They chat
one last time about how well they've learned to work together, about how
they don't need any excuses to work together, and how they've almost
learned to like each other. The End.
And not a moment too soon! This story was painful to read and painful to
look at. Most of the things that I didn't like about this mini-series
surfaced. There were too many characters talking, too many lame villains,
and far too many guest stars. The plot was poorly constructed, with far too
much in the way of mindless fighting. The resolution of Harrison Grey plot,
which we knew was coming, was absurd. By an amazing coincidence, he wanders
into the story in Gotham after losing his memory nine years earlier. And
who should be involved as well but the Riven twins?
It helps little that this tale makes us relive some of the mediocre stories
and ideas that have populated the Superman titles these past five years. I
do not remember meeting Anomaly, I barely remember Riot, and I haven't been
able to forget the mess they made of Toyman. I liked Jimmy's TV News career
for a while, but here he's a caricature except for a rather impressive
moment -- the only one here -- where he states how he would not show the
weak footage of Batman he did get because it would never show Batman's true
power and darkness. I had forgotten how lost even Karl Kesel got during the
last half-decade.
The worst part of this comic, however, was the art. I don't know which art
is from Taylor and which is from Morgan, but all of it is bad. Cartoony
faces -- especially Jimmy's -- combine with stiff action sequences to
create an ugly comic. And who is that in the Joker's clothing and makeup?
Everything about the art makes me want to march up to Darren Vincenzo and
ask him if he has even one clue about what makes art work.
So ends what could have been a good mini-series. The premise of having the
two greatest heroes meeting every so often still works for me, and is why
I'm willing to tolerate Grant Morrison's odd ideas in JLA, but Kesel only
really did the premise justice in issue 7. The rest of the time it was a
lot of talk and some fighting and maybe a little insight into Superman and
Batman. Oh, what could have been.
==========================================================
SON OF SUPERMAN Jan 2000 $24.95 US/$38.00 CAN
Writers: Howard Chaykin and David Tischman
Penciller: J.H. Williams III
Inker: Mick Gray
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Kurt Hathaway
Assistant Editor: Jim Higgins
Group Editor: Andy Helfer
RATINGS
Average: 4.4/5.0 Shields
JE: 4.7 Shields
EM: 4.2 Shields (Story: 3.5, Art: 4.9) - The J.H. Williams III and Mick
Gray art make this a must buy for me. The story is pretty good,
but could have been fleshed out more. If you are a fan of the art,
you already own this. Otherwise, wait for the softcover.
JSy: 4.0 Shields - An intricate, intelligent tale and beautiful artwork
highlight a truly fascinating book. I particularly appreciated
that the authors deliberately avoid over-explanation, leaving
the reader to draw conclusions and to use story clues to fill in
the details. Well worth the read, but twenty-five bucks!?
SL: 4.9 Shields - I haven't read a comic of this caliber in months, and
the artist's work is certainly deserving of this sort of showcase.
The format choice was excellent, and I don't even mind the price;
if I had to choose between buying this or buying ten other comics,
without hesitation I pick this one.
Review by: Joshua Elder <j-elder@nwu.edu>
Jon Kent is the seventeen year old son of screenwriter Lois Lane and the
late Clark Kent, who died (along with his alter-ego) fifteen years ago in
the year 2000. Jon has grown up in a privileged area of Beverly Hills with
his mother, far from his birthplace of Metropolis. He is a science geek and
a normal kid in every respect; he has no idea that his father was the
greatest hero the world has ever known. As far as he's concerned, his
father was plain, ordinary Clark Kent and he is plain, ordinary Jon Kent.
That all changes when massive solar flares jump-start the powers he
inherited from his famous father. He leaps several tall buildings, and in
his confusion crashes through the roof of his house. Lois has a talk with
him about how a boy's body can go through certain changes -- especially if
that boy got fifty percent of his genes from Superman. Against the vehement
objections of his mother, Jon creates his own Superman costume and tries to
take up the tradition, only to find that the world has changed quite a bit
since his father's time.
Soon after Superman's death, Lex Luthor introduced incredibly advanced
Third Wave technology, and since then the United States has been divided by
economic class. The rich have gotten much richer and the poor are kept in
the same socio-economic class no matter how much they earn. The JLA are now
bankrolled by the government -- a word synonymous with Lexcorp -- and they
now sport sleek, black uniforms with attitudes to match. They are the
servants of the establishment; they have created order but at the cost of
liberty. At the center of everything is Luthor, who looks to be in his
mid-thirties and has a full head of red hair. He is the world's most
powerful man... and he has something (or someone) stored away in a secret
facility in the Arizona desert.
Then there are the Supermen, a group of terrorists headed by the
husband-wife duo of Pete Ross and Lana Lang. They have taken the name of
their childhood friend as a symbol of what Truth, Justice and the American
Way used to mean. They use advanced battle suits given to them by an
unknown benefactor, and while the JLA has tried to bring them down, the
Supermen are always one step ahead. Their mission has taken on an entirely
new dimension with the appearance of Jon Kent; they now want to capture the
Son of Superman so that he can lead them...
There's more, of course, but I don't want to give away the ending. <g>
I found the story to be very well crafted. Superman dies, and the world
gets a little darker: the JLA sells out and Lois Lane loses her direction.
It speaks a lot about the power Superman has both as a symbol and in his
ability to positively effect the lives of those around him. Chaykin and
Tischman have also created an excellent character in Jonathan Kent; I could
see him becoming a worthy heir to Superman. He is the perfect amalgam of
Lois and Clark: sarcasm combined with compassion and naivete.
I can't ignore the wonderful visuals of Williams and Gray. The visual
design -- an extremely important part of a book like this -- is excellent.
The world looks believably futuristic and the characters all look superb.
Williams also draws one of the (ahem) hottest Lois Lanes that I have ever
seen.
There were still a few weak points. The treatment of a few members of the
JLA rankled me a bit, but it fit within the context of the story. It's just
their darker personas seemed too far out of character, even after the death
of Superman. The story also used Republicans as the economic villains. I
thought this was a political misnomer and feeds off the stereotype of
Republicans as money-grubbers. I doubt that the whole of the Republican
Party would support Luthor's new oligarchy.
This hardback is exactly what Elseworlds should be: an exploration of a
scenario that will probably never happen in the canonical titles. This
story really succeeded because it managed to craft a compelling story
around such a tricky subject as the son of Superman. I can think of no
higher compliment to pay than to say that the actual son of Superman story
in the regular titles, if one were ever to come to pass, should be
patterned after this one.
Now the big question: Was it worth $25.00? Well, I really enjoyed the book,
but then again I buy every Superman book that comes out on general
principles. I think this book is more for the hard-core fans with a little
extra cash laying around. For everyone else, I would suggest waiting for
the trade paperback.
___________________________________________________________
End of Section 7
___________________________________________________________
THE MAILBAG
-------------------------------------
(mailbag@kryptonian-cybernet.com)
KC Responses are indented and begun with ****
========================================
From: Jenny Stosser <jenerator@ozemail.com.au>
I posted the following to the DC Message boards, but as no one has
responded there, perhaps one of the readers of KC has a comment to make?
I don't know who [_Superman, Inc._ author] Steve Vance is, but I'm curious
to know how and why he's influenced by Australian literature and popular
culture.
My question is based on two of the character names in _Superman, Inc. First
of all Marcus Clark(e) was a famous Australian author -- he wrote _For the
Term of His Natural Life_ about Australia's convict history.
Secondly, Dave Sullivan, the name that Dale Suderman gives to the Kents
when he's found by them, is the name of the patriarch of _The Sullivans_, a
classic Australian Soap Opera, set during WW2.
So Steve Vance, if you're out there, who are you and when were *you* in Oz
last? <G>
**** I don't have the answer you're looking for, but I can offer that Steve
Vance was the writer of most (if not all) of the issues of _Adventures
in the DC Universe_ a couple of years ago. You might look there for
additional references.
It's entirely possible that Vance is Australian -- after all, quite a
number of people working for DC are not in the United States. Just to
reference a few names we're all familiar with, Tom Grummett and Stuart
Immonen are Canadian, Mark Millar is Scottish, and Grant Morrison is
British. (All of these are to the best of my recollection, and I
welcome corrections if I am mistaken.)
========================================
From: Jon Knutson <waffyjon@execpc.com>
[Christopher O'Brien asked, "How do I go about locating other comic book
collectors in my area?"]
That's an awfully good question... certainly, there's the option of hanging
around your local comics shop when the new books come in, but some store
owners may not appreciate your doing so (and other stores may not be roomy
enough to permit this). There are some other ideas one could follow...
1) You could place a classified ad in the _Comics Buyers' Guide_
(http://www.cbg.com) saying you're looking for other comics fans in your
area.
2) If there are comics shows in your area, go to 'em, and talk to some of
the people who are also going.
3) Check out the letter columns of your favorite comics... see if there are
any letters from people in your area, and if they've got addresses printed,
write them a letter yourself, saying that you're interested in meeting
other comics collectors.
4) Speaking of letter columns, why don't you write letters to some of your
favorite titles, and after talking about the last issue, mention you're
looking to meet other comics fans in your area -- don't forget to provide
your full address (as well as your e-mail address).
5) The internet's also a possibility... your letter in this KC didn't
mention where you're from, and if it had, there could be other KC readers
who live in your area who could get in touch with you. If you subscribe to
any other mailing lists, mention where you live, and ask if any other
members live in or around the area (there are a lot of comics lists you can
subscribe to at http://www.onelist.com). You might also want to check out
some of the sites I mentioned in the final "Web of Steel" column to see if
they have any listings of comic book clubs -- Comic Book Resources might be
the best bet there.
6) Probably the best idea, if not the most complicated, is to try to
organize a club for comic readers in your area. Flyers in comics shops and
at comics shows are a good way to get people interested (and you can also
use the CBG ads for this), and most libraries have some kind of meeting
room you could use to meet in (of course, there are limited hours) if your
house or apartment isn't big enough to handle the crowd. Something like
this could be used for people to discuss current comics and old favorites,
watching videos of comics-related tv shows and movies, or even for members
to trade and sell books and other related materials to each other. You
might also find there's enough creative people to start a fanzine. It could
take some time to get something like this going, but you can make some good
friends doing this.
Hope these help the readers!
========================================
From: Jean-Marc Lofficier
I read with great interest your comments about our (Jose and I) recent
Transilvane two-parter [in _Legends of the DC Universe_].
You'll be interested to know that you were right on the dot: the story, as
initially proposed, was meant to be longer and more, er, "epic". So I quite
agree with [Cory Strode] on this point: we've barely scratched the surface.
The ending as it stands now is much too rushed.
One thing surprised me in what I read: I thought it was clear in the first
issue that it was Dragorin who summoned Dabney to Transilvane by
threatening Earth if he didn't come. And Dabney got Superman to tag along
as a bodyguard. Not terribly original perhaps, but straightforward enough.
Finally, I would dare say that our story is very different from Kirby's.
Kirby did not show Transilvane. His entire two issues took place on Earth.
He never showed Transilvane at all. We the readers were left to wonder how
could a civilization arise based on movies projected on clouds -- on
clouds??? (And what about the soundtracks???) And then Superman, at the
end, blithely reprograms their lives by screening _Oklahoma_???
I believe you see the difference.
Kirby's story was about a mock fight between Superman and Universal
Monsters, and never made sense of Transilvane at all. Not in terms of
science fiction. Nor in terms of philosophy. If these creatures are
*alive*, then you can't destroy their culture the way Superman did in
Kirby's story -- and Dabney wants to in our story. In Kirby's story, Supes
commits the ultimate cultural genocide. In ours, he constantly tries to
stop Dabney from playing God.
The point of our story is to make sense of Transilvane, both in science
fictional terms -- no one commented upon this, sadly -- but also in moral
terms. The issue is: these creatures are living beings, deserve respect and
having created them, we must learn to live with them.
At the end, we're left with the fact that there is a miniature planet (a
sovereign world really) somewhere in America with enough power to destroy
us. And nothing has been done about it, because morally nothing *can* be
done about it. Superman wouldn't stand for it. It's a stalemate, just as
much as America and the Soviet Union in the 50s and 60s. That, I think, is
the most important point about this story, far more than the superheroics.
Jose and I would like to return to Transilvane and explore this in further
details someday, but with him being exclusive to Marvel, it might have to
wait a little.
**** Thanks for your insight to the story. I've got to say that your story,
and the science fiction explorations it represented, was a lot more
interesting than the Kirby story you described. (Superman "saves the
day" by screening _Oklahoma_? I might have to seek that one out just
for the ridicule factor alone...) I look forward to any further
stories you may get to tell about Transilvane.
========================================
From: Doug Tisdale <dmtisdale_jr@yahoo.com>
My roommate and I are puzzling over some recent developments in the DC
universe, and I'd like to hear if anyone has any theories.
DC used the _Crisis on Infinite Earths_ storyline to coalesce all the
various timelines and multiple universes which had come into existence into
a single, unified history. _Zero Hour_ was supposed to accomplish the same
thing by completely destroying any alternate timelines, leaving only the
one, true universe. But the recently published _The Kingdom_ introduces the
concept of Hypertime, the "greatest secret in all creation," the "vast,
interconnected web of parallel timelines which comprise all reality." Why
is this? How can Hypertime comprise all reality when the single universe
which was born out of _Zero Hour_ is supposed to be it?
_Kingdom Come_ is an Elseworlds tale that takes place in the mid-21st
century and finds Superman and his colleagues mostly retired, having passed
the torch on to a second generation of heroes. _The Kingdom_ is clearly a
sequel to this story; and yet it is *not* an Elseworlds. My roommate
believes that it should nevertheless be considered as such, which takes
care of the problem of Hypertime; however Superboy's recent forays into
Hypertime mean that _The Kingdom_ has to be part of the regular continuity.
I wonder if this means that _Kingdom Come_ should also be part of the
regular continuity? It's all so confusing... someone with a greater insight
into the minds of DC *please* help me clear this up!!
**** Personally, I think that only Mark Waid and Grant Morrison know
definitively where DC is going with Hypertime, but it will probably
be a couple of years before that gets played out in its entirety.
As I see it, the attempt to streamline DC's continuity into a single
timeline failed. The reason is fairly simple -- time travel stories
are too significant a story-telling tool in super-hero comics in order
to give them up, and multiple timelines are a natural extension of
that concept. I think that's what Waid and Morrison probably realized,
and so they've reintroduced the realms of infinite possibilities in
the form of Hypertime. Of course, all indications from the pair are
that we still have not seen the full extent of Hypertime explained to
us, so there may be even more to it than multiple timelines.
_Kingdom Come_ is an Elseworlds story, but I'm hesitant to call _The
Kingdom_ a sequel. The primary reason for my reluctance is that there
are several characters appearing in _The Kingdom_ who were killed at
the end of _Kingdom Come_. Nonetheless, I'm of the impression that
every story ever that has ever involved a DC character is now just a
part of the Hypertime structure, so that both _Kingdom Come_ and _The
Kingdom_ represent realities in alternate timelines. However, I also
think that there is still a "primary" timeline, and that's what we
see in the everyday DC stories.
As for a precise answer to your question, who knows? What constitutes
a continuity anymore? If everything can now happen within the context
of some alternate timeline, *is* there any meaning to the word
continuity anymore?
========================================
From: Jim Butler <ButlerSix@Worldnet.att.net>
Just a few comments on KC #68.
First of all, I don't think you have *anything* to apologize for in terms
of being late. I know, you think you do and I won't try to change your
mind, but as I see it this is purely a volunteer labor of love for you and
no one should be upset if you are late. Besides, this is the first time
you've ever tried to put this together while serving as instructor of
mathematics. You've got a lot of work just learning your profession the
first year. I trust that you are doing the best that you can and I, for
one, am happy with that effort.
**** I'll be perfectly honest -- I absolutely adore teaching. Now that I'm
doing that full-time, no longer having to spend time researching my
dissertation, I find myself getting so caught up in my work that I
just don't want to do anything else. It's a rare thing in this day and
age that people gets to spend their career doing something they so
desperately love, and I feel mighty blessed to be one of those people.
Second, last year you asked for help in tabulating the votes for the KC
awards. I was glad to lend a hand last year and I'd be more than happy to
do so again this year. Just let me know what you'd like me to do.
**** I'll definitely keep that in mind (a few others have already
volunteered as well) when we start putting the ballot together in
early January. I'll almost certainly be contacting those of you who
have already been in touch.
Third, you said that you haven't found any comic book readers in your town
as of yet. You do teach on a college campus, right? Somehow, I have a hard
time believing that there are no comics fans on a college campus! I went to
Concordia College, Ann Arbor, MI (student population less than 500!) and
their were several fans on the campus. Maybe it you let it be known in
class that you are a comics fan, some of your students might volunteer the
information as well -- even giving you some help putting the KC together.
Just a thought.
**** The problem as I see it is more the location than the college setting.
I'm in a town of about 5 or 6 thousand people, certainly not large
enough to support a comic shop on its own, and the closest comic book
store is at least 45 minutes away. That certainly doesn't lend itself
to readers being able to keep up easily. Nonetheless, I'll start
looking around a bit more. There should be *someone* else in comics
around here!
Last, while I enjoy the new creators on Superman, am I the only one getting
annoyed by Lois referring to Clark as "Smallville"? She hasn't done it
before this and I don't much care for it now. Apparently, this comes from
the animated adventures. I can't say I particularly like it, even though I
think the new creators are doing a bang-up job so far.
**** Hmm, I kind of like it. It gives their relationship a bit more flavor,
and it reminds us of the more competitive beginnings to that
relationship. Who knows if it'll stick, though -- remember when "Great
shades of Elvis" made its way from _Lois and Clark_ to the comics?
Have we seen Perry say that anytime recently?
-- Jeff Sykes
________________________________________________________
****************************************************************
End of Issue #69
