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Post by shaxper on Jan 19, 2015 21:17:41 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #453  "Apparitions" writer and pencils: Jerry Ordway letters: Albert De Guzman colors: Glenn Whitmore editor: Mike Carlin (note: no Renee Witterstaeter as assistant editor this time) Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster grade: C Even with Stern and Ordway getting time off to plan ahead last month while Dan Jurgens did filler stories, Ordway's return to the title this month still manages to feel like filler content as the bulk of the story is Superman continuing to wrestle with his inner demons without really going anywhere new. The only difference is that the struggle is expressed as a hallucinogenic external struggle with his own selves ala Superman III. It's a nice reminder to be told, in the midst of all this, that the Post-Crisis Superman still primarily sees himself as Clark Kent and that it's important to him to have Lois love him as Clark first and foremost as a result, but those nine pages of internal conflict don't really arrive at anything we haven't seen previously. All in all, a let-down. At least "Matrix" morphing to resemble Clark in his absence was an interesting twist. The character really needs more development/exploration, and I'm hoping this new twist will afford her the opportunity to get it. So was that it -- the anti-climactic endcap to nine months of inner conflict? plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman imagines he is revisiting the charred remains of the Pocket Universe Earth and that the rogue Kryptonians survived, Ma and Pa Kent worry about reporter Tobey Raynes (incidentally, Maggie Sawyers' lover) grilling them about what really happened to Clark (currently presumed dead by most), Matrix changes her physical appearance to resemble Clark, Superman spends more time hallucinating a massive guilt trip about everything he's ever done wrong, finally concluding that he can't expect himself to be perfect, Prof. Hamilton has rebuilt Jose Delgado's Gangbuster armor for him, there are rumors of Luthor buying out STAR Labs and some aliens find Superman's unconscious body, deciding to that he'll earn top bid at auction. "Hostile Takeover -- Part II: Inside Rumors!" writer: Roger Stern pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Dennis Janke letters: Albert De Guzman colors: Glenn Whitmore "insider": Jerry Ordway grade: C- While I love the idea of giving half the book each month to exploring Metropolis' supporting cast (really, the Superman franchise has arguably the most compelling supporting cast in comicdom, and Byrne, Wolfman, Helfer, Carlin, Ordway, and Stern have developed them incredibly well in the Post-Crisis), a storyline all about Luthor manipulating the stock market is about as visually and narratively uninteresting as stories come, especially as Stern lends almost none of Luthor's compelling characterization to the story and leaves his motives and internal thoughts eclipsed in shadow. Luthor is, in fact, arguably the MOST compelling character in the Post-Crisis Superman universe, but none of that is felt here at all. Important Details: Whereas previous issues heavily hinted that there was something extremely shady about the new director of STAR Labs, he's presented here as both ordinary and impotent as the threat of a hostile takeover from Lexcorp looms. Considering how careful Carlin's office has previously been about continuity, I find this lapse both surprising and disappointing. plot synopsis in one sentence: Luthor is intentionally spreading rumors about doing a hostile takeover of STAR Labs in order to drive their stock prices sky high for reasons that have yet to be explained, and it's heavily suggested that the speculation and turbulence he's creating will have a global impact. |
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Post by shaxper on Jul 20, 2015 12:03:08 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #455  "Heritage" writer: Jerry ordway pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Art Thibert letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Glenn Whitmore associate editor: Jonathan Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: A- Wow. After a year of the Superman franchise meandering around without direction in the wake of John Byrne, this issue finally provides a climactic release of tension and promises more excitement on the way. I suppose the newly revised Superman creative teams have gotten a better grasp on where they are going together and, perhaps, Dan Jurgens relieving Jerry Ordway on pencils has given him more energy to focus on story as well. For what it's worth, this issue marks Jurgens' permanent assignment to the Superman franchise (though only as an artist at this point). The story just does an amazing job of building three conflicts at once and weaving across them seamlessly: Superman meeting Cleric and interfacing with The Eradicator device, Mongul struggling to reclaim victory in the face of defeat, and the fall of the Warworld regime. All three are done exceptionally well, with Jurgens' art and pacing and Ordway's writing doing a masterful job throughout. I even love that, in the midst of all this epic seriousness, Ordway has Superman tell Cleric the Eradicator device "tickles" when it begins interfacing with him. Ordway won't allow us to lose sight of the idea that Superman is a human, with a full and robust personality, and that he might be prone to crack a joke on the precipice of the terrifying unknown. Of course, that leaves me to wonder why Clark is so sure he should trust Cleric. He knows Cleric entered his mind and put thoughts there, and he doesn't find that at all alarming/suspicious, now instantly trusting Cleric to the point that he is willing to merge with a completely unknown alien device. I should also mention that, while Ordway and Jurgens masterfully run to and fro across these three major stories, they also manage to touch upon some significant B plots back home in Metropolis, including a redemption of sorts for Cat Grant (she knew what she was doing in dating Morgan Edge -- she was Clark's source for his exposé on Intergang!) and the utterly endearing further exploration of Matrix naively posing as Clark Kent. How they crammed all of that storytelling into 22 pages is beyond me, but wow -- we really got our 75 cents' worth on this one! Important Developments: - Warworld is in crisis, as the lower classes now rebel both because Mongol broke his own word in entering the games in the previous chapter and because Superman became a symbol and martyr to them when he stood up to Mongol (he's believed to be dead, from their point of view). The masters of Warworld are now backing Draaga over Mongul. - Superman merges with the Eradicator device, the effects of which are not yet known. - revealed that Mongul cannot live without his amulet Minor Details: - The Eradicator device -- a mysterious alien artifact with a definite intelligence that merges with Superman, can read his mind, and attempts to grant his unconscious wishes (in this case, giving him a new costume). Is this reminding anyone else of Spidey's alien costume? Venom was a massive (and recent) sensation in comicdom at this point. plot synopsis in one sentence: The masses are rebelling on Warworld, the masters elect to oust Mongul by offering the throne to Draaga if he can kill him, Cleric gives the Eradicator device to Superman, Matrix is confusing everyone as a bewildered Clark Kent and inadvertently toying with Lois Lane's emotions, Cat Grant is fearing that Morgan Edge will discover she was Clark Kent's source and come after her and her son, Mongul and Draaga fight to near-death, ending with a draw, and Clark merges with the Eradicator device. |
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Post by shaxper on Sept 22, 2015 20:00:43 GMT -5
Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography  writer: James D. Hudnall art: Eduardo Barreto colors: Adam Kubert letters: Bill Oakley editors: Mike Carlin and Jon Peterson grade: A++ In the wake of World of Metropolis (which gave us the backstory on Perry White, Lois Lane, and the Daily Planet), as well as World of Smallville (which gave us the backstory on Ma and Pa Kent), and (of course) Man of Steel (which gave us the background on Superman and Lana Lang), the major enigma still residing in the Post-Crisis Superman universe at this point was Lex Luthor. I only know James Hudnall from his work on the latter years of Strikeforce: Morituri, which was intelligent but also flawed and, at times, amateur. In contrast, this later stand-alone work is an absolute triumph. It's honestly hard for me to believe it was written by the same person. Rather than actually being an unauthorized biography of Luthor (as the cover suggests), this is the tale of a seedy reporter attempting to uncover that story, and it paints a far more vivid picture of the man in question as a result. Essentially, it's a brilliant inversion of Citizen Kane, in which a reporter spends the entire film trying to learn the story of an immensely wealthy and influential man no one truly knew who died in the first scene. Instead, a reporter spends the entire book trying to learn the story of an immensely wealthy and influential man no one truly knew who had him murdered in the first scene (flashbacks are fun). In both stories, the true core of who the man is and what makes him tick lies not with the ex-business partners, employees, and ex-lovers; it lies back in his childhood, where, though raised in poverty like Charles Foster Kane, no wealthy businessman came to rescue Lex Luthor; he had to become savage enough to rescue himself. But, beyond even this ingenious parallel and excellent storytelling from both Hudnall and Barreto, the final eight pages offer an amazing series of revelations as we see in action the brilliant and utterly heartless cunning we've heard alluded to throughout this tale, Luthor managing to put in their places a nosy reporter, a childhood rival, and Clark Kent, all in one ingenious move. If that isn't enough, we also inadvertently learn that he can cause earthquakes that devastate entire cities when enough people cross him. Early in the story, an informant suggests that Luthor gets off on his ability to manipulate others and, sure enough, this is also explicitly verified by the close. It's seedy, moody, brilliant, and ridiculously tight in its plotting. Beyond even offering a definitive backstory on Luthor, it's just a class act piece of literature all around. What we learn about Luthor:Important Continuity Note: The years and ages referenced here contradict my work in The Post Crisis Superman Timeline. Hinted at previously and also verified here is that Luthor and Perry White were the same age, but, from World of Metropolis, we know Perry White was 10 years old in 1943. In this story, Mrs. Anderson indicates that Perry White and Lex Luthor were classmates, and then indicates that "it's been thirty years since I taught that boy" (referring to Luthor), which would make both Luthor and White thirteen in 1959, born in 1946, and 43 years old in present continuity. 1946: Lex Luthor born. Raised in Suicide Slum until the age of thirteen by implicitly abusive parents. 1959: At age 13, Lex Luthor attends the seventh grade and is best friends with Perry White. Around this time, he begins associating with adults in the neighborhood that he pays to rough people up for him, starting with two kids who had been picking on him (Edward Kelley and Richard McGuire). Luthor's teacher was Mrs. Anderson. Later that year, Luthor sabotages his parents' car after taking out a massive insurance policy on them. He uses his adult lackeys to intimidate a mechanic into issuing a false report about the cause of the accident. He acquires his first fortune from this. Approximately 1972: In response to the dismantling of The French Connection, Lex Luthor creats a designer drug and distrubution system and sells it to the Mafia for two million dollars. Unspecificed time after 1972: The rise of Lexcorp. Luthor uses the Daily Planet (which he owned at the time) to embarrass companies that bid against him for government contracts, effectively destroying his enemies via the media. Note also that the focus of this story was to explore the dark/seedy sides of Luthor that he'd left out of his own authorized biography. Thus no mention of Lexcorp's technological achievements, including (if this remains in continuity) The Lex Wing aircraft design, which "founded" Luthor's financial empire (Superman #13). So reconciling this major revision to Perry White's and Lex Luthor's ages in the Post-Crisis Superman Timeline is going to be a significant challenge for me. Not sure I'm up for the task tonight... |
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Post by shaxper on Nov 30, 2015 22:00:18 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #456  "Redemption!" plot: Jerry Ordway script and pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Art Thibert letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Glenn Whitmore assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson editor: Mike Carlin Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster grade: B A very uneven issue as Dan Jurgens tackles regular art chores and script writing for the first time. On the one hand, there is so much unnecessary exposition in this issue, as characters spend multiple panels rehashing events that have occurred over the past eight months so that readers can be caught up. On the other, there are moments where the writing really connects. I particularly enjoyed Jurgens' characterization of Matrix. Others have tried to turn her playful naivete into comedy, but it never really worked for me until now. For example, Matrix (as Clark) is sent out to get food for everyone at The Planet:  I also really enjoyed Matrix surviving an epic destruction and, upon being told Lois is in danger, decides the thing to do is get a fresh set of clothes. Jurgens is really writing her well. But then we also get this moment, which really irked me. We've been waiting and waiting to find out what kind of danger Cat Grant would be in, first in dating in Morgan Edge and later in being Clark's contact for the expose that's destroying his criminal empire. So we've waited and waited for the other foot to drop, but now it's done so carelessly and conveniently when Darkseid brings in an enormous robot to solve a problem that had been hidden in subtle shadows up until now.  So Cat just outs herself? And Darkseid just conveniently decides not to kill her in order to preserve his own pride? And she never ever gives a thought to the idea that Intergang now knows what she did and might want to go after her son as payback? It's just all so carelessly concluded. But then, most of that likely falls on Ordway, who plotted this story. In terms of Jurgens' artwork, the above images are both great examples of the unevenness of his work here. Clark looks downright weird in that first image, but the second one is very visually striking. Jurgens is often really really on (moreso than Byrne, Ordway, and Gammill put together), but there are a few visually awkward panels as well, and usually the awkwardness is in Clark's face for some reason. Anyway, it's a better issue. Things are moving forward finally, even with Superman not returning to Earth until next issue, and Jurgens is mostly doing an excellent job in both the scripting and penciling departments. Things ARE improving. Important Details: Gangbuster can now utilize his armor without having Lex Luthor control him remotely thanks to Prof. Hamilton Minor Details: With all the basic aspects of society that Matrix struggles to understand, how the hell did she figure out how to tie a tie or even properly wear a suit without any help? plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman leaves for Earth, utilizing the Eradicator Device to wish himself home (so then why does he not just magically reappear on Earth?), Morgan Edge is beginning to fall apart, Darkseid decides to bring in an enormous robot from Apokolips to solve the issue of Clark Kent (and now Lois Lane writing the exposes on Intergang as well), Pa Kent is apparently no longer heading to Metropolis to help Matrix (oops? Editorial oversight??), the robot attacks and completely crushes Gangbuster, as well as Maggie Sawyer and her team, all while Brainiac awakes to announce that Superman has returned. |
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Post by shaxper on Dec 1, 2015 14:20:31 GMT -5
Action Comics #643  "Superman on Earth" writer and breakdowns: George Perez finished art: Brett Breeding letters: Bill Oakley colors: Glenn Whitmore assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson editor: Mike Carlin Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster grade: B A major transition issue. Action Comics returns to monthly publication, is once again approved by the Comics Code, and (of course) features a full length Superman story for the first time in 42 issues. But even more than that, there's a major transition for Superman himself in this issue, and that seems to correspond to the arrival of George Perez on the book. DC's initial approach to the Post-Crisis Superman was to take one super high profile artist/writer and give him nearly complete control over the franchise. I get the sense that they're trying that approach once again with Perez, and Perez has a very different vision for Superman than Byrne did. I believe someone shared an anecdote much earlier in this thread of Byrne and Perez not getting along just before Byrne's departure, and that would help to explain why Perez's approach seems to hold no respect for what Byrne had spent two years doing with the franchise. This Superman hasn't just had his hope in himself replenished -- he's an outright hokey good guy for the first time in the Post-Crisis. Perez exhumes the classic "Look! Up in the sky!" quote to initiate Superman's return, and then just portrays the guy as so joyful, optimistic, and out-and-out goody goody for the rest of the issue. He's far more the outright hero I've missed than the moody former farm boy Byrne had been developing.  In addition to that, the major Intergang/Morgan Edge/Darkseid/Cat Grant story arc gets essentially tossed out the window here, easily solved by Superman throwing down with a giant robot, after which Morgan Edge conveniently has a heart attack and may be dying, Cat Grant's problems get solved and her career takes off, and we find out it was never Darkseid backing Edge -- just DeSaad playing games. Kind of a major F--- You to all that had been in the pipes in regard to this storyline for so long now. But, I have to admit, that brawl between Superman and the robot was epic.  In fact, this massive throwdown, devastating the ground around them to a battered pulp while two giants essentially wrestle as a helicopter zooms overhead, desperately attempting to capture it all, feels a bit prototypical of the epic battle between Superman and Doomsday a few years from now, penciled by Dan Jurgens. heck, if I was a penciler working in the Superman office when Perez did this, I'd want to steal from it too. Essentially, though, this issue feels very much like a #1, almost as if Perez is saying "Hey, if you never read Superman prior to this moment, that's okay. You're on the ground floor of what's to come, and what was before is ancient history." Heck, the cover paying homage to the original Superman #1 seems to confirm the idea. Of course, Matrix and Brainiac will require some explaining, but perhaps Perez is content to let someone else do that explaining in one of the other books. Minor Details: - "Eldon" is the best helicopter pilot employed by The Daily Planet - New Troy Hospital is a hospital in Metropolis - Perry sends Clark (Matrix) home because he's acting strange only hours after deciding that he, Lois, and Cat should stay at the Daily Planet because their lives may be in danger from Intergang? Guess Perez forgot that plot point from the previous issue. - So, a year ago, Superman was saving Metropolis from new superhuman threats three times a month. Then, suddenly, just when he leaves Earth, nothing happens for eight months. And now, within hours of his return...  Convenient much? - This page:  Where do I begin? So Superman's super hearing doesn't notice a whole bunch of non-stealthy people sneaking up behind him? And Byrne explained once that the reason no one can recognize that Superman's face looks like Clark Kent's when photographed is because he vibrates his head back and forth in order to distort the image, but he doesn't have time to do that here because they catch him by surprise (which still doesn't make sense considering his super speed). So didn't the Daily Planet just plaster a close-up image of Superman's face for all of Metropolis to see and take note of? Yup, lots of little logic flaws in this issue, but it's GREAT to see Superman acting like Superman for the first time in a LONG while. We've moved as far away from Byrne as possible here, and I welcome that, though I look forward to Ordway and Jurgens giving a little more attention to reconciling old Byrne continuity down the road. Perhaps that won't happen until Perez departs (as a kid, I began reading roughly a year from this point. The Perez Era is entirely unknown to me). plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman returns, Lois and Jose get rescued, Superman takes down Turmoil (the big robot from last issue), Superman goes to confront Edge, but Edge has a heart attack and is in critical condition, Jose will make a full recovery, it turns out that DeSaad was posing as Darkseid throughout this entire affair, and Clark returns to his apartment to discover Matrix (as Clark) blown up and knocked unconscious by the Eradicator Device. |
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Post by shaxper on Dec 1, 2015 15:19:50 GMT -5
Old Byrne Plot Points Still Left Unresolved
Perez is trying to wipe the slate clean, but we'll also see Ordway working to resolve old plot points as early as next issue. Thus, for our own convenience, I present my best off-the-top-of-my-head effort to catalog all past Byrne continuity that still remains unresolved. Chime in if you think of something I forgot:
Note: I'm not including villains that left and might show up again or who still have mysteries involved in their backstories. It goes without saying that we'll see more from Silver Banshee, Draaga, Mxyzptlk, and the like.
Needs to be resolved:
- There has now been a laboratory floating in orbit of Earth containing ALL of Superman's secret information since Superman #1, and yet no one has noticed it yet.
- Elinore Lane (Lois' mother) is still battling a deadly illness. Luthor is controlling Lois in exchange for treating her mom.
- Amanda McCoy is trying to prove that Clark Kent is Superman and was inadvertently involved in the death of the private detective aiding her.
- When is Perry going to learn his "son" Jerry is the biological son of Lex Luthor?
- STAR Labs. Morgan Edge just bought the controlling stock in it, so what happens if he dies? What's up with the new director of STAR labs who was implied to be shady and have questioble motives several months back?
- Jimmy Olsen's mom is still trying to find his dad now that she has a photograph proving he is alive.
- Luthor and the Kryptonite radiation. I can't recall if it's been explained that he is dying from it yet.
Getting addressed right now:
Jose as Gangbuster. Will that continue to be a thing?
Morgan Edge
The Eradicator Device
Skyhook and (presumably) Maggie Sawyer's daughter next issue
Matrix
Probably should be revisited:
-Jimmy Olsen dating Lucy Lane (last mentioned in Superman #4)
-Cat Grant's son. We had some serious foreshadowing that things were going to go bad for that young man.
-Will there ever be a "real" Bizarro in the Post-Crisis, or are we stuck with the lame clone concept we got in Man of Steel #5?
-Will there ever be another Metallo beyond the one who got his butt handed to him in Superman #1 and then died in #2?
-Lois and Superman shared a kiss during The Earth Stealers
-Alice, the timid, mild-mannered staffer at the Daily Planet who kept getting mentioned and shown for no apparent reason over the course of several issues. Still wondering if that was an office in-joke and Alice was supposed to represent someone at DC.
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Post by Action Ace on Dec 1, 2015 19:49:46 GMT -5
Old Byrne Plot Points Still Left UnresolvedPerez is trying to wipe the slate clean, but we'll also see Ordway working to resolve old plot points as early as next issue. Thus, for our own convenience, I present my best off-the-top-of-my-head effort to catalog all past Byrne continuity that still remains unresolved. Chime in if you think of something I forgot: Note: I'm not including villains that left and might show up again or who still have mysteries involved in their backstories. It goes without saying that we'll see more from Silver Banshee, Draaga, Mxyzptlk, and the like. Needs to be resolved:- There has now been a laboratory floating in orbit of Earth containing ALL of Superman's secret information since Superman #1, and yet no one has noticed it yet. - Elinore Lane (Lois' mother) is still battling a deadly illness. Luthor is controlling Lois in exchange for treating her mom. - Amanda McCoy is trying to prove that Clark Kent is Superman and was inadvertently involved in the death of the private detective aiding her. - When is Perry going to learn his "son" Jerry is the biological son of Lex Luthor? - STAR Labs. Morgan Edge just bought the controlling stock in it, so what happens if he dies? What's up with the new director of STAR labs who was implied to be shady and have questioble motives several months back? - Jimmy Olsen's mom is still trying to find his dad now that she has a photograph proving he is alive. - Luthor and the Kryptonite radiation. I can't recall if it's been explained that he is dying from it yet. Getting addressed right now:Jose as Gangbuster. Will that continue to be a thing? Morgan Edge The Eradicator Device Skyhook and (presumably) Maggie Sawyer's daughter next issue Matrix Probably should be revisited:-Jimmy Olsen dating Lucy Lane (last mentioned in Superman #4) -Cat Grant's son. We had some serious foreshadowing that things were going to go bad for that young man. -Will there ever be a "real" Bizarro in the Post-Crisis, or are we stuck with the lame clone concept we got in Man of Steel #5? -Will there ever be another Metallo beyond the one who got his butt handed to him in Superman #1 and then died in #2? -Lois and Superman shared a kiss during The Earth Stealers all your answers can be found HERE |
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Post by shaxper on Dec 1, 2015 21:42:02 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #457  "Echoes" plot: George Perez script: Roger Stern layouts: Dan Jurgens finishes: Ty Templeton letters: Albert De Guzman colors: Glenn Whitmore assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: A Wow. There really is a mad scramble going on at the Superman office. What's with all the shared art and writing chores in this issue and in Action #643? Seems like Ordway and Gammill are staying in their own neat little Byrne-inspired world while everyone else is hustling and bustling in beautiful chaos. And it is beautiful. Ordway and Gammill's story in Superman #34 may have been a sleeper, but this issue serves as a perfect compliment to Action #643. Whereas that issue served as an uncomplicated starting point for new readers, this one works hard to bring them up to speed on past events, first with Clark's presumed death nearly a year back:  And then with a pretty heavy recap on Matrix that doesn't even try to explain what Matrix is or where Matrix came from (I guess we're saving that for next issue?):  Heck, the second panel of the issue makes it clear that new readers are going to have to keep up if they want to appreciate all that's going on:  But it's also careful to show that the work involved pays off, as we watch the Matrix story arc finally approach its climax. Up to this point, I'm not sure Matrix even had a story arc; she was a supporting cast member who'd never really received any proper focus in the wake of the Supergirl/Pocket Universe storyline more than a year back. So it's truly both surprising and amazing to see what Perez and Jurgens do with her here, moving the character out of the realm of amusing/endearing and into something both disturbing and incredibly tragic. We first see it here, as we watch Matrix finally inexplicably attain what she'd always sought: oneness with Clark. Somehow, she is experiencing everything he is experiencing, much to both of their confusion, but Jurgens' layouts emphasize contrast as the two function in sync, and damn if it isn't depressing and disturbing as all hell:  Perez and Jurgens continue to emphasize this throughout the issue, as every sweet, endearing, amusing, or heroic thing Clark/Superman does is later echoed by Matrix in dark shadows and in the wrong contexts, especially as she punches out and nearly kills a police officer, believing him first to be an Intergang Agent and then an enormous gun. We end the issue so thoroughly disturbed by and concerned for Matrix, especially as she has no awareness that anything is wrong at all. Thus, when the final box announces that "the story of Matrix comes to a fateful conclusion next week" I'm already grabbing for the blasted tissue box:  Powerful powerful stuff. It's also worth noting that, amidst all this continuity building, new reader initiating, and tragedy building, Perez rekindles the old romantic tension between Clark and Lois that hadn't been seen in these pages in a VERY long time:  Really, this issue had it all, and I absolutely can't wait to read the next one. Important Details: - Matrix is becoming unstable and nearly kills a police officer - Introduction of Clark's neighbor, Andrea. A letter column from a few issues back indicated that a new love interest would soon be introduced. I'm assuming this is her. - The letter column explains that Jerry Ordway and Mike Machlan co-created Gangbuster. He never did seem to fit what Wolfman was trying to do in Adventures of Superman at the time. Speaking of which, with all the "credit where credit is due" that Carlin has been throwing around in regard to past creative teams lately, he never ever ever mentions Wolfman. Considering how much of the Post-Crisis Superman concept came from him (ESPECIALLY Lex Luthor as a business tycoon), I find the omission surprising. It's clear Carlin had an affection for and allegiance to Byrne. Did that mean that he had the same antagonism to Wolfman that Byrne seemed to have? - Several of the Byrne Era plot points I listed as still needing to be resolved do get alluded to in this issue: Neither of these yet. The death of the private investigator is mentioned. A clear nod to the reader that Perez and Jurgens do plan to return to this matter. Nope. Jimmy is clearly upset in this issue and indicates that part of that comes from him mother being away (presumably looking for his dad). Nope. Minor Details: - The gala event Clark, Lois, and Cat attend is the "Wonder Women of the Year, Sponsored by the Wonder Woman Foundation". It's been a few years since I read the Perez Wonder Woman run, but I don't recall this being mentioned there. Was the foundation something Myndi Mayer had put together before her death? - Also,  Actually, no. Sorry to be that nerd (well, not really) but Superman #8 informed us that Superman cannot get hungry. plot synopsis in one sentence: Clark and Matrix are both repeatedly reliving the moment that the Eradicator Device blew up (Action Comics #643) for some reason, the Kents and Lana are concerned about Matrix increasingly becoming more like Clark in her behavior, Clark, Lois, and Cat attend the Wonder Woman of the Year event, Lois lets Clark know she still has feelings for him, Intergang invades the affair, Superman goes into action, and (back in Smallville) Matrix enacts the same actions in parallel, only against police officers instead, with Cat barely able to stop Matrix from killing a police officer at the last second. |
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Post by foxley on Dec 2, 2015 0:13:44 GMT -5
Short answer: yes. It was established Wonder Woman #8, using money from licenced Wonder Woman merchandise to show the contributions made by women over 40 towards equality and advancement.
Interestingly Jenette Kahn had established a real world Wonder Woman Foundation in honor of Wonder Woman’s 40th Anniversary in 1981. In its three years of existence, the foundation gave out more than $350,000 in grants to women over 40 in categories that exemplified the inspirational characteristics of the DC heroine: women taking risks, women pursuing equality and truth, women striving for peace, women helping other women. So the Wonder Woman Foundation in the comic may have been a tribute to the real world one.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 2, 2015 0:19:51 GMT -5
Short answer: yes. It was established Wonder Woman #8, using money from licenced Wonder Woman merchandise to show the contributions made by women over 40 towards equality and advancement. Interestingly Jenette Kahn had established a real world Wonder Woman Foundation in honor of Wonder Woman’s 40th Anniversary in 1981. In its three years of existence, the foundation gave out more than $350,000 in grants to women over 40 in categories that exemplified the inspirational characteristics of the DC heroine: women taking risks, women pursuing equality and truth, women striving for peace, women helping other women. So the Wonder Woman Foundation in the comic may have been a tribute to the real world one. Thanks for all of this. Fascinating that Perez was paying homage to a real-life initiative, though weird that it was already dead in the water by the time Perez resurrected it on the comic book pages. Interesting too that that is the aspect of Wonder Woman that he chose to first reference in the Superman titles. |
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Post by shaxper on Dec 13, 2015 21:30:25 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #458  "I Sing the Body Elastic" Plot: George Perez writing and pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Klaus Janson letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Glenn Whitmore Jonathan Peterson: Associate Editor editor: Mike Carlin grade: C+ Before the new creative teams were finalized, Carlin laid out a plan in which one Superman title would focus on Superman, one would focus on the Daily Planet supporting cast, and one would focus on Clark's Kryptonian heritage. That last one never sounded like a workable premise, but the other two appear to be taking shape nicely by this point. Action Comics is Superman engaged in a lot of, well, "action," and Adventures of Superman is focusing the camera tightly on the Daily Planet supporting cast and their relationships with both Clark and Superman. It's the Superman title itself that still feels indecisive at this point. Perhaps Ordway wasn't onboard with all the new that Perez and Jurgens were bringing. Anyway, this issue works hard both to emphasize the Daily Planet supporting cast (once again) as well as to purposefully continue a few Byrne-isms in his absence, this time borrowing a silly aspect of the Silver Age and attempting to throw it into Post-Crisis continuity with a more believable angle. I'm talking specifically about Elastic Lad, a semi-regular alterego for the Silver Age Jimmy Olsen:  A lot of effort is put into explaining how he gained these powers (an alien virus Superman gave him upon returning to Earth in Action #643), the logistics of how they work (restructuring his body at an almost molecular level, his sweat causing the clothing to change with him), how he controls it (an instinct similar to pulling one's hand away from a flame), and even the idea that it would cause tremendous blinding pain. All very convincing, and yet the idea still feels so unnecessary and alien to the continuity being developed. I never liked when Byrne would bring back these silly Silver Age tropes. In fact, I'm already dreading the next appearance of Mister Mxyzptlk. But the development of the Daily Planet crew? Perez and Jurgens do a bangup job there, first unabashedly spending the first four pages of the issue just watching Clark, Jimmy, Cat, Lois, and Perry do aerobics at the Daily Planet as a start to their workday. No plot is imposed until the fifth page -- it's just relationships developing, and it feels so casual, real, and delightful. This was the aspect of the Superman office that drew me in even as an adolescent (I started reading eleven months from now). Everything felt so real and well developed. I cared about these people, and Jurgens clearly does here too. I especially appreciated the effort to steer Cat Grant away from simply being a trainwreck of a human being. She really has redeemed herself, and Jurgens allows the readers and the cast to view her as something more than a weak appendage this time around:  She's a compassionate and competent mom, as well as a total a$$ kicker in aerobics, leaving everyone else in the dust. I guess she's also back working full time at the Planet again? What has happened to Morgan Edge's media company in the wake of his arrest and ensuing medical crisis, anyway? And, speaking of developing the supporting cast and also bringing back some of the campier beloved aspects of the franchise, I LOVE how they hearken back to the Donner film depiction of Lois being such a tireless firecracker that she adorably stumbles over the fine details in favor of the big picture, especially with spelling:  Also nice to see other editors at the Daily Planet with their own relationships to the folks we know so well there. At a real major metropolitan newspaper, the Editor in Chief would not be personally overseeing most things his/her reporters were working on. So yeah, I can't say I'm a fan of the plot, but a valiant effort is made to make it work believably, and I really appreciated Jurgens working to further develop the Daily Planet team. Minor Details: - The creative teams all seem like a mess at this point, with plots and assists coming from different people than the assigned creative teams each issue, possibly as a result of all the intense collaboration being done. In all this mess, I'm not sure I'm clear what Roger Stern's responsibilities in the Superman office are anymore. Is he gradually backing off to make room for Perez? - For the second issue in a row, Jurgens gives a lot of time to Jimmy's unrequited romantic interest in Cat Grant, and yet there's been absolutely no mention of Lucy Lane. I guess she and Jimmy are no longer dating (last shown in Superman #4), or Jurgens isn't aware that they ever were. - Just as Superman will soon be crossing over with Starman because Roger Stern was involved with both, we get a nice little shout-out to Jurgens' Booster Gold, with a subtle hint of future tension between him and The Man of Steel as Superman goes on to say "I never really cared for this guy anyway!" as he hurls the billboard out of the way.  It's tempting to dismiss this as a shameless plug, but Superman was still a central character to the DCU (if not their #1 property anymore), so it makes sense that he should cross paths with the other heroes in that universe, and which better ones to visit than the ones the creative teams behind Superman knew intimately and could write accurately? It works a lot better than Byrne just taking on the characters he felt like writing and then portraying them largely out of character (see just about every damned issue of Action Comics before it went weekly). - Maybe I missed something here. When we first met Prof. Hamilton (way back in Adventures of Superman #425), he was a penniless genius. Since then, I believe I recall Superman getting him a job with Star Labs, but since when does he have the resources to furnish his apartment "in an old warehouse district" with this kind of tech:  And really, if the Professor is such a genius as to be an expert at virtually anything Superman needs at the moment (revolutionary shields and weapons, outer space breathing apparatuses, and now cellular surgery and alien viruses) how in the heck did no one but Lexcorp know of him until Superman arrived? What University did he come out of? Didn't he publish any papers? This just doesn't make any sense. The character as originally introduced had spent a lifetime working on one crazy invention; he was not an expert on all things science as he's since been depicted. plot synopsis in one sentence:
The Daily Planet folks are doing aerobics when Jimmy suddenly manifests Elastic Lad powers, panicking and going out of control from the pain, so Clark has to become Superman in order to subdue him and then brings him to Professer Hamilton, who determines the problem is caused by a virus Superman brought back from space, all while someone from space (Maxima?) is approaching Earth in an attempt to possess Superman. |
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Post by Arthur Gordon Scratch on Dec 14, 2015 20:53:18 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #458 "I Sing the Body Elastic" Plot: George Perez writing and pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Klaus Janson letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Glenn Whitmore Jonathan Peterson: Associate Editor editor: Mike Carlin grade: C+ Before the new creative teams were finalized, Carlin laid out a plan in which one Superman title would focus on Superman, one would focus on the Daily Planet supporting cast, and one would focus on Clark's Kryptonian heritage. That last one never sounded like a workable premise, but the other two appear to be taking shape nicely by this point. Action Comics is Superman engaged in a lot of, well, "action," and Adventures of Superman is focusing the camera tightly on the Daily Planet supporting cast and their relationships with both Clark and Superman. It's the Superman title itself that still feels indecisive at this point. Perhaps Ordway wasn't onboard with all the new that Perez and Jurgens were bringing. Anyway, this issue works hard both to emphasize the Daily Planet supporting cast (once again) as well as to purposefully continue a few Byrne-isms in his absence, this time borrowing a silly aspect of the Silver Age and attempting to throw it into Post-Crisis continuity with a more believable angle. I'm talking specifically about Elastic Lad, a semi-regular alterego for the Silver Age Jimmy Olsen:  A lot of effort is put into explaining how he gained these powers (an alien virus Superman gave him upon returning to Earth in Action #643), the logistics of how they work (restructuring his body at an almost molecular level, his sweat causing the clothing to change with him), how he controls it (an instinct similar to pulling one's hand away from a flame), and even the idea that it would cause tremendous blinding pain. All very convincing, and yet the idea still feels so unnecessary and alien to the continuity being developed. I never liked when Byrne would bring back these silly Silver Age tropes. In fact, I'm already dreading the next appearance of Mister Mxyzptlk. But the development of the Daily Planet crew? Perez and Jurgens do a bangup job there, first unabashedly spending the first four pages of the issue just watching Clark, Jimmy, Cat, Lois, and Perry do aerobics at the Daily Planet as a start to their workday. No plot is imposed until the fifth page -- it's just relationships developing, and it feels so casual, real, and delightful. This was the aspect of the Superman office that drew me in even as an adolescent (I started reading about eight months from now). Everything felt so real and well developed. I cared about these people, and Jurgens clearly does here too. I especially appreciated the effort to steer Cat Grant away from simply being a trainwreck of a human being. She really has redeemed herself, and Jurgens allows the readers and the cast to view her as something more than a weak appendage this time around:  She's a compassionate and competent mom, as well as a total a$$ kicker in aerobics, leaving everyone else in the dust. I guess she's also back working full time at the Planet again? What has happened to Morgan Edge's media company in the wake of his arrest and ensuing medical crisis, anyway? And, speaking of developing the supporting cast and also bringing back some of the campier beloved aspects of the franchise, I LOVE how they hearken back to the Donner film depiction of Lois being such a tireless firecracker that she adorably stumbles over the fine details in favor of the big picture, especially with spelling:  Also nice to see other editors at the Daily Planet with their own relationships to the folks we know so well there. At a real major metropolitan newspaper, the Editor in Chief would not be personally overseeing most things his/her reporters were working on. So yeah, I can't say I'm a fan of the plot, but a valiant effort is made to make it work believably, and I really appreciated Jurgens working to further develop the Daily Planet team. Minor Details: - The creative teams all seem like a mess at this point, with plots and assists coming from different people than the assigned creative teams each issue, possibly as a result of all the intense collaboration being done. In all this mess, I'm not sure I'm clear what Roger Stern's responsibilities in the Superman office are anymore. Is he gradually backing off to make room for Perez? - For the second issue in a row, Jurgens gives a lot of time to Jimmy's unrequited romantic interest in Cat Grant, and yet there's been absolutely no mention of Lucy Lane. I guess she and Jimmy are no longer dating (last shown in Superman #4), or Jurgens isn't aware that they ever were. - Just as Superman will soon be crossing over with Starman because Roger Stern was involved with both, we get a nice little shout-out to Jurgens' Booster Gold, with a subtle hint of future tension between him and The Man of Steel as Superman goes on to say "I never really cared for this guy anyway!" as he hurls the billboard out of the way.  It's tempting to dismiss this as a shameless plug, but Superman was still a central character to the DCU (if not their #1 property anymore), so it makes sense that he should cross paths with the other heroes in that universe, and which better ones to visit than the ones the creative teams behind Superman knew intimately and could write accurately? It works a lot better than Byrne just taking on the characters he felt like writing and then portraying them largely out of character (see just about every damned issue of Action Comics before it went weekly). - Maybe I missed something here. When we first met Prof. Hamilton (way back in Adventures of Superman #425), he was a penniless genius. Since then, I believe I recall Superman getting him a job with Star Labs, but since when does he have the resources to furnish his apartment "in an old warehouse district" with this kind of tech:  And really, if the Professor is such a genius as to be an expert at virtually anything Superman needs at the moment (revolutionary shields and weapons, outer space breathing apparatuses, and now cellular surgery and alien viruses) how in the heck did no one but Lexcorp know of him until Superman arrived? What University did he come out of? Didn't he publish any papers? This just doesn't make any sense. The character as originally introduced had spent a lifetime working on one crazy invention; he was not an expert on all things science as he's since been depicted. plot synopsis in one sentence:
The Daily Planet folks are doing aerobics when Jimmy suddenly manifests Elastic Lad powers, panicking and going out of control from the pain, so Clark has to become Superman in order to subdue him and then brings him to Professer Hamilton, who determines the problem is caused by a virus Superman brought back from space, all while someone from space (Maxima?) is approaching Earth in an attempt to possess Superman.Gotta love those Klaus Janson inks, beautiful! |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 22, 2015 14:21:11 GMT -5
Action Comics #645  "My Lady Maxima" writers: Roger Stern & George Perez pencils: George Perez inks: Brett Breeding letters: Bill Oakley colors: Glenn Whitmore associate editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: C+ Three issues into Perez's run and he's still yet to turn in an issue written and penciled entirely by him with no assists. I wonder if Carlin was getting worried yet. This is an odd issue in that it doesn't have all that much of a plot. It introduces Maxima, gives a very brief battle scene for Superman (not all that much action in this issue of Action), and then whisks Maxima away at the last moment, promising "The story of Maxima has just begun! It will continue to unfold in months to come!" What an odd choice, particularly as I don't feel anything was done here to keep the reader wanting more from this character. She controls people's minds. Got it. Nothing all that new or interesting there. But I have to say, a knock out romantic rival for Lois who can control people's minds would have been a no-brainer choice for the Adventures of Lois & Clark TV series. Why didn't they ever go there? As for the story (or lack thereof), one thing I do respect is how much effort it puts into tying up loose ends. In addition to Perez once more finding a simple visual way to catch us up on some complex continuity unfolding:  we see Stern and/or Perez working to reconcile some very minor nitpicky matters that had irked me in the past. One of these is Superman's carefree attitude while crossing over into the Starman title this month, acting like he didn't have anywhere to be. He outright says the opposite when he says his goodbyes at the start of this issue, but we're also given a subtle indication as to why Superman was spending so much time there and not rushing to get back home to see how Jimmy Olsen was fairing (see Adventures of Superman #458):  Finally, it really irked me a long while back when John Byrne felt the need to add the little Pre-Crisis nod that Lois Lane was known by the general public as "Superman's Girlfriend". They weren't dating, had had no true romantic encounters, and the whole thing just felt overly cutesy and also disrespectful to the powerful feminist reincarnation Lois had been given Post-Crisis, so it's very gratifying to finally see that get explained away in this issue when Lois states (while quite annoyed) that "No, 'they' do not {call me that}! A gossip columnist stuck me with that tag." Nicely done. But yeah, not all that much to this story otherwise, though Perez still manages to dazzle us with the art even when not all that much is going down.  I could be wrong, but this issue genuinely feels like something's amiss with the creative direction of this title. We're going to lose Perez in a very short amount of time, and I sense the beginning of that here. Important Details: - First appearance of Maxima and Sazu - Sazu betrays Maxima in order to protect the integrity of her royal bloodline Minor Details: - Contrary to my assumptions in the previous review, Starman #14 does occur immediately prior to this issue. - Why does Captain Sawyers' task force keep getting sent out into these metahuman combat zones without any kind of special gear whatsoever?  I could see someone trying to make a point about the city being dangerously underfunded while Luthor has managed to take control of most things through privatization (I don't think we've seen his armored Luthor soldiers yet, have we?), but none of that has been implied or stated yet. We just seem to have a crack team of three or four police officers with standard issue pistols jumping into these situations, week after week. Makes no sense. plot synopsis in one sentence: Maxima shows up and starts mind controlling people, Superman says goodbye to Starman and worries about Jose, Matrix, Lana, and especially Jimmy Olsen, Matrix shows up at the Daily Planet looking for Superman and then leaves, she forcibly takes over City Hall in order to bring out Superman, it works, and Sazu turns on her to prevent her from marrying him, killing her simulacrum and stalling Maxima's plans for the moment. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Mar 31, 2016 13:52:24 GMT -5
Superman #36  "Laugh...I Thought I'd DIE!" story/pencils: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke colors: Glenn Whitmore letters: John Costanza assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: C- Sheesh. At this point in Superman history, if I'm going to get a lousy story to sit through, I at least expect to be able to enjoy George Perez art. No such luck. It really is disheartening that, well over a year after Bryne's departure, this franchise still hasn't quite found its stride yet. The continuity is very strong, and they're finally really starting to "get" Superman's characterization in a way that I appreciate, but there are significant struggles that are impeding my enjoyment all the same. Let's walk through the positives first... Superman's characterizationIn the wake of his Gangbuster fiasco and subsequent soul-searching in space, Superman has found himself again as the superhero ideal he'd always strived for. I love how this issue opens, with Superman volunteering to clean up after a major battle. The media tries to find problems with what he's doing, but the comic just won't allow his good nature to be dominated and drowned out.  And that attitude extends into his life as Clark. He is both dorky and clueless, and also a good natured hero as an everyday Joe, best illustrated here when he is able to persuade Cat Grant not to revert back into being an alcoholic when things get rough (though she's too proud to admit it to him):  But it's therefore upsetting that the whole Gangbuster thing is being dredged up once again when we thought Superman had resolved it for the third time:  In a way, you could look at both Superman's doubts and Cat Grant's struggles in this issue and see a larger theme about the fear of relapsing after a hard climb out of the abyss, but we've patiently waited for over a year now for the new creative teams to get Superman's sh*t together, so it's a little upsetting to see the progress he's made get threatened once again. I can't handle another half a year of Superman brooding in space. Continuity:In addition to opening with Superman clearing the wreckage from a previous battle (I have lost track of what past adventure is being alluded to that involved "some robot or something that destroyed the Edgewater Parking Plaza" -- did they mean the battle with Matrix in Action #644?), continues with Superman clearing the air with The Guardian in regard to what transpired between them while Superman was doubling as Gangbuster back in Adventures of Superman #450, explores the final fall-out of Cat Grant being the one to expose Morgan Edge's ties to Intergang, brings back The Prankster and his reasons for having a grudge against Edge, returns to Project Cadmus ( Superman Annual #2), reminds us of Jimmy Olsen's life-threatening battle stemming from Adventures of Superman #458, addresses the fact that Clark went from having the brain of a child (while replaced by Matrix) to being himself again with no explanation offered to the staff of The Daily Planet, and possibly nods back to Superman's last encounter with Brainiac (though this part was a bit enigmatic). That's a lot of material to cover in one 22 page story. The weird part, though, was the absence of Lois in this story. I guess she's not always going to be walking the halls of The Planet. One unresolved plot point I really want to see them get back to is the issue of her mother's failing health and Luthor's using her medical treatments as barter for Lois not writing anything against Lexcorp. How has this been backburned for so long now? Now, the negatives... The Supporting Cast:I don't care what's happening with Jimmy and am not asked to care in this story, where his current problems are mentioned and then glossed over. Lois isn't in this issue. I still don't care about Cat Grant, nor do I understand her plight. Morgan Edge fires her, but hasn't she been working for Perry and The Daily Planet again? We just saw her doing a yoga class with the rest of the crew to start their day at The Planet in Adventures of Superman #458 last month, right? Heck, even Clark seems confused about this:  But, worse than that, I find nothing likable about her personality. Yes, it's great that she has stopped drinking and is trying to respect herself more, but removing the negatives doesn't necessary make me like or care about her. Plus, her son proves to be an absolute snot in this issue, concerned only with whether he gets to keep all the toys Edge bought him while his father is trying to save his mother's life. Speaking of which, this moment with Cat's ex-husband was actually darn cool:  I like that he's not just an asshole evil antagonist to Cat's custody concerns. Finally, there's the return of Jerry White. I get that Ordway is trying to show he's changed, much like Cat, but also as with Cat, making him no longer a trouble-making whiny teenager doesn't necessarily make him likable; you've just removed the things that made me dislike him. In fact, he's still kind of obnoxious and whiny here, just in a different way:  And, while Perry doesn't get much characterization in this story, it was cool to see him accept and be open to his son dating a black woman who wants to work for Lexcorp, after getting past both initial shocks. PlotThis story was terrible. I was never a fan of Byrne dredging up old campy villains from the Silver Age, but this story was excessively pointless and lacking in fun with its execution to boot. There was nothing funny about The Prankster's return. I guess Ordway was trying to comment on what passes for entertainment in the modern 1980s, but it was hardly incisive or well done, even with its nods to Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Motel Hell:  and I really had a hard time with how flippant Supes was about the whole thing at the end.  Classic Superman might pull out that sh*t-eating grin at the end over a bungled attempt at a crime that had no substantial consequence, but pages earlier this guy was holding a chainsaw to Morgan Edge's face while the dude was lying half-dead in a hospital. NOT COOL. Finally, what was with this twist ending? I honestly don't understand whether or not I was supposed to understand what was being hinted at:  So, while there are some good things happening over at the Superman office right now, this issue was a true stinker that makes me wonder how long it's going to take for Carlin and the team to finally get their acts together. We're still half a year away from when I started reading as a kid, but I'm reasonably sure things were running well by that point. Plot synopsis:
Superman is assisting in the cleanup of wreckage from a previous battle and ends up meeting up with The Guardian, who takes him to Project Cadmus in order to further explore what caused his Gangbuster Double-Identity. This ends up causing Superman to worry that he may not be cured after all. Meanwhile, Cat Grant's ex-husband pays Morgan Edge a visit, threatening to kill him if he tries to kill Cat for exposing his ties to Intergang. Afterwards, The Prankster shows up for revenge against Edge while Perry and Alice White meet Jerry's new girlfriend, throwing off Jerry's expectations by not having a problem with her being black. Cat Grant also learns she has been fired by Morgan Edge, goes to her old drinking hole to drown her sorrows, and is interrupted by Clark, who talks her out of reverting to alcoholism. He then learns about The Prankster and intervenes as Superman, discovering that The Prankster's only real motive was to be in the limelight again. He also appears to still have some trick up his sleeve. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 8, 2016 11:05:15 GMT -5
Superman #37  writer/pencils: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke letters: John Costanza assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: C- Once again, the Superman franchise feels like it's stuck in neutral, working furiously to rehash old continuity without really getting anything new and exciting started in contrast. Worse yet, this issue goes beyond the need of reminding us of all the loose continuity points still out there and being addressed (at the speed of an inebriated turtle) and dredges up some old resolved plot points that no one really needed to see the return of. I could care less about Jose Delgado at this point, about Project Cadmus and the Newsboy Legion (the least interesting element of Kirby's Fourth World, in my opinion), and we even got this little bit of foreshadowing:  I had to go back and look it up. With all the plot points Byrne left unresolved after his abrupt departure, Ordway wants to go back and dredge up a plot point from a totally forgettable filler story that was published over a year ago? In short, absolutely nothing that occurs in this issue or that is suggested to be coming up in future issues interests me in the slightest. It's a good thing I know that these titles start to pick up in a major way less than a year from now. Important Details: - Jimmy Olsen is from "Bakerline". We're told that he has a driver's permit. The writers have been evasive about Jimmy's age all along, but we can surmise here that he's at least sixteen (the minimum age for earning a learner's permit in New York, both the city that Metropolis is based upon and the home of DC Comics and its staff at the time). - Jimmy is told the cure that he is administered for his elasticity will take a few years to run its course. Looks like Ordway's leaving the door open for Jimmy to learn some control over his slowly diminishing condition and make a few Elastic Lad appearances. Fortunately, I don't think that ever got revisited. Minor Details:- The cover is an homage to Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133:  but, more than that, it's an homage to the entire storyline contained in that issue, as it revisits The Wild Area from that storyline and references many of the visuals and facts pertaining to that region that we first encountered in that story. - It's also interesting that, for once, a cover in which Jimmy or Superman turns on the other was not a trick/gimmick. Jimmy really does try to gun down Superman in this story:  - I was incredibly displeased with Ordway's handling of Lois Lane. She's supposed to be strong, independent, and unflappable except in the most dire of circumstances. So it's troubling to see her reduced to an emotional wreck just because she broke things off with Jose Delgado (who we haven't even been thinking about since before the Exile storyline nearly a year ago!):  She spent most of the scene crying, and that final panel just took the cake. This is not Lois; this is a bad female stereotype. - Dennis Janke really gave it his all on that title page. Easily the best part of the issue (actually, it was probably the only good part):  Plot synopsis: Superman takes Jimmy to Project Cadmus against his will in order to get cured, Jimmy is resenting Superman for infecting him with the Eradicator Device in the first place, Lois breaks up with Jose DelGado and he tries to stop an armed bank heist in order to redeem himself, later resenting being rescued by Superman, Jimmy is having hallucinations in which he is being called back to the Middle East in order to revisit the entirely forgettable events of Adventures of Superman #443, the Newsboy Legion is feeling cooped up at Cadmus and decides to break out with Jimmy Olsen so that he can drive the Whiz Wagon and buy them movie tickets, Guardian allows them to go for unexplained reasons, and Superman stops them, but not before Jimmy orders the Whiz Wagon to attack him, making for an awkward/unsettling reunion by the close. So what was the point of this issue? Your guess is as good as mine. |
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