shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 11:17:13 GMT -5
Superman #20
"In the Heartland"
story/pencils: John Byrne
inks: Karl Kesel & John Byrne
letters: John Costanza
colors: Petra Scotese
assistant editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Michael Carlin
kibitzing: Paul Kupperberg
grade: D
Ah, leftovers night.
Usually, it's a bit of meatloaf, a few spoonfuls of Mac and Cheese, and maybe some remaining Chinese take-out. In this case, it's everything left in Byrne's desk drawer that hadn't yet seen publication, tossed together in a mish-mash. There's a Doom Patrol story clearly conceived for Action Comics before the title changed direction (though, since it's a cross-over, it may well still be new material), as well as what I strongly believe was originally conceived of as an entirely separate story starring Supergirl.
The evidence:
1. Karl Kesel (who has since left) is co-credited as inker
2. Paul Kupperberg's "kibitzing" credit likely suggests filling in when necessary to make the bits fit together
3. The title page in no way suggests the presence of the Doom Patrol in this story, and yet they're the bulk of the issue.
4. Supergirl's B story (or is it the A story, as the title page suggests???) gets chopped up, clearly missing a chunk in the middle. She sees Martha Kent and seems to grow furious with confusion, declaring that she's going to get the answers she needs, and then we cut to a new scene. When we return to Smallville and Lana Lang (who was present in that scene), Supergirl is neither there nor mentioned. Then, when we finally return to Supergirl, it's as if the earlier events never transpired or have long since been reconciled. What happened in between?
So my guess is that Byrne and Kesel never finished the Supergirl "Heartland" story and, with the clock ticking and the pressure to get in every story Byrne still wanted to tell, he took bits of the Supergirl story and spliced it in with his idea for a Doom Patrol cross-over, and thus this jarring issue was born.
In fact, there are only two Byrne-credited issues remaining aside from World of Metropolis (which was likely completed earlier on). Is it possible Byrne was already gone by this point, and Paul Kupperberg's "kibitzing" actually amounted to him assembling this issue from what Byrne had left behind?
Beyond all that speculation, this issue features the return of Metallo, but I can't say I really care. Byrne has written himself out of the dilemma that Metallo needs Kryptonite in order to operate, simply by saying as much. And now Metallo can control other machines manufactured by Lexcorp as well.
Important Details:
- First appearance of some oddly dressed postmortem investigator who works with Maggie Sawyer. No name is provided.
- AGES back (I'm not going to bother to look up the issues), an assistant named Alice kept popping up at the Daily Planet, and I theorized either that she was going to become important later on or was an in-joke/nod to someone at the DC offices. After MONTHS without an appearance, she's suddenly back.
Minor Details:
-I'm really not sure what Byrne is trying to do with Cat Grant at this point, having her show up at the Planet drunk and making inappropriate public passes at Jimmy Olsen. He's completely destroyed a character that, at one point, was a legitimate rival to Lois Lane for Clark's affection without any real explanation as to what caused her transformation. In fact, he doesn't acknowledge a transformation, pretty much passing this off as if Cat has always been this way.
-I wonder if the awkward jump in storytelling on page 7 is due, in part, to the splicing together of two storylines. In one panel, Clark is talking with Lana and there is no conflict. In the next, he's Superman and we're in the aftermath of an epic battle. The editor's box tactlessly explains "Want to know what happened between these two panels, Reader? Better pick up Doom Patrol #10 before you read any further," which is just outright sloppy and upsetting to any reader who just left the comic shop without knowing they needed to buy that issue in order to understand this one.
-But still...this page aside, the Doom Patrol and Supergirl stories take place on entirely separate pages. Did they paste in a panel from one story on to the other here, or outright create a new page in order to produce this incredibly awkward transition? I just don't get it.
- Supergirl triumphantly taking off from Lana's house(?) on page 15 is a clear homage to the famous panel in which Superman does the same in the pages of Man of Steel #1.
- Two C stories we were previously teased with (Supergirl, and the mysterious figure robbing from Lexcorp facilities -- revealed to be Metallo) come to fruition in this issue, while two more begin (who is killing people by scaring them to death?, more is about to transpire with Brainiac/Vril Dox)
- Though I know full well what happens when you super cool something that is very hot (thank you, 2005 Fantastic Four film), I was still totally unclear as to what had happened to Metallo on page 21 until it was explained on page 22. Bad art.
- Witterstaetter's write-up in the letter column of this issue discusses all the changes happening with the Action Comics title, yet conveniently leaves out the previous promise that Superman was going bi-weekly. I guess the idea died pretty quickly. If, in fact, Byrne has departed at this point, I could easily see the bi-weekly plan getting tossed out the window as a result. I wonder if the final straw might have been the big change with Action Comics? Byrne clearly had more planned for the title.
plot synopsis in one sentence:
Lana summons the Kents and introduces them to Supergirl, Supergirl gets upset about having confused memories, pledges to get answers, and the plotline abruptly ceases, Maggie Sawyer and some doctor/postmortem examiner are trying to figure out how someone died of fright, Cat Grant wanders into the Planet drunk and embarrasses herself, page 7 is thoroughly confused in terms of what the hell is going on in this story(ies), now we're in the aftermath of a battle with Superman and the Doom Patrol, then Brainiac's wife arbitrarily dies while trying to leave him, then Superman must stop Metallo and Robotman (who is controlled by Metallo), Supergirl decides to intervene (yet somehow doesn't get there by the end of the issue), we find out Metallo is the one who had been breaking into and destroying Lexcorp facilities, Metallo gets fried and then frozen/shattered by a member of the Doom Patrol, and yet his head inexplicably escapes undetected, and then Superman is flying away from the battle with Supergirl apparently in pursuit.
Next issue, we finally find out what's up with Supergirl. Let's hope it's an actual finished issue, and not the schizophrenic result of more "kibbitzing".
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 11:32:51 GMT -5
World of Metropolis #2
"How I Spent My Summer Vacation"
writer: John Byrne
pencils: Win Mortimer
inks: Dick Giordano & Sal Trapani
letters: Bill Oakley
colors: Tom Ziuko
assistant editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Mike Carlin
featuring characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
grade: D
There've really only been two things I was looking forward to learning about in World of Metropolis -- Lex Luthor's rise to power (which, it turns out, we're not going to get) and the story of how Lois got her job at the Planet. We've known from Action Comics #594 that Lois was 16 when she got hired (though now she's only 15. Oops), but I wanted to learn how she did it and what that was like for her. Most importantly, especially after we saw her hero worship Perry White in the previous issue of World of Metropolis, I wanted to see what their relationship would be like. Instead, we get a 15 year old Lois Lane bumbling around with dumb luck towards an unclear goal (she, or is it just we, have absolutely no idea WHAT she's supposed to be digging up about Lex's new corporate acquisition), and the story simply drops off once she's gathered some piece of evidence, with a summary then quickly provided by Lois of the present day.
Couldn't we have cut out that UTTERLY USELESS six page intro of Lois risking her life to save Lucy's dog in order to get the story we were actually waiting for?
Important Details:
- Lois got her first job at the Daily Planet by swiping a piece of evidence from Lex Luthor's desk at the age of 16 which was not enough to prove guilt, but enough to finally convince Perry White that Luthor truly was crooked. Of course, we NEVER learn what the evidence actually was.
- Lucy Lane was not yet deaf as of this story
- The constant reference by both Perry White and Lex Luthor to the idea that Lois would be worthy of them in about ten more years suggests that Lois might be exactly ten years older in the present day. This is just a hunch, of course, but that would make Lois 25 while Clark is 29.
- Heavily implied in this issue (though with more tact than usual for Byrne) that Luthor was attracted to a sixteen year old Lois and spanked her with a ruler(?), video taped the whole thing, and mailed her a copy. What is wrong with you, Byrne?
Minor Details:
- Perry's reaction to not remembering Lois was priceless; truly the only worthwhile part of this issue. Why couldn't Lois reversing that impression have been the focal point for this story?
- There are MANY plot lines barely begun that Byrne will not be addressing before he leaves (not the least of which is the laboratory in orbit of Earth containing Superman's secrets that's been there since THE FIRST ISSUE), but two in particular come to mind this time around: The fate of Lois' mother and Luthor's role in it, as well as the hinting provided way back in Superman #4 that something illicit was going down at Lucy's work that Jimmy wanted information on. Lucy refers to hating her work and her boss in this issue, but any hint as to illegal transgressions going down has been forgotten here.
plot synopsis in one sentence:
Lois is in a burning building trying to rescue Lucy's dog, she is rescued by Superman, she allows Lucy to stay with her for the time being, the two reminisce on how Lois got her job at the Planet at the age of sixteen by recklessly breaking into Lexcorp in order to indiscriminately steal papers from Luthor's desk, she gets caught but hides a crumpled paper in her mouth, and that paper is enough to get her a job at the Planet.
Truly disappointing how badly Byrne misused the potential of this story. I wanted to see a 15 year old Lois fighting to earn the respect of her hero, working to prove she belongs at a world class newspaper at such a young age, and experiencing something other than rising action in meeting Lex Luthor for the first time.
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 11:33:01 GMT -5
With Byrne's tenure on Superman ending, here's a list of unresolved plotlines that he probably had no plans to return to anyway: PLEASE DON'T POST ANY SPOILERS IN RESPONSE TO THESE. A simple, "It gets resolved in issue #blahblahblah" will suffice  1. A laboratory orbiting the Earth since Superman #1 containing all of Superman's secrets within it (I hear this gets resolved later on) 2. Lois Lane's mother being near death, presumably because of Lex Luthor (I know this gets resolved later on) 3. What's going on at Lucy Lane's place of Work. 4. Mxyzptlk can still visit Earth every 90 days. 5. Vril Dox and the carnival performer he is controlling (I assume this gets resolved later on) 6. Lex Luthor's Kryptonite ring -- what happened to it? (I know this gets resolved later on) 7. What happened to Jimmy Olsen's dad? 8. What will happen to Jose Delgado (I know this gets resolved very soon) 9. Was Superman ever a member of the Justice League in the Post-Crisis? Post-Zero Hour stories will sometimes depict him as a founding member. 10. Who mailed Ma Kent's scrapbook to Clark Kent? (I know this gets resolved later on) Feel free to add to the list, as I'm sure I've forgotten some. |
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 11:33:28 GMT -5
Superman #21
"You Can't Go Home Again" (The Supergirl Saga, Part I)
writing/art: John Byrne
inks: John Beatty
colors: Petra Scotese
letters: John Costanza
editor: Mike Carlin
assistant editor: Renee Witterstaetter
grade: B
At most points in his Superman run, it has felt like John Byrne was half assing the whole thing. Yet now, in his final major storyline before his (presumably, at this point) imminent departure, he comes alive on this story, at least in terms of art. This is a beauty of an issue to look at, with exciting panel arrangements, vibrant art, and some really fun ways of expressing movement/momentum (something Byrne always seems to do well when at his best).
The story, on the other hand...
There's A LOT I've outright hated about Byrne's run that I wish would be washed away from continuity. probably #4 or 5 on that list is the absurd "pocket universe" concept he introduced as a means of restoring his favorite aspects of the Silver Age while also allowing the Post-Crisis to move forward. In actuality, all it did was manage to make the concept of a Post-Crisis universe even more confusing and problematic. So, sure enough, we're returning to that terrible concept again as a means of explaining where this Supergirl came from.
And yet why is Supergirl Lana Lang??
Important Details:
What we know about this Supergirl who, most likely, isn't sticking around beyond this storyline anyway:
- Modelled after Lana Lang
- Has "chameleon" power that allows her to change her appearance
- Can become invisible (even to Superman's senses)
- Does not possess most of Superman's powers, including his X-Ray vision
- Cannot fly as fast as Superman
- Has a psycho-kinetic blast
Minor Details:
- How can Perry just keep ordering Clark and Lois to drop everything they're doing in order to go on long trips in pursuit of minor stories? In this case, Lois is essentially being Jimmy Olsen's chaperon. The Daily Planet's top reporter has nothing better to do for a week or so???
- Why would Superman automatically assume Supergirl is from the Pocket Universe? My mind immediately went to her somehow coming out of the Crisis.
- Is Byrne still planning on explaining how Supergirl was buried beneath the surface of the Earth for thousands of years before being uncovered?
Plot synopsis in one sentence:
The Pocket Universe Earth(?) is in the process of being destroyed, the Pocket Universe Pete Ross and Alex Luthor (now ten years older than they were in Superboy continuity) are monitoring Supergirl and counting on her bringing Superman to them as a solution to what is occurring, Supergirl is at first convinced Superman is some imposter Kryptonian but gradually comes to her senses, Superman learns that she tied up Ma and Pa Kent and the real Lana Lang (presumably because she thought they were lying too???), he convinces Supergirl that she is from a different Universe and helps to jog her memory, Jimmy Olsen persuades Perry White to send him and Lois Lane to Ireland in search of the Silver Banshee's past, and Supergirl and Superman are transported back to the universe she came from, where he meets that version of Lex Luthor and is reunited with the Pocket Universe Pete Ross.
A fun issue in terms of action and art, but I dislike the return of the Pocket Universe and am not at all confident that this story is going to pay off. Plus, dangling Supergirl in front of the readers for all these months only for us to learn that she's from the Pocket Universe and, thus, probably not sticking around, must have been infuriating to fans at the time.
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 11:51:18 GMT -5
World of Metropolis #3
"Mr. Kent Goes to Metropolis"
writer: John Byrne
pencils: Win Mortimer
inks: Dick Giordano & Sal Trapani
letters: Albert De Guzman
colors: Tom Ziuko
ass't. editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Mike Carlin
grade: C+
Byrne boxed himself into quite a corner when it came to this issue. If his plan was to use each issue of World of Metropolis to tell the origin story of one member of Superman's supporting cast, and if he was planning on using one of these issues to show a young Clark Kent first arriving in Metropolis, then there wasn't much material to work with. After all, we already have Clark's life from birth to right before arriving in Metropolis (Man of Steel #1), we already have the story of his college years (Superman #12), and we already know when he first gets his job at the Planet, when he first meets Lois Lane, when he first creates his dual identities, and when he first appears to the world as Superman (all Man of Steel #1). What's left to tell?
This issue tries to answer the question in two ways. First, it spends a lot of time on an absurdly fun adventure in which Clark tries to help the police stop some well armed bad guys without making his presence known. It's hard to accept that NOBODY in Metropolis sees the flying guy in a suit, but the story is quite amusing otherwise, and often laugh-out-loud funny.
However, the second story comes off as entirely unnecessary. Yet another opportunity for Byrne to throw Clark into a series (and implied sexual) relationship with a woman prior to Lois Lane. First it was Lori Lemaris during his college years (Superman #12), and now, even earlier than that, we have him share a committed two year relationship with Ruby, an older and sexually aggressive waitress. No indication is ever given of what an aspiring young man with a strong sense of responsibility has in common with an aging waitress who throws herself at college kids; it's just Byrne living out a combination Mrs. Robinson/social ladder-tumbling fantasy through Clark. Worse yet, his first serious relationship, and lasting two year??? This plus his proposing to Lori Lemaris shortly after both seriously water down the importance of any hint of a relationship he might share with Lois or with Lana; and why haven't either of them had any serious relationships in this time? It's such a Byrne-style male fantasy that it's embarrassing.
Important Details:
-At the time that Clark first arrived in Metropolis, Lois had been working at the Daily Planet for five years. Working from the timeline I've constructed of all post-Crisis continuity references thus far, Clark moved to Metropolis in 1981, meaning Lois joined the Planet in 1976, and since she was fifteen at the time, that makes her 20 in this issue (two years younger than Clark, if my timeline holds true), and 26/27 in the present day.
- Lois is working on her novel in this issue. It's been referenced only once previously (Action #597) that she is a published author.
Minor Details:
- Whether intended or not, there are odd echoes of the present day first episode in the flashback second episode. The head criminal looks similar in both cases (but they are separate characters with different names) and Clark's ability to fly in tight spaces pops up both times, as well.
- Byrne makes some reasonable efforts to add more authenticity to the idea of Clark coming from a rural farming community, realizing for the first time that he has an accent he needs to get rid of (I might find that notion offensive were I Midwestern), and adding the twist about Smallville High School not having the proper accreditation to get its graduates into post-secondary school.
- So much about how Clark uses his super powers to complete those tests on time makes no sense at all. Where did he get all those pencils from? Wouldn't super fast writing create friction that would tear or char the pages (especially while he's super-heating the tips to keep them sharp)? I'm sure this entire episode exists because, as a student in college, Byrne wondered how Superman would take an exam.
- Should I care at the end who this "Ed" is that Clark introduced Ruby to? Incidentally, those kids in the final panel are AT LEAST five years old. If the flashback occurred only six years earlier (as my timeline suggests), then "Ed" moves pretty fast.
plot synopsis:
There really isn't one. Superman flashes back to first arriving in Metropolis, which included stopping armed bad guys anonymously, having a two year relationship with a fast-moving older waitress, and taking four college entrance exams in two hours.
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 11:57:45 GMT -5
John Byrne -- The Life Flight that Failed (an opinion/speculation)
In 1938, an exceptionally healthy and quickly growing franchise was born to adoptive parent National Periodicals and birth parents Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel
His childhood was a healthy and prosperous one, with comic sales exceeding 1 million at times, and an exceptionally popular radio broadcast, as well as movie serial keeping the franchise thriving and at the forefront of the hearts and minds of most of America.
Though Superheroes were on the wane after World War II concluded, the Superman and the Molemen movie, followed by one of the most beloved television series in all of TV history, kept the franchise healthy and growing throughout its adolescence. Meanwhile, the comics themselves, the very core of the mythos, remained fresh and imaginative under the controversial but wildly successful watch of Mort Weisinger.
However, the first signs of illness set in during the franchise's twenties. As the deaths of the Kennedys and MLK Jr set in, as well as the increasingly questionable war in Vietnam, followed only a few short years later by the Watergate scandal, America became more and more disillusioned with the "establishment" with which Superman had now become so closely associated. Additionally, for the first time since its birth, the franchise had no wildly popular multi-media platform to sustain it. Superman was beginning to seem irrelevant, if not a little hokey.
Fortunately, by the end of the 1970s treatment arrived in the form of the 1978 motion picture, which gave the franchise a resurgence of health that it hadn't felt since it's early childhood, with people of all ages and demographics finding new affection for the franchise. This continued with the 1980 sequel.
But the illness recurred. The comics failed to capture much of the new energy found in the films. Superman was still out of touch with the current pulse of America, even if he represented ideals we all wished we could blindly embrace again. The third Superman film was no help here, which while fun at parts, was also laughably absurd. The franchise, now in its forties, was slowly beginning to bleed life.
In 1987 though, a reputable doctor was called to the scene. John Byrne, the biggest name in comics at the time (it would seem), would be starting Superman over from scratch, revitalizing him with a believability and edge that would make him relevant to modern day America, and he and colleague Marv Wolfman would even be brought aboard to help draft a concept for the next Superman film. Everything was going to be alright.
But it wasn't.
Chris Reeve got his own way with the fourth Superman film, and it effectively stopped the franchise dead in its tracks. Meanwhile, as so many posters have attested in this very thread, the massive throngs of fans who flocked to Byrne's Superman left soon after, shaking their heads in disbelief. Byrne's decisions had been controversial at best, and often downright tacky/embarrassing at worst. He left the franchise quietly and on bad terms while (I assume) sales had dipped noticeably. The patient was hemorrhaging life, Byrne was in a position to life flight him to health, and ended up taking the helicoptor on a joyride that crashed into a mountain instead.
An overstatement, you say?
It was just a bad run, you say?
Consider this. In the wake of Superman IV, DC was looking to do something to reclaim the success of the first two Superman films. At various times, they toyed with both creating a new Superman film and with making a Batman film. The final push towards making the wildly succesful 1989 Batman film that shot the character to the #1 superhero spot in nearly everyone's mind, trumping Superman for the first time since his creation, was Frank Miller's ambitious new take on Batman in Dark Knight Returns, which (for better or worse) succeeded in making the formerly hokey character relevant to modern Americans.
This is what Byrne was supposed to be doing with Superman.
Byrne didn't just create a bad run; he missed a critical opportunity -- Superman's last chance to reclaim his prominence in the minds of the average American. Instead of making Superman edgy, he just made him a bit of a sex maniac and placed him in unsettling circumstances that made us cringe. Miller began with a philosophical conversation in his own mind about who Batman would truly be; Byrne attempted to live out his childhood fantasies. The fanbase responded appropriately, DC looked at that reaction in making its decisions about which property to take to the next level via film.
Sure, Superman garnered attention again a few years later with the Death of Superman, but there was only so much DC could do with this increased attention in order to make it last. Jurgens and Ordway, though doing an absolutely fantastic job with the franchise by this point, had to work off of the character Byrne had left them in the post-Crisis recreation. This Superman wasn't really inherently different than the now irrelevant Pre-Crisis character. Most of what Byrne had done with him had involved circumstances and situations, not characterization. America was looking for something that better matched its own jaded views of justice at this point, maybe a character that begins with disillusionment and then seeks heroism and idealism from within himself,but Byrne missed his chance to find a characterization beneath the red and gold "S" that could deliver on this.
And so, while Superman continues to this day, remains DC's #2 most popular hero (though probably not the second most popular superhero overall) and flirts with bouts of attention in the limelight from time to time, the opportunity for a true renewal on life was missed. The patient has been dead for too long now. America doesn't really remember its romance with Superman anymore; the chance has been passed up to rekindle it. A different writer/approach in 1987 could have made all the difference; maybe even just a writer doing a reasonably competent job and riding on all the hype that DC had built-up for the relaunch. Maybe Marv Wolfman, unhindered by Byrne, could have delivered just enough depth and complexity to keep all the new readers entertained. Some of his stories and ideas in the pages of Adventures of Superman tried to deliver exactly the kind of disillusionment/rise to heroism conflict America was looking for, even while Byrne kept placing restrictions on what Wolfman could and could not do, including banning him from using Luthor and Lois Lane in his stories. Maybe Wolfman's approach would have been enough to keep Superman on the map and to convince DC to go ahead with a fifth Superman film, and Byrne sabotaged that opportunity in favor of his own embarrassing joyride with the franchise.
What do you think?
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 12:21:43 GMT -5
Action Comics Weekly #611 Catwoman - This was actually pretty good. Kitson's pencils were weak, but I like how Mindy Newell writes Selena thus far (much better than I liked her Lois Lane), and the mystery at the core of the story is somewhat intriguing. However -- Holly got married?  Surely, this gets undone. Isn't she really really young? Secret Six - They finally pull off a mission again, but there's nothing all that clever nor interesting about it. Deadman - Thank God it's ending next issue, though I'll admit to finding the last minute twist at the end of this issue somewhat impressive. Black Canary - Pablo Marcos' brilliant inking is all that I'm enjoying about this. Green Lantern - has utterly lost its charm/potential. And then there's Superman... "Beyond Mortal Men" writer: Roger Stern pencils: Curt Swan inks: John Beatty letters: Bill Oakley colors: Tom Ziuko editor: Mike Carlin grade: B Well, you can't win them all. This installment FINALLY gets to something that feels like a conflict for this storyline, but it crams in so much information that Swan doesn't really find room to play this time around. Similarly, Ziuko holds back a bit, using subtle shades of red to convey war and horror, and calming blues for the world of the Daily Planet in contrast, but it's hardly the brilliance he brought last issue. Minor Details: - We learn that half of the worshippers of Superman were murdered by an unknown scientifically advanced army for unknown purposes a month earlier. plot synopsis in one sentence: Bob shows Clark and Perry the slaughter of his fellow Superman followers in California, Clark determines that he is not faking his ability to create illusions without the aid of technology and is now driven to discover who attacked the followers and why. |
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 12:23:54 GMT -5
World of Metropolis #4
"Friends in Need"
writer: John Byrne
pencils: Win Mortimer
inks: Dick Giordano & Sal Trapani
letters: Albert De Guzman
colors: Tom Ziuko
asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Mike Carlin
featuring characters created by: Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
grade: B-
The FINAL Byrne story (though presumably Superman #22 was the final one he wrote).
Whereas the initial focus of World of Metropolis appeared to be telling the stories of The Daily Planet's cast of characters prior to Superman's arrival, this one goes more short term, flashing back to only four years ago (a year after Superman made his first appearance and Clark joined the Daily Planet staff) to focus on Jimmy's creation of the signal watch.
Did we really need a whole story for this? no. Could the scope have been broadened -- to show Jimmy's first days at the Planet, or even his first befriending Clark or Superman? yes. Still, it was an okay story, if a little unnecessary.
Important Details:
- Continuity check: This story was published towards the end of 1988 (November issue, though on sale in July). According to the Man of Steel timeline, Superman made his first appearance and Clark joined the Daily Planet in 1984. Jimmy's story flashes back to "about four years ago" (roughly 1984/1985) at which point Clark had been working at the Planet for a full year. It's not a perfect alignment with the continuity we already had, but there's been evidence in these reviews that Byrne wrote these "World of" limited series well ahead of schedule. He may have anticipated a slightly later on sale date or assumed the November 1988 publication date was the on sale date.
- Byrne seems to purposefully avoid giving Jimmy a specific age. However, considering his close friend is ultimately taken by the state and placed in a foster home, we can at least be relatively sure he was less than 18 years old four years prior to the current day, and is therefore no older than 21 now.
- Byrne returns to the notion he put forth in Superman #2 that Superman vibrates his head at super speeds whenever photographed so that no one gets a good look at his face. It was a dumb idea then and a dumb idea now. How can he ALWAYS know when he's being photographed or recorded? What about security cameras and spy satellites? When people talk to him, they're not like, "Dude, why is your head vibrating super fast?" and if the human eye can't detect his moving, why would a camera? Besides, if Superman's powers in the Post Crisis are supposed to mostly be human abilities amplified to a super-human level (as was stated numerous times in the letter cols and interviews), shaking my head back and forth a whole lot on a regular basis would have some significant impact on my health. Superman isn't impervious to his own super strength. He'd kill the muscles in his neck and possibly mess up his inner ears!
- Byrne's having Jimmy and Lois speculate about Superman's alter ego is quite clever. He's careful to adhere to the idea that no one had yet considered the possibility that Superman was an alien and, therefore, conclude that he must have been a normal person before arriving on the scene as Superman. The only flaw in their logic is the assumption that he is Superman full-time in the present. How hard would it be for a top respected reporter for a top newspaper in the country to coordinate with other news agencies and government sources to plot Superman sightings and tie them to specific times/days? You'd quickly realize he's usually in Metropolis and usually seen only at certain times (because Clark is clearly at the Planet during working hours on most days). They may not conclude from this that he has an alter ego, but they would at least realize he goes SOMEWHERE when off-duty and might try to determine where that somewhere is. The top reporter at a top paper in the country is sitting on one of the biggest stories in the history of Western Civilization and is being downright careless and laid back about it. Go out there and get the damn Superman story!
- No mention of Byrne's departure was ever made in ANY of the titles up to this point. Maybe Superman #23, or the letter column addressing Superman #22 will say something. Then again, all evidence suggests Byrne left on bad terms. DC might not want to draw any attention to his departure at all.
Minor Details:
- Fat Eddie is the cocaine kingpin of Metropolis, though Superman salvages evidence that may convict him at the end of the story.
- I'm sorry. Inventing a new method of possibly attracting Superman's attention (if Jimmy has correctly theorized that Superman would be sensitive to certain high range sound frequencies, if the frequency is right, if he isn't too busy to take note of it, if it annoys him enough to go check it out, and if he's within a one mile range so that he can actually hear it) is faster/more efficient than getting the dying girl into Jimmy's mom's car and driving her a mile and a half to the nearest hospital (as his mom initially proposes they do)?
- I'm assuming Chrissie is truly only supposed to be a friend, though the date at the end (occurring in the present day) is a bit ambiguous about this. After all, isn't Jimmy dating Lucy Lane?
- An ad for Suicide Squad #21 and #22 in this issue shows a storyline entitled "Campaign 88" and the picture of a presidential candidate at a podium. Again, I'm assuming this and the presidential candidate ad shown in Adventures of Superman #445 are all tying into the new DC event.
plot synopsis:
Jimmy is rescued by Superman when his undercover reporting on the Metropolis cocaine ring goes awry, he reflects back to how/why he invented his signal watch four years earlier, we see his mom wanting him to stop working for the paper and learn that his friend Chrissie is very depressed, she attempts to kill herself, Jimmy invents an early version of the signal watch in order to get her help when 911 puts him on hold, and Chrissie lives and appears to be close to Jimmy in the present day.
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 12:30:00 GMT -5
Superman #23
"Curse of the Banshee"
writer: Roger Stern
pencils: Mike Mignola
inks: P. Craig Russell
letters: John Costanza
colors: Petra Scotese
assist. editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Michael Carlin
grade: C-
How interesting that, in the very first issue after Byrne walked off (or was sent packing) his only worthwhile original creation from his Superman run ends up being the focus of this issue. Sheer irony for Byrne to get Silver Banshee on the cover (and, I assume, a nice royalty check in the mail) in this first month without his name in the credits, or maybe this story was already planned by Byrne before he departed? Whatever the case, it's a comforting gesture and a sign of good editorship to see one of Byrne's biggest remaining mysteries get solved after his leaving. Clearly, Carlin is paying attention and committed to not simply discarding the established continuity (though I'd definitely prefer if Sleeze never gets mentioned again!).
So this is the origin of Silver Banshee. It's not particularly good, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but a lousy explanation is probably better than no explanation at all. Of course, she's depowered and killed at the end of the issue. A final F*** you to Byrne, or a simple belief that this storyline was over and, thus, the character was no longer needed? I believe Silver Banshee comes back, and I'll be curious to see how.
So Roger Stern will be the new writer for the Superman title. It will be interesting to contrast his treatment of the character here with his more "vintage" treatment of Superman in the pages of Action Weekly.
This issue also marks the dream guest team-up of Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell. Maybe the two are just both too unique to be effective in working together, though. I'll honestly never understand why DC never seemed to allow Mignola to ink his own work at this point in his career. We know from his later work on Hellboy that no one inks Mignola better than Mignola. Whatever the case, the art in this issue was actually a bit of a letdown. I was really surprised to see that.
Interesting to see Batman making yet another cameo in a Superman title at this point. DKR and Year One were now several years old, and Death in the Family was only beginning to generate buzz, so Batman probably wasn't the meal-ticket he'd been even a year earlier at this point. And if the purpose of including him had been to sell more books, you'd expect him to have made the cover. So why include him here in a way so incidental to the plot? Maybe it was at the request of Mignola?
Important Details:
- Origin and (presumed) death of Silver Banshee and her family. Siobahn McDougal wanted to perform the initiation to become the head of her clan, her family was against a female doing this, her brother either intentionally or accidentally interrupted the rite, causing Siobahn to get sucked into the underworld where a spirit gave her the opportunity to redeem herself by returning as the Silver Banshee until she could recover the family's sacred tome. Her powers grow stronger when she is closer to the tome. In the end, the spirit, seeing how Silver Banshee has misused her powers, destroys the tomb and blows up the castle with Silver Banshee and her family inside of it.
- The spirit acknowledges, once again, that Superman is capable of killing (a reminder that the events of Superman #22 won't easily be dismissed), and informs him that "you have yet to achieve the fullness of your glory. That will come in time...if you do not fall." From a hindsight perspective, I wonder when he did achieve the fullness of his glory. Would that have been his battle with Doomsday, or perhaps his return from death??
Minor Details:
- It gets a bit silly when Superman turns the pages of the Tome to learn what's happening to his friends. Feels like those old cliche stories where a character reads the very book they are in to learn what's happening outside of their own first person limited perspective.
- Batman? Scared by a book that predicts the future? C'mon.
- Lois and Jimmy's presence is entirely irrelevant to the plot of this issue. Why are they even there beyond giving Superman a reason to turn his back on the Banshee's brother?
- How convenient that Batman stumbles upon the tome and brings it to Clark JUST as Lois and Jimmy are heading to Castle McDougal
- Wait. If you're going to disparage a fictional clan, establish their ancestral history and location, and then wipe them all out, shouldn't you maybe pick a fictitious clan name and not the single most common last name in all of Scottland? I bet some McDougals were pretty pissed off to read this issue.
Plot synopsis in one sentence:
Batman approaches Clark with the book the Silver Banshee has been looking for because it contains images of Superman within it, Superman decides to head to the McDougal ancestral castle, Lois and Jimmy are already headed there for an interview, mouth off to the head of the can, and get imprisoned in the dungeon for tactlessly asking too many direct and personal questions (sometimes I'm amazed that writers depict Lois like this when she's supposed to be a veteran journalist), Superman gets attacked by Silver Banshee but manages to get to the castle, we get the Banshee's origin, all hell breaks loose in a final confrontation including all parties, and then the spirit who gave Banshee her powers destroys everything and sends our protagonists safely on their way.
Not a good story by any stretch, but I like the adherence to continuity in the post-Byrne era that it promises.
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2014 12:38:51 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #446
"First Steps"
writer/pencils: Jerry Ordway
inks: Dennis Janke
colors: Petra Scotese
letters: Albert DeGuzman
assistant editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Mike Carlin
grade: A-
There's no doubt in my mind that Ordway has hit his prime. Free of Byrne's directives, Ordway has a crystal clear grasp on where the comic has been, where it needs to go, and the countless subplots happening in the current moment that need to connect them together. It's frankly thrilling to watch, from Superman developing strong self-doubt, to Jimmy becoming overwhelmed in trying to please the authority figures in his life, to Jose DelGado's quest to get his life back (and the puzzling return of Gangbuster), to Cat Grant being invited to work for Morgan Edge, to the hinting of some voodoo villain clearly slated to turn up in a later story, to the return of formerly minor character Heddison Maxwell Carter, to finally getting some characterization and hints at motives for Morgan Edge (who has barely had any screen time prior to this issue). Ordway even drops in a subtle reminder about Lois' ailing mother (who hasn't been mentioned for nearly a year now) and charms us by revealing Pre-Crisis Luthor's battle armor as Post-Crisis Luthor's old discarded junk. It's nice to see him making gestures to connect aspects of this new continuity to the old (and not just resurrecting old tripe from the Atom Age in order to do so ala Byrne).
Essentially, this is a massive soap opera, with Superman and the Daily Planet as its focii, and it's being orchestrated incredibly well.
Really, the only part I'm not loving is the whole subplot about Morgan Edge trying to turn Metropolis against Superman. It's just been done SO many times in superhero comics (most recently in Legends, only a year ago!). The conversation among the crowd about whether to blame or champion Superman in the midst of that rock slide was truly the only part of the issue where Ordway's dialogue felt stilted and unreal. Byrne started this conflict, so Ordway has to finish it, but I truly do not care about it at all.
Interesting to develop Morgan Edge as a second devious corporate man of influence. What will distinguish him from Luthor?
Minor Details:
- Petra Scotese is generally a highly underwhelming colorist in my opinion, but she does a VERY strong job on this issue. Perhaps that's more credit owed to Ordway, working closely with her or having a strong sense of colors and noting them on his pages? He's balancing writing, plotting, and penciling incredibly well and seems to have a vision for the overall finished product. Or am I just tooting Ordway's horn so much because he's not Byrne and I'm relieved to have him in control of the book?
- The traffic copter in this issue is reporting for Z100, a real radio station in New York that was at its height around 1988. Odd choice since this is Metropolis.
plot synopsis:
Superman is haunted by his killing the renegade Kryptonians (Superman #22), Jose DelGado is getting an experimental treatment to restore his walking and doesn't realize it's being done by Lexcorp, Morgan Edge is utilizing Heddison Maxwell Carter to loot old Lexcorp technology, and Gangbuster mysteriously returns to track down a mole in Luthor's company that is selling knowledge of how/when to obtain that old Lexcorp technology while it is being disposed of.
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 25, 2014 9:09:01 GMT -5
Superman #25  "Head Trips" writer: Roger Stern pencils: Kerry Gammill inks: John Beatty letters: John Costanza colors: Petra Scotese asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Michael Carlin "with a big thanks to that Adventurous Lad, JERRY ORDWAY, for all the advice and input." grade: C The first Roger Stern issue that I have not enjoyed. It's not that anything about this issue is particularly bad, but rather Stern brings back Byrne's Brainiac and fails to make him any more impressive. Brainiac was absolutely one of Superman's most impressive villains of the Pre-Crisis, and we've patiently waited for an unemployed sideshow mentalist to transform into something resembling that character, but now, in full transformation, he's still pretty disappointing -- just a guy in a truly horrendous looking outfit playing mind tricks on Superman. That's it. No real characterization either beyond a disappointing amount of smug and hubris. In addition, I'm bothered by the beginning of this issue, with Superman splitting into his good and dark halves -- a deep seeded fear in Superman's psyche right now, but it's Brainiac's dream. Why? Yes, Superman hinted at having a dark side when he last confronted Brainiac, but why is this haunting him? Does Brainiac fear Superman? Come to think of it, Vril Doxx has absolutely no personality in this story -- no characterization, no fears, no goals; nothing. He simply performs his part and then outwits Luthor at the end, sporting that obnoxiously smug face in the final panel when I would have expected/preferred the cool, calculating face of an alien genius. Let's talk about that cover, though. One of the most infamous Superman covers of the Copper/Modern Age, and I think it's the best part of this issue. Rare is a cover that tells a better story than the comic within, and it does. What would happen if Superman lost control of his strength and hurt those closest to him? This image is at the heart of all Superman is struggling with right now, and it's articulated better in this single moment than in any of the stories we've read thus far. In contrast, the actual heart of this issue, in which Superman envisions himself repeatedly hurting and killing those closest to him, is nowhere near as powerful as the cover. These could have been highly dramatic moments, and they just weren't. Stern could have played up the repressed feelings aspect -- Clark growing enraged over Lois continuing to resent him or Perry demanding he be at the office more often, and then exploding, but Stern completely bypasses the psychological potential of this story and just has Superman imagine they're bad guys and attack them before realizing he got the wrong people. A wasted opportunity, much like Brainiac. Important Details: - Milton Moses Fine's body is now completely inhabited/controlled by Brainiac. Additionally, Luthor has bionically enhanced his mental abilities. - Brainiac is able to partially control Superman's mind from great distances, but he cannot read it; he can only sense emotional reactions. Implied, however, that Brainiac can normally read most minds, so why doesn't he read Luthor's and obtain all his darkest secrets for leverage? Come to think of it, why would Luthor ever empower someone who has the ability to do this? After all, Luthor expects Brainiac to be able to read Superman's mind until Brainiac explains that he cannot do this. Minor Details: - Alice, the Daily Planet gofer who has shown up multiple times and who, I once surmised, was the result of some in-joke in the DC bullpen, returns in this issue. She even makes the cover (to Superman's left). - The cover also continues to depict Cat Grant working at the Planet (she was also on assignment with Clark last issue), while Adventures of Superman has had her working for Morgan Edge for the last two issues. - Eventually, someone is going to have to clarify what Luthor's intentions are towards Superman. He had him in his grasp at one point and elected not to go for the kill, presumably because he enjoys the hunt, but I feel we need this clarified better now that Byrne is gone. He allows Superman to go free at tremendous cost and risk to himself, and then makes messy hail-Mary moves like empowering Brainiac in order to strike back at the guy. It seems illogical beyond the point of obsession, somehow. Surely, Luthor has more efficient means of disposing of Superman; means over which he can exercise more direct control. But then I suppose we wouldn't have Luthor as a useful vehicle for empowering all sorts of new Super baddies for Superman if we had Luthor take the practical approach. One thing I've always respected about this run is the idea that most of what separates Metropolis from the real world is Lex Luthor. All the future tech and most of the super powered bad guys in these stories are byproducts of his empire. It makes the suspension of disbelief a lot more tolerable when you can chalk it all up to one evil super genius who could exist, but doesn't. plot synopsis in one sentence: Brainiac is having a nightmare about Superman unleashing his dark side to attack him, he awakens to learn that Luthor has removed the tumor that had given him headaches, has cybernetically enhanced his mental abilities, and given him fail safes forcing him to work for Luthor in order to mess with Superman, Clark starts experiencing delusions while at the Planet that his worst fear has come true and he has used his powers to hurt/kill those closest to him, eventually driving him to fly far away in a moment of extreme fear and fury, causing Brainiac to lose contact with him, so he gets himself together and goes to confront Milton Fine as Superman, only to have Fine use his powers on Superman once again, leading to a very public confrontation in which Fine appears to kill himself, only to reappear in Luthor's office, having removed the failsafes Luthor put in his brain and having Lex at his mercy. |
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 26, 2014 9:54:24 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #448  "The Ledge" writer/pencils: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke colors: Petra Scotese letters: Albert DeGuzman asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin grade: A This may be Ordway's best work yet. The writing is inspired, the pacing is instinctive, and the art is gorgeous. Even in an issue where not much happens, Ordway instills it with so much life and momentum. It's also the first sign of a now seamless continuity between the Superman and Adventures titles, as the Morgan Edge/Intergang and Brainiac threats are both present and palpable in these pages. But the best surprise of this issue is Ordway proving that he too can dig into Byrne's work and mine it for new stories. However, where Stern has simply been resurrecting villains, Ordway decides to revisit what, in my mind, is the second biggest unresolved plot point of Byrne's Superman continuity (the first being the abandoned laboratory orbiting Earth choc full of Superman's secrets, including his secret identity). Ordway brings back Amanda McCoy, Luthor's assistant from Superman #2 who empirically proved that Clark Kent is Superman and was dismissed by Luthor when he found the explanation implausible. Now this once forgotten character with full knowledge of Superman's identity is back with something to prove, though her exact intent remains unknown. Ordway also does a nice job of resolving the minor problem of Cat Grant working for Morgan Edge in his title while she's still been at the Planet in Stern's title, taking three otherwise unnecessary-to-the-plot panels to show that Cat just now signed her contract with Edge. Things are coming together. You can almost smell the Triangle Era on the horizon. We've also got a nice reminder in this issue that the Kents are now raising Matrix (Pocket Universe Supergirl), and that the Invasion storyline is about to start, as well as a tease that Pa Kent might have a heart attack and die while doing difficult chores outside (he didn't), and some subtle but brilliant clues that are leading me to believe, once again, that the new Gangbuster is really Superman giving leave to his dark side. The thematic parallels are all there this time. GREAT issue. Everything is exceptionally well done, even while we're simply watching a variety of story arcs build with no major climaxes provided. Important Details: - Return of Amanda McCoy - Invasion is about to begin Minor Details: - Are we ever going to find out why the gun the assassin from last issue used had some sort of corrosive plasma in it that backfired and maimed the assassin? We get an in-depth description of the event, but not the reason. plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman is attempting to talk down the assassin from last issue who, now maimed and terminally ill from his accident last issue, wants to jump to his death, Superman ultimately decides to let him be and make his own decision, shocking everyone, Gangbuster shows up shortly after and terrifies the assassin into coming down and turning himself in, Amanda McCoy is back and spying Clark and Superman with an assistant, Luthor is feeling vulnerable both to Morgan Edge and to Brainiac, Jose Delgado can now walk (though not well) and is resuming his relationship with Lois, we're reminded the Kents are raising Matrix and watch the Invasion take it's first steps, Cat Grant officially moves over to working for Morgan Edge and immediately goes on the air to discuss how Superman has lost his edge, and upon reflecting upon how everyone wants him to be a more vigilante-like hero that he doesn't want to be, Superman finds himself losing his temper and snapping at a police officer. An issue that did everything right, even without anything major or flashy occurring. |
|
|
|
Post by dupersuper on Jun 26, 2014 21:09:07 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #448 "The Ledge" writer/pencils: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke colors: Petra Scotese letters: Albert DeGuzman asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin grade: A This may be Ordway's best work yet. The writing is inspired, the pacing is instinctive, and the art is gorgeous. Even in an issue where not much happens, Ordway instills it with so much life and momentum. It's also the first sign of a now seamless continuity between the Superman and Adventures titles, as the Morgan Edge/Intergang and Brainiac threats are both present and palpable in these pages. But the best surprise of this issue is Ordway proving that he too can dig into Byrne's work and mine it for new stories. However, where Stern has simply been resurrecting villains, Ordway decides to revisit what, in my mind, is the second biggest unresolved plot point of Byrne's Superman continuity (the first being the abandoned laboratory orbiting Earth choc full of Superman's secrets, including his secret identity). Ordway brings back Amanda McCoy, Luthor's assistant from Superman #2 who empirically proved that Clark Kent is Superman and was dismissed by Luthor when he found the explanation implausible. Now this once forgotten character with full knowledge of Superman's identity is back with something to prove, though her exact intent remains unknown. Ordway also does a nice job of resolving the minor problem of Cat Grant working for Morgan Edge in his title while she's still been at the Planet in Stern's title, taking three otherwise unnecessary-to-the-plot panels to show that Cat just now signed her contract with Edge. Things are coming together. You can almost smell the Triangle Era on the horizon. We've also got a nice reminder in this issue that the Kents are now raising Matrix (Pocket Universe Supergirl), and that the Invasion storyline is about to start, as well as a tease that Pa Kent might have a heart attack and die while doing difficult chores outside (he didn't), and some subtle but brilliant clues that are leading me to believe, once again, that the new Gangbuster is really Superman giving leave to his dark side. The thematic parallels are all there this time. GREAT issue. Everything is exceptionally well done, even while we're simply watching a variety of story arcs build with no major climaxes provided. Important Details: - Return of Amanda McCoy - Invasion is about to begin Minor Details: - Are we ever going to find out why the gun the assassin from last issue used had some sort of corrosive plasma in it that backfired and maimed the assassin? We get an in-depth description of the event, but not the reason. plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman is attempting to talk down the assassin from last issue who, now maimed and terminally ill from his accident last issue, wants to jump to his death, Superman ultimately decides to let him be and make his own decision, shocking everyone, Gangbuster shows up shortly after and terrifies the assassin into coming down and turning himself in, Amanda McCoy is back and spying Clark and Superman with an assistant, Luthor is feeling vulnerable both to Morgan Edge and to Brainiac, Jose Delgado can now walk (though not well) and is resuming his relationship with Lois, we're reminded the Kents are raising Matrix and watch the Invasion take it's first steps, Cat Grant officially moves over to working for Morgan Edge and immediately goes on the air to discuss how Superman has lost his edge, and upon reflecting upon how everyone wants him to be a more vigilante-like hero that he doesn't want to be, Superman finds himself losing his temper and snapping at a police officer. An issue that did everything right, even without anything major or flashy occurring. "Words hurt..." |
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 27, 2014 20:52:04 GMT -5
Superman #26  "It's Just a Shot Away!" writer: Roger Stern pencils: Kerry Gammill inks: Brett Breeding letters: John Costanza colors: Petra Scotese asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin grade: B This issue could have been a simple tie-in to Invasion, but instead Stern and Carlin manage to maintain that sense of numerous plot points up in the air at the same time that's been working so well over in Adventures of Superman. In addition to the Invasion, we've got Brainiac controlling Luthor, the whole Gangbuster problem (more obvious than ever that it's really Superman living a double -- or is it a triple? -- life), the return of The Guardian and Project Cadmus, and the introduction of new villain Baron Sunday. I know the Post-Crisis Superman is particularly susceptible to magic, but I can't say Baron Sunday impressed me in any way. So far as we can tell, he can create fetish dolls and kill people through them, as well as do some magic without them including a "mystic sphere." However, Sunday's motives remain unclear. It seems implied he heads some kind of criminal syndicate. I assume this will be revisited later. No further mention of Amanda McCoy here. I guess that's Ordway's baby now. Come to think of it, Intergang doesn't get mentioned either. Not a particularly memorable issue beyond the fun of watching Superman take down a horde of Thanagarians with slightly excessive cruelty, but not a bad story either, and I really like the multiple plot lines developing concurrently. Important Details: -1st appearance of Baron Sunday. Can create fetish dolls to kill people, as well as create a mystic sphere. Possibly possesses other magic, as well. Implied to be the head of a criminal syndicate. Minor Details: -How did Superman determine that it was the "voodoo killer" who had remotely attacked him? -I had been going on the assumption that, with the failure of Superman IV in the theaters, the failure of John Byrne's run to attract and maintain new readership, and the rise in popularity of Batman after DKR and Year One, that Superman's pop culture appeal was in serious decline by this point, but this issue features two ads that suggest otherwise. The first is a Superman hotline, where for $2 for the first minute and 45 cents for each minute after, you can hear an all new Superman story each day. The second is an ad for collectible superhero coins, and the most prominent ones all feature Superman and Superman-related characters. Batman has the same amount of coins shown, but they are in secondary focus. So either I'm off the mark here or these ads were.   (the coins are hard to see in the image above. From top to bottom, left to right, they are: Supergirl, "50th Birthday of Superman", Lex Luthor, Penguin, Robin, Superman, Batman, Joker, Batmobile, Lois Lane, Wonder Woman, "Cartoon Celebrities", and I have no idea on the last one. plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman learns about a "voodoo killer" causing people to die with fetish dolls, he decides to begin looking into it as Clark Kent, Baron Sunday (the killer) learns that Superman is looking into his killings and decides to kill him, Perry, Clark, and Lois are informed by Sarge Steel that the government does not want Superman getting involved with the Invasion (which has now conquered Australia), throwing Clark into an out of character rage, Brainiac informs Luthor that he has nothing to do with the Invasion and wants it stopped so that he can rule by himself, the Thanagarians lead an attack on Metropolis, Superman decides to get involved even against the government's wishes, he kicks butt but Baron Sunday decides to strike at the same time, seriously hurting Superman remotely with a fetish doll, the Guardian and Captain Atom meet while investigating whether or not Superman has been killed (assuming the Thanagarians were the ones who hurt him), and "Gangbuster" tracks down Baron Sunday and kicks his butt, demonstrating all sorts of Superman-like powers as well as a succeptability to Jimmy Olsen's signal watch. |
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,870
|
Post by shaxper on Jun 27, 2014 22:47:54 GMT -5
I'm particularly mystified by McFarlane Superman's V shaped crotch.
Ouch. Poor Lois.
|
|
Surely, this gets undone. Isn't she really really young?
