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Post by shaxper on Jan 29, 2021 14:47:53 GMT -5
(By the way, the "Rondo" shirt is an extremely obscure continuity reference to a B story all the way back in Action Comics #599. Rondo was a friend of Jimmy Olsen's who made it big as a musician before falling in with a cult and dying) Rondo Hatton was an actor who suffered from acromegaly. Most famous as The Creeper he appeared in a number of B films as well as the Sherlock Holmes Rathbone/Bruce film Pearl of Death. Not sure if the Rondo from Action 599 had anything to do with Hatton, but I'm sure that's why a classic film lover happens to be wearing a shirt with his name and picture on it. Thanks for this! And here I thought I was all clever for catching that reference... |
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 29, 2021 22:50:42 GMT -5
Rondo also turned up as the visual reference for a character in The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine, aka Cliff's New York Adventure. The character Lothar, in the Rocketeer film, was inspired by Hatton. The film came out in June, this comic in September.
Jimmy references quite a few pop culture things in the Triangle Era, including some meta-stuff, like a Spin Doctors t-shirt, soon after the release of their big album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, which included the song "Jimmy Olsen's Blues."
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Post by shaxper on Jan 29, 2021 23:02:37 GMT -5
Jimmy references quite a few pop culture things in the Triangle Era, including some meta-stuff, like a Spin Doctors t-shirt, soon after the release of their big album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, which included the song "Jimmy Olsen's Blues." He's been wearing a Van Halen jacket as of late, but hopefully he'll get more with the times soon. The Rondo shirt wasn't being worn by Jimmy though; just a guy who (for some reason) is drawn exactly like him. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 30, 2021 0:05:26 GMT -5
Rondo also turned up as the visual reference for a character in The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine, aka Cliff's New York Adventure. The character Lothar, in the Rocketeer film, was inspired by Hatton. The film came out in June, this comic in September. Jimmy references quite a few pop culture things in the Triangle Era, including some meta-stuff, like a Spin Doctors t-shirt, soon after the release of their big album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, which included the song "Jimmy Olsen's Blues." I remember be thrilled to see that (being a Spin Doctors fan in high school). I think that was kinda Jimmy's role in this era, to be the relatable character, while Superman was a on the pedestal. Also, I despise the visual of red haired Lex. Van Halen IS with the times.. pretty sure this was around the time they did the Sammy Hagar thing, so they were definitely in heavy air play at the time. Edit: I guess it was a bit before this that happened, but the 2nd Hagar album was out in 1991, and wikipedia tells me they won a couple grammy in 1992 (when people still cared about such things) |
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Post by shaxper on Jan 30, 2021 4:43:24 GMT -5
Rondo also turned up as the visual reference for a character in The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine, aka Cliff's New York Adventure. The character Lothar, in the Rocketeer film, was inspired by Hatton. The film came out in June, this comic in September. Jimmy references quite a few pop culture things in the Triangle Era, including some meta-stuff, like a Spin Doctors t-shirt, soon after the release of their big album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, which included the song "Jimmy Olsen's Blues." I remember be thrilled to see that (being a Spin Doctors fan in high school). I think that was kinda Jimmy's role in this era, to be the relatable character, while Superman was a on the pedestal. Also, I despise the visual of red haired Lex. Van Halen IS with the times.. pretty sure this was around the time they did the Sammy Hagar thing, so they were definitely in heavy air play at the time. Edit: I guess it was a bit before this that happened, but the 2nd Hagar album was out in 1991, and wikipedia tells me they won a couple grammy in 1992 (when people still cared about such things) Yes, my bad for not realizing Unlawful Carnal Knowledge had already been released by June. Its hit single, "Right Now" dominated the charts. I'd thought the album had been released in 1992. |
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Post by chadwilliam on Jan 31, 2021 22:56:49 GMT -5
Though it's always nice to see Curt Swan, it irks me that he's usually given the least interesting bits to pencil when he's brought back to the titles. Here he is on a Superman title... not drawing Superman.
He worked on Adventures 480 where we got to see him drawing... Cat Grant handling the news at WGBS! Jimmy Olsen wondering how he's going to pay his rent! Mayor Berkowitz holding a press conference!
Admittedly, he was given more to do on Action 667 which followed and sure, in 1991 the titles have their own artists who shouldn't be expected to step aside for Swan any more than Swan should've been expected to do the same for, say, Joe Shuster, but I remember him returning for other projects (ie. Action Comics 700) and almost always being given the boring bits to draw. Were the writers being instructed to dull things down for the guy? "Remember, Curt's coming back to do four pages for this issue so let's have a couple of pages of Perry White cataloguing his cigars and another two with Bibbo giving his cat a bath!"
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Post by MDG on Feb 1, 2021 9:20:23 GMT -5
Though it's always nice to see Curt Swan, it irks me that he's usually given the least interesting bits to pencil when he's brought back to the titles. Here he is on a Superman title... not drawing Superman. He worked on Adventures 480 where we got to see him drawing... Cat Grant handling the news at WGBS! Jimmy Olsen wondering how he's going to pay his rent! Mayor Berkowitz holding a press conference! .... On the other hand, Swan was better than most of the other artists at being able to draw "regular" folks with believable expressions and positions. |
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Post by chadwilliam on Feb 1, 2021 11:04:42 GMT -5
Though it's always nice to see Curt Swan, it irks me that he's usually given the least interesting bits to pencil when he's brought back to the titles. Here he is on a Superman title... not drawing Superman. He worked on Adventures 480 where we got to see him drawing... Cat Grant handling the news at WGBS! Jimmy Olsen wondering how he's going to pay his rent! Mayor Berkowitz holding a press conference! .... On the other hand, Swan was better than most of the other artists at being able to draw "regular" folks with believable expressions and positions. That's a good point which I hadn't considered. Still, it seems sort of like punishment for doing a good job. |
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Post by badwolf on Apr 24, 2021 20:55:52 GMT -5
Superman #11 "The Name Game" writer/pencils: John Byrne inks: Karl Kesel colors: Tom Ziuko letters: John Costanza editor: Michael Carlin grade: C- I still don't get it. If Byrne was so committed to the idea of making Superman more real and of removing all the more outlandish aspects of the Superman mythos in order to support this concept (even going so far as to retcon Superboy into an artificially constructed "Pocket Universe" and then kill him off while de-powering Krypto into a normal dog), then what the hell is this issue all about? If the post-Crisis return of Titano back in Superman Annual #1 wasn't enough for us, we've got a post-Crisis Mr. Mxyzptlk making his first appearance here, and even the cover is a clear homage to those shockingly misleading covers of the Silver Age (and, incidentally, while the post-Crisis Superman covers have generally been awful, this is probably the first truly good one we've seen). Maybe the idea of making Superman more realistic was really Andy Helfer's brain-child, and thus his leaving the Superman office corresponds with a new emergence of sillier, more fanciful aspects of the Superman mythos. In fact, there's a bit of evidence to support this correlation, as Superman Annual #1 (The Titano story) was the first story not to credit Helfer as co-editor, and this happened at the exact same time as the Legion crossover that brought back and then obliterated both Superboy and Krypto. Seems likely to me that there was a difference of opinion between Byrne and Helfer as to whether or not these outlandish elements had a place in the post-Crisis Superman mythos, leading to Helfer's hasty and unannounced departure. So now Byrne is free of Helfer and just plain having fun. If you can let go of the idea that this comic franchise was only recently adamantly against having such fun, then this isn't a thoroughly bad issue, though, in typical Byrne style, it's far from well done. For one thing, it really bugs me that Byrne completely ignores the progression Wolfman has shown in Clark's relationship with Cat Grant. It's clear in that series that the two are informally dating and that Lois is out of the picture (having missed her chance for the moment), but this issue tries to play on the old love triangle as if none of this had already occurred. For another, Superman's method of defeating Mxyzptlk was every bit as arbitrary as the solutions to many of the Silver Age "silly" stories Byrne is making homage to here. I suppose I should find that endearing, but Byrne is still writing this like a more complex and realistic post-Crisis book, so I assumed he'd go for a more logical solution and found the end to be a bit of a cop-out as a result. And am I the only one who thinks "Ben DeRoy" (which, I believe, translates to "King of Kings") looks and acts a little too much like the Beyonder from Secret Wars II (published 1.5 years earlier)? Important details: (forgive me on these, but I'm woefully unfamiliar with the pre-Crisis Mxyzptlik and have no idea how much of this info is new for the character) - 1st post-Crisis appearance of Mr. Mxyzptlk - Mxyzptlk does not know that Clark Kent is Superman - From the Fifth Dimension - Real name is untranslatable (though what foreigner ever "translates" their name into the local language? Does he mean that it wouldn't translate to the sounds of the Third Dimension or something??) - Mxyzptlk is just the first thing he wrote on a magic typewriter to serve as a name. - Mxyzptlk set the criteria that saying the name backward sends him back to the Fifth Dimension. - Has a "superior 5-D brain" - Seeks games of chance with Superman - Should not be able to reappear for another 90 days (when the alignment between the 3rd and 5th dimensions is again optimal), according to theoretical physicians that Superman talks to, though it's unclear if this will be a consistent rule, or if it's just the case this time around (and how do you even ascertain such a thing? Theoretical physicists are aware of a Fifth Dimension, have an understanding that the Third somehow moves independently of the Fifth, and can track their movements in relation to one another? I know this is supposed to be a more futuristic modern day thanks to the contributions of Lex Luthor, but this seems a bit ridiculous). - Clark's being in the shower while Cat is over may be intended to imply that they are now sleeping together. Unsure if Byrne intended that since he'd set Clark and Cat's relationship back so far at the beginning of the issue. Minor details: - So Jimmy Olsen utilizes the secret signal watch to summon Superman just because some lady he's never met before told him all the sheets at her store started moving around like ghosts? - Were all of Superman's transformations on page 14 intended to reference the Silver Age transformations of Jimmy Olsen? Two of them are clearly referencing "The Super Brain of Jimmy Olsen," and "The Fat Boy of Metropolis," a third might just be a reference to Alfred E. Newman, and I have no idea if the withered Superman with gray hair and a beard is a reference to anything. (EDIT: JKCarrier has since pointed out that these are all references to Silver Age Superman transformations. More evidence that Byrne is intentionally invoking the "silly" past that this franchise was once sworn against.) Plot synopsis in one long sentence: Lois Lane is approached by "Ben DelRoy," a mysterious and attractive stranger who invites her to cancel her plans with Clark in order to go to lunch with him, it becomes clear that DelRoy has fantastic powers and a mischievous sense of fun, he gets Lois to agree to marry her and then has her swap existences with a mannequin in order to marry the mannequin instead, Jimmy Olsen signals Superman for an incredibly stupid and arbitrary reason, Superman ends up running into DelRoy, who (it turns out) was just trying to draw Superman out, DelRoy turns out to be Mxyzptlk, who introduces himself and sets a wager for Superman (say his name backwards or Mxyzptlk will pretty much continue messing with everything), Superman outsmarts him in a completely absurd fashion by rewiring the keys on a typewriter at super fast speeds (but wait -- he can't move faster than light, so how come Mxyzptlk didn't see him do this??) sending Mxyzptlk back after causing immense damage, and Lois goes to Clark's apartment to try to make up for ditching him only to find Cat there for lunch and Clark in the shower. I'm rereading these in the new hardcover volumes so I thought I'd take a look back at this thread.
I found this issue highly amusing, partly due to a number of "Easter Eggs."
Yes, Ben DeRoy is an obvious poke at the Beyonder...it's an anagram! When Lois asks him where he is from, he says he is from "yonder." (Besides being part of his name, the Beyonder was always telling people he was from beyond.) The shop that experienced the paranormal activity has a sign announcing a "white event" - probably a reference to the creation of the New Universe. The shop's name is Sanderson's - not an unusual name, but knowing how writers and artists love to reference other comics folks this way, it might be a nod to comics researcher Peter Sanderson. (I think Marvel Age might have been coming out around this time?)
(My apologies if all of this was already pointed out; I went through a few more pages of the thread and didn't see any responses from anyone else.)
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Post by codystarbuck on May 2, 2021 11:23:57 GMT -5
Rose & Thorn debuted in Lois Lane #105 and remains as the back-up feature until #130. The letters page continued to be called "Letters to Lois & Rose," until the end, in #137 (when the title was folded in with Jimmy Olsen and renamed Superman Family). The basic premise is that Rose Forrest's father, a police officer, was killed by a criminal gang, The 100. When Rose sleeps, the thorn personality asserts itself and prowls the streets, hunting for the 100. In the final Lois story, she tracks down one of the men directly responsible for her father's death. She was brought back a little bit later, in the Superman titles, hunting for the newly revised 1000. In her first story, she appears as a guest star in the Lois Lane story, rescuing her from some members of the 100, who have broken out of prison, with Lois as hostage. That was followed by the Rose & Thorn story, which illustrates the origin f Thorn, as Peter Forrest is murdered by the 100, after breaking up a protection racket. Rose suffers a breakdown, but eventually is released from a hospital and a friend tells her about a vigilante, the Thorn, who has been attacking the 100. We then see Rose sleeping...  She goes through a hidden door in her brownstone, which leads to a passage between buildings, to an abandoned costume shop, where the blonde Rose dons a brunette wig and a green outfit, to become Thorn. She then rescues her friend from an attack by the 100, corners some more in a bowling alley and then returns home and reverts back to the Rose personality.  Robert Kanigher wrote the series and Ross Andru and Mike Esposito drew it. In her second story, the 100 try to poison her boyfriend, a detective, and end up poisoning Rose's dog, who paws through the roses that the hood sprayed with the poison. Thorn rescues the detective from a trap and leaves two of the gang impaled on the needles of a huge cactus! Thorn would leave numbers as she took down each member of the 100, then sometimes wake up as Rose, with unknown injuries, from her hunts. The 100 also cut a check to charity, in exchange for a gold coffin that is placed at a funeral home (whose director is affiliated with the 100), with a note that it is for Thorn, when they get her., so that is looming around for issues. The Lois comics were revamped a bit, but they were still weird, gimmick stories, like one where she is transformed into a black woman (swiped from the book Black Like Me), but Rose & Thorn made a more realistic contrast to her more fanciful stories (though there was some attempt to do more grounded stories with Lois). Still, it's early 70s Code-approved comics; so, it's not exactly Death Wish and its not quite as experimental as something by Steve Gerber or Don McGregor. For DC, though, it was quite a change. |
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Post by shaxper on Jun 17, 2022 11:56:27 GMT -5
Superman: The Man of Steel #7 (January 1992)  "Stormy Weather" Script: Louise Simonson Pencils: Jon Bogdanove (layouts); Dennis Janke (finishes) Inks: Dennis Janke Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Albert De Guzman Grade: B Simonson and Bogdanove wage the opening volley in the "1992" story arc, and it's certainly the least bad thing they have done to date. While, after the the big ending of the "1991" arc last month, one might expect an update on Lex Luthor II, Simonson and Bogdanove are still pushing Cerberus as the big antagonist in a post-Luthor world. Right out of the gate, this creative team still behaves like the unwanted step-child who was either left out of the big summit or just wasn't paying enough attention there. Still, there is a lot to actually like about this issue. By far, the strongest appeal of this Superman Office, even more than it's obsessively tight continuity, is the complex and endearing world of the characters moving around Superman's orbit, and Simonson seems to be getting that. So, while Cerberus is out there and plotting, most of the issue is two of its operatives tracking Lois in her everyday life, while Simonson and Bogdanove jump around to give us updates on how other ancillery characters are faring as well. The A plot concerns a spat between Clark and Lois. The cover's exaggeration of this problem is almost criminal in its visual hyperbole, but the spat manages to feel real: both perspectives seeming equally valid, and both participants haunted by it in their every moments after:  The reconciliation at the close is positively adorable and absolutely the kind of stuff that keeps me reading these books:  I'll take this over a battle with a flavor-of-the-month villain anytime. Meanwhile, I can't decide if I love or hate the fact that Jimmy Olsen's life is starting to feel more like an Archie comic with each progressing panel:   And Simonson definitely moves up a few notches in my estimation by finally FINALLY letting Lana Lang get over Clark Kent after five frickin' years of being a sad sack and little else:  Who knows? Maybe she'll actually become a compelling character and I'll start to care about her new life with Pete Ross in Washington. Though I have to admit I'm not sure how long we're going to stay invested in that if it's multiple states away from where Superman's A plot is taking place each month. Might prove an interesting test for this office that has (up to this point) been so successful in delivering compelling drama on the sidelines. How far from the action can these side stories get before they start to feel irrelevent? Dennis Janke begins assisting Bogdanove on art as of this issue, and will continue to do so for a few months. At first, I missed the change in credits and thought Bogdanove was just getting that much better. After all, some of these panels are legitimately great, less in terms of arrangement and more in terms of facial expression:   whereas others show Bogdanove's usual flaws, whether a hulking Clark Kent who would never fool anyone into believing he is mild-mannored:  inconsistent/exaggerated body proportions:  and (often) surprisingly manly, muscular faces for women:  I wonder if Janke took an eraser to any of the panels that ended up looking good. I also wonder if Carlin hadn't requested that Bogdanove get an assist on the art. From what I hear, he does improve with time. Maybe Janke is helping him and not just cleaning up after him. Important Details:1. 1st appearance of villains Jolt and Blockhouse, though it is implied we have met them before in other identities. 2. Cameo first appearance of whoever is leading Cerberus:  It would be hilarious if Simonson and Bogdanove meant to imply that Dave Sim's Cerebus is leading Cerberus. They certainly have the same hands. 3. Jimmy Olsen has broken up with Lucy Lane  ..and become Archie Andrews in every panel since. 4. Pete Ross and Lana Lang are now living together and romantically involved. Minor Details:- Simonson sure doesn't hold back on her view of unions:  That Jeb, the union organizer who created this mess, just departs for the West Coast at the end of this issue, no consequences doled out for him, and none of his nasty work being undone by the close, is downright upsetting. As a proud union member, I'm cringing at all of this. - Bogdanove has no idea how to draw monkeys:  |
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Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2022 23:37:11 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #486 (January 1992)  "Purge" Script: Jerry Ordway Pencils: Tom Grummett Inks: Doug Hazlewood Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Albert DeGuzman Grade: C Well maybe the last two issues didn't provide any kind of satisying follow-up to last month's big cliffhanger involving the rise of Lex Luthor II, but certainly this issue will focus on...  Seriously? Look, this office utterly blew the opportunity that last year's year-long crossover event presented. Now, three issues into "1992", things don't seem to be looking any better. We've got lots of catching up on side characters and small points of continuity (all of which I greatly enjoy!), but absolutely no sense of a larger focus for the year. Two clueless super-powered thugs tailing Lois Lane for an entire issue, Lori Lemarus returning from the dead only to keep her being alive a secret from everyone, and now a freak robot trying to assassinate Manheim and accomplishing nothing. None of it seems to be going anywhere. In a city in which Lex Luthor II is rapidly amassing power and reshaping the city in his image, how is this not even getting casually mentioned in the pages of any of these issues? Oh, there are bits to love about this issue. While the central plot is both forgettable and inconsequential, it's nice to know that both Mannheim and Gillespie are still out there. And while that robot's abilities seemed to be total bulls**t (regenerating limbs, impervious to most damage, and even turning into a motorcycle, and Mannheim heavily implies it was built on Earth and not on Apocalypse!), the technology with which a completely broken Gillespie can operate a computer was surprisingly prescient for 1992, that technology first being pioneered in 1997.  Additionally, Ordway continues to write the best interactions between Clark and Lois, this little bit of flirtatious banter absolutely being the highlight of the issue:  Along with the heart-gushing look on Martha's face when they first arrive over the farm:  In an age in which comics were growing increasingly dark, this franchise was holding its own as a downright positive and happy place...at least for another twelve months. Going along with this, though, it's possible Ordway and Grummit overstep the goody-goody factor a bit with this awkward ending, which closes the issue at an arbitrary point just to emphasize the fact that Lois' family is a praying family:  Superman participating in Grace at the family table might just be good manners as a house guest, but it's also a bit alienating. it's one thing to have Superman helping Santa on the classic cover or two, but it's another to imply he is a devout Christian. Not only does it separate him from everyone reading who is not a devout Christian, but Seagal and Shuster were Jewish. I could almost see something like this flying in a Silver Age story (though they weren't big fans of mixing religion and comics back then either unless you wrote for Treasure Chest), but certainly an office that had taken progressive stands on environmental issues, homelessness, economics, inner city youth, American intervention in world politics, and especially feminism would understand in 1992 that not everyone is Christian. Minor Details:1. Gillespie is still running intergang from his hospital room. I'm not convinced criminals would ever be so loyal as to expend so much effort, take such risks, and cause such impractical delays in their operations as to let someone who can't even talk run the organization, but oh well. I guess everyone is sunshine and optimism in Metropolis--even the gangsters. 2. Mannheim has now had his restraining collar removed, meaning he can use his Apocalypse powers to escape at any time. 3. Ordway is definitely following Jurgens' continuity for Jimmy Olsen as opposed to Simonson's (Jimmy is living in his car and is still trying to get it out from the snow), but he is borrowing a bit of Simonson's humor. Not exactly Archie level, but definitely a step in that direction:  4. Is this a reference to Parasite?  Grummett's art is hilarious here. So much is conveyed without being said. 5. Ordway's covers continue to depict Superman with gray hair. As I noted last month: In the end, we've now gone three weeks and three dollars without anything of consequence occuring in Superman's world, but at least the characterizations are mostly working. The world of Metropolis keeps on moving, even when the A plots do not |
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Post by shaxper on Jun 20, 2022 23:05:17 GMT -5
Action Comics #673 (January 1992)  "Friend in Need" Script: Roger Stern Pencils: Bob McLeod Inks: Denis Rodier Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley Grade: B It's getting increasingly difficult to review these issues, in which so many story arcs each progress slightly with none taking centerstage. While the cover suggests this issue is about the Post-Crisis introduction of Hellgrammite (an unusual choice considering that the character hadn't appeared in fourteen years and only ever made three appearances prior to that), the most significant story progression actually happens for Mannheim, who escapes from Stryker's Island in the wake of last week's attack on the prison by Purge. Mannheim escapes, gets a nuclear weapon, and is intercepted by Superman before he can blow up Metropolis. This is really significant because (while it's never pointed out to us here) this was the event that triggered the dystopian futures in both Superman Annual #3 and Action Comics Annual #3 last year as part of the Armageddon 2001 event. In the first future timeline, Superman fails to prevent the detonation and becomes an anti-hero in the aftermath. In the second, Superman vaguely remembers enough from glimpsing the first future along with Waverider to prevent the detonation a second time, and that emboldens him to exert his power more upon the world in an effort to keep it safe. The weird part is that they bother to acknowledge this here, and yet 1. We're never told why Superman is able to stop Mannheim in this reality. He does not seem to remember Waverider's intervention nor have a sense of things to come when he makes the choice to kill Mannheim rather than risk the deaths of millions:  2. It goes down completely differently here. In Superman Annual #3, we're told that one of Mannheim's henchmen panics and hits the detonator when the bomb was only meant as a blackmail scheme:  And, in Action Comics Annual #3, we actually see it go down, though Superman prevents the detonation this time:  But, in this issue, Mannheim is alone and heavily armored:  Why? Did Stern and McLeod just not bother to go back and check how it went down previously? I mean, Stern WROTE Action Comics Annual #3! Meanwhile, we FINALLY get back to Lex Luthor II after waiting a full month, but he only appears for a single scene that is in no way critical to any plot points:  Superman also mentions that Team Luthor has been cleaning up crime and making him feel unnecessary as of late, but none of that has been seen anywhere in these comics. We saw Team Luthor in action exactly once and they haven't been mentioned at all in the four issues since, even while a killer robot was breaking into Stryker's Island. As usual, an impressive effort is made to maintain continuity across titles, in this case even showing that the events of this issue occur on the same day as the events of last week's issue:  and yet (as is also usual as of late), there are blunders too. Last issue, Purge's limbs had broken Mannheim's restraining collar off entirely, leaving him free to utilize his powers. Here, the collar is still on (though no longer functioning).  And what exactly was the collar dampening, anyway? Mannheim does not appear to have any powers without his armor. Stern also goes long and makes a continuity reference from nearly four years earlier that even I'd forgotten:  For what it's worth, Adventures of Superman #445 was the very first issue produced after John Byrne's departure that was in no way based upon his remaining notes or plot points; the first time the remaining creative talents in the office produced something entirely on their own, setting the stage for this almost objectively superior era that has since followed. It all sort of started there. I had three personal favorite moments in this issue. The first is this seemingly inconsequential moment:  Again, my favorite Superman stories are the ones that play up his character and dedication more than his powers, showing that his true hero status comes from within. In this case, since one month in our world is one week in Superman's world (as has been frequently established in these issues), and if Superman presumably hasn't been to this shelter since it was first established in Adventures of Superman #445 (41 months earlier), then it has been 41 weeks (nearly a full year) for Superman, and yet he remembers the name of one of the people working there like they see each other every day. I love that Superman makes the effort. My second favorite moment was definitely this unexpected one that functioned almost like a jump-scare. comics rarely startle me, but this moment did:  And my third is Bibbo being the corniest, wholesomest guy in all of Suicide Slum:  It's no surprise that he has opened his bar up to everyone for Thanksgiving and is giving a down-on-his-luck Jimmy Olsen all the help that he needs. It's also great to see adorable bar regulars High Pockets and Lamar once again:  We haven't seen those two since Adventures of Superman #483:  Oh, and Pete Ross and Lana Lang are getting married...or are they?  Gad, I hope Lana's sad sack days of pining after Clark are finally over, but man that engagement and wedding planning happened fast! If one month in our world is one week in Superman's, then this couple has been together for LESS than a week at this point! Important Details:1. Superman seemingly kills Mannheim to prevent the destruction of Metropolis (as shown repeatedly in Armageddon 2001) 2. First Post-Crisis appearance of Hellgrammite, who has been hired to kill Lex Luthor II by a board member that LL2 spooked a little too much. 3. Lana Lang and Pete Ross are getting married. Minor Details:1. It took me far too long to realize that was the silhouette of a bed.  I was thinking it was a printing error, or the inker trying to cover up an error! 2. "Booty?" Is Superman a pirate, or is he coming on to this guy?  All in all, a MUCH stronger issue than the three that came before it. Something important ACTUALLY HAPPENS, and we see more of LL2 as well. |
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Post by shaxper on Jun 25, 2022 16:10:50 GMT -5
Superman: The Man of Steel #8 (February 1992)  "Power Trip!" Script: Louise Simonson Pencils: Kieron Dwyer Inks: Dennis Janke Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley Grade: D If you were starting to wonder if anyone could pencil worse than Bogdanove, the answer would appear to be "yes". Kieron Dwyer filled in previously on Action Comics #671, but the awfulness was less notable there. Here, Dwyer seems to really struggle with proportions and perspective, from Lois' freakishly long arms and torso to a stranger shrinking in size across two panels:   And, of course, there's Superman's giraffe neck at the end:  THIS is a professional comic book? Especially in the age of Image? Not too much to note about this one, as Simonson apparently thinks Cerberus is a much bigger deal than we do. His minions spent a full week (their time, not ours) trailing Lois and planning to catch her, and their preposterous plan to use far out technologies that never get explained to make Superman do their bidding blows up in their faces anyway, but not before Simonson and Dwyer can indulge in some heavy, comics code-approved s&m:   It's no Superman and Barda shooting a porno, but still, what the actual heck? Kids were reading this. Well, at least any kid disturbed by this can flip the page and watch something more wholesome, like kind-hearted Bibbo Bibbowsky and his friends pressuring Jimmy Olsen to get drunk for the sake of Christmas or something:  What could possibly be wrong with this message? Going bigger picture, after a month of build-up, all that really gets established in this issue is that Cerberus is not Cerebus the Aardvark:  and this ambiguous tease that didn't really entice me:  By the way, how does Cerberus know Superman is vulnerable to magic? Are his nonsense future-tech devices that sap Superman powers without any indication as to how/why they work somehow magical? This really needed to be explained better. Two months into 1992, and eight months into this title, Simonson still seems like she is writing in her own world, intersecting with the other three titles on the surface, but essentially marching to her own tune, furthering this one thoroughly uninteresting Cerberus plot across eight months worth of issues. Even without the legitimately bad writing in places, it's an inexcusable waste to stretch something this lackluster across so many issues. And Cerberus is hardly done. Minor Details:1. Dear God. Who thought this was a good idea for a costume:  2. Whereas Ordway, Stern, and Jurgens have worked hard to give Metropolis its own unique identity and details, Simonson treats it as New York in everything but name. Superman plants a Christmas Tree in Lincoln Park after it is pushed off the roof of "Dacy's" department store. How lazy can you get? 3. How did Superman know exactly where to punch through into the lead-lined warehouse?  Where was the alternate dystopian Armageddon 2001 future where Superman punches through five feet to the left and goes straight through Lois? To be fair, there were exactly two moments I appreciated in this story: Superman and Lois having to show restraint in front of onlookers after an intense ordeal  and this cute moment where the art actually worked:  I truly wonder if, upon re-reading this run, I could get away with skipping the Man of Steel issues entirely. There'd likely be a few minor moments of continuity I'd be missing, but did I really have to see Jimmy get kicked out of his apartment to understand that it happened? I doubt it. I couldn't care less about Cerberus at this point, and Simonson seemingly has nothing else to offer us. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 28, 2022 21:18:32 GMT -5
Superman: The Man of Steel #9 (March 1992)  "Power Breakfast" Script: Louise Simonson Pencils: Jon Bogdanove (layouts); Dennis Janke (finishes) Inks: Dennis Janke Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley Grade: A- Putting aside Simonson's ridiculous title for this story (her humor continues to misfire in these issues), this is one hell of a first act for this major event. This is now the fourth time Metropolis has faced a massive crisis (there was a Thanagarian invasion, a tsunami, and a city-wide extended blackout), but this is the first time a writer and artist have truly made us feel the extent of the devastation, from Lois being forced to loot her own favorite camera store to countless jaw-dropping street-level views of the devastation:  For the first time, the scale of it all seems real. Maybe the reason Bogdanove skipped out on the previous issue was because he wanted more time to get this one right. It would explain why his art looks so much BETTER this time around. There are still a few truly bad moments:  but they are rare and also less terrible than usual, while there are far more panels that are actually exciting and visually striking:  I finally see Bogdanove's potential. Maybe he's just a slow artist who can't handle monthly deadlines (and who benefits from having someone like Janke finish for him). I only have two criticisms of what is an incredibly impressive issue (seriously, coming from this creative team!). For one, while the devastation feels real and dire, it's quite a stretch that absolutely no one in Metropolis has died. I get that this is a Comics Code-approved book, but if Weezy and Kieron Dwyer could spend much of last issue working through some shared s&m fantasy, we can certainly afford to make the threat here a little more believable with a few off-panel deaths. Instead, everyone manages to be conveniently out of the way of those laser beams that keep ripping through windows:  and evacuated safely before buildings crumble to the ground:  It's a tad silly. The other misfire of this issue is Brainiac. Six years into this Post-Crisis relaunch, we are still waiting for someone not to f*ck up Superman's #2 villain, but Simonson and Bogdanove treat him like some archtypical melodrama villain, complete with the twirly mustache  who is easily thwarted and doesn't seem like he is going to be much of a threat here:  That's...not Brainiac. Minor Details:1. Jose Delgado is back as Gangbuster.  But then that gets me wondering why Simonson isn't depicting how this attack is affecting more of our extended cast of characters, all living in this city and all likely frightened. How are Cat Grant and her son faring? What about Sam Foswell and Alice, the intern? Where is Lucy Lane? Are Pete Ross and Lana Lang watching on television? What about Jonathan and Martha Kent? So many characters to check up on -- a full issue of their thoughts and reactions would have been worthwhile. I get why this phase of the event had to be crammed into a single month: the internal timeline of these books means that going into a fifth week would equal Brainiac's attack on Metropolis lasting for more than a week (which is unlikely). Still, this feels rushed and would have benefited from more time. It would have been nice to have brought in the annuals early in order to extend this out across those issues. 2. Yup. Mayor Berkowitz appears to be in Lex Luthor II's pocket. I guess that's how he won the re-election:  3. I can't get enough of Emil and Mildred. Even aging supporting characters need love:  4. I truly don't know what to make of Simonson's humor. Jimmy Olsen as Archie Andrews two issues back, the hilarious antics of Bibbo and friends pressuring Jimmy to get drunk last issue, and now the title of this story and that weird moment in the middle of an alien invasion when Professor Hamilton offers donuts to Jimmy and Bibbo:  WHY? It completely undercuts the tension of the moment. 5. One of Boggy's stranger moments is this little energetic telepathy cloud drawn between Lois and a fleeing shop-owner:  What was he trying to depict, there? 6. And yet, here's another tremendously impressive Boggy moment from this issue:  Or does the credit belong to Janke? Or Whitmore? 7. I'm really getting sick of Simonson treating Metropolis as if it's New York in everything but name. I used to drive by this place every day:  Every other creator in this office has worked hard to give Metropolis its own unique identity. This is so damn lazy. |
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