shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 4, 2016 19:14:02 GMT -5
Superman #46  "The World of Tomorrow" pencils: Dan Jurgens writer/co-inker: Jerry Ordway co-inker: Dennis Janke colors: Glenn Whitmore letters: John Costanza assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: D+ Well, the Superman Office has really hit its stride and, with all their effort in the past two months to push Superman back to the #1 spot, it's a great time to be reading. Truly seems like there hasn't been an outright bad issue in ages now. Oh, wait. No. Here's one. Look, it's obvious that this month's issues are all filler in the wake of the three part Dark Knight over Metropolis event, and only one month ahead of the next big crossover: Soul Search (plus yet another and bigger event being planned for two months after that). Coordinating an event across three titles with three creative teams, getting it all done in a single month, and then planning to do it all AGAIN two months later and AGAIN two months after that -- that's insane, so it's forgivable if these stories aren't great, but man this one sure stinks. It really feels like Ordway's thought process was as follows: "You know, we've got all these new readers coming in. Might be a great chance to build interest for my aborted Infinity Inc. title by inundating new readers with tons of continuity from a long-dead title they're not likely to know anything about. And hey, I watched Westworld last night (the '70s movie, not the current show), so throwing Superman and these other heroes in an Old West setting with robot cowboys would be pretty cool. Who cares if it makes sense? Eh, I feel a little selfish. Maybe I'll put a message in there about global warming to expunge my guilt." That's essentially what we're given, the Infinity Inc. characters and references feeling forced and confusing, the Old West backdrop and robot cowboys seeming entirely random, and the global warming message even being a dud because the point made is that wealthy industrialists are responsible for the problem -- so that leaves us with no message about what we as readers should do about it. Couldn't Superman at least suggest we write our congressman? A lot of the plot doesn't make much sense either. I think my favorite part is when Terra-Man unleashes a tornado upon the area. Obsidian tries to stop him while Superman and Jade appear to stand by and do absolutely nothing as people around them are getting seriously banged-up:  No one even bats an eye or asks why Superman didn't help them. And these people look HURT. As an impressionable ten year old comic reader when this book came out, I'd been won over by Dark Knight over Metropolis and was thus reading Superman for the first time with these stories. Assuming my experience was not unique, I'd imagine there were a lot of people reading this book for the first time as of this issue, and that they therefore would have been floored by the last page (as I was):  If you'd been reading these titles previously, Lois and Clark had already shared several kisses and were in a serious relationship by this point, but it feels like this final page was there to shock the newbies and show them that this was not their parents' Superman -- foundations were being shaken. I know it made my jaw drop at the time. So a pretty darn awful issue, but that final page must have been pretty exciting to new readers, at least. Important Details:- Angelica Blaze first mentioned in this story as the owner of the Blaze nightclub Jerry White works at - 1st appearance of Terra-Man (Tobias Manning), a former industrialist turned environmental extremist utilizing advanced technology to achieve his goals.  Can build robots that resemble living people, and wears an exo armor that allows him to shoot energy bursts, create tornadoes, and alter his density at will. Minor Details:- This issue must have been a rush job. John Costanza has glaring typos all over the place, and that isn't at all like him. Plot synopsis: Clark and Lois are covering a sales pitch for a biosphere that will allow the rich to endure global warming, and Obsidian and Jade of Infinity Inc. are assisting behind the scenes. Terra-Man shows up to frighten the wealthy prospective clients that they should clean up the environment instead of running from it, and Superman, Obsidian and Jade try to stop him. Jimmy Olsen and Jerry White are on their way to meet up with Angelica Blaze while Clark and Lois have a picnic under fireworks and share a romantic kiss. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jan 1, 2017 22:40:32 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #469  "Nasty Boys" story & pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Art Thibert letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Glenn Whitmore assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: B+ At this point, the Superman Office is playing to two very different audiences. We've got new readers pouring in after Dark Knight Over Metropolis who need a few introductions, explanations, and (of course) some excitement to make them want to stick around. It's for that last reason, I suspect, that this issue begins exactly where Superman #46 left off:  Hey, new readers -- this isn't the Superman you grew up with! But much of this issue is also written with the original audience in mind: those loyal fans who stuck around throughout and after Byrne's run and are still expecting this new team to preserve that continuity and address all unanswered questions. Now, I'm a continuity guy. I love when a book is meticulous in how it utilizes and recalls past events in a meaningful fashion, and thus I've been really impressed with the lengths the current Superman team has gone to in order to fill in nearly all missing pieces left behind by Byrne. And yet even I believe that adherence to continuity can go too far. This issue is an example of that, dredging up a forgettable done-in-one conflict from two years back in Adventures of Superman #442 that never made any darn sense, in which two robot probes that look like aliens sap Superman's strength and test him to determine whether or not their invasion fleet should invade Earth. I'll be honest -- I completely forgot about this story and had to go back through my reviews to jog my memory. It wasn't memorable, and the parts that made no sense were no more or less dumb and in need of further explanation than a lot of other stuff Byrne wrote during his run, so why dredge it up again? It's true that Ordway assisted on the writing of that story, but this is Jurgens' title; Ordway wasn't involved this time around. ANYWAY, so the robots are back, but it turns out they weren't robots at all, aliens appearing to hunt them were just sent by one of the non-robots' wives in order to bring him home, and basically they're just two idiots out looking for fun, telling aliens they fight the whole story about being robots scouting for an invasion fleet:  The whole thing feels like a total cheat -- dredging up a storyline no one remembered anyway in order to claim it was all a lie. However, just when you think you know what's going on, it turns out the story we've now been fed was also a lie:  I have no idea where this is going, and thus I'm not sure whether I dislike it or not. Continuity and after-the-fact revisions aside though, this was a really fun issue. The goal of these filler stories between Dark Knight Over Metropolis and Soul Search appears to be reaffirming that Superman is finally okay again. So, when these bad guys come cruising for a bruising, it's fun to watch Superman not work up a sweat since he's ready for them now. He says as much and reels off all the troubles he's had recently while essentially trouncing these guys without an ounce of effort.   It's just FUN. And we get this amusing moment a little earlier on as well:  Kissing, fighting, comedy, and absolutely no misery or depression whatsoever -- what a nice contrast to the really dark stories we waded through for so long before arriving at this moment that feels a bit like a victory lap. Superman did it; things are back to normal. Well...until the last page.  We knew Jerry White was cruising for a downfall, but Jimmy Olsen too??? Some intergang thugs gun them both down after Angelica Blaze caused them to believe Jerry had stolen their drug money. And before you start telling yourself there's no way Jimmy is dead, we just saw Clark and Lois making out at the beginning of this issue. Clearly, the Superman status quo is out the window, and nothing is safe as a result. (of course, Jimmy DOES end up living, but that's not the point  ) Minor Details:- Is no one yet questioning why Smallville has now been the subject of FOUR alien invasions over the past two years?? - Whitmore does one heck of a job making an evening backdrop look compelling, panel after panel. Blacks, purples, even pinks at time. He never lets it get monotonous. plot synopsis:
Clark and Lois are "enjoying" their evening picnic when they are interrupted by Pete Ross and Lana. Before that can get awkward, an alien spaceship arrives with super powered hunters seeking aliens that are, in turn, seeking Clark Kent for some reason. Turns out that the aliens being pursued are the alien scouts from Adventures of Superman #442, which Superman has to defeat after defeating their pursuers. Then Dreadnaut's "wife" shows up to explain it was all a bogus story and Superman sends them on their way, but they subsequently report to a hidden base on Earth where a commanding officer chides them for nearly exposing their secret plan to Superman and Clark Kent. Then, at Angelica Blaze's nightclub, she causes two Intergang thugs for whom Jerry is selling drugs that he has stolen their money. They gun down Jerry and Jimmy Olsen (who is with him). Angelica admires her handiwork and, caressing the dying bodies, informs them that, instead of going to St. Peter, they will be going to her.
In the end, none of this month's filler issues can be outstanding, almost by definition, but this one was a lot of fun and left us with a mystery to boot, even if it slaved over past continuity just a bit too much. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jan 14, 2017 10:54:57 GMT -5
Action Comics #656  "Soul Search, Part One of Three: Going to Blaze's" Script: Roger Stern Pencils: Bob McLeod Inks: Brett Breeding Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: C+ Two months ago, the Superman Office launched and concluded the head-turning Dark Knight Over Metropolis crossover in a record-setting single month. Now, only two months later and with a flock of new readers turning to these books in response, we get our next month-long crossover: "Soul Search". Dark Knight Over Metropolis, an overt effort to win the hoards of recent Batman fans over to Superman, did this in part by suddenly depicting Metropolis as a darker, crime-filled backdrop. They now attempt to one-up that darkness by literally putting Superman in Hell.  Every bit as ridiculous an idea as it sounds, and the presence of The Black Racer, possibly Jack Kirby's most ridiculous concept ever, doesn't help:  This probably wasn't the story that hesitant new readers needed to see, but it does have its moments. While these readers would have no reason to care about Jerry White (and, really, did any of us?), the reactions to his critical condition are damn powerful, especially his mother's:  and his true father's:  Of course, this leaves us with questions. If Lex knows that's his son, why was he using him in those biological experiments way back during the Gangwar storyline? Did he first learn of Jerry's genetic similarity to him via that research? And, most importantly, we still don't know if Perry White knows that Jerry is not his biological son. So odd not to have an editor's box at least trying to explain this matter to new readers who would have no understanding of why Lex Luthor would be so broken up about Perry White's son. Really, there isn't any more to this issue than that. People crying about Jerry (no real concern over Jimmy, other than from Clark), the Black Racer, and Hell. That about covers it. If it wasn't for the emotional poignancy of Alice White and Lex Luthor's grieving, I would have had no kind things to say about this issue. Minor Details: - Odd that Stern establishes the setting of the first scene as being "A Great Metropolitan Hospital". I mean, this issue names churches, offers street addresses, recalls the name and appearance of Clark's seldom seen neighbor (Andrea), and even makes a several year old reference to Superman Annual #1, but it can't name a hospital? Plot synopsis: Jimmy Olsen and Perry White are rushed to the hospital after being shot in Adventures of Superman #469, Perry and Alice show up and learn that their conditions are questionable, Clark arrives and discovers that their organs are fine -- something else is draining their life essence. The Black Racer arrives and summons Superman to what appears to be Hell and then vanishes. Superman is approached by a girl begging for his help who is actually Blaze attempting to deceive him. She shoots fire at him which causes him to fall into a pit, at which point he gets overly upset and starts making threats instead of...well...flying out of the pool and fighting her. Cue dramatic cliffhanger moment instead. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 11:45:31 GMT -5
Shax, I just glanced at the WORLD FINEST #1 ... "World's Apart" story and I haven't had a chance to read it altogether and I was puzzled by your comment of a severely outdated Batmobile? ... Because that picture that you've showed earlier is one of the coolest Batmobile picture that I ever saw.  Care to explain that to me? |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jan 15, 2017 10:05:58 GMT -5
Shax, I just glanced at the WORLD FINEST #1 ... "World's Apart" story and I haven't had a chance to read it altogether and I was puzzled by your comment of a severely outdated Batmobile? ... Because that picture that you've showed earlier is one of the coolest Batmobile picture that I ever saw. Care to explain that to me? "Outdated" in that it isn't the current Batmobile. It has a retro feel to it that seems like a combination between the 1940's bubble dome Batmobile and several of the 1970s incarnations. This was the current Batmobile at the time:  There's a resemblance between that car and this one, but Rude's definitely looks more throwback. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 11:13:24 GMT -5
shaxperThanks for clearing that for me and that picture kind of jarred my memory and I did not care for that Batmobile that you showed me today and thanks for clearing that for me.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jan 15, 2017 11:38:11 GMT -5
World's Finest #2  "World's Collide" writer: Dave Gibbons pencils: Steve Rude inks: Karl Kesel colors" Steve Oliff letters: Bill Oakley editor: Mike Carlin assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson grade: B- (for Rude's art alone) If you came to this story looking for any kind of meaningful exchanges between Luthor and The Joker or Batman and Superman (beyond Supes gifting Batman a Zorro VHS tape for Christmas), you've come to the wrong place, but if you're captivated by brilliant art, Steve Rude does not disappoint. In this issue, I particularly love the level of attention he gives to secondary focus, depicting stories happening in the periphery that seem just as real and compelling as what's occurring in primary focus:  Additionally, while last issue, I made the point that Rude had trail-blazed the throwback Batman look before Bruce Timm did, I'm now starting to wonder if this series wasn't what inspired the style of The Batman Animated Series that is still two years away. After all, this story makes it clear that, in addition to being throwback in its look while maintaining a modern continuity, it's specifically homaging the Fleischer Brother serial cartoon of the 1940s:  (which is also the influence for Bruce Timm) so maybe this:  inspired this: In terms of Gibbons' story, I'm honestly lost. We're expected to remember the names, motives, and backstories from last issue of at least three characters that we've been given little reason to care about while trying to keep track of two parallel stories occurring in two different cities. Meanwhile, while Rude's art is stunning, it is often distracting and takes your attention away from the plot. There are also many transitions like this one:  that leave me thoroughly confused as to what just happened. Did Superman leave, change, and then come back, hanging around as Clark Kent all night? Did he just come back now (in which case, why has it been "a long night")? The stooges to the left look like Superman might have beaten them up, or are they just that exhausted by something that happened between panels?? So this story is neither easy to follow nor particularly rewarding when you do so. After all, at the end of this second chapter I THINK the entire plot we've just been following already ended (?), with nothing left hanging except The Joker developing a vendetta against Luthor. And neither Luthor nor the Joker's motives in this story make all that much sense either -- Luthor took this much risk sticking his neck out and incurring the wrath of Batman just to get more tax breaks and groom small children for lives of crime? I still don't understand what The Joker's motives were in blackmailing Monk either (nor why he would have cared). Really, I'm lost and (even worse) apathetic. Minor Details: - I wouldn't read too much into this, but the girl dressed as the Ace of Clubs is holding a copy of Man of Steel #1:  - Only a few details occur in this issue reminding us that we're in current continuity: * Perry White again reminds us that he grew up with Luthor * Luthor is a businessman * Batman watched Zorro with his parents before they were killed (established in Dark Knight Returns) * Lois is particularly excited to see Clark when he returns from Gotham, suggesting a romantic relationship: 
Plot synopsis: Batman and Superman piece together the fact that Byron Wylie isn't dead, that Monk helped him fake it, and that Luthor and Monk have plans to build a new orphanage. They confront Luthor publicly at a Christmas Party at the orphanage, Monk confesses everything, Wylie shows up, and he torches the orphanage. Batman and Superman get the kids out and decide no one else could have survived except Luthor, who now rejects The Joker and denies having made a contract with him. |
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Post by shaxper on Jan 15, 2017 13:43:11 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman Annual #2  "Quest For Vengeance" Script: Dan Jurgens Pencils: Bob McLeod (pages 1-18); Curt Swan (pages 19-36) ; Kerry Gammill (pages 37-54) Inks: Bob McLeod (pages 1-18); John Byrne (pages 19-36); Dick Giordano (pages 37-54) Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: A- Clearly intended more as a promotion for L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 than as any kind of meaningful adventure for Superman, we can see that Jurgens' priorities here did not involve keeping up with current continuity:  Jimmy Olsen's burning in Hell right now, Dan (someone please quote that out of context), and prior to that, Clark regretted that he hadn't seen Jimmy in ages. I'd also think that, after that story, he'll be giving Jimmy a lot of special attention. So, essentially, even though annuals are often written in advance, this moment, in which Clark is entirely unfazed by Jimmy's presence, should not have happened within even several months of the current storyline. Oops. The story does give us a few nice Superman moments. I'm always fond of those times when we get the people's perspective on what Superman means to them. Jurgens gets a lot of this into the first part of the story:  And yet, by the third part, I don't recognize Superman. He jumps to conclusions, is quick to anger, unwilling to listen to reason, and unnecessarily violent:  (strangely enough, the part I find more disturbing than anything else is his calling Lobo and Lar Gand "Butt-heads") This feels more like a page from Byrne's Superman than anything the Superman Office has been writing in the past two years. But, that minor objection aside, this was an excellent issue with intricate plotting, exciting action and backdrops, and strong characterization (when it wasn't Superman):  Unlike the last time he appeared in these comics, the Superman Office has a clear grasp on what makes Lobo endearing beyond being tough, stupid, and far too in love with inebriation. Jurgens extends that treatment to virtually everyone in this issue, even if some characters only get a panel or two to speak. This becomes especially clear after all the action of the issue winds down and we find ourselves in the midst of several fascinating ethical debates all at once:  Imagine, a comic that can balance compelling non-stop action with strong characterization and deep explorations of ethics. Why can't every comic book read like this? Important Details: - Slight revision of Brainiac's origin. He was now aiding the computer tyrants that ruled his home planet before they turned on him. Brainiac made the L.E.G.I.O.N.'s Vril Dox (implied that he might be a clone). - Though barely featured in this issue, Brainiac now appears to rule his former home planet, and now possesses the ability to control minds on Earth from there.  Minor Details: - Now that it isn't all about the Newsboy Legion, I'm starting to love stories set in Project Cadmus. ANYTHING can happen there. Plot synopsis: Vril Dox and Lar Gand come to Earth on a quest to kill the original Brainiac but accidentally crash land and discover Project Cadmus. Superman shows up to investigate and ends up running into the L.E.G.I.O.N., which is pursuing and attempting to stop Vril and Lar. A series of misunderstandings and much subsequent action ensue as Vril Dox attempts to obtain information about his father's whereabouts from Project Cadmus while the original Brainiac takes control of Dubbix's mind, causing him to attempt to destroy Project Cadmus. The threat is thwarted, misunderstandings are clarified, a meaningful debate about what should happen to the genetic experiments created by Dabney Donovan ensues, and Brainiac challenges his son to come find him on their homeworld. |
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Post by chadwilliam on Jan 15, 2017 18:00:59 GMT -5
I always found this World's Finest miniseries to be too much of a mish-match to enjoy. You've mentioned on a few occasions, Shaxper, that at this point in time, the Super-team would have been looking for ways by which they could re-establish Superman as DC's Number One guy - teaming him up with Batman again certainly shouldn't hurt, but reminding readers that DC's new top guy is fairly dismissive of his input ("You think we should team up?" "Of course not!" "Me neither.") and "hardly his friend" does. I mean, if Batman doesn't have the time of day for Superman, then why should Batman fans picking this series up either?
I love Rude's Fleischer inspired Superman as well, but even this doesn't work well within the context of 1990's status quo. You're not going to see Superman finally take Luthor down outside of the regular titles, but to introduce Superman in this tale by having him toss around a couple of his goons, fly them to police headquarters, and stand impotently by as Luthor's lawyer gets them to walk away seconds later scott free really drives home the point that this is not the Golden Age Man of Action Superman we'll be reading about in these pages. It makes me wonder if the "Get this out-of-towner off our property!" excerpt you posted above was ended so ambiguously precisely because Gibbons didn't know how to conclude the scene without Superman looking ineffectual yet again. You can almost hear the John Williams Superman theme start up only to have the needle ripped violently across the record as the music abruptly ends during moments such as these.
However, the scene at the close of issue two with Superman casually glancing over in Oliver's direction as he signs autographs cutting to Oliver's melting pen, then tossing Luthor across a table without even looking in his direction is classic Golden Age.
I'm not as sold on Rude's Batman however - in fact, it just looks wrong to me. His face, ears, cape - they're just too round. Everything's too round. Where's the granite jaw? The angular features? The cape that does more than just hang there? This cuts too close to a guy in a Batman costume rather than just Batman. I'd rather have had Rude base his Batman on that kid's drawing in issue one than whatever he based it upon.
I did like the sight of Bruce Wayne shaking his fist at the Joker when he spotted the latter signing an autograph for a kid. I kind of wonder what would have happened (and perhaps it did) if the kid took Wayne up on his offer to write to him for Batman's autograph. I don't really see this iteration of Batman writing letters such as "How nice it was to hear from my Bat-friend Bruce that I have a Bat-Fan way out there in Metropolis. I hope you're doing well and concentrating on your homework. Well, gotta Bat-run, yours truly, Batman" yet at the same time, I don't see him tossing such a request in the trash once it's been offered.
Still, I can't help but wonder if maybe Bruce Wayne shouldn't have attempted to do more than just shake his fist at the Joker.
"No time to get after the Joker, Alfred! I need to scour this city looking for any clue that might provide me with some idea as to the Joker's whereabouts!"
"um, sir?"
"...aw, crap ... please don't tell Superman about this." |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jan 16, 2017 7:30:05 GMT -5
I kind of wonder what would have happened (and perhaps it did) if the kid took Wayne up on his offer to write to him for Batman's autograph. I don't really see this iteration of Batman writing letters such as "How nice it was to hear from my Bat-friend Bruce that I have a Bat-Fan way out there in Metropolis. I hope you're doing well and concentrating on your homework. Well, gotta Bat-run, yours truly, Batman" I could absolutely see them making a five part limited series out of this today: He was shaped by one oath.
Now he has made another... |
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Post by shaxper on Jan 30, 2017 9:11:25 GMT -5
L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 Annual #1  "Childhood's End" script: Alan Grant pencils: Jim Fern inks: Jeff Albrecht colors: Lovern Kindzierski letters: John Workman editor: Art Young grade: D The story that ruined the Post-Crisis Brainiac, even more so than Byrne's Milton Fine debacle. It truly seems that, while the cover of this issue proclaims "Because YOU Demanded It..." the real point here is to inform Superman fans that they will not ever be getting what they really demanded. After all, we've now waited four years to see the REAL Brainiac make his Post-Crisis debut. First, we were given a circus performer with a man bun; then we were given a "Brainiac Trilogy" where Brainiac did most of his damage remotely, made only the briefest of actual appearances, and then soared off into space, and then the Adventures of Superman Annual this month finally teased us with this ending: But, while Superman fans were doing all of this waiting, and the Superman Office was doing their best to keep building anticipation, an entirely different office was busy taking Brainiac in an entirely different direction and building the entire L.E.G.I.O.N. premise upon it. This issue's entire point seems to be showing Superman readers that this is what Brainiac is going to be now: not an alien, computer-like super intelligence, but instead an evil dictator that feels remarkably like Ming the Merciless:  with a touch of Fu Manchu and Darth Vader:  and a sense for dramatics and pointless illusions that would easily grant him access in Batman's Silver Age rogues gallery:  This is NOT Brainiac. There is nothing scary, intimidating, or even impressive about a little dictator whose favored weapons are mutated ape soldiers and minor mind tricks, not his supreme intelligence. And yet, there it is. Art Young's office has effectively stolen and rerouted the character Mike Carlin's office had been steadily preparing to give us. It's a massive disappointment, and while, as an adolescent, I only read the Superman titles for about a year after this point, I suspect it's why we don't see Brainiac show up in those issues either. Who'd want to see him now? While I don't generally discuss future issues in these reviews (especially issues that occurred after the Zero Hour soft reboot), I do think it's important to discuss Action Comics #866-870 here, in which Geoff Johns effectively undoes the damage inflicted by this story eighteen years too late, explaining that Milton Fine, this Ming the Merciless wannabe, and every other incarnation of Brainiac that followed were all simple probes,  Whereas the true Brainiac really is the far more intimidating character we were teased with last issue, sitting in a bio-shell that looks a lot like the one we saw at the end of the last issue for the last five hundred years, allowing his probes to do his work for him. I therefore get the strong sense that Geoff Johns felt the exact same way about this issue that I do. As for the rest of the story, it's L.E.G.I.O.N.-centered, with Superman's presence feeling little more than obligatory. The story is decent, but Grant's characterizations and dialogue are lacking, and Jim Fern is rapidly becoming one of my least favorite artists of all time:  I can draw Superman better than that. Plot synopsis: L.E.G.I.O.N. returns to Colu in order to take down Brainiac while recalling the events of their first two issues where they first liberated Colu from the computer tyrants. The citizens are loyal to the L.E.G.I.O.N.'s Vril Dox even while Brainiac has assumed control. Ethics are weighed about whether Brainiac should be killed and about how far the team is willing to follow Vril. Brainiac uses his powers to turn the L.E.G.I.O.N. against him, but they get better. Vril asks the citizens if Brainiac should be executed, and they say yes, but it is discovered Vril programmed them to love and obey him, casting major doubt on his character and motives. He and Superman have a dialogue but nothing changes. Superman is offered membership in L.E.G.I.O.N. which he neither accepts or denies. |
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Post by Polar Bear on Feb 18, 2017 15:23:00 GMT -5
Hey Shax, I've a question for ya. In the pre-Crisis era, there were several stories where Superman "met" Clark Kent, though usually this ended up being explained away via Kandorian lookalike, villain-programmed android, etc. Some of these stories include Superman 174, 198, & 315; Action 524; & DC Comics Presents 50 & 79.
Do you know of any post-Crisis stories like these off the top of your head? Just curious. Thanks!
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Feb 19, 2017 0:33:10 GMT -5
Hey Shax, I've a question for ya. In the pre-Crisis era, there were several stories where Superman "met" Clark Kent, though usually this ended up being explained away via Kandorian lookalike, villain-programmed android, etc. Some of these stories include Superman 174, 198, & 315; Action 524; & DC Comics Presents 50 & 79. Do you know of any post-Crisis stories like these off the top of your head? Just curious. Thanks! Superman pulled a stunt to fool Lois in the wake of Millennium in which she was led to believe that Superman and Clark had been raised as brothers in Smallville. Off the top of my head, I recall neither the issue nor whether this required actually fooling her into believing the two had appeared at the same time. I'll have to go back and check. A more clear example would be when Matrix took the form of Superman and Clark Kent met him while Jimmy Olsen was conveniently on hand to snap a picture. But the reader was well aware of what was going on while it happened. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 13, 2017 20:28:51 GMT -5
World of Krypton #1 "Pieces" writer: John Byrne breakdowns: Mike Mignola finishes: Rick Bryant letters: John Workman colors: Petra Scotese editor: Michael Carlin Based on concepts created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster grade: B- I would have thought, by this point, that sales of the post-Crisis Superman comics would be tapering off and dwindling. Surely fans would have come to realize by this point that Byrne just wasn't delivering. And yet, with World of Krypton and the two monthly mini-series to follow, we essentially have a fourth Superman title, or one Superman title every week of the month, suggesting that demand was still there. In fact, in 8 more months, Action Comics will go weekly, meaning almost two Superman titles a week. So, apparently, fans were still buying, and with Wolfman and Helfer out of the picture, Byrne must have been at his height here. Regarding World of Krypton itself, it's an interesting choice since, only eight years earlier, DC released another limited series by the same name, also telling the story of Krypton's past. Never having read the work, I have no idea if this series demonstrates any awareness of the previous pre-Crisis series nor if it borrows from it in any way. For what it's worth, the Pre-Crisis World of Krypton mini series is generally considered to have been the first comic book limited series. Onto the actual story: Byrne noted in an early letter column that he regretted including Krypton in the first issue of Man of Steel. I wonder if that helps to explain why the Krypton depicted here is so vastly different from the one we saw then. Granted, I'm assuming this story begins several generations earlier, making it possible for things to take a dramatic turn prior to the events of MoS #1, but the glaring difference between the two Kryptons I'm seeing is that, in MoS #1, we saw an overtly repressed and isolated society in which babies are raised in birth matrixes and Lara and Jor-El were being risque merely by touching, whereas the characters depicted in this issue are barely clothed and appear to touch quite freely. Will Byrne connect the dots, has he changed his mind, or did Mignola just prefer to draw mostly naked people? Guess we'll find out. I do find it interesting that this series takes a risk in beginning with characters and a plot line that have no clear connection to Superman and his back story at all beyond the fact that this is Krypton and our main characters belong to the L family. Since there is no mention of Jor-L, and since Ran-L seems a lot like Jor-L in his being the gutsy voice of reason, I'm assuming this is an ancestor to Superman's family and that his and his son, Ran-L,'s story will somehow play a pivotal role in the story of the L family and its ultimate impact upon Lara and Jor-L. Though I can't say I'm particularly intrigued by the plot, a concept which has already surfaced in a number of other works at the time and must be derivative of some better conceived uber-"clone ethics" story I'm not aware of (perhaps a Phillip K. Dick work?), I'm certainly enjoying this departure from the Superman norm, and Byrne is writing it competently, if not particularly well. Certainly, Mignola's art helps a ton. Important Details: -With no idea who turns out to be important later on and who does not, here are the primary characters first introduced in this issue: Van-L Vara Ran-L Kan-Z Ten-R Gan-M Han-T Nyra - Since when is it the "L" family, with names like Ran-L and Van-L? In MoS #1 and #6, it was the "El" family, and Superman's father is clearly "Jor-El". - Speaking of which, Superman has still never been called Kal-L in post-Crisis continuity. However, he would have to know his name after the events of MoS #6. Minor details: - So I'm sure this is a problem begun long ago in the Pre-Crisis, but with only 41 possible household names and only 41 possible male names for each household, isn't there a small problem? I don't see any Dan-P the Thirds walking around on Krypton. Of course, by the time of Jor-El, we're now using "or" instead of "an" for all the males, but that still only allows 41 names per family for that generation (or for however long the "an"s and "or"s were supposed to last). - Are "breakdowns" and "finishes" the same as "pencils" and "inks" for the purposes of this issue's credits? It certainly doesn't look like anyone finished Mignola's pencilwork here. It's amazing how good he is even this early on in his career, and Bryant inks him well. Plot synopsis in one long sentence: It's the day of Van-L's coming of age on Krypton, a bunch of stuff happens that doesn't really matter, there's a debate about whether or not it's ethically right to continue using brainless clones in order to promote longevity, clone symathizers ("clonies") are beginning to stage violent protests, Kan-Z kills his mother, presumably for arranging his marriage against his will, and Van-L and his father, Ran-L, discover that the intended bride (also murdered by Kan-Z) was a thinking clone of Kan-Z's mother as this inflammatory news is broadcast across Krypton. I hadn't read this in a good long while, but I recently picked up a trade collecting a lot of the work Mignola did for DC and World of Krypton was included. I think my main take away this time is that now that Mignola is taking a break from Hellboy he should do a Flash Gordon book because seeing his art here made me want to see him do a sci-fi fantasy book in the worst way. With the exotic costumes, classical architecture and dramatic poses is just plain fun to look at even if the story itself isn't the greatest. |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,874
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Post by shaxper on Jun 14, 2017 14:42:49 GMT -5
World of Krypton #1 "Pieces" writer: John Byrne breakdowns: Mike Mignola finishes: Rick Bryant letters: John Workman colors: Petra Scotese editor: Michael Carlin Based on concepts created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster grade: B- I would have thought, by this point, that sales of the post-Crisis Superman comics would be tapering off and dwindling. Surely fans would have come to realize by this point that Byrne just wasn't delivering. And yet, with World of Krypton and the two monthly mini-series to follow, we essentially have a fourth Superman title, or one Superman title every week of the month, suggesting that demand was still there. In fact, in 8 more months, Action Comics will go weekly, meaning almost two Superman titles a week. So, apparently, fans were still buying, and with Wolfman and Helfer out of the picture, Byrne must have been at his height here. Regarding World of Krypton itself, it's an interesting choice since, only eight years earlier, DC released another limited series by the same name, also telling the story of Krypton's past. Never having read the work, I have no idea if this series demonstrates any awareness of the previous pre-Crisis series nor if it borrows from it in any way. For what it's worth, the Pre-Crisis World of Krypton mini series is generally considered to have been the first comic book limited series. Onto the actual story: Byrne noted in an early letter column that he regretted including Krypton in the first issue of Man of Steel. I wonder if that helps to explain why the Krypton depicted here is so vastly different from the one we saw then. Granted, I'm assuming this story begins several generations earlier, making it possible for things to take a dramatic turn prior to the events of MoS #1, but the glaring difference between the two Kryptons I'm seeing is that, in MoS #1, we saw an overtly repressed and isolated society in which babies are raised in birth matrixes and Lara and Jor-El were being risque merely by touching, whereas the characters depicted in this issue are barely clothed and appear to touch quite freely. Will Byrne connect the dots, has he changed his mind, or did Mignola just prefer to draw mostly naked people? Guess we'll find out. I do find it interesting that this series takes a risk in beginning with characters and a plot line that have no clear connection to Superman and his back story at all beyond the fact that this is Krypton and our main characters belong to the L family. Since there is no mention of Jor-L, and since Ran-L seems a lot like Jor-L in his being the gutsy voice of reason, I'm assuming this is an ancestor to Superman's family and that his and his son, Ran-L,'s story will somehow play a pivotal role in the story of the L family and its ultimate impact upon Lara and Jor-L. Though I can't say I'm particularly intrigued by the plot, a concept which has already surfaced in a number of other works at the time and must be derivative of some better conceived uber-"clone ethics" story I'm not aware of (perhaps a Phillip K. Dick work?), I'm certainly enjoying this departure from the Superman norm, and Byrne is writing it competently, if not particularly well. Certainly, Mignola's art helps a ton. Important Details: -With no idea who turns out to be important later on and who does not, here are the primary characters first introduced in this issue: Van-L Vara Ran-L Kan-Z Ten-R Gan-M Han-T Nyra - Since when is it the "L" family, with names like Ran-L and Van-L? In MoS #1 and #6, it was the "El" family, and Superman's father is clearly "Jor-El". - Speaking of which, Superman has still never been called Kal-L in post-Crisis continuity. However, he would have to know his name after the events of MoS #6. Minor details: - So I'm sure this is a problem begun long ago in the Pre-Crisis, but with only 41 possible household names and only 41 possible male names for each household, isn't there a small problem? I don't see any Dan-P the Thirds walking around on Krypton. Of course, by the time of Jor-El, we're now using "or" instead of "an" for all the males, but that still only allows 41 names per family for that generation (or for however long the "an"s and "or"s were supposed to last). - Are "breakdowns" and "finishes" the same as "pencils" and "inks" for the purposes of this issue's credits? It certainly doesn't look like anyone finished Mignola's pencilwork here. It's amazing how good he is even this early on in his career, and Bryant inks him well. Plot synopsis in one long sentence: It's the day of Van-L's coming of age on Krypton, a bunch of stuff happens that doesn't really matter, there's a debate about whether or not it's ethically right to continue using brainless clones in order to promote longevity, clone symathizers ("clonies") are beginning to stage violent protests, Kan-Z kills his mother, presumably for arranging his marriage against his will, and Van-L and his father, Ran-L, discover that the intended bride (also murdered by Kan-Z) was a thinking clone of Kan-Z's mother as this inflammatory news is broadcast across Krypton. I hadn't read this in a good long while, but I recently picked up a trade collecting a lot of the work Mignola did for DC and World of Krypton was included. I think my main take away this time is that now that Mignola is taking a break from Hellboy he should do a Flash Gordon book because seeing his art here made me want to see him do a sci-fi fantasy book in the worst way. With the exotic costumes, classical architecture and dramatic poses is just plain fun to look at even if the story itself isn't the greatest. Agreed. Even just the level of thought given to Kryptonian fashion. I don't know, however, whether the basic look of Krypton here is attributable to Mignola or Byrne. |
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