shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 17, 2014 9:45:24 GMT -5
Man of Steel #2
writer/pencils: John Byrne inks: Dick Giordano letters: John Costanza colors: Ton Ziuko editor: Andrew Helfer
grade: A+
Well well, Mr. Byrne. You have it in you after all.
This is a darn good story, full of important continuity, dense characterization, and the kind of momentum only one artist/writer tightly controlling the marriage of words, plotting, and visuals can bring to a book. I am impressed.
This is really the tale of Lois Lane who, in a sense, spends the entire issue attempting to make up for the first panel, where Superman whizzes by without her seeing him. It becomes a very personal quest to get the story of Superman, with no real concern for personal attraction at this point, and it manages to make two adorable homages to past Superman continuity in the process (the interview she ultimately gets proceeds much like the 1978 film, and Clark scooping her at the end was straight out of the old 1940s dailies).
Beyond that though, there's tons of continuity to explore here:
1. Time has ceased to skip forward in this issue, and this now appears to be the modern day Metropolis/DCU, meaning Superman has just arrived in Metropolis in the present day. Batman has already been active for upwards of ten years at this point (that info kept changing in Batman continuity), and we're not clear yet on whether there are any other super-powered heroes out there, or if Superman is the first.
2. This is the first post-Crisis appearance of Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor (in cameo), Guthrie (Lex's driver/assistant), Chuck (a helicoptor pilot for Lexcorp), and Captain Reagan of the Special Weapons and Tactics Squad.
3. This is clearly a different Lois Lane who is perhaps more gutsy than ever (jumps out of a helicopter to get a story), competent (only a damsel in distress as a means of purposefully attracting Superman's behavior), connected (she knows how to get a helicopter on the fly), independent (Luthor wants her, but she doesn't want him), and extremely fashionable (hair and clothing change constantly and noticeably) -- A true icon of the 1980s feminist ideal.
4. Lex Luthor is now a business tycoon and desires Lois Lane. The idea of Superman's greatest villain being a capitalist is still probably the most brilliant contribution made to the franchise as, in the 1980s and beyond, uninhibited big business became a more palpable evil in the world than uninhibited scientific progress.
5. Lois coined the name "Superman," though he clearly chose to own that name by putting two giant "S"s on his costume last issue.
6. Superman has super speed and heat ray vision, in addition to all that we saw last issue.
7. Jimmy Olsen and Perry White are briefly introduced.
8. Clark Kent gets a job at the daily planet by scooping Lois on the exclusive Superman story.
What's working: Both Superman and Lois are extremely charming -- Lois in her persistence and frustrations, Superman in his Christopher Reeve boy-scout approach to the character.
What's not: Really just two things: Superman's confrontation with the armed criminals is pretty illogical and should have gotten the hostages killed, and we aren't given a motivation for Clark becoming a reporter. Is it to keep up on the news so that he can save the world, is it to get closer to Lois, or is it to control his own PR? We don't know, nor are we given any indication that he has ANY background in journalism nor writing of any kind. Is this former football star and farmboy going to get by on poorly written exclusives with Superman?
minor detail: WHY doesn't Superman drink wine? Surely, he'd be immune to the effects and could just enjoy the taste. I suspect it's entirely out of homage to the Christopher Reeves depiction, which was highly conscious of children viewing the 1978 film.
All in all, though, this was a GREAT Superman story, encapsulating all the best of the character while raising Lois Lane and Lex Luthor (even in cameo) to new levels of excellence.
plot synopsis: Lois keeps trying to get an interview with Superman but keeps missing him at the scene of the crime (he arrives and flies off before she can get there), she spurns Luthor's advances in pursuit of Superman, Superman takes down a mugger and criminals holding hostages, Lois decides to drive her car into the the river to get Superman's attention, she gets an interview, and Clark Kent arrives at the Daily Planet, scooping her and getting a job on the staff.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 17, 2014 11:46:10 GMT -5
Lois Lane (1986) #2
"Quicksand" writer: Mindy Newell art: Gray Morrow Letters: Agustin Mas colors: Joe Orlando editor: Robert Greenberger
grade: n/a
This just isn't my kind of comic, so it isn't fair for me to grade it. It's not the genre (though I'll admit it's not a genre I generally read -- or can even label appropriately), but more that this Lois just isn't my kind of character. I seriously flipped to the end to see if this independent yet overly sensitive/vulnerable Lois ever attains any kind of new-found sense of strength/purpose, and she really doesn't. This isn't that kind of story, and Newell isn't that kind of writer. So I won't grade this badly; I'll just say it isn't for me.
So...does Byrne really owe his characterization of Lois to Mindy Newell? As much as Helfer claims they planned and discussed together, these feel like two entirely different Lois' to me, and I like Byrne's better.
Continuity wise, it becomes more obvious than ever that this is set in the pre-Crisis continuity. There's a long history of conflict revealed between Lois and Lana (apparently, the problem with the Middle East interview was that Lana scooped her, and this is again referred to as if it was actually portrayed in some pre-Crisis Superman story), and we see in this issue that Jimmy Olsen and Lucy Lane have been dating for years now. Clearly, this is not intended to be part of Byrne's rebooted continuity.
To be honest, I didn't bother to read most of this issue. Once it became clear that this was a pre-Crisis story and that Lois wasn't going to undergo any major evolution in characterization that might serve as some inspiration or template for Byrne, I decided not to waste more of my time. Perhaps, one day I'll pull this one out to read if I'm in the right mindset and more receptive to the kind of character and story Newell was trying to write. Again, I'm not sure she did it poorly. I think it's just so far out in left field from the kind of story I'm looking for when I delve into my Superman short boxes.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 17, 2014 11:46:57 GMT -5
Superman #4
"Bloodsport!" writer/pencils: John Byrne inks: Karl Kesel colors: Anthony Tollin letters: John Costanza editors: Andy Helfer and Mike Carlin
grade: B+
Fair warning, folks. I'm actually going to praise Byrne on this one.
I'm truly impressed by all that Byrne pulled off in one 22 page story.
For one, he's updated the "Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen" concept (even bringing back the old logo), giving Jimmy the signal watch again and still having him pursue Lucy Lane (they've been dating for two years in new continuity) but also making Jimmy less goofy and decidedly more capable/heroic. In fact, it's Jimmy who stops Bloodsport in the end with his reporter instincts, succeeding where Superman's powers could not. Best yet, Byrne underplays this fact -- a choice that is unusual and impressive for Byrne considering the other stories he's written for this franchise thus far.
For another, I'm truly impressed by the no-holds-barred depiction of mass killing that Byrne lends to this story. Maybe this resonated more strongly for me in a post-Newtown shootings world, but Byrne's means for making this villain compelling depended less on making him the most dangerous villain Superman has faced yet (though he certainly adds some twists to make him a serious antagonist) and more upon portraying the grim reality of such antics. What begins as a run-of-the-mill opening with Lucy and Jimmy being present when a villain shows up and starts shooting truly caught me by surprise when, a moment later, we survey the aftermath, see dead hands extended from barricaded furniture, and learn that 25 innocents died. We usually don't see this when comic book villains show up to deliver a warning. I was moved.
Finally, there's the message at the end. Whereas all of Byrne's soap box rants up to this point have been so forced and simplistic as to be totally offensive, this one, about dealing with the psychological damage of the Vietnam War (especially for veterans and their loved ones) was damn powerful. Granted, Byrne could have used a little more tact when Superman refers to it as "that useless war," especially while there were many in America in 1987 still unwilling to accept that the war was over, nor that we'd lost. Still, those final panels were powerful, as raging, adrenalized (alleged) veteran is reduced to a crying, quivering mass upon coming face to face with the aspects of the war that are truly possessing him -- the guilt and the loss. For once, I think Byrne managed to be relatively sensitive and non-condescending in speaking out on an issue that didn't directly pertain to him.
Of course, Luthor had to be behind this one, as well. He really didn't belong in this story, but I suppose that, in order to present any kind of physical struggle for Superman in this issue, Bloodsport had to have Kryptonite and a high tech arsenol and, in order to make that believable, it had to come from Luthor.
Important details:
- Jimmy has the signal watch
- Jimmy Olsen and Lucy Lane have been dating for two years
- This is the first significant change up in creative teams since the reboot, with Karl Kessel replacing Terry Austin on inks (which had been planned from the start, as Helfer mentioned repeatedly in the letter columns), Anthony Tollin taking over on colors, and Mike Carlin stepping in to assist Helfer with editorial duties. I can't say I really notice any difference in this issue, though Byrne is drawing Superman's jaw a little too wide again.
- 1st appearance of Police Captain Maggie Sawyer
- Superman has infrared vision
- Whereas Andy Helfer had previously stated that Superman's physiology is identical to our own, a doctor operating on him in this issue refers to his physiology as alien and indicates that Superman cannot accept donor blood from a human. I did find it clever that the doctor used a small amount of the Kryptonite shot into Superman in order to operate on him.
- Superman can use his heat vision to ionize air enough as to disrupt electronic transmissions.
Minor details:
- Lucy works at Intercontinental Airlines, and it's strongly suggested that illegal activity goes on there
- Lucy's hair is now blonde. It was brown in Man of Steel #2 and dark brown/black in pre-Crisis continuity. Was dying/bleaching one's hair another color common in 1987? I'm guessing Tollin just wasn't paying attention.
- Byrne has fun with Superman's aura of invulnerability in this issue. Since Superman has become weakened, his suit can become tattered. You can tell he enjoyed penciling that first panel on page 16, with Supes barely pulling himself up amidst the wreckage, costume tattered, the shadowy figure of Bloodsport looming menacingly in the distance.
- So what was Luthor's plan here? We learned in Superman #1 that he doesn't want anyone but him killing Superman, and we learned in Adventure #426 that he doesn't want to kill Superman just yet anyway. What is Luthor's motivations towards Superman at this point, and what made him recruit an unstable man with a history of mental conditions to do it for him? Just like in the previous storyline (the Legends tie in) it feels as though Byrne uses motivation-less villains simply to create conflicts and stories for Superman.
plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
A mad masked Vietnam vet calling himself Bloodsport starts shooting up public establishments, threatening that people need to start living up to their potential and recreating the America he "and Mickey" fought for, Jimmy and Lucy are present at the first of these, Superman tracks down Bloodsport but discovers he can make weapons materialize at his command (including a Kryptonite dart gun), Superman is seriously wounded and taken to a hospital only to leave before having fully recovered, we learn (well, we really already knew) that Luthor was behind this but that Bloodsport has become unpredictable, Luthor sends his own soldiers to take Bloodsport down, Superman takes on Bloodsport again, and Jimmy is ultimately able to stop Bloodsport by bringing his wounded brother to see him, we learn that Bloodsport dodged the draft, his brother "Mickey" went in his place, and Mickey lost his arms and legs, driving Bloodsport into guilt-induced mental illness.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 17, 2014 20:02:27 GMT -5
Superman #9
"To Laugh and DIE in Metropolis" writer and pencils: John Byrne inks: Karl Kesel letters: John Costanza colors: Tom Ziuko editors: Michael Carlin & Andrew Helfer
grade: F-
If John Byrne had been standing next to me while I read this issue, I would have punched him. I've seen the ego before, and I've seen the laziness, but this one just took the cake for oh so many reasons.
1. You conceited little sh*t:
So the basic premise is that the Joker, Batman's most dangerous and popular villain, comes to Metropolis to test out Superman's skills, only to discover Superman can stop him faster and more efficiently than Batman. So the entire point was to borrow Batman's best villain in order to make Superman look like a better hero than Batman in comparison???
2. The tyrant is a hypocrite:
Okay, so once again, Byrne has completely revamped the Superman franchise and removed long-time fans' favorite aspects of the series in order to make Superman more realistic, and yet we've got Joker building robotic doubles of Superman complete with thermonuclear centers on the fly as a means of seeking a nemesis that he believes will be less challenging than Batman. You've got to be kidding me.
3. Pay attention to your own damn rules:
We've been told, over and over, that this Superman is depowered, and we've seen him nearly get killed from super-powered punches, electrical shocks, and giant tanks, yet he's still standing after being at ground zero of a thermonuclear detonation???
And then there are the minor little annoyances, like:
- There's absolutely no lead in any buildings in Metropolis, allowing Superman to easily spot the three lead coffins in contrast? How about even a little lead based paint???
- Why in the world would the Joker know that Perry White and Jimmy Olsen are important to Superman?
- Love the little overt falling action with Superman conveniently explaining everything for an inquisitive Perry White. I know 7th graders who write with more subtlety.
So, if you couldn't tell by my uncharacteristically aggressive tone, this issue truly pissed me off. Byrne needs a good smacking, but it's Wolfman who will be leaving in only a few more months, while we're stuck with Byrne for another frickin' year or so.
Important details:
- Captain Sawyers' Special Crimes Unit is devoted specifically to super villains
- Toby Raynes, a rival reporter from the Metropolis Star (nice reference to early Pre-Crisis continuity) makes her first appearance here. Will she or the Star be mentioned ever again?
- Lex Luthor is back in the picture and working on something called Project Overload. Presumably, the robot drone that abducted Lana Lang, and Ma Kent's scrapbook being sent to Clark Kent at the Daily Planet are both parts of this plan.
I suppose I should also discuss Lex Luthor's "Indecent Proposal" subplot in this issue, in which he toys with a small town waitress's mind by offering her a million dollars to be his whore for a month and then drives off, content that she'll torment herself over which decision she would have made for the rest of her life.
Yeah, I should mention it, but it was dumb. Byrne has always been too over-the-top with Luthor, and depicting him as deriving joy from tormenting innocent people is just too much for me. No villain is THAT evil, and no villain portrayed as being THAT evil is even remotely interesting to me because he's too simple. The greatest villains are the ones we have complex feelings about: Galactus, Doctor Doom, Magneto, even the Joker -- they compel us because they aren't variations on the scoundrel with the black mustache. But, sure enough, after ruining everything else in this issue as well, Byrne just had to piss all over Wolfman's Lex Luther concept at the end of this issue.
Plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
The Joker creates a robot double of Superman to steal jewelry, kidnaps Lois, Perry, and Jimmy and assumes Superman will be too stupid to see through his ploy, explains that his motivation is to take a vacation by taking on a nemesis who is easier to defeat than Batman, gets schooled by Superman, Lana Lang gets abducted by a robotic drone, and Lex Luther messes with the feelings of a small town waitress as a means of getting his kicks.
Yeah, every copy of this issue needs to be tracked down and burnt to a crisp.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 18, 2014 12:01:54 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #433
"Gangwar, Part Two" writer: Marv Wolfman pencils: Jerry Ordway inks: Bob Smith (come back, P. Craig Russell!) letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Anthony Tollin editor: Mike Carlin (Helfer appears to be gone, after all)
grade: B+
Much like part one of this storyline, this issue is crafted with strong writing, deep moral idealism while also offering ethical questions, and also rests heavily upon Jerry White, who, fortunately, isn't annoying me quite as much as usual, though I certainly don't have any love for the character at this point.
It's odd, though, that Wolfman begins this issue by promising "a tragedy in five acts," and yet having the issue (divided into five acts) end with no tragedy of any kind. In the fourth act, I was ready to expect DelGado would die, especially after seeming to take a bullet to the back that later proves to be lodged in a shoulder instead (to be clear, a panel on page 17 right after the shot shows absolutely no injury to the shoulder in question). Seems as though he's destined to become "Gangbuster" next issue instead (as that new hero's first appearance next issue is solicited in this one). Perhaps Wolfman changed his mind partway through?
Can't say this issue was particularly memorable, but the quality remains consistently high, and I can't get enough of Wolfman writing Luthor.
Important Details:
- Elinore Lane (Lois' mother) is out of the hospital, though we were recently reminded she is still seriously ill. Perhaps it happens in bouts?
- Sam Lane (Lois' father) appears to like Clark, asking him to stay and continue their discussion when Lois runs off.
- Mayor Walters appears visually to be the same mayor we saw in Man of Steel #4 (two years ago in Superman's time) whose only given name in that issue was "Frank." At that time, he was the one who ordered Superman to arrest Luthor, but now he is clearly and willingly in Luthor's palm. I assume it was a conscious decision to make this the same mayor rather than a new one who had come in by this point. Luthor has made some headway since that time, apparently.
- Luthor does not appear to have any particular interest in, nor familiarity with, Jerry White beyond his situation within the context of this storyline. This will be important to note once we get to the World of Metropolis mini series, if I know what I'm talking about.
- Jerry White is 18 years old (thus born in 1969)
Minor Details:
- Jimmy Olsen, unsure of what to do, takes on a band of armed muggers by himself and then, only after facing a moral dilemma in regard to whether he should turn in Jerry White, finally uses his SIGNAL WATCH to summon Superman, even though, when Superman arrives, he doesn't even tell him about Jerry. Is Wolfman trying to show how confused Jimmy is here, or is Wolfman the one who is confused?
- I like how Luthor asks to be reminded which project they're discussing (even though it's the very project Wolfman had him immersed in last issue) because he has so many he's been keeping track of. It's a loving nod to our own struggle as readers to keep up with the fact that he and Byrne are using Luthor for two entirely different purposes in their comics right now.
plot synopsis in one sentence:
Jimmy Olsen stops a hold-up and discovers that one of the gunmen is Jerry White, he debates about whether to turn Jerry in but tells Lucy Lane, who tells Lois, who decides to print the info and get Jerry arrested, an organized attempt is made on Jerry's life in prison out of fear that he will talk about Luthor's recruiting of teens, Superman attempts to protect Jerry but doesn't always succeed in preventing the beatings and threats, Jerry finally decides he will talk, DelGado attempts to expose Luthor at a publicity event, Luthor's thugs try to kill him, Superman intervenes and captures the thugs, believing they will talk, and Luthor reviews the results of his secret experiment, which we learn was attempting to give the teens he was recruiting the powers of Superman, though it killed most of the trial participants and only affected Jerry White's antisocial behavior, and Luthor decides not implement it on a full scale unless/until it has a higher success rate.
With the experimentation aspect of the storyline now ended, I assume the rest of the storyline will focus on Jerry attempting to testify against Luthor. Intriguing...
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 18, 2014 12:18:11 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.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 18, 2014 12:25:26 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #434
"Shambles" writer: Marv Wolfman pencils: Jerry Ordway inks: Joe F. Marzan letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Anthony Tollins editor: Mike Carlin
grade: C+
The last two issues left me truly excited to see how this story would culminate, but somewhere along the line it took a wrong turn. It remains my theory that Jose DelGado was originally supposed to die last issue. There are a number of indicators that this was supposed to happen, the most clear one being that the issue began by promising it would end in tragedy and very clearly didn't.
As a result, instead of watching a gritty, no-holds-barred depiction of a gangwar that Superman is largely powerless to stop, this becomes the first appearance of Gangbuster, Jose DelGado's new vigilante persona, and it's kind of lame. I really liked DelGado prior to this issue, but he feels a lot more silly and generic here, even while taking a very analytical approach to his decisions about when to cross the line and whether he is getting off on the power that comes from it.
The Jerry White subplot wraps up far too easily, as well. Jerry was painted as the kind of kid that you were never going to be able to save, but you just had to keep trying and hoping, yet a little intimidation from Luthor's people inside of prison, and suddenly Jerry is scared straight and ready to be an active part of his family again. Too easy, especially in a series that was beginning to feel disturbingly real in its depiction of inner city youth and the gang problem.
Oh, and Cat Grant is leaving Metropolis? I didn't think Wolfman had the power to make any significant changes to the Superman franchise, and Byrne clearly enjoyed working with the character in his previous issue of Superman.
Important details:
1st appearance of Gangbuster (though not of Jose DelGado) Some background info about DelGado's youth is offered for the first time (involvement in a small-time gang and "Father Kenny" being his guide)
Minor details:
- Why do both Luthor and Superman automatically suspect DelGado was involved in the ransacking of Luthor's laboratory? We hadn't seen him do anything hasty prior to this other than call Luthor out at a press conference.
- So a highly motivated inner city high school teacher can put on a costume and suddenly pull amazing feats of athleticism and take on two professional criminals at once just because he wants it bad enough?
- And I wish it were that easy to make a professional looking superhero costume with just four trips to gun and survival shops and one trip to a costume shop. It looked like he made that chest symbol on construction paper, yet it looks professional when he's done.
-Jerry White and Jimmy Olsen randomly show up at the scene of the big fight in this issue with no explanation offered, and Jerry somehow knows to call DelGado "Gangbuster." If this is his first night out in costume, and if Jerry hadn't spoken to DelGado since his incarceration, how does he know what to call him?
- And seriously, where the hell did Jimmy come from? Do minor staff members of the Daily Planet typically arrive alone with the police at the scene of a crime?
- If Luthor's company is supposed to be responsible for most of the technological leaps experienced in Metropolis over the past decade, how the heck does Jimmy Olsen hack their high security computer files so effortlessly?
Plot synopsis in one long sentence:
Superman interrupts a security guard working for Luthor being assaulted by kids, the guard refuses to press charges over fear of being fired and begs Superman to forget all about it, DelGado had some involvement in the assault and prepares to become a vigilante, Perry White and wife bail Jerry out of jail and begin reconnecting, Cat Grant explains to Clark that she is moving back to New York to gain custody of her son, Perry announces he's taking a break from the Planet for a few days to work on his family, Luthor's lab gets trashed (presumably by DelGado, and Luthor and Superman both suspect as much for no apparent reason), DelGado makes his first appearance as Gangbuster, roughing up criminals to gain evidence against whoever is behind the gang militarization, Gangbuster takes down the gang, Superman and Jerry White show up to help, the gangs are stopped, the evidence points to Jay Falk (a stooge for Luthor), we are reminded that the one successful participant from "Project Synapse" is still under Luthor's control, and Superman has Jimmy hack Luthor's system to provide a warning that Superman knows he was really behind the gang build-up.
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Post by shaxper on Jun 18, 2014 12:45:15 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #435
"The Circle Turns" writer/co-plotter: Marv Wolfman pencils/co-plotter: Jerry Ordway inks: John Beatty colors: Anthony Tollins letters: ALbert DeGuzman editor: Michael Carlin
grade: B-
Wolfman's final issue and, much like Andy Helfer's exodus, no mention is made of this significant departure from the franchise. After all, in the very beginning, Wolfman, Helfer, and Byrne were shaping thist Post-Crisis franchise together, yet it's now clear who's really in control. So I assume, once again, that the fact that Wolfman's departure goes unacknowledged in the letter col suggests that it was not done on good terms. Still, unlike Helfer's departure, this one seems pre-meditated. Wolfman has tied up all of his loose ends, dealing with Jerry White and Jose DelGado over the past three issues and wrapping up The Circle in this one.
In fact, he even seems intent on passing the creative torch to Jerry Ordway here, acknowledging him as a co-plotter for the first time, and boy do Ordway's pencils appear to come alive in response. However, in an odd moment of foresight, this issue also draws attention to Dan Jurgens by naming The Circle's headquarters building after him. Is there any chance Wolfman knew or hoped Jurgens would be taking over this early on? After all, Byrne takes control next issue, and Jurgens won't enter the picture for another 15 months!
Meanwhile, the culmination to The Circle storyline is...abrupt. It's clear Wolfman is rushing to bring this storyline to a conclusion far faster than he'd originally anticipated, and thus the conclusion even leaves Superman going "That's all that was needed?" Really, the issue largely serves as a visual feast for Ordway to enjoy via forced hallucinations while providing a very light wrap-up to the story arc. I wonder if the "chosen one" ever does show up in continuity, or if the storyline falls into oblivion after this issue.
Important details:
- Wolfman gets one last Cat Grant appearance in, all while reiterating with perfect clarity that she's leaving for New York tomorrow and not planning to come back. "Nyah nyah, Byrne. You can't have my character once I'm gone."
- This is a weird semi first post-Crisis appearance of the Newsboy Legion. They don't officially appear until Superman Annual #2, yet they show up in Superman's hallucination in this issue, and he knows who they are. Once again, we have that blurring of what Superman does and does not retain from the Pre-Crisis. I'm just surprised to see Wolfman responsible for such blurring this time around. Maybe this was Ordway's contribution?
- Also weird that The Circle creates an image of Krypto in Superman's hallucination, as well as a super monkey, super cat, and super horse. Were these all Pre-Crisis characters and, if so, why would either The Circle or Superman's subconscious have knowledge of any of them other than Krypto (who appeared in Action #591 but shouldn't have had any significance to Superman there)?
- The Circle leaves the Earth, but their "chosen one" may still be around.
- Is there any chance that The Circle, survivors of a race that existed on Earth before mankind, are from the same race as the antagonists from Superman #5 and 6? Come to think of it, both sets of characters first debuted in the same month, and Byrne and Wolfman might have still been coordinating with each other at that point.
Minor details:
- Opening the issue with Clark Kent reluctantly about to drive a race car -- damn funny.
- So now a high speed race car wreck can bruise Clark's skin with equal severity as the gas explosion in Action #593 and the nuclear blast in Superman #9? We need a better sense of relativity for this.
- Why does Lana Lang appear in the hallucination about all of Superman's romantic interests? Despite his stating otherwise in MoS #6, has Superman been interested in her as well?
- Wow. I cannot believe they got away with turning Jimmy Olsen into the Incredible Hulk in this issue. I'm assuming this is Ordway having fun with some of the creative control Wolfman has granted him in this issue since it really doesn't feel like Wolfman's sense of humor.
Plot synopsis in one sentence:
Clark is trying out driving a race car for a story, The Circle takes control of his mind, causing him to crash, they free Sthula from prison (Adventures #429) and decide to stop seeking revenge on Superman for the death of Prana (Adventures #427) instead deciding to seek his help to leave The Earth, they draw Superman to them and throw more hallucinations at him to convince him to help and (presumably) to finally determine that he is not their chosen one, they request his help anyway, he reluctantly agrees, and all returns to normal, with Superman wondering if he'll ever meet their chosen one.
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