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Post by chadwilliam on Aug 2, 2019 16:03:21 GMT -5
Reading ONLY later versions of PLASTIC MAN or FANTASTIC FOUR but never reading Cole Or Kirby is like watching " HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN" and " HOUSE OF DRACULA" but avoiding the James Whale films. Actually just rewatched House of Frankenstein last night. That's hilarious. And I totally get that Stern and McLeod weren't going to be on the level of Jack Cole, but I at least expected a taste of what is appealing about the property. It was an utterly wasted guest appearance in that respect. To return to your analogy, House of Frankenstein won't sell a new viewer on the appeal of the Karloff Monster, but it's a strong outing for the Wolfman, an effective re-interpretation of Dracula, and it has some of the cinematic style of the earlier Whale films (though to a far lesser degree). You could watch it and get a sense of the appeal of the Universal Horror films, if not for Frankenstein itself. That isn't the case in the Action Comics story. I don't want to get too off topic, but since Shaxper is getting into The House of Frankenstein too, I just want to second his "you get a sense of the appeal of the Universal Horror films" observation. I can't think of any other horror film which boasts such a stunning cast (perhaps the Basil Rathbone led Black Sleep comes closest though Lugosi and Chaney, Jr are wasted there). Karloff, Chaney, Jr., George Zucco, John Carradine, Lionel Atwill, J Carroll Naish, even Glenn Strange as The Monster are all quality actors who individually carried some pretty great films on their own. Plastic Man and Woozy would return to the Super-titles in Superman 110 (1996) and the whole 'Jimmy Once Got Turned into Elastic Lad by the Eradicator' story got a brief mention there as he relates the story to Plas. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 2, 2019 23:22:33 GMT -5
Actually just rewatched House of Frankenstein last night. That's hilarious. And I totally get that Stern and McLeod weren't going to be on the level of Jack Cole, but I at least expected a taste of what is appealing about the property. It was an utterly wasted guest appearance in that respect. To return to your analogy, House of Frankenstein won't sell a new viewer on the appeal of the Karloff Monster, but it's a strong outing for the Wolfman, an effective re-interpretation of Dracula, and it has some of the cinematic style of the earlier Whale films (though to a far lesser degree). You could watch it and get a sense of the appeal of the Universal Horror films, if not for Frankenstein itself. That isn't the case in the Action Comics story. I don't want to get too off topic, but since Shaxper is getting into The House of Frankenstein too, I just want to second his "you get a sense of the appeal of the Universal Horror films" observation. I can't think of any other horror film which boasts such a stunning cast (perhaps the Basil Rathbone led Black Sleep comes closest though Lugosi and Chaney, Jr are wasted there). Karloff, Chaney, Jr., George Zucco, John Carradine, Lionel Atwill, J Carroll Naish, even Glenn Strange as The Monster are all quality actors who individually carried some pretty great films on their own. Naish utterly steals the film, in my opinion. I'd only he and Karloff's Dr. Neimon could have returned in House of Dracula. Jimmy briefly reminds us of that encounter this time around too. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 6, 2020 20:01:07 GMT -5
Superman: The Man of Steel #1 (July 1991)  "Man of Steel / Man of Fire!" Script: Louise Simonson Pencils: Jon Bogdanove (pages 1-6, 9-11, 23); Tom Grummett (layouts, pages 7, 14, 17-20, 24, 25, 27, 29); Jerry Ordway (finishes, pages 7, 14, 17-20, 24, 25, 27, 29); Bob McLeod (pages 12, 13, 16, 21, 22, 26, 33-36); Dan Jurgens (layouts, pages 8, 15, 17, 28, 30-32, 37-40); Brett Breeding (finishes, pages 8, 15, 17, 28, 30-32, 37-40) Inks: Dennis Janke (pages 1-6, 9-11, 23); Jerry Ordway (pages 7, 14, 17-20, 24, 25, 27, 29); Bob McLeod (pages 12, 13, 16, 21, 22, 26, 33-36); Brett Breeding (pages 8, 15, 17, 28, 30-32, 37-40) Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley Grade: B- The launching of a fourth Superman title! The team of Stern, Ordway, and Jurgens had come far in the time since they defaulted into running this office in the wake of (first) Byrne's and (second) Perez's departures. They're outselling the Byrne Era, throwing their weight around when clashing with the Legion Office, and (correct me if I'm wrong), but I'm pretty sure this is the first DC hero ever to get four monthly solo titles at the same time. Of course, this is at least partially a response to Spider-Man receiving a fourth monthly title over at Marvel, but this new #1 isn't going to muster anywhere near as much press. In an era in which covers sell books more than quality content, John Bogdavove's painted cover may have been a misfire. It has the exaggerated muscles and grimness of a Liefeld cover, but...it's ugly. This is the month in which I will give up reading the Superman comics as an adolescent, and this book was largely to blame. Oh, I see the wisdom in releasing a fourth Superman title as a means to garner more interest in an office doing nearly everything right in terms of quality content, but don't forget the Superman titles had also gone from 75 cents to a dollar six months earlier, so while adolescents like me were feeling their attention called to Spider-Man and X-Force, Ghost Rider, and now the massively hyped Infinity Gauntlet (#1 being released this very same month), keeping up with Superman had nearly doubled from being a $2.25 per month investment to $4 a month as of the release of this issue,and those were dollars I could be spending elsewhere. And Superman For Earth, a tpb that absolutely did not excite a tweenager looking for major events and important first appearances, had just been released last month, further making me question whether this was an office in which I was still invested. I wonder if this was the experience of other readers at the time too. Unless the Superman Office was willing to sell its soul, sacrificing carefully constructed character arcs and painstaking continuity for a grim, gritty, over-exaggerated artist who would demand full creative control without knowing a damn about writing, and then slapping four variant covers, trading cards, and polybags on the thing, this book wasn't going to win many readers to Superman in 1991, and it may have even chased a few away. Perhaps a task nearly as daunting as trying to win over/win back readers with the launching of this new title is the challenge of maintaining the cohesiveness of the Superman Office. Three creators coordinating their efforts each week was challenging enough; adding a fourth--especially a fourth who wasn't even working at this company a few months earlier--was a significant challenge and risk. Weezy Simonson steps up to the challenge, taking the time to illustrate what the death of Luthor has done to the everyday working folks of Metropolis more purposefully than Stern, Ordway, and Jurgens put together:     as well as picking up the drama with Perry White and his wife, bringing back the familiar faces of the Post-Crisis Daily Planet newsroom  Incidentally, that's the first time we've seen Alice, the intern, in ages.and even bringing back the ever-so-minor detail that Clark asked Lois for help with what to get his parents for their anniversary three months back in Superman #53.   In fact, it could be argued that Simonson is too much of a team player in this first outing. After all, this issue, the very first issue in a new title, doesn't have much of a plot. It's a between-stories kind of story that sets up two major conflicts: the return of the Eradicator for Stern, Ordway, and Jurgens to deal with in their titles, and the secret terrorist group Cerebrus, which Simonson will do more with next issue. Casual readers who picked Spider-Man #1 up off the shelf (and, ya, know, actually read it) got the beginning of a self-contained story with a clear focus that wasn't at all concerned with past continuity nor inter-title alignment. This story, on the other hand, offers very little story and a whole lot of references to things a new reader might not understand (like who the hell the Eradicator is). I love how meticulously this office is aligned, but the maiden voyage for this new title should have been a little more accessible to the newcomer, and Simonson should have been given a little more room to breath. Of course, having just quit Marvel over how disrespectfully Bob Harras treated the old guard when new talent wanted more creative control, Simonson may well have been attracted to an office that had this kind of reverence for continuity and team decision-making, and it's clear why she would be so respectful of the old guard here. That being said, one thing that absolutely does feel intrusive about this issue is the constant references to Cerberus as a terrorist organization everyone in Metropolis is already cringing in fear over.    I'm guessing the addition of this fourth title was a bit of a last minute decision in reaction to the hype generated by Spider-Man #1. Otherwise, you'd think the other Superman titles would have made a few references to Cerberus prior to this point, maybe showed one or two of the bombings that have apparently rocked the city even while never being mentioned previously. In the end, it's not the hot new #1 that DC needed, either in terms of story or cover art, but it strongly suggests a Superman office that will remain meticulously aligned even with the addition of a fourth writer to the office. Important Details:- First DC franchise to ever receive a fourth concurrent title - First mention of Cerberus - The Eradicator Device is now an organic and/or energy being  Honestly, I was so happy to see that storyline end all those months back. I truly hope this now more experienced team will have a better idea what to do with it/him this time. Minor Details:- I'm such a sucker for sweet Clark and Lois moments:  - Professor Hamilton (who Superman now calls "Ham" as of this issue) has always struck me as a little unstable/unreliable. It's a bit unexpected that he randomly tells Hamilton about his Fortress of Solitude in this issue, and then even agrees to take him there:  I sense a clumsily executed setup for a future storyline. - Batman asks Superman to drop everything when he finds a dead hobo in Crime Alley wearing a Kryptonite ring, but Clark doesn't even consider calling Batman in when terrorists are literally blowing up Metropolis:  - Clark's "visions" of a crumbling Krypton are eerily similar to the nightmare he had in Superman For Earth. Was Stern trying to foreshadow the return of the Eradicator in a one-shot trade paperback that he likely would have written months earlier? |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 8, 2020 12:09:14 GMT -5
Superman #57 (July 1991)  "Return of the Krypton Man" Script: Dan Jurgens Pencils: Dan Jurgens (layout, pages 1-7, 31-38); Art Thibert (pages 17-21); Jon Bogdanove (pages 10-13, 22-23); Bob McLeod (pages 8-9, 14-16, 25); Tom Grummett (layout, pages 24, 26-30) Inks: Brett Breeding (finishes, pages 1-7); Art Thibert (p. 17-21); Dennis Janke (p. 10-13, 22-23); Denis Rodier (pages 8-9, 14-16, 25); Jerry Ordway (finishes, pages 24, 26-30); Bob McLeod (finishes, pages 31-38) Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: John Costanza Grade: C+ It's now clear why Stern, Ordway, and Jurgens needed a month off during the Red Glass Trilogy: to help commemorate the launching of Superman, The Man of Steel #1, EVERY Superman comic is 48 pages long this month. I spoke a little about how I felt the launching of SMOS #1 was a misfire in my previous review, but now it becomes even more apparent. If you were someone who had jumped onboard when these books were "Still only 75 cents" the year prior, right after Dark Knight Over Metropolis had caught your attention (and it does seem that this is when many of us climbed aboard), then we have suddenly jumped from a $2.25 per month and 70 pages of reading commitment to $7 this month and 192 pages of reading commitment, NOT counting the Superman for Earth tpb. If you were a diehard fan of this franchise, this was a great thing, but for the casual reader (and, let's be clear -- the zeitgeist had definitively shifted in Marvel's favor in the past year, plus the Superman books had been quality but utterly lacked sensationalism/excitement since Luthor's death half a year earlier) this was taking valuable time and money away from other books you could be reading and buying. Just this month alone over at Marvel, Wolverine is having a long-awaited reunion with Sabertooth in his own title, he's teaming up with Spider-Man against the Wendigo (another long-awaited reunion) in Spidey's new title, and he's having his origin story finally revealed in Marvel Comics presents.    X-Men Classic is reprinting the Dark Phoenix Saga for an entire generation that missed it, Punisher is celebrating his 50th issue, Ghost Rider's got the world's first glow in the dark cover, Deathlok has a chrome-covered first issue for his highly anticipated new ongoing series,     and not only is Infinity Gauntlet #1 on the stands, but anyone catching the Silver Surfer bug in anticipation has Silver Surfer #51, Silver Surfer Annual #4, and the Silver Surfer: Parable tpb to pick up.     The money spent on a month worth of Superman comics could get you 7 of those 12 books, and the time spent reading those 192 pages of the Eradicator's return and Ma and Pa Kent's cruise with Perry and Alice White could instead be spent reading 9 of those mega hot books. This is not to say that those were better works, but rather that they were the trending books of the time that everyone wanted, and the Superman titles inadvertently positioned themselves to be an obstruction in the way of fans obtaining those books. This is the month that both I and brutalis turned our backs on the Superman Office, and I sincerely doubt we were the only two. As for whether we missed out, I guess that's what these ensuing reviews will be determining. This particular issue doesn't seem to suggest that is the case. While meticulous continuity and a rich focus on Superman's supporting cast remains in play, this office still struggles with providing actual interesting conflict for The Man of Steel now that Lex Luthor isn't in the picture. We've now spent half a year trying to dredge the Post-Crisis rogues gallery for interesting villains, and now, in a particularly desperate move, the Eradicator Device is somehow back and an energy being:  No, it doesn't make any sense. I respect the idea -- what better way to create a meaningful villain with a meaningful relationship with Superman than by having him be the only other survivor from Krypton, as well as the embodiment of all the ideals Clark has now turned his back on, except that it's done poorly. For example, I genuinely LIKE how morally gray the Eradicator's mission is. He truly does want to build a better world:  But Superman's response is embarrassing. The Eradicator had just converted a slum into a spire and insulted its slum lord to his face. Superman interrupts this and thus comes off as defending wealth inequality, corrupt slumlords and the like in thwarting the Eradicator's mission to create change, and, on top of that, he comes in swinging.  Really, what was the plan, here? Punch the Eradicator so that he would agree? Worse yet, while the Eradicator is out there CHANGING THE SUN INTO ONE THAT WON'T SUPPORT HUMAN LIFE, Clark sends his parents off on a cruise and returns for a full day of work at The Planet instead of looking for The Eradicator or seeking a means to stop him.  He finally checks in on Prof. Hamilton at the end of the work day (Oh good! "Hammy" can help him determine how to save the sun or stop The Eradicator!), but no...he came to take Prof. Hamilton on a trip to the Fortress of Solitude:  Recent issues had characterized Superman as intelligent and determined, but here he feels like the super-powered fool Byrne depicted all over again. I shouldn't like the villain more than the hero. Also, as much as I personally love the smaller stories of Clark and Lois working through their new relationship, or catching up on the supporting cast at The Daily Planet, I really really didn't need a forced first meeting between the Kents and the Whites:  Seems totally insignificant, as well as totally improbable that they chose to go on cruises at the exact same time, to the exact same destination, and on a ship larger than the Kent Farm (Pa's words, not mine), and they end up right across the hall from one another. Important Details:- The Eradicator is now a being of pure energy that can manipulate all forms of energy. Solar energy from the Earth's core, in particular, proves effective against Superman. - The Post-Crisis Fortress of Solitude is kept under a constantly moving sheet of ice, requiring both X-Ray vision and Heat vision to find it.  - The Lincoln Monument is destroyed.  Seriously, how's that going to work? Is Mike Carlin going to send a memo to all DC offices and writers telling them not to use the Lincoln Monument from now on? Minor Details:- More exploration of how much Luthor's death has hurt Metropolis:  But, while it's been seven months in real time since Luthor died, time in the Superman comics was moving far slower during the Byrne Era. Superman Annual #3 suggested that time in the comic was now moving at the same speed as time in the real world, and that would almost have to be true here too. I can't see things getting this desperate only a few weeks after Luthor's death. - I'm actually kind of on Sam Foswell's side. Who are Clark and Lois to criticize him for supporting The Eradicator and laying off people in order keep the lights on at The Planet?  He may not be making great decisions, but they're out of line. - "Cleric" removed the Eradicator Device from Krypton in approximately 199000 BC (our time). Jor-El and Lara were born at least 100,000 years later (see my Post-Crisis Superman Timeline), so why does the Eradicator know anything about them?  - Lois' mother is apparently now leaving the hospital, and I have questions:  Clark and Lois have spent the past month having heart to hearts about everything from having kids, to the state of the environment, to Jimmy losing his job, to what Clark should get his parents for their anniversary, but her mother finally coming home after spending ages at death's door never came up? And let's be clear -- Luthor was portioning out a partial cure in exchange for Lois' loyalty (and perhaps affection) while secretly retaining a permanent cure Lois knew nothing about. Are we to infer that someone at Lexcorp found out about this and just gave her mom the cure? It doesn't make sense. - I think the Superman Office enjoys switching off on art chores for these major stories (if you can call this a major story), but some of it is distracting, here. I really really don't like Thibert's new Lee/Liefeld/McFarlane approach to drawing Superman:  and why is McLeod drawing an artificial being of pure logic as looking so crazed and angry?  - A being devoted entirely to logic and efficiency, able to shape himself into any form, gives himself a butt?  Maybe he just cloned Superman's body. - Are we supposed to know who the guy on the bottom right is?  All in all, a poorly done story exactly when the Superman Office needed to knock one out of the ballpark and prove to readers that this franchise was worthy of their time and attention. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 8, 2020 23:03:36 GMT -5
I can't get past how much potential this Eradicator storyline has and how poorly it's being squandered, the Eradicator really not doing much of anything beyond speaking his thoughts aloud to no one in particular while Clark moves along with his regular day.
If I were doing this, I'd give it a crossover/event name and logo--"Eradication"-- and have an hourglass icon on the cover, trickling down more each issue because, if the Eradicator is transforming Earth's sun into Krypton's red sun, shouldn't Superman be losing his powers?? Each issue, he grows weaker, more desperate, and less certain the Eradicator is entirely wrong. Finally, at the zero hour, and with no powers left, Superman wins via his powerful mind, firm ideals, and indominatable will, once again reaffirming that what makes Superman a hero isn't really his powers.
But I doubt we're getting that story.
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Post by Duragizer on Aug 9, 2020 1:31:57 GMT -5
Worse yet, while the Eradicator is out there CHANGING THE SUN INTO ONE THAT WON'T SUPPORT HUMAN LIFE, Clark sends his parents off on a cruise and returns for a full day of work at The Planet instead of looking for The Eradicator or seeking a means to stop him. The Eradicator's transforming our sun into a duplicate of Krypton's sun. IIRC, Rao post- Crisis was a red dwarf, and from what I've read, a red dwarf's so small that a planet would have to be extremely close to it to receive life-sustaining heat (so close, actually, that it'd get tidally locked). So shouldn't that temperature be dropping rather than soaring? (Unless I'm totally missreading that final panel; it has been over five years since I read this storyarc.) |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 9, 2020 9:31:48 GMT -5
The Eradicator's transforming our sun into a duplicate of Krypton's sun. IIRC, Rao post- Crisis was a red dwarf, and from what I've read, a red dwarf's so small that a planet would have to be extremely close to it to receive life-sustaining heat (so close, actually, that it'd get tidally locked). So shouldn't that temperature be dropping rather than soaring? (Unless I'm totally missreading that final panel; it has been over five years since I read this storyarc.) I was actually wondering that too. Also, how is Eradicator going to create a new Kryptonian society if everyone on Earth is dead? And why is he building new/better homes for impoverished folks if they're all about to die? Is he going to change their bodies to adapt to a red sun, or has no one at the Superman Office really thought any of this out? |
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Post by String on Aug 9, 2020 16:15:12 GMT -5
I can't get past how much potential this Eradicator storyline has and how poorly it's being squandered, the Eradicator really not doing much of anything beyond speaking his thoughts aloud to no one in particular while Clark moves along with his regular day. If I were doing this, I'd give it a crossover/event name and logo--"Eradication"-- and have an hourglass icon on the cover, trickling down more each issue because, if the Eradicator is transforming Earth's sun into Krypton's red sun, shouldn't Superman be losing his powers?? Each issue, he grows weaker, more desperate, and less certain the Eradicator is entirely wrong. Finally, at the zero hour, and with no powers left, Superman wins via his powerful mind, firm ideals, and indominatable will, once again reaffirming that what makes Superman a hero isn't really his powers. But I doubt we're getting that story. I like the Eradicator, both as a device and as a 'being'. There's a personal connection to Superman and a conflict between his heritage and his humanity when confronted by it's goals of preserving/restoring Krypton. So, the pseudo-science of how it recreates itself doesn't bother me. The red and black Kryptonian dress is distinctive and McLeod does make it look menacing. However, his plan here is confusing. If he is somehow converting our yellow sun into a red dwarf star then it must not be happening all that quickly for no one seems very concerned about it or even acknowledge it other than referencing the intense heat (incorrectly). I would think Hamilton would be immensely interested in such a change yet here, he's still focused on proving that Mr Z's crystal isn't magic instead. Superman doesn't seem overly concerned about it either even though he references such a change/connection during the fight at issue's end. Then again, there is a page where the Eradicator apparently utilizes our sun's energy (?) towards the Earth's core, maybe he's altering the planet in some way to adapt it better towards supporting human life like on Krypton? Your idea here has merit also in terms of being collected. I appreciate the tight continuity between the titles that the Superman Office is wielding here but it makes reading such arcs like this more difficult because it's not a major arc worthy of collection. For example, I have MoS #1 and Superman #57. I don't have Adventures of Superman #480 nor do I have Action Comics #667, the last two parts of this arc. The Adventures issue is available on Comixology but the Action Comics issue isn't. If I want to finish reading it, I may need to do some looking for the last part. Myself, I can totally buy that the Kents and the Whites end up on the exact same cruise. Life is full of small coincidences and occurrences like that. What I have a harder time accepting is that the Kents are given their surprise anniversary tickets and apparently they have to leave the very next day! That's cutting it a little close ain't it? Oh, my best guess about that anonymous person seen when the Kents board the cruise ship is that it's a Love Boat (the TV show) reference. He refers to 'Gopher' who was a crew member on the show. I'm surprised you didn't post a pic of Jimmy's very 90s' outfit he wore to the Planet offices. Baggy jeans, high top sneakers, the Van Halen t-shirt, white jacket and red shades, my eyes rolled a bit when I saw it. Lastly, the major concern I have with the cover of MoS#1 is Superman's expression. He looks mean and threatening which I could understand if he were looking at a major villain as such but he's facing the reader. Unless you're promoting some tough 'new direction' with your new #1, it hardly seems like the proper look to be directing toward any new prospective buyers. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 10, 2020 10:39:13 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #480 (July 1991)  "Dying Breed" Script: Jerry Ordway Pencils: Tom Grummett (layouts, pages 1-5, 13); Denis Rodier (finishes, pages 1-5, 13); Curt Swan (pages 6-7, 11-12, 20); Jon Bogdanove (pages 8-10, 18-19); Jim Mooney (pages 14-15, 31, 36-37); Art Thibert (pages 16-17, 34-35, 38); Bob McLeod (pages 21-24, 32-33); Dan Jurgens (layouts, pages 25-30); Brett Breeding (finishes, pages 25-30) Inks: Denis Rodier (pages 1-5, 13, 21-24, 32-33); Jerry Ordway pages 6-7, 11-12, 14-15, 20, 31, 36-37); Dennis Janke (pages 8-10, 18-19); Art Thibert (pages 16-17, 34-35, 38); Brett Breeding (pages 25-30) Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Albert DeGuzman Grade: B+ I'll have to recant on my recent assertion that Ordway is my least favorite of the writers in this Superman Office. While this storyline still seems poorly considered (the office's plotting and planning has felt rushed/careless since Time and Time Again four months ago), Ordway does a lot to make this an entertaining story all the same. Sure, the Eradicator still isn't doing very much to advance his own utterly opaque goals for transforming Earth into New Krypton beyond turning famous Earth icons into Kryptonian-looking ones:   Incidentally, I found this utterly hilarious.but at least Supes is starting to fight with his brains a little more and his fists a little less:  Though the struggle with The Eradicator really isn't the focus of this issue. Instead, Ordway is setting up a long list of new B plots for us to invest in, keeping the truly magical part of this Post-Crisis Superman office running while offering only the obligatory amount of super-powered fighting in these 48 pages. Let's see -- Jimmy Olson is unemployed and struggling to pay his bills (meh), the Kents and the Whites on a cruise together is at least heating up slightly now that the boat is in trouble (and this little moment was an amusing homage):  Jose Delgado is still having to fight/deal with folks who remember him as Gangbuster, we're finally returning to the idea that Adam Grant is an emotionally disturbed kid who may be heading into trouble:  And, by the way, Bogdonove's art is KILLING me here. What a wedgie!This guy is (I guess) going to be important down the road(??):  Otherwise, why spend an entire page introducing him? We've got even more foreshadowing about looming threats that will soon demand our attention at Project Cadmus:  The Lane's are dealing with their mother's slow recovery, and Cat Grant's new story arc takes the absolute cake as Ordway presents a thoroughly authentic-feeling conflict about sexual harassment in the workplace:  Can't say I saw that one coming in a Superman comic. Cat's internal struggle as she proceeds to cancel dinner plans with Jose and her son and lying to them about why is damn powerful. I feel her shame and self-hatred. I'm positively haunted, and this storyline is just getting started. Oh, and Professor Hamilton plays tag with one of Superman's robots in full Kryptonian battle armor:  Priceless! I'm nowhere near as invested in the central conflict as I should be (Really, the Eradicator has serious potential as a villain, even if the explanation for how he transformed into an energy being was b.s.), but these side stories were mostly pretty engaging, even with their just getting started here. Minor Details:- Mayor Berkowitz is running for another term as mayor of Metropolis. My Post-Crisis Superman Timeline has Berkowitz as mayor in late 1985 (when Man of Steel #3 would have taken place), so he's already been in office for at least six years (presumably 8 years unless he finished someone else's term), so I guess Metropolis doesn't do the term limit thing? - I guess this guy doesn't need his legs back as badly as he thinks he does.  I mean, he did a fine job of getting himself and his wheelchair down into a sewer just so he could have a discreet meeting with Jose Delgado? - Clark's answering machine greeting is delightfully dorky.  - Oh, we're still making this joke:  Of course, $7 is what it costs to buy all four Superman titles this month. Meanwhile, the $6.50 cab fare joke began back in Action Comics #650. - Considering how meticulously this office has charted Metropolis and its inhabitants, it might be worth noting that the Hotel Kahan is right across the street from the Daily Planet.  I'm assuming this is a jab at how difficult it is for some to spell Jeannette Kahn's name correctly (often spelling it "Khan" instead). - I appreciate how much more careful Carlin is becoming about providing editor's boxes that explain where/when referenced past events occurred:  I guess this is being done for the sake of everyone who jumped onboard for Superman, The Man of Steel #1. I doubt it was the significant rise in readership that Carlin was counting on, though. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 11, 2020 8:33:53 GMT -5
Action Comics #667 (July 1991)  "The Final Chapter" Script: Roger Stern Pencils: Jerry Ordway (pages 1-4, 8-9); Jim Mooney (pages 5, 10-11, 14-15); Tom Grummett (layouts, pages 6-7, 12-13, 19); Denis Rodier (finishes, pages 6-7, 12-13, 19); Art Thibert (pages 16-18, 28-29); Jon Bogdanove (pages 20-23, 38); Curt Swan (pages 24-27, 30); Dan Jurgens (layouts, pages 31-37); Brett Breeding (finishes, pages 31-37) Inks: Dennis Janke (pages 1-4, 8-9, 20-23, 38); Jerry Ordway (pages 5, 10-11, 14-15); Denis Rodier (pages 6-7, 12-13, 19, 24-27, 30); Art Thibert (pages 16-18, 28-29); Brett Breeding (pages 31-37) Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley Grade: B- I've given a lot of focus as of late to the fact that DC, and the Superman Office in particular, is beginning to lose significant ground to Marvel. The Superman Office is doing its best to react, launching a new Superman title and a high profile #1 issue, bringing on Jon Bogdanove as someone who draws more in the Liefeld/Lee/McFarlane style, changing up the cover logo for Action Comics, even changing up the letter column title and logo this issue -- Carlin and DC are really trying to make the Superman titles look visually new and improved. But then we have this cover. Let's ignore the fact that it's impossible to tell what Superman is even punching on that cover (and seriously, the Eradicator is an AWESOME looking bad guy who has gotten zero cover presence across this four part story arc), let's ignore that the composition/pose isn't all that dynamic for such an explosive punch, let's ignore the fact that the Superman Office declined to name this major event nor give it a catchy logo on the cover, and instead just savor one of the final times in comic book history that a cover would use a speech bubble un-ironically.  Even if Jurgens was going for kitsch here, it's simply the wrong time to try this. We needed a cover like this:  along with a flashy logo advertising "Revenge of the Krypton Man: Final Chapter". We've seen so many iconic covers from this office as of late -- covers that made adolescent me almost salivate to open them up and read them:     ...but those were all Kerry Gammill covers, and now, when image matters most, Gammill doesn't seem to be doing covers for this office anymore. Well that was a particularly long rant. Hope I didn't startle any of you into exclaiming your inner thoughts aloud with accompanying exaggerated poses. So let's talk about the conclusion of this Eradicator storyline, if you can even call it a storyline. So the Eradicator shows up with a plan to transform Earth's sun into Krypton's sun and also change Earth and its people/culture into Krypton's people/culture. He does this by standing around, speaking his thoughts aloud a lot, and making two statues look more Kryptonese. That's...all he accomplishes in four 48 page issues, even with Clark mostly ignoring the problem and going about his life throughout this storyline. And if you were expecting Superman to have some big, meaningful victory -- one that validates the qualities that make him a hero and also distinguishes him from Krypton's troubled past -- it ain't coming. Instead, it's a deus et machina last-minute victory that doesn't even end up being Superman's idea.  and the ultimate explanation makes no more sense than the explanation we got for the Eradicator's transformation into an energy being in the first place:  Sure. Okay. And, of course, Superman just assumes at the end that, with his energy dispersed, The Eradicator won't be coming back again. Because this is somehow a more final solution than launching him into the sun? And, speaking of the sun, I guess that's just going to get better on its own now? No explanation needed, apparently. I think the only thing I enjoyed about the central plot in this final issue is this minor scene with Pete Ross and Lana Lang (did I really just admit I enjoyed a scene focused on Lana Lang??). Whereas Superman didn't appear to be taking this threat very seriously, nor did Lois, nor Jimmy, nor really any of the central characters of these books, the scene with Pete and Lana made it feel so much more real and terrifying from the ground level:  I felt the anxiety here. And, of course, there were the B plots in this issue. It was interesting to see Ma and Pa Kent playing hero (a nice contrast to the Eradicator, representing Clark's Kryptonian legacy. Stern is ensuring we make no mistake where Superman's heroism came from):  but Perry White's contribution felt silly and tacked on. How many average joes out there know a newspaper editor in chief by name, or are familiar with his/her temperment and personality? In the end, this little team-up between the Whites and the Kents was never earned. Would have been nice to at least have this moment provide a transformative impact for Perry and Alice, who took this cruise in order to escape from troubles threatening to tear their marriage apart. Yet Alice White isn't even IN this scene. Oh, and what crowd did those kids lose their parents in, exactly? This giant cruise ship looks surprisingly under-populated and quite spaced-out just a few panels earlier:  I also always love being reminded that the Post-Crisis Lois is no damsel in distress:  The teaming up of Bibbo Bibowski and Adam Grant strikes me as the best thing since Powerman met Ironfist:  and I positively cannot wait to see where this is going:  There is so much this office is still doing right, but they're bungling their big (maybe final) opportunity to win readers away from Marvel this month with this plot and these covers, and it hurts to watch. Important Details:- Never mind. Superman restored the Lincoln Monument. - New power: Superman has super-fast healing - Jose Delgado is back as gangbuster (at least on an "as needed" basis):  Minor Details:- Where the heck is this?  It's not the Fortress of Solitude, and I can't imagine Superman is sitting around like that at the Daily Planet, so either Superman has a secret Metropolis loft where he tracks crime (I can't imagine Clark can afford rent on two spacious apartments in Metropolis), this is part of Clark's apartment (with lockers built into the walls and enormous computer display screens??), or the artist got very confused about what he was drawing here. The coffee suggests to me that this is Clark's place. - LOVED the opening of this issue   ...even if SUperman flies off a moment later and just sort of gets better on his own. |
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Post by String on Aug 11, 2020 21:16:21 GMT -5
I had a slightly different reaction after reading ADV #480.
I will agree with you, the Cat Grant sub-plot is wholly unexpected here in a Superman comic yet Ordway makes it powerful and poignant. I would think that they left the panel where Edge physically harasses her deliberately ambiguous for I had to look over it twice to make sure that's what I really saw (and inferred). To see how Cat capitulates to Edge's 'requests' even when she knows that she shouldn't is really an indictment of the trauma and indignity of such behaviour.
Maybe Jimmy can sell his new outfit to help pay bills. Alice's homage line made me laugh.
Then we have the Eradicator's earthly works. First off, the Lincoln Memorial is destroyed by an earthquake yet now three terrorist groups claim responsibility for it? What, using their new all powerful earthquake-causing doomsday device?? Although, killing seven soldiers to reform the statue is rather gross. Then, the Big Belly Burger statue. If that is indeed a stand-in for Byrne, it's great meta-commentary; turning his likeness into the same cold and sterile style that he turned Krypton into with this reboot.
The appearance by Delgado and Cadmus highlight an interesting aspect for me. Degaldo who was Gangbuster, an identity Superman used during one of his periods of mental instability. The Krypton Man, another identity Superman used during another one of his periods of mental instability. Dubbliex mentioning the activation of plans in case of another period of mental instability for Superman. I like how the idea of Superman possibly becoming mentally unstable is addressed more Post-Crisis.
However my biggest problem was with the Hamilton scenes, they were utterly ridiculous. He's still focused on solving the riddle of Mr. Z's crystal when Kelex starts giving him a neck/shoulder massage (?) and then suggests a ride in the battle power suit to help relieve his stress (??) which he does by playing tag with Kelex (??). Never mind the apparent implied climate changes and resultant environmental damage, let's play tag. Just mind-boggling here.
As for the obligatory fight scenes, again, I agree with you that it's good when Superman is shown using his wits to fight instead of just punching his way to a solution. The physical strains he endured as well as his physical limitations were also a nice touch too. However, there's a glaring error here: if the Eradicator is turning our yellow sun into a red dwarf star then shouldn't Superman have died powerless when thrown into it?
I didn't have much of a problem with the artist merry-go-round the previous two issues but here for some reason, it grew more noticeable and tiresome to me.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 12, 2020 6:48:35 GMT -5
I had a slightly different reaction after reading ADV #480. I will agree with you, the Cat Grant sub-plot is wholly unexpected here in a Superman comic yet Ordway makes it powerful and poignant. I would think that they left the panel where Edge physically harasses her deliberately ambiguous for I had to look over it twice to make sure that's what I really saw (and inferred). To see how Cat capitulates to Edge's 'requests' even when she knows that she shouldn't is really an indictment of the trauma and indignity of such behaviour. Well said. I concur. I hadn't considered that. I wish they'd explored that idea further, as it's so rich with potential for further character development and meaning. Not sure I got the same sexual undertones here that you did, but generally speaking, I've always accepted Professor Hamilton as being the cliche absent-minded professor. Who else would drop everything for a special project whenever Superman needs him? It might even be suggested that he has Asberger's, with the singular focus he seems to give to each of his projects, first showing up as a villain because he was still obsessed with Luthor stealing his own invention years earlier, and here obsessing over Mr. Z's crystal from half a year earlier while the world is coming to an end. Well the transformation was taking so damn long that it didn't even get mentioned in the final issue, meaning Superman was dropped into a predominately yellow sun, which should have actually super-charged him. Yeah. I have no idea. It's been bothering me all along, especially Thibert and Bogdovane, who are drawing in far more Liefeld/Lee-inspired styles. Also (and I meant to bring this up in my review), what happened to Curt Swan, who ALWAYS got two pages whenever the Superman Office would share art chores on a book previously? |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 20, 2020 13:11:15 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #481 (August 1991)  "The Big Drain!" Script: Jerry Ordway Pencils: Tom Grummett Inks: Doug Hazlewood Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Albert DeGuzman Grade: B+ I swear, I've seen this cover somewhere before. I think I read a backstory about a ghost train that visually resembled this in Haunt of Horror back in the day, but I also feel like there was a Wrightson or Wrightson-esq cover that looked like this, maybe for House of Mystery or House of Secrets? Anyway, Tom Grummett's first solo pencilling gig for this office does not disappoint:  Perhaps more importantly, the Superman Office has now spent 8 months and 25 issues struggling to find a worthwhile villain for Superman now that Luthor is "dead". We've tried Mr. Z, Terra Man, The Toy Man, Thaddeus Killgrave, Silver Banshee, The Linear Man, Baron Sunday, Cerberus, and The Eradicator, but Killgrave and The Toyman have been the only ones that proved at all memorable. Finally, finally, we've got new hope with Parasite, a classic Superman villain that hasn't wandered into this Post-Crisis office until now. Not only are his powers a significant threat to Superman, but his characterization is rich and memorable, whether he's being deliciously creepy:   a disturbed (if somewhat endearing) simpleton:   or just plain gross:  This character has serious potential as a regular Superman nemesis. I hope Stern and Jurgens can use him as well as Ordway does here. This issue also seeks to repair the poor inter-title alignment that we've been seeing as of late, acknowledging the devastation that Cerberus has caused for Metropolis (Cerberus has never been acknowledged outside of the Man of Steel title until now!) while acknowledging the recent toll The Eradicator has taken on Metropolis as well.  It's a much needed complete picture of the beatings Metropolis has been taking in the past two months, all while crime is up and employment is down in the wake of Luthor's death. Metropolis is a scary place to be right now. This little exchange also resolves the ridiculous coincidence of the Whites and the Kents ending up across the hall from each other on the very same cruise ship. Now, apparently, it was planned from the very start. And, as a more minor (but important) point, we are learning how this power couple does breakfast in the age of '90s feminism. No, Lois does not cook for them both; they take breakfast together at Dooley's. I guess this also further emphasizes both how busy they are as working professionals (no time to cook) and that they are successful enough that they can afford to eat out three meals a day. Anyway, while Metropolis grows darker, these titles themselves remain bright and full of hope. I love that Superman remains a thinking superhero more committed to the public good than vengeance and punching, as this issue gives considerable attention to Clark ensuring that his underground battle with Parasite won't hurt the structural integrity of the subway tunnels:  What other superhero title concerns itself with issues of collateral damage? Well, Damage Control, I guess... I also continue to love the familiar, reassuring elements of the Daily Planet that keep getting inserted into these titles. The letting go of a significant portion of the Daily Planet staff has not gone forgotten a month later. Those characters are made to feel important to us; the Daily Planet staff grieves for them as any tight knit group of colleagues would. And further reinforcing this sense of closeness is the return of Dooley's Pub and its concerned/involved proprietor, Kevin Dooley:  It took me several months, but I finally figured out what Dooley's reminds me of. It's easy to draw a comparison to Cheers, the most famous fictional bar in American culture, but that was a place for middle-class drunks to waste their lives away. This is a higher class bar where upscale professionals let down their hair at the end of the day and grow closer together. The place this reminds me of is Phil's, from the (then) hit TV show Murphy Brown, on it's fourth hit season at the time of this issue's publication:  I strongly suspect this was the inspiration for Dooley's. After all, Murphy Brown and her colleagues were the big hitters at a premiere news organization too, and while the show isn't really talked about today, it was huge in 1991. Important Details:- First meeting of Superman and Parasite in the Post-Crisis. Parasite has absorbed some of Superman's memories and may know his secret identity.  - Ronald Troupe, first introduced as "Ron" last issue, finally gets a full name and earns the assistant job at Newstime Magazine that Jimmy Olsen was applying for.  Strong foreshadowing that he will ultimately help the magazine's owner, Collin Thornton, in his bid for mayor. I'm still not sure why Ordway is giving him so much attention, though, and inviting us to care about what happens to him. - I'd been noting lately that "Time and Time Again" made the overt point that Superman's costume had been turned "jet black" and yet all the artists and colorists seemed to have forgotten about this. The letter column for this issue explains that his costume just sort of reverted back to its original colors. Apparently, the edgier look they were going for, perhaps more in-line with Batman's image, while Metropolis became more Gotham-like, has been discarded. Minor Details:- Ordway is actually making me feel for Sam Foswell. I love it:  - Lana moves across the country for Pete Ross, but they're still living in separate apartments, Pete inviting her over for occasional dates?  Does Lana Lang have any self-respect at all? And how is she going to pay DC rent by herself? Does she even have a job lined up? Overall a MUCH better story that feels in keeping with what this title was before everything went awry a few months back. Hopefully, this is a sign that all the titles will be finding their footing again and that it won't just be Ordway keeping the office afloat. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 22, 2020 2:04:52 GMT -5
I'm certain it's the latter. Dream-Luthor is quoting Byrne's Luthor from Man of Steel #4 - the moment is significant for it marks Byrne's Luthor throwing down a gauntlet and making it clear to Superman that they are now enemies locked in a struggle which Luthor predicts will end only with Superman's demise. Now that Luthor is dead it makes sense for the moment at which the two became foes to be lodged in Superman's brain especially with Luthor's "one day, very soon, you're going to die" prediction now turning out to the be opposite of what happened. Now, it's quite possible that the Superman offices intended for Luthor to come back differently from how he would, but I can't imagine that at any point, Lex Luthor the Younger was going to look exactly like his dad did five years ago (or ten years or whenever) since it would defeat the purpose of having a younger heir step into the role. "What do you mean I'm my father? Preposterous! My father was completely bald whereas I have hair in the back!" "But didn't Luthor Sr. have hair in the back too about six, seven years ago?" "...aw f**k, that's right!!" Good argument. I'll edit my review to reflect this. Thanks! My understanding has always been that the reason the Exile storyline meandered as long as it did was because there was no direction forward planned for the series beyond Superman losing his mind and becoming Gangbuster. Evidence suggests Byrne left abruptly, and also that he hurried to get through as many of his remaining plot points as he could in the days before he left, so the Superman Office was left directionless for a good long while after Byrne departed and before Carlin had decided to let Ordway and Stern drive the ship in his place. I've also argued how The Eradicator Device, the next major plotpoint after the Exile storyline, was George Perez's idea. Superman knew Luthor's address. Without the Kryptonite ring, it was only a matter of time before Luthor went so far that Superman would just smash through the windows and take him down. I don't imagine Byrne did have a plan beyond that. I think it worked well. It seems clear to me that 1990 was all about trying to make the Superman franchise DC's top selling office. The "still only 75 cents" price point, the obligatory crossover with Batman, the multiple multi-part story arcs (some of which were clearly introduced last minute), the first kiss between Clark and Lois, the engagement, the death of Jerry White, and finally the death of Luthor. It was all an effort to boost sales. I certainly doubt the office ever planned to have Luthor stay dead, but how they would bring him back may well have been a work in progress. After all, we don't learn until this past issue (8 months later) that Superman scoured the crash site for Luthor's remains and then had them checked against his medical records to verify a body. The way the original death played out, all Superman had found was the cybernetic hand. And I'm still not 100% clear on what the final plan ends up being. I know Luthor II actually ends up being Luthor, and I believe cloning is involved, but I never read those stories previously and don't know all the details (no spoilers please!). Yes, but only in the sense that he was Superman's only serious antagonist. 1991 has been mostly about bringing back old rogues and introducing new ones in an effort to find villains who aren't Luthor because, during Byrne's run, literally every villain Supes ran into was ultimately working for Luthor or was the byproduct of something Luthor had done. It always extended back to Luthor. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on May 1, 2021 15:36:22 GMT -5
After featuring Batman-related lead stories in '93 & '94, Showcase seems to have switched to Superman-related leads in '95 & 96. Other characters featured include Supergirl, Eradicator, Mongul, Lois Lane, Steel, Superboy, Shadowdragon and Brainiac.
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