Shades of the "Can you read my mind?" scene from Superman The Movie?

Oh, definitely. I'm sure the page was inspired by that sequence from the movie.

I re-read the second part of Will Eisner's "Contract With God" trilogy...




A Life Force is, like its predecessor, set during the Great Depression and revisits the fictional Bronx tenement block at 55 Dropsie Avenue. While it's not a direct sequel to A Contract With God, it does share a focus on the trials and tribulations of the tenement's residents.

Unlike the previous book, which was made up of four short stories, A Life Force features a single narrative that once again focuses on the Jewish community, while also taking in wider issues, such as the spread of communist politics in America and the rise of Nazism in Germany. Some of the historical background elements in the story require a little elucidation, so Eisner peppers the book with newspaper clippings and explanatory handwritten text.

The book examines what is it that keeps humanity struggling and slaving away through life, and draws a parallel between humans eking out an existence at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum and the cockroaches that infest 55 Dropsie Avenue. This parallel or metaphor is effective enough, I suppose, but it's not terribly flattering or sympathetic – and I wonder if any author today would get away with equating poor Jewish immigrants to cockroaches? Even if they were Jewish themselves, as Eisner was.

The main characters are Jacob Shtarkah, a struggling carpenter who seeks meaning to his life, and Elton Shaftsbury II, a former moneyed head of industry, whose fortune was wiped out by the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Elton falls in love with Jacob's daughter, which provides an emotional heart to the story, as it interweaves the lives of a varied cast of supporting characters, including rabbis, refugees, gangsters, union organisers, young communists, and the mentally impaired.

Being Eisner, the artwork is, of course, stunning, with some brilliantly expressive characters and highly innovative page layouts. That said, it's not quite as visually striking as the earlier A Contract With God: there's nothing here as memorable as Frimme Hersh's despairing trudge home through the rain-sodden Bronx streets, for example.

Still, A Life Force is, in some ways, superior to its predecessor, inasmuch as the book's longer narrative allows for more character growth than the four short stories found in A Contract With God did. But overall it's not as powerful or groundbreaking as the earlier volume. Nevertheless, this is an engaging and thought-provoking read, which finds Eisner at his most optimistic and life-affirming, as he invites the reader to contemplate the meaning of life and the "force" that drives us all to do what we do.

I continued my New Mutants binge with Uncanny X-Men #201, New Mutants #36, Power Pack #20, Secret Wars II #8, New Mutants #37, Secret Wars II #9, and New Mutants #38. Uncanny #201 has very limited New Mutants relevance. The team are in a Danger Room training session led by new headmaster Magneto, when they’re asking to leave so Storm and Cyclops can stage their duel for leadership. Doug Ramsey picks the simulation. I started reading the X-books after Jean was brought back, so I’m used to that status quo, but Bob Layton should’ve come up with a better plan to start X-Factor. As is, the set-up written by Claremont makes Scott a cad.

NM #36 is a Secret Wars II crossover where the Beyonder visits Manhattan, finds Illyana, and unleashes her inner demon. That results in Illyana kidnapping Kitty from the public library and transporting a subway car – by air – to Xavier’s school. The mechanics of what’s next is unclear to me, but apparently after unleashing the Darkchilde part of Illyana, the Beyonder has now cleansed her of it, because Illyana’s Soulsword has gone to Kitty and Illyana claims she doesn’t have the magic to stop a giant demon that will use Kitty as a part of a blood sacrifice to break down the barrier to Limbo. It involves the medallion Illyana got from Belasco. Sam also gets zapped by the Beyonder’s messianic brainwashing. Giant demon is out of the team’s league, but Dani reminds Illyana of her love for her friend Kitty and Illyana accepts her magic back (with all its corruption) to beat the demon. The art is by Wilshire and Sienkiewicz, and Bill’s inks are essentially for making this issue as creepy as necessary. We also a cover from Barry Windsor-Smith, who will do more New Mutants covers for some upcoming issues. Also, a disgruntled Roberto decides to leave, and apparently he’s only 13 because Claremont is really inconsistent with these ages. There’s a house with Warlock, Sunspot, and some mysterious for a series called The Misfits. I think that’s what later became Fallen Angels. But that miniseries is still a year and a half off, so it’s an odd false start.

Power Pack #20 continues the plot as several demons are still on the loose in Manhattan and trying to sacrifice babies to break down the barrier to Limbo. Former New Mutants artist Bob McLeod and future New Mutants writer Louise Simonson handle this issue. After thwarting demons kidnapping babies from the hospital where Mrs. Power is ill, Power Pack calls the New Mutants for help. Three originals (Dani, Sam, and Rahne show up), but Katie Power (Energizer) is kidnapped and brought to a skyscraper as a replacement sacrifice. Dani uses her new Valkyrie to spot Death in humanoid form seeking Mrs. Power, and has another power show for the first time: creating illusory bow and arrow and a spear that turn solid and do damage. The portal is closed as Katie is rescued. This story feels like a prototype for the Infermo story a few years later.

SWII #8 is a disorganized mess where the Beyonder contemplates his existence, considers destroying the multiverse, and gets into some random fights (including smacking the New Mutants in Manhattan for a few pointless panels). In NM #37, the Beyonder decides he might as well show up to the mansion to kill the New Mutants. But first, the kids are watching a John Wayne movie with some offensive depictions of Native Americans. Some of the kids eating it up, but Rahne is the only one who points out it may bother Dani. Dani is inwardly happy that Rahne is standing up for her but busy talking on the phone with her parents. And then she has a Valkyrie vision of all the New Mutants dying! She flees on her flying horse Brightwind because she can’t face the other kids. Sam chases her down and thinks Dani is upset about the movie. Then, the Beyonder shows up and starts killing everyone. Well, he takes a short break to seemingly lose and generate some false hope, but then he kills the rest of them! That is except for Roberto, who left last issue and is headed to the airport. Yay, Berto! It’s very well-written, creepily drawn by Wilshire & Sienkiewicz (who chose to have the Beyonder’s face in shadow or his back turned in most panels. It’s some hardcore nightmare fuel that is much better than SWII itself.

In SWII #9, no one remembers the New Mutants existed. The Beyonder resurrects him as his minions, but as mindless drones. Rachel Summers figures out who they are, and pledges to restore their minds (and I guess somehow make the world remember them) at some point. Presumably she does this off-panel. The Beyonder acts like he still plans to destroy the multiverse, but after the heroes attack, he says they don’t understand and he doesn’t want to destroy everything anymore. When the Beyonder tries to “rebirth” himself as a baby for the third time in the issue, the heroes have a big debate over whether to kill him. The birthing tries to kill the heroes with a nuclear explosion, which Sue Storm saves everyone from. But then the Molecule Man kills baby Beyonder. The world seems like it’s blinking out of existence, but comes back intact. Somewhere a new universe forms. The writing is a mess, but I think we’re supposed to figure that creating a world was the Beyonder’s plan, and the heroes were idiots for not realizing the guy who killed people, tried to rob folks of free will, created general havoc, and threatened to destroy existence was really a benevolent genius. This is a recurring theme in Shooter’s writing from here to Korvac to Emperor Doom. He like stories where some super-powerful character likes to behave seemingly arbitrarily, fail to explain himself, deny everyone free will, kill some people, and then be defeated before he can achieve permanent utopia. We get the coda about how stupid the heroes were to foil the utopia that the genius dictator would achieve, but didn’t bother to explain, while acting like a megalomaniacal sociopath. Quite a recurring motif for an editor-in-chief.

NM #38 is the aftermath of the New Mutants’ resurrection. It’s got a great Art Adams cover. Interior art is Rick Leonardi pencils and Bill Sienkiewicz inks. After departing as penciler and being gone for precisely one arc, Bill can’t seem to quit the book, inking several issues in a row. The kids are listless mess. It’s not easy having died! At one point we get a conversation between Doug and Magneto about Doug dying someday. That’s the second time we’ve gotten that foreshadowing from that pair. But then Dani gets a pep talk from Frog Thor, so she has her zest for life back. Also, Warlock is back to normal already, because when you’re techno-organic, death and resurrection just hit different. And Roberto is still gone and didn’t die. Meanwhile, Magneto has the public cover identity as cousin Michael Xavier, substitute principal. But he really sucks at his job, because he’s a self-absorbed, barely reformed, criminal terrorist. So with very little prodding (and Empath projecting some moods from the woods), he agrees to Emma Frost plan to accept the kids at the Massachusetts Academy to fix them. Emma argues, “Can you do better?” Who’s knows? But I’m pretty sure they should be giving more than one issue to recover before just throwing up your hands and turning them over to the manipulations of an evil telepath with designs for world domination.

I also read Justice League of America #120-121 via an omnibus. It’s a two-parter with Adam Strange and Kanjar Ro. It’s somewhat better than the issue that preceded it. At one point, half the League is seemingly turned to dust and Adam brings their uniforms to the JLA Satellite to show what’s happened. When he later learns the Leaguers have been turned to spheres, he conscientiously commands Kanjar Ro’s energi-rod to restore the Black Canary orb “to its original form and costume.” Since Canary’s original costume is back at the satellite, the book wouldn’t have Comics Code approval if Adam left the last part out. Did I mention that Adam Strange flirts with the Canary a couple of times while he thinks his fiancée Alanna is dead?

Your opinions on all three line up precisely with mine. 

Read the Hulk Magazine issues (#11-#15,#17-#18 & #20) of my Moon Knight Epic Collection. This is really where the character starts to shine for me. Moench really gives these back-ups some pulp noir flair and Sienkiewicz's art is just lovely

It's been a while since I've read it, but I think it goes something like in the Watchmen reality, Dr. Manhattan single handedly defeated the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong, Watergate didnt happen because the Comedian(?)...did something...and Nixon was able to ride a wave of popularity to change laws that made him President for life