|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 18, 2016 9:39:08 GMT -5
Actually, I think this is one of Giella's best inking jobs, especially post-silver. I don't think the inking is bad; just that it doesn't look like Golden's art. It's why I questioned if Giella wasn't fully rendering some of Golden's stuff or if Golden turned in a much looser pencil job, turning more of the workload over to Giella. Maybe he had deadline issues and didn't take the time to add his usual touches. They are there in the next issue, which is what had me pondering why this looks so different? |
|
|
|
Post by Red Oak Kid on Nov 18, 2016 18:57:47 GMT -5
I'm really enjoying this thread.
Has it been noted that Larry Hama was the editor of MM #22?
I don't remember him working for DC as an editor. I always associate him with Marvel.
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 18, 2016 23:16:30 GMT -5
I'm really enjoying this thread. Has it been noted that Larry Hama was the editor of MM #22? I don't remember him working for DC as an editor. I always associate him with Marvel. No, I hadn't brought that up yet. There isn't an editor listed until #21 and Denny O'Neil covered the letters page; so, I assume he started it off, then moved on (Not sure when he went over to Marvel). Hama did some stuff at DC, before pretty much working exclusively for Marvel. He was part of the Continuity crowd (Neal Adams and acolytes) and an assistant to Wally Wood; so, that probably led him to DC first (though he did some freelance art for Marvel, before going there full time). He was also editor on Super friends and Welcome Back Kotter, if that doesn't blow your mind. he moved to Marvel in 1980. |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 19, 2016 0:17:09 GMT -5
Return of the New Gods #17  So, our cover this time is from Jim Starlin. It's a step in the right direction; but, I still think it's a little too busy. Still stuck with odd color choices. Starlin didn't get his mitts on the 4th World for several years, and not for much more than Cosmic Odyssey. Maybe he was afraid of Darkseid, after swiping so much for Thanos (though Roy Thomas aided and abetted that). You don't want to be around when Darkseid has a bone to pick. We pick up where we left off, with Orion and Jezebelle in Happyland, realizing they have been duped, while taking out their anger on a Darkseid animate.  Jezebelle tells Orion to stop smashing things and go to gen Torch's aid, and he finally wakes up and starts to take off (lot of taking off for other places, abruptly, in this series), when he is brought down by a hidden energy weapon, which also blasts Jezebelle. We cut to Darkseid's hidden Earth HQ, where a suddenly not dead Desaad... ...is torturing Gen. torch, to get at the secret in his mind. He utters an FU to darkseid and passes out, proving he isn't total comic relief.  Darkseid threatens Desaad, who directs his interest to the experiment with Orion and Jezebelle. Darkseid tells him to get back to him with a memo and heads off to do evil things, like shaving the whiskers off cats and altering braille to read as profanity. Desaad, oily little sh@# that he is, schemes to take the Anti-Life equation for himself. I'm not overly impressed with how Conway handles Darkseid; but, he nails Desaad and makes him thoroughly weasley. Maybe it reminds him of Marvel and maneuvering to be E-I-C, or the general in-fighting that Sean Howe describes. Newton also draws him as a scummy jerk, even more than Kirby did. We get a pointless interlude of Highfather and Lucifar, as Izaya tries to educate Lucifar that peace and contentment doesn't mean wussy. Lucifar doesn't seem to be buying it. Not sure I am, either. New Genesis does seem to get ambushed, a lot. We cut to Forager, literally, sleeping like a baby, at "The Project," He is awakened by the Cosmic Pager, Mother Box and heads off to answer, in some rather goofy panels...  ...We cut back to Desaad's experiment, as Orion and Jezebelle are hooked up to machines, by some robots. Orion flashes back to that fateful day when he was exchanged for Scott Free, as part of The Pact. He whines and tells his father he hates him, while he is drug off to be tossed into a Boom Tube. His mother Tigra berates Darkseid, who tells her to clam up, as their marriage was arranged by Darkseid's yenta of a mother, who he had Desaad poison (well that was Kirby, Conway just said she is dead and Darkseid rules). Orion comes face to face with Highfather, who offers his hand and the wild hellion just drops his knife and says he likes what Highfather says. Kirby had Orion holding his knife up near Highfather's face and Darkseid's men were getting the worst of the struggling orion. This is a heck of a lot tamer. We then see Jezebelle, as one of Granny's orphans. We learn that she rebelled against Granny's training, to kill; but, ends up giving in to Granny's conditioning. We see her as an adult, part of a squad sent to attack new genesis, where she is struck down. We also see Desaad turning his attention to the stirring Gen Torch. Meanwhile, Darkseid and Titan are plotting to demonstrate how he can disrupt Highfather's contact with the Source, by directing a laser beam at Highfather's staff. Um, okay....... Forager shows up at Happyland, led there by mother Box, and proceeds to kick some parademon carcass. He finds Orion and Jezebelle and frees them, and they decide to hit the road, when mother Box starts in again. We end with Highfather standing in front of a blackened Source Wall, pronouncing doom! Well, we are still getting a lot of running back and forth and "meanwhile, back at the ranch..."; but,we also get Jezebelle's origin, after 5 issues. So, she is from Apokolips, not New Genesis and was one of Granny's nasties, much like Barda and the Female Furies. Desaad is plotting his own little coup, and the Source Wall, Highfather's link to the unknown, looks like someone overdid the barbecue. Intriguing stuff, though I do wish Conway would slow down a bit and let things unfold at a better pace. He seems to have ADD in this story. I still love Don Newton's art; but, he has some goofy body positioning in this one. Forager is rendered a bit more cartoony than in previous issues. My real question is where's Metron? He's barely been in this thing, given how a big a deal he was in Kirby's original and everything since. Guess Conway doesn't care much for the Cosmic barcolounger; or else, he's saving him for something big. He did have him taken out pretty easily, in New Orleans, earlier on. In Conway's defense, Metron is a bit of a knowitall, and who likes that? Well, actually, I've been accused of that and I like Metron; so, yeah, boo on Conway!  Conway is definitely moving towards something now, as Darkseid is closer to the Anti-Life Equation. Will he get the whole thing? |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 19, 2016 22:50:41 GMT -5
Mister Miracle #24  Our cover is, again, from Marshall Rogers, who continues to show how it's done. We see Mister Miracle standing between a dual image of Darkseid and Highfather, cementing the revelation that Scott's destiny lies not with new Genesis or Apokolips; but, with Earth. It's also got his aero-discs, which I always thought were way cooler than the Silver Surfer's Cosmic Surfboard. It looks like they take a heck of a lot more skill to master and lend themselves well to dynamic imagery. So, last issue, Steve Gerber pressed the rest button, sort of, and, now, Scott is no longer a messiah for the Lowlies; but, maybe one for Earth. We also saw Michael Golden not quite looking like the Michael Golden we all know. Let's see what happens here. Our story opens with Scott returning to Apokolips, where Oberon is being dragged away by Darkseid's troopers, who are even called stormtroopers (of the Photon Patrol). Scott saves Oberon, then fills him in on what happened to him, which makes absolutely no sense to Oberon and kind of ignores the threat from the Photon Patrol. Scott uses his newly realized Mother Box abilities to transmit some dying ant schemes (yes, I am not making that up0 to the troopers, stunning them long enough to take them out. Oberon isn't taking this very seriously, nor is Steve Gerber. The tone is definitely moving into Howard the Duck territory. Now, remember what I said about Golden's art, on the last issue? How it didn't look like his style? Well, this issue does:  Russ Heath is the new inker. Again, i don't know if Golden was drawing loosely and Giella was doing more finishing on last issue, or just overpowered Golden, or what; but, Heath seems faithful to Golden's style and this looks like his later work. We are only talking a couple of months between books; so, unless Golden went through an artistic quantum leap, it would seem it was related to the inkers or Golden doing more finished work, here. Highfather asks his son where he's been, as it's late and he has broken curfew. Scott tells him "You're not the boss of me!" and Highfather decides to stop sparing the rod (his staff) and strikes at Scott. Okay, Highfather asks; but Scott gets lippy and Himon chastises him and Scott tells him off, leading to Highfather blowing his cool and showing Highfather that he is immune to his power. He tells Barda it is time to go home. She says fine, as long as it is a request. They return to their house on Earth, where it is time for bed. barda is none too subtle in telling Scott that she wants some lovin' (they did just come from their honeymoon, when the previous events interrupted things). Scott is too busy being pompous to listen to his wife, resulting in...  Scott gets the hint; but also suggests that he may return the favor. Okay guys, maybe you ought to talk to a marriage counselor. This is a little unhealthy. The next morning, Scott has disappeared and Oberon is stuck with a big breakfast, while Barda just has coffee. We see Scott visiting some places, then looking up old acquaintance and PR man Ted Brown. Scott tells him they are getting the band back together and to start PRing. We cut to the southwest, where a girl who looks vaguely like Barda is being watched by an older couple. She walks up to a rattler and whips it until it smashes it's head on a rock. The woman, her mother, is pleased and berates her henpecked husband. Back at the ranch, Scott informs Oberon and Barda that he is sold the house and they are heading west, to California. Oberon is not pleased and Barda doesn't look keen either. Even worse, they are stopping along the way in Vegas. In Vegas, they meet up with Ted Brown (who is the son of the original Mister Miracle, Thaddeus Brown), and get ready for the show. The next day, we see Scott in costume, with Barda in her armor, getting chained up, the locks welded, put into a steel coffin, which is welded shut. Barda then lifts it into the air and Oberon hooks it to a helicopter hoist. The coffin is lifted away to Hoover Dam and Scott is dropped from 800 feet up. Will he survive?   The coffin plunges in and disappears below the water. After some minutes, Scott does not emerge. Some cowboy makes a crack about a rip-off, that he just died. Barda gets pretty POed and threatens to do the same to the cowboy, when someone cries out.......  All in all, a really fun issue. The tone is much lighter than Engelhart's stories and Gerber seems to be poking fun at the whole epic nature of the 4th World. Scott is more than a bit insensitive to Oberon, especially in selling the house in which Oberon has lived, for 30 years, without so much as a "By your leave..." He's a bit condescending to Barda too, which got him knocked on his hinder once; and may do so again. On the flip side, the return to showbiz escapes is welcome, though this lacks Kirby's epic imagination with the deathtraps. This seems a little more conventional than most Mister Miracle escapes. How this will prepare Earth to withstand Darkseid and the Anti-Life Equation still isn't clear. We'll have to check back next issue, which will also fill us in on the mystery girl, Alianna, she who kills snakes in canyons, while Mom and Pop watch via binoculars. |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 20, 2016 17:39:28 GMT -5
Return of the New Gods #18  Our rather cluttered cover is from Mike Vosburg (EDIT: apparently it's Al Milgrom). The title blurb probably is asking more than a question about the plot. I'm sure the series was on the chopping block, by now. Our story opens with Orion, Jezebelle and Forager fleeing from the exploding Happyland. Just as they get to safety, Mother Box starts pinging. they speak to highfather and learn of Darkseid's attack on the Source Wall, which has turned it black. They realize that Darkseid has gained this much power from just 1/6th of the Anti-Life Equation and must redouble their efforts to protect the other holders of the secret. They head off to warn Metron and Lightray and to protect the other humans. Highfather explains to Lucifar about the Pact and we cut to Apokolips. Desaad presents Darkseid with another 1/6th of the A-LE, then reveals that Orion and Jezebelle escaped, leading to a smack in the chops from Darkseid.  Once again, Gerry Conway proves he doesn't understand Darkseid. Darkseid is no cackling melodrama villain. He is a master planner and leaves the dirty jobs to his minions. He doesn't need to use physical violence to keep his people in line, fear of his massive power is enough to do it. Darkseid is above such petty attacks. As Kirby showed, he has a certain nobility and respect for his enemies. He keeps his word, even as he plans alternatives. Kirby said he embodied everyone who ever wronged him or committed an evil act. Conway acts like he is Cobra Commander or something. Desaad slimes away as Darkseid orders Titan to begin the assault on the remaining 2/3 of the A-LE. Back on New Genesis, Highfather explains to Lucifar about the source, referring to it (as Metron does) as the Life Equation. he speaks of the Final Barrier, in the Promtheum Galaxy, and the Prometheum Giants, godlike beings who sought the secret to the source, only to be rendered mindless and chained to planetoids, for all eternity.  This part is setting up things to come and helps bring the audience up to speed about the mythology of the New Gods. Highfather also relates how he went from Izaya, The Inheritor, to Highfather, recapping Kirby's story from The Pact. Back on Apokolips, Hitler, I mean Darkseid watches the troops and orders the assault. All energy on Apokolips is focused into creating a super Boom Tube, which splits into four segments, each carrying an assault wave to capture part of the A-LE. The New Orleans troop, led by their commander Brola, finds Lorraine Hampton's apartment empty. Same in San Francisco, as Kalibak communicates the disappearance of Richard Roe. Bane (not that one) tells of the absence of Dave Lincoln. Titan reports from near The Project and says they have signs of three Boom Tubes in the vicinity. he believes that the others have been brought there. Darkseid commands he begin his assault, as he sends the rest to reinforce the first wave. Orion and the rest are observing the arrival of the enemy, via radar. They prepare and Titan and his men burst through the walls and the fighting begins. Forager takes out Bane, who is unhurt and hides in the shadows, to sneak away and grab the humans. He projects a beam to snare them, when Metron grabs it. Orion faces off against Kalibak , as brother fights brother. he defeats Kalibak handily. Jezebelle takes out Brola; but suspects something is wrong. Their fierce enemies are going down too easily. Lightray is the opposite, thinking they are winning and the others need to cheer up. They appear to win the day, when metron throws cold water on the situation. he says the humans are gone, when orion says they are right in front of them. metron notes they don't move and shines the crystal he grabbed from bane on them and they disappear. They realize that they were distracted by the fighting, while Bane transported them away, replacing them with a hologram. Our story ends with more swearing of vengeance.  Orion does a lot of that; no wonder Darkseid keeps whoopin' his hide. He talks big; but, doesn't deliver. A mixed bag of an issue. We get more backstory, for those of us who missed the first go round of the 4th World, with some slight alteration and then the heroes are made to look like chumps, which happens a lot in this series. It reminds me of the New World Order vs WCW storyline, in pro wrestling, where the heels of the NWO kept putting one over on WCW, without the babyfaces ever getting their comeback. The audience grew tired of waiting for it and started leaving. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened in this series. Darkseid is routinely triumphant and Orion is made to look the fool. Contrast with Mister Miracle, where he faces great odds; but, continues to escape from traps and defeat Darkseid's toadies. There is a reason why that series is held in higher regard and the routine triumph of the hero, against all odds, is a major reason. Don Newton is still drawing the heck out of things; but, he's having to put more and more into it. I still think he does the fantastic well; but, I kind of sense that he is tiring of this. Or else, I am projecting my own frustration onto Newton. Conway has been spinning wheels, sending Orion back and forth. He has moments where he bumps it up a notch; but, it's time to start wrapping this thing up. That's where Conway is headed, so he better make it big. |
|
|
|
Post by chaykinstevens on Nov 20, 2016 18:06:46 GMT -5
Return of the New Gods #18 Our rather cluttered cover is from Mike Vosburg. According to GCD, Al Milgrom has confirmed he drew the cover. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2016 18:58:51 GMT -5
codystarbuckThis is a gorgeous splash page of Mister Miracle and thanks for posting it.  ... Been enjoying these reviews!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 20, 2016 19:12:22 GMT -5
Return of the New Gods #18 Our rather cluttered cover is from Mike Vosburg. According to GCD, Al Milgrom has confirmed he drew the cover. Okay; edited to reflect that info. Thanks! |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 20, 2016 19:14:50 GMT -5
codystarbuck This is a gorgeous splash page of Mister Miracle and thanks for posting it. ... Been enjoying these reviews!!! Glad you like them. We are nearing the end, though I will take New Gods up through JLA (including the Super-Team Family issue) as well as Mister Miracle's appearances in DC Comics Presents and Brave and the Bold. I think I will go back and also cover MM's appearances in BATB prior to the revival, just for fun. Then, I don't know; maybe Kirby? Anyone up for that? |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2016 0:46:56 GMT -5
I haven't seen any of the Mister Miracle adventures in the Brave and the Bold and I would love to hear your take on Kirby too. I would be interested in that.
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 22, 2016 0:05:58 GMT -5
I haven't seen any of the Mister Miracle adventures in the Brave and the Bold and I would love to hear your take on Kirby too. I would be interested in that. I've got the Omnibus editions, so it's a simple thing, plus the Baxter reprint, with the new story (or rather, the revised version of the unprinted #12) and The Hunger Dogs. I definitely want to look at the Jimmy Olsen's again; loved those stories; plus, Kirby has some awesome collages in there. It was hard to reproduce them in the comics; but, those things were fantastic. Kirby should have had gallery showings with those. He blew away to pop artists. Thing was, he was a storyteller first and mostly did those for fun. |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 22, 2016 1:32:12 GMT -5
Mister Miracle #25 Final issue!  Our cover is from Al Milgrom, according to Mike's Amazing World of Comics. Russ Heath inks, to keep it somewhat consistent with Michael Golden. It's a pretty good cover, though the background details are intruding a bit. The clash between the figures is good, though that is a view of Granny I'd prefer not to see. I'm just glad it doesn't go further, if you know what I mean. Uggggggggghhhhh!!!!!! (shudder) At first, I though the woman was Barda, attacking Scott again; but, it's Alianna, our mystery girl from last issue. More about her in a minute. Not much artwork to be found for this one and I only have a CBR file; so, you'll have to take my word for the art. We pick up where we left off, with Scott hovering over the crowd at Hoover Dam. He is doing his messiah bit, telling people they can be free of the chains that bind them, just as he freed himself from his fetters. Barda isn't buying it, saying Scott wasn't cut out to be a "messiah." Darkseid watches with Granny and he thinks otherwise and wants Granny to nip it... ... in the bud!!!!!!Granny has already sicked the Photon Patrol on Scott and they attack while he is distracted with the crowd. Golden indulges in some aerial battle and his trademark design sense with the flying troopers. Their helmets rather resemble bugs' heads, foreshadowing his work on The Micronauts. Scott disposes of them, with the help of some high tension wires while Steve Gerber reiterates that Scott is a secular messiah and is not capable of resurrection. Just goes to show you that there was a time where death meant something, in comics (unless it was The Joker). Barda and Oberson recognize the troopers and suspect this is just the first wave of Granny's assault. Darkseid sees Scott triumph and decides to employ different methods; a weapon honed on Earth. Scott and his entourage are enjoying the headlines, while Scott tells Oberon how he got out of the trap, without lockpicks. He was helped by new transportation powers, which we must assume is a byproduct of melding with Mother Box, an explosive that was resistant to the ehat of the welding torches, and a mini-laser torch, hidden in his cheek. We shift to the mysterious Alianna and her parents, and her mother gives Granny a run for her money in the nasty department She berates her husband and ticks off his weaknesses, while describing an accident that they survived, but left Alianna brain-damaged and in constant pain and agony. Her mother reached out to her and gave her strength to endure. She is shown walking again, mastering her pain with total control; but, never speaking. he father is horrified by events and the mother's attitude, calling her delusional. The mother continues to attack (verbally) when Granny shows up to make a bargain. These two people make Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, seem like Ozzy & Harriet. Gerber is layering it on heavy and it is effective. Golden aids him with the artwork, with tight close-ups on the mother's maddened face and the blank expressions of Alianna. It is chilling and Granny adds a creepy cherry on top. We cut to Scott and the gang arriving in Los Angeles and meeting their realtor. Gerber indulges in some satire as we see their new home, in Laurel Canyon. It is pretty swanky, though not quite the estate they left in Metropolis, which Oberon reminds Scott was his home for 30 years. However, Oberon is won over and endorses the new digs. Scott starts filling Ted in about Anti-Life and Gerber makes some statements about the loss of individuality, under society's pressures (shades of The Prisoner)... Just then, they hear a crash. Oberon and Barda are laid out. Scott reacts as Alianna attacks. She is a living trap and her strength and skill are applied in tight focus, just as Scott uses his own skill to evade and counter. We got an awesome sequence where Scott leaps over Alianna and she changes direction and position, in mid-leap. Alianna decks Scott; but refuses to kill. Granny appears to remind her of their bargain...  Alianna rejects Granny and her conditioning and Granny tells her that her parents are dead, due to her failure. Scott intervenes as Granny escapes, taunting Scott with talk of an antichrist, Scott's opposite, one who is a living trap, as our issue, and series comes to an end. I wish I had more images to show how Golden really comes alive in this issue, showing the art that will define the Micronauts and highlight the debut of Rogue, in Avengers Annual #10. Gerber is mixing satire and philosophy and I would have enjoyed seeing more. Thing was, he was done with his part ,as he was supposed to turn over to Len Wein, in the next issue. That issue fell victim to the DC Implosion. A cover was created and was shown in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade...  Mister Miracle wouldn't be seen for another year, in DC Comics Presents #12, which I will cover next. And so, the most interesting component of the 4th World revival comes to an end. We watched as Steve Engelhart and Steve Gerber took Scott from his honeymoon on New Genesis, to Earth, the Moon, Apokolips, The Oasis, and back to Earth, turning him into a messiah for Apokolips, then one for Earth. We saw Barda become a damsel-in-distress, then retake her place as Scott's "badder"-half. We saw Scott go from war to a return to showbiz. We saw Marshall Rogers strut his stuff, then watched newcomer Michael Golden come into his own. And, as with Kirby, we were left hanging (though Kirby at least gave Scott a sort of ending, with his wedding). A lot of philosophy was presented along the way, coupled with amazing imagery. This is where I fell in love with the 4th World, before ever seeing Kirby's launch of it. Mister Miracle upheld the tradition that Kirby established and did it better than any before or since, in my opinion. The 80s Mister Miracle is filled with fun and adventure; but, it doesn't quite aspire to these lofty heights. If you only pick up one title from the 4th World, make it Mister Miracle. Kirby had far more time with him and gave us great adventure, satire and breathtaking imagery. Engelhart & Rogers and Gerber & Golden continued that tradition, and JM DeMatteis and Ian Gibson did much the same, with greater emphasis on the satire. Grant Morrison focused on Shiloh Norman. For me, it's Scott Free and Barda, one of my favorite couples, one that distilled the relationship between Jack and Roz Kirby, for 50 years. I leave with this image of the happy couple, which really captures the pair well, in my opinion:  |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 22, 2016 13:59:28 GMT -5
Return of the New Gods #19 Final issue!  Well, Conway is now rushing towards the finale. Our cover is from Joe Staton and Bob Layton (also recently arrived from Charlton, like Don Newton) and it appears that they are indulging in a bit of bondage, though Jezebelle looks like she is dressed for that kind of fun. Lightray looks stoned; man, the New Gods must really party! All-in-all, it looks like a typical DC cover of the era, with the little insert of Orion and Darkseid squaring off at the bottom. Our issue opens with Darkseid and the weasel-iest, creepiest Desaad around (his nose looks like Darkseid threw him into a door). This guy gives the Child Catcher a run for his money!  In a gorgeous two-page spread....  ...we see Darkseid recap the past events, in his thoughts, and our six humans (stolen by Bane, last issue) wired up in some freakish lounge furniture, where mental imagery is forming the Infinity Man! And you thought they skipped the Forever People. Well, they skipped the hippies, themselves. Desaad reveals they have solved the Anti-Life Equation (the answer is 24, the opposite of 42) and create a being of Anti-Life, to attack Earth and occupy the New Gods, while Darkseid studies the A-LE some more. On New Genesis, Lightray and Orion debate attacking Apokolips, in an all-out assault, while Highfather moans about charred sticks and Cajun-style Source Walls. Orion tells him to man up and Lightray tells him to "Lighten up, Francis!" Orion shrugs it off and points out he has been used as a pawn by both sides and has every right to call out Izaya. Forager is watching the Pool of Eternity (the New Gods CNN) and sees the Anti-Life demon, on Earth. Well, back to the salt mines! Metron leads the gang through the Boom Tube, where they find hordes of people mindlessly fighting one another, much like what passes for modern pro wrestling..  The Anti-Life demon laughs at them and sicks the crowd on them. Back on Apokolips, Darkseid contemplates the connection between the Infinity Man, the Forever People and Anti-Life. What ensues is a recap of the Forever People series, as Darkseid recounts how the hippies he thought mere children caused him lots of headaches, so he sent Devilance to destroy them, only for them to merge with their Mother Box and call forth the Infinity Man. It seemed that Infinity Man and Devilance were destroyed; but, Darkseid sees that the energy was sent at random to six spots on Earth, where they found a host in the six people. He demands to know if Desaad's computers have worked out the answer. In rather circular logic, the computers conclude that Infinity Man carried life and anti-life, and if the Source is the Life Equation, then Infinity Man is The Source and the Source=Anti-Life. This all sounds like "All cats have four legs...my dog has four legs; therefore, my dog is a cat!" Darkseid says he can use the Anti-Life Equation to pierce the secret of the Source and crush galaxies. So, he's got that going for him.  Back on Earth, the demon is indulging in some BDSM with the New Gods, when they pull a Mister Miracle and get Scott Free (sorry...). They keep fighting; but the odds are overwhelming. Metron assesses the situation and gives a time honored military command... Our story ends with Orion smashing his way into Darkseid's inner citadel, on Apokolips, only to find Darkseid gone and Desaad snivelling. desaad tells Orion that Darkseid has used the Anti-Life Equation to search for the secret of the source, at the Final Barrier, in deep space...  We are also told that this is the last issue and the story will be picked up in Adventure Comics, which debuts as a new Dollar Comic. Unlike Mister Miracle, this series was not a casualty of the DC Implosion. It hadn't occurred yet. In fact, the letters page includes an ad for the DC Explosion and Neverwhere, some 20 years before Neil Gaiman wrote it! Actually, the title is just a coincidence. This was a series from Roger McKenzie. Here it is in his own words: "as far as I know, Neverwhere wasn't recycled anywhere else at DC. It...along with several other series of mine (and lots of other creators as well) got buried in the "DC Implosion" back then when (I think) about a third of the DC books got axed all at once. As for what Neverwhere was about...who can say after three decades. I'd pitched the name (which Paul Levitz tweaked, by the way!) and *I think* some sort of elvish/magical/time-travel superhero mishmosh of a concept." The sales on Return of the New Gods were never spectacular and the ax fell. However, is was allowed to wrap up in Adventure Comics, which became a bit of a home for some of the series that got axed, as the JSA would follow the New Gods appearances in Adventure, after their series was cancelled. We will follow our story over there. Lot of exposition dump in this one, plus a bit of fighting and some ropeplay. Seems an odd mix; but, it's an odd series. We continue to see the New Gods run back and forth, like Grover... ...and we finally see some Forever People. It seems to me that Conway and DC had no interest in this, though Infinity Man and the Anti-Life Equation were the one thread that everyone liked. The story dismisses their fate, as even Darkseid doesn't know what happened to them. The letters page says they had always planned to wrap up the war to explore other facets of the New Gods; so, maybe, that mystery would have been solved, had the series continued. Well, given that no one touched it again until 1988, and buried it again after, I tend to think not; at least, not in a major way. Next up, Adventure Comics and the finale.....sort of. |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 23, 2016 12:14:05 GMT -5
Mister Miracle, Brave and the Bold #112  Well kiddies, we are going to backtrack a little, to January, 1974. The 4th World was finished; Mister Miracle #18, featuring the wedding of Scott and Barda was published the previous November, bringing the saga to an end. As was his wont, Jack Kirby had moved on to other creations. Few other writers or artists had picked up the characters, until Bob Haney. He tapped Mister Miracle, the most popular and most "superhero" of the New Gods to appear in Brave and the Bold, with a logical team-up with our world's greatest escape artist, Batman. We are told, on page 1, that this store precedes the wedding of MM #18. So, Scott has a chance to sow some wild oats! Well, not if he knows what's good for him. Would you want to face the wrath of a two-timed Big Barda? Our cover is from Jim Aparo; well, part of it anyway. This was a DC 100-PG comic, so it also features reprints of other stories, including a team-up of Aquaman and Hawkman, Batman and Green Lantern, and the Silent Knight. Aparo's illustration is tucked down on the lower left, where we see Batman and Mister Miracle opening a sarcophagus and being told they will be trapped forever! I sense an escape coming. Aparo does his usual great job and you are left wishing that it was a full cover and they had gone the Detective Comics route, on their 100-PG comics, with a big main illustration and smaller headshots of the other stars, at the bottom. Our story opens with Batman and the Gotham police engaged in a shootout with some museum robbers...  Batman seems pretty casual about the guns and fires tear gas inside the museum, just as one of the robbers is riddled with bullets and falls to the ground, though minus any blood that would upset the Comics Code Authority. They rush the building when an explosion occurs. They find that the robbers have blown themselves up. batman and Commissioner Gordon can't understand what was worth robbing the museum, then committing suicide. A curator comes on the scene and answers that they were exhibiting a statuette from the tomb of Hotep, grand Chamberlain of ancient Egypt, whose symbol was a Bat. How convenient. The curator was working on deciphering hieroglyphics when the robbers hit. The statuette has references to the location of the tomb of Atun, the first pharaoh, who supposedly had the secret of immortality. While a debate about immortality ensues, an Egyptian policeman, Inspector Sayid, shows up and says the relics were illegally removed from Egypt and demands their return. True to form, the museum thinks its million dollars is more sacred than someone's tomb and vows to fight. Batman suggests consulting the US government, who say to give it back. Batman will accompany it and investigate the illegal sale. The curator asks him to also seek out the tomb. Batman scoffs; but, what the heck? We cut to the Alps, where we see a groovy modern design house (looking like a car from the Jetsons) where a man is on a respirator and dying. We hear that Operation Hotep must advance. This must be our robbers. We then cut to Mister Miracle, chained to the top of the Eiffel Tower...  Barda is worried that Scott won't get free, before being struck by lightning, while a journalist is macking on her. Uh, dude, I'd shut up if you don't want your scrotum next to your Adam's apple. Barda lets the fool live (because this is Bob Haney, not Jack Kirby). We see lightning strike the spire and Scott is gone; but, quickly turns up, flying down and, somehow, executing a backflip, as he lands in front of a stranger, who introduces herself as Dr Ingrid Borg. No doubt the daughter of Sy. We cut to Cairo, where Batman finds Ali Faroosh, the dealer in antiquities dead, and Inspector Sayid close at hand. Sayid gives him an info dump and suggests that powerful forces are at work. Batman says the only lead he has is the Tomb of Atun; but, Sayid warns against going there. Batman thinks the coincidence that Hotep used a Bat symbol will protect him. Have you never watched Boris Karloff, Batman? Stay out of mummy's tombs! Even if they aren't waiting to come alive, they are probably part of a plot by sneaky Egyptian rabble rousers... Batman ignores sound advice and goes all Lawrence of Arabia, on a camel, in costume. I assume this is his special desert costume, 'cause only a fool goes into that climate in tights and a cape. Then again, this is a guy who fights crime by cutting off his peripheral vision and has to keep his cape out of doorways. Anyway, Batman and his Arab guide run into a haboob (a sandstorm) and have to head for cliffs, for shelter. During the storm, they are attacked and Batman must fight knife-wielding assassins. We cut to Mister Miracle and Dr Bog in a helicopter, as the storm hits them...  Scott is playing with fire, as he seems to find the blond attractive. I suspect this is why there was an editor's note that this was before the wedding, since Bob haney ignored that Scott is a married man. Zany haney! Scott rescues the woman and flies her down with his aero-discs while Batman finds a conveniently shaped rock that looks like a Bat. Uh, hunh. Common geological formation. He's by the Nile, with no vegetation in sight (this issue is a geography teacher's nightmare!) and he dives into the water, which, luckily, isn't infested with Nile crocodiles (who snap their teeth on your cigarette). he discovers an ankh symbol on a door in a rock wall.  Batman shoves the door and is sucked inside, then trapped. We then see that Scott and Dr Borg have somehow also got inside and trapped. Dr Borg says this is why she brought him. She has a map and needs the greatest escape artist to get her out, once she finds the treasure. Scott just goes along trusting her. Think with your brain, not your......um, well, smarten up, dude. We get a history lesson, about how Atun emerged from a boat on the Nile and led the very caucasian people into building a civilization, while never growing old. One day, he disappears in a beam of light and Hotep builds his tomb. Dr Borg concludes her lesson stating they will find the source of that immortality. She heads off to blunder into traps. Scott rescues her, but can't burn through a door with his previously unrevealed finger lasers. They are interrupted by Atun, himself, who tells them to "Kneel before Zod!, I mean, Atun!" The chick kneels and tells Scott to do so, though he almost balks. However, he still isn't thinking with his head and says he will. Atun says he came back to find his people and Dr Borg says "That's us!", 'cause blond hair was common in ancient Egypt. She asks for the secret of eternal life, and Atun replies that it is in his scepter. So, Ingrid grabs it and runs. Scott just goes along with it and we get some Indian Jones moments...  Scott continues to use previously unseen weapons to get out of traps, when Dr Bog finally turns on him, like you knew she would. Scott moves swiftly behind her as she shoots and them demonstrates his unknown super-speed. Yep, this is a Haney comic! It turns out Dr Borg is with the bad guys and is suddenly killed by a ricocheting bullet. Scott picks up the scepter and heads down the chamber he said was the way out, to fake out Dr Borg, as he didn't trust her after she said something about her master, at the first trap. Real clever, keep going deeper into traps, rather than confronting her. he goes off into a chamber, with a sarcophagus and opens it, while Atun walks in behind him. he wants the scepter back and tries to blast MM with some kind of brain bolt. Scott hits him with his own weapons and reveals that Atun is an amnesiac Batman. What Scott found in the sarcophagus was Batman's costume. Batman reveals he was trying on the helmet (would have looked stupid, with the cowl) when it took over his personality. They try to find the way out, when they are chased by a beam of light and stumble into a hidden room, where they find a spaceship.  Batman and Mister Miracle escape in the ship, as the tomb collapses; but, never learn who built it or who the master was behind everyone else.  So, yeah, Bob Haney; not exactly one of his better ones. Mister Miracle is completely out of character and seems to possess a plot engine, as he has a device for whatever comes along, making Batman's utility belt pale by comparison. Batman doesn't distinguish himself, either, and ends up under the mental control of the helmet and "walks like an Egyptian!" We never find out who the dying master was, why he has a house shaped like a flying saucer, who the aliens were, why he came to Earth. We only learn that he is back home, in a twist that was telegraphed a mile away. Dr Borg is never developed and is obviously with the villains from the start. There is no rhyme or reason to the deathtraps or the means of escape. On the plus side, Jim Aparo rocks and gets to play with Mister Miracle, even if he doesn't get the world's most inspired script. All-in-all, a pretty mixed bag Bob Haney was notorious for ignoring continuity, for the sake of his stories. Taken in their own context, they were often quite good and he wrote exciting comics. However, sometimes, he wrote head-scratching weird ones and this one topples right into that territory. At least the Super-Sons could be passed off as an imaginary tale. Fandom came up with the concept of Earth Haney, where all of his stories took place, to explain away the contradictions with every other DC Comic. Well, on Earth Haney, Scott Free can't resist a blond with a mystery, and Barda is just eye candy. Unfortunately, Haney was the only one interested in using Mister Miracle, until Steve Engelhart, and it wasn't even his idea to do that comic. |
|
... Been enjoying these reviews!!!