J.M. DeMatteis on Doctor Fate



Doctor Fate (1987) #1-4
Doctor Fate (1988) #1-24, Annual #1

Overview:

When I was growing up, I always assumed Dr. Fate was a big time player in the DCU. I had the Super Powers figure, there was a comic book series, and I was pretty sure he was a member of the Justice League. That meant he was big time, right?

It's weird, looking back, to realize that Doctor Fate was never a well established DC property. The character had an eight page feature in More Fun Comics for the first four years of its existence, during which time it changed directions regularly, receiving significantly revised origin stories and even having Inza's name changed repeatedly. There was nothing permanent about the fixture beyond it's existence.

Years later, Doctor Fate received a brief reincarnation in the Silver Age, but it didn't receive the kind of reaction necessary to score it an ongoing series.

There were a few other minor attempts, here and there to bring Fate back and renew the trademark, but the J.M DeMatteis series is truly the closest thing to a definitive Doctor Fate run there ever was -- the first time the character received its own title, as well as the longest tenure it ever enjoyed by a single creator and the longest time a particular version of the character remained in print continuously. It's not a well known series by any means, but it's the most successful incarnation of the character to date.

As for the quality of the series itself:

Though the 1987 Doctor Fate limited series by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis was relatively blah, as well as disturbing in all the wrong ways, something compelled DeMatteis to return to the property by himself and explore it further as an ongoing. Here DeMatteis achieved an impressive balance between dark/demoralizing and light/uplifting, as well as deep and philosophical versus silly and sophomoric. It was a brilliant balance and, best yet, whereas Neil Gaiman's Sandman (clearly an inspiration for this run) took dead mythology and brought it to life with compelling and believable new twists, DeMatteis boldly attempted the same with contemporary theology, blending Eastern philosophy and Judeo-Christian faith into one whammy of a metaphysical exploration that blew both my mind and my heart upon reading it. Brilliant, bold, infinitely wise stuff.

But then there's the problem with the stories themselves. While DeMatteis did a brilliant job of surrounding Dr. Fate with one of the more lovable band of supporting characters ever seen in comics, his protagonists, themselves, carrying over from the limited series co-created by Keith Giffen, were pretty lousy. DeMatteis kept trying to sell us on how special the two were, as well as the importance of their utterly disturbing love for one another (one used to be ten years old; the other used to be his step-mother), but it just didn't work and, after one great story arc (issues #2-6), DeMatteis went for a change of course and never decisively replaced the series' original direction with a new one. It just sort of meandered along for a good long while before ending quite beautifully. Along the way, there was a lot to love, but the series lacked a center in the form of protagonists we could actually care about. Doctor Fate was the weakest part of Doctor Fate.


Worthwhile to read: Definitely. It's a bold comic that goes places no other work has ever dared to (heck, Christ himself plays a major role in the final year of the series), even while it certainly has its lulls and an abundance of creative indecision.


Key Issues / Highlights:

#2-6 mark the first and best executed story arc in the series.

#12: the protagonist of the series dies. Really.

#16-18 really take the theological dimension of the series to the next level.

#24 is an extremely touching and immensely philosophically/theologically satisfying conclusion to the series, even if there are certainly arbitrary aspects to the ending.


Worth re-reading?:

Yes, I think so. It's a flawed series to be sure, but there's nothing else out there quite like it.


Grade the run as a whole: A-

How is this thread different from "What classic comic have you read lately?"?

One is an informal place to talk about something you just read.

The other is intended to be a resource for other users.

I have revised the OP to clarify.

...and another.


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Vol. 1)
by By Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and many many others



Overview: It's a common myth that, while the TMNT cartoon series of the 1980s was goofy and fun, the original comic book series was far more serious and grounded -- a myth perpetuated by creators Eastman and Laird. In fact, I still can't decide, after multiple re-readings, whether the first issue was intended to be taken seriously or as an incredibly dry attempt at absurdist humor. Either way, the series takes a turn for the ridiculous as early as the second issue and gets consistently sillier up to issue #8 to the point where it would truly be difficult to defend the notion that it was in any way more serious than what would eventually make its way into the cartoon series.

Issues #10 and #11 mark the first clear attempt to take the title in a serious direction, and they are amongst the finest installments in the series. After that, though, Eastman and Laird walk away from the book in order to manage their new money-making empire, leaving the title in the hands of an endless line of fill-in creators. After a long stretch of pretty forgettable fill-in stories, Eastman and Laird returned for the "Return to New York" storyline (issues #19-21) only to walk away from the book again after, and this time leaving it in more questionable hands.

With only the notable exception of Rick Veitch, this second bout of guest creators tended to be fringe indy creators looking to drum up more attention for their own work and, with absolutely no editorial restrictions placed upon them for this stretch, they went wild. A few stories from this era attempted to tell regular turtles stories (though "regular" for this series was still pretty undefined -- writers from this stretch couldn't even agree whether the turtles had permanently returned to New York or not), while most of the issues were, at best, innovative non-continuity portrayals of the turtles (#s 31, 33, 35, 36, 41) and, at worst, a totally different style of comic using one or more obligatory characters from the series in entirely out-of-character ways to somehow justify putting the story in a TMNT comic (#s 22, 23, 38, 39, and 40 being the worst offenders). There were a few truly great storylines from this stretch, but even creators desperately trying to weave together a workable continuity were accidentally contradicted by one another since no one was watching at the helm (#42 and #46, being the most glaring example, attempt to resurrect the same old storyline and characters in completely contradictory ways).

Finally, after years of fan outcry, the gradual dwindling of Turtlemania in America, and steadily declining sales on the book, Eastman and Laird returned one final time to get the book back on track (though one could argue that there had never been a track until this moment). They plotted issues #48-62, with Laird sticking around to co-write each of those issues, and it finally provided a steady and purposeful continuity for the series, also achieving a more comfortable balance of dark/serious with just a subtle bit of goofy/fantastic thrown into the mix. It wasn't perfect, but it was certainly the finest Turtles story ever written at the time. Unfortunately, it also threw everything from issues #22-47 out of continuity, claiming to be set shortly after the events of issue #21. This meant resetting the Turtles to square one in terms of characterization, totally ignoring some important character evolution both Raphael and Donatello had undergone in several issues throughout that crazy stretch.

In the end, it's truly hard to lend a single identity to this 62 issue run. Perhaps it's safer to say that issues #1-11, #19-21, #48-62, Tales of the TMNT #1-7, and the four one-shots were the core Turtles series, and #12-18 and #22-47 were more of an anthology series that never should have been part of the main TMNT title. Still, some of those "inbetween" issues were quite memorable and worth a read.



Worthwhile To Read?: Yes, though that may not seem obvious until more than halfway into the run. It's very hit and miss for a while, but the journey ultimately felt very worthwhile.


Key Issues/Highlights?:

I'd break this down into several different reading recommendations, depending upon what you're looking for:

The Essentials:
#1-4 (1st appearances, origin, they meet April O'Neil)
Raphael #1 (1st Casey Jones, and boy does he become important by the end)
#5-7 (truly just so that you understand who one character is in #19-21)
Leonardo #1 and #10-11 (great story, critical continuity developments)
Tales of the TMNT #2 (required reading for #48-49)
Tales of the TMNT #4 (required reading for #50-62)
#19-21 (ends very very poorly, but this storyline is essential continuity for #50-62)
#48-62 (TMNT at its very best).

All the other great stuff:
#8 (fun story, required reading for some later issues I'll recommend here)
Tales of the TMNT #7 (required reading for some later issues)
#16 (an absolute favorite of mine, though it's a massive departure from the regular series. There's a good chance that favorable response to this issue is responsible for the chaos the series becomes in issues #22-47).
#24-26 (one of the best non-Eastman/Laird Turtles stories ever written)
#31, 35, 36 (a radically different take on the Turtles that is darker and steeped in Feudal Japanese history)
#37 and #42 (another of the finest non Eastman/Laird Turtles contributions ever made)
#45 (solid stand-alone that really tries to move continuity forward for the series)

Everything else that isn't awful and/or totally forgettable:
#14, 15, 28, 30, 33, 34, 43, 46, 47, and you should probably read #9 just to understand #46 and #47.

Not at all worth reading unless you absolutely need to read it all:
Michaelangelo #1, Donatello #1, #12, 13, 17, 18, 22, 23, 27, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44

(note: I have not read the Tales of the TMNT issues and cannot comment on them other than in regard to continuity)


Worth Re-Reading?: Possibly the whole series; definitely "The Essentials" and "All the other great stuff" I identified above.

Grade the run as a whole: B+

"Resource" as in a work that's been the recipient of care and thought so as to be useful to others as a static work as opposed to participating in a looser, more improvised and organic ongoing conversation.

I see the difference as self-evident. If you don't, no problem. Just stick with the "What have you read lately?" thread and don't stress about this one.

Rocket Raccoon
By Bill Mantlo, Keith Giffen and Mike Mignola

Marvel Preview #7
The Incredible Hulk #271
Rocket Raccoon #1-4

Overview:
I originally tracked this series down due to Mike Mignola's art in the self titled Rocket Raccoon miniseries but upon reading it I decided to track down his previous appearances as well and the reason is simple; its just a wacky concept that just makes you smile when you read it. Seriously it's just that zany, it's like the stories you used make up as a kid about that generic Five and Dime action figure that your out of touch family relation gave you grew up under the haze of pot smoke and a stack of Beatles albums. 

The plot revolves around the adventures of the titular Rocket Raccoon who is the chief law officer of the planet Halfworld and the captain of the space ship Rack 'n' Ruin. It sounds straight forward enough right? But wait, Rocket isn't just another space ranger, no he's an intelligent, anthropomorphic raccoon and the planet he guards (Halfworld) is an abandoned colony for the mentally ill where all the animals were genetically manipulated to grant them human level intelligence and human body construction to become wardens over the human inmates. Now, that concept in and of itself would be fun enough on its own but instead of laying it all out right up front as I did above Mantlo reveals it gradually as Rocket and his friends struggle against Judson Jakes and his attempts to steal and decipher the key to Halfworld, Gideon's Bible. The humans, who first appear to be normal are slowly depicted as more and more irrational to the point that when the truth is revealed you feel like you knew it all along only you just couldn't get yourself to put your finger on it precisely. 

On top of all that, in the mini you have some very early artwork from Mike Mignola and while the kinetic energy almost Looney Tunes kind of energy he brings to the story is entertaining in its own right I find that I enjoyed his art here all the more as I loved the compare and contrast to his later work. His art here in Rocket Raccoon is so much more Marvel house style than anything else he's done since and yet there are glimpses of the future in the way he masterfully uses negative space to create mood, and here its especially good as the shift to black in this all technicolor comic is even more drastic than it is in his later work with Hellboy.

Key issues

For me, I think the best of the bunch here is the four issue mini series, I think Mignola's art is far superior to either Keith Giffen's or Sal Buscema and it presents a complete story but if you enjoy the mini I'd say pick up Incredible Hulk #271 as it introduces both Judson Jakes and Gideon's Bible which are important in the mini. The issue of preview on the other hand his completely skipable in my mind though as other than the name it has none of the other elements of the latter concept that truly make Rocket Raccoon fun.


Grade: A





 

Another from the old forum...


Overview of Doug Moench's run on Thor



Thor #303, 308, 310-328

Overview: Thor spent his first two decades under the careful watch of first Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and then (mostly) Roy Thomas, who spent long periods of time with the character and maintained consistent visions for him. When Thomas departed, he left in place a plan to guide Thor to his next major climax -- the coming of Ragnarok. Once this storyline concluded, Thor was supposed to return to Earth to take a more traditional superhero approach, written by Thomas' successors: Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio.

It was a disaster.

The two truly didn't seem to see any potential in putting Thor back on Earth. And so, issue after issue, they'd find ridiculous excuses for Thor to encounter some super powered villain, trounce him, and then repeat. At a time in which writers from both companies had been doing touching, deeply introspective street-level stories for their characters for over a decade, Gruenwald and Macchio seemed oblivious to this potential.

Fortunately, early in their mercifully short run, a random filler story done by Doug Moench proved to be an absolute classic. In "The Miracle of Storms" (Thor #303), Moench found a unique new approach to Thor -- tackling the story from the perspective of an actual god amongst men, not just some super powered mythical superhero. Thor's unique viewpoints in this respect, his contrast to a priest struggling with ideology, and even his introspection were wildly refreshing and tremendously well done.

By #310, Moench was in full charge of the title, and he wasted little time in blowing minds once again with #311, "Grief More Than a God May Bare," a story that put Thor's alter-ego squarely in the middle of a race riot full of insightful commentary and poignant moments of rage and tragedy. Best yet, it had a lasting impact on Thor, himself, when Blake had to become Thor in order to save the day, leaving behind a patient who appeared stable but then died in Blake's absence. It was a damn powerful moment and carried lasting impact, as later issues took a surprisingly dark turn, with Blake awaiting a hearing that had the potential to strip him of his medical license while he and his alter ego carried tremendous self-doubt bordering on full-blown depression. A highlight here was #314, in which Thor, Drax the Destroyer, and Moon Dragon all cross paths, all at a particularly dire low point in their lives, and all seeking a form of self-destruction.

However, soon after, the series took some unfortunate turns that felt editorially mandated, as Thor found himself battling an endless barrage of forgotten D list villains in the hopes that each would catch on this time, and Don Blake suddenly got miraculously saved from that medical hearing, and also got whisked away to Chicago when an old college friend called out of the blue to set him up with a new lucrative practice, free of his tainted reputation. Moench rolled with this and had some fun giving Thor a more lighthearted tone. These issues weren't classics by any stretch, but #320 ("Rimthursar's Menagerie") and #324 (a D list villain attempts to conquer Bloomingdale's in an effort to gain a harem) were laugh-out-loud funny.

Truly, though there were many "average" issues in this run, there were several true classics, and no stories that were particularly "bad." Moench took some unique approaches with Thor, portraying him at both his darkest and silliest. This run warrants more attention than it had received.

What Doug Moench had to say: I consider myself exceptionally fortunate to have heard from Mr. Moench himself in regard to this run. He told me:



Mr. Moench ultimately found a loophole by bringing Asgard to Thor instead of the reverse in the final major story arc.


Worthwhile to read: Yes. There are a few truly worthwhile issues and, of the rest, none of it is particularly bad.

Key issues/highlights:

#303 -- Thor restores the faith of a doubting urban priest.
#311 -- Don Blake finds himself in the middle of a full blown race riot. Powerful turning point for the character as he inadvertently leaves a patient to die because Thor needs to save the day.
#314 -- Powerfully depressing issue as Thor, Drax the Destroyer, and Moondragon come face to face with their own disturbing desires for self destruction.
#320 -- One of the funnier comics I've ever read as Thor is suddenly plagued with the company of five demigods who inadvertently bring destruction wherever they go.
#324 -- Another laugh-out-loud riot as Graviton attempts to conquer the Bloomingdale's department store in an effort to gain himself a harem.
#327 -- A sort of climax to the series as Odin and his court flee from Asgaard and make their final battle against Tyr and his compatriots. There are problems with this story, and I'm not sure I like Moench's take on Loki (ultimately a good person who just allows jealousy and a desire to play tricks to get the best of him at times), but the story is intense and also surprisingly fun.


Worth re-reading? Probably. I would definitely return to #303, 311, and 320, and maybe a few other scattered issues depending upon what I was in the mood for, but I doubt I'd read the entire run again.


Grade the run as a whole: B