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Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 30, 2014 0:23:57 GMT -5
Time to switch up   Plot: Ira Quimby has alot of strange ideas, and his fellow crook call him 'I.Q.' in jest... until he starts inventing stuff to pull off his wild schemes! He and his gang steal an armored car by levitating it, despite the Hawks trying to stop them(They just happened to be driving right behind the armored car, on the way to the Museum), with his 'lift-rod' and jet boots. He goes after a jewelry store next, but the lift gun fails to lift the whole building. He goes back to the Met to think (he likes to think in museums) and civilian-garbed Carter Hall spots him, so they end their tour (Adam Strange is the tour guide), and follow him. In Part 2, a little birdy tells the Halls (who are taking in a Broadway play), that I.Q. is floating a jewelry store away, and they're off to stop it. They catch his gang and stop the heist, but I.Q escapes. He realizes that he got all his idea when sitting next to a particular stone in the museum, so he steals that 'thinking stone' after a scuffle with security. Katar uses his special contact lenses to study the bits, and apparently the stone does have magic brain vibes or something (an editor's note says Adam Strange created it a few issues back). They use the stone bits to catch up to the thieves (I.Q. somehow has new henchmen), but the 'thinking stone' has allow the 'lift-rod' to suddenly do whatever Mr. Quimby wants it to, including melting incoming arrows, and shooting lightning bolts... kinda reminded me of Starman's rod, actually. (look-wise, too). Hawkman correctly reasons that (for some reason) the lift-rod won't work against the stone that inspired it, so he uses a sling to knock I.Q. out, and the good guys win! Afterwards, the Hawks try to figure out where the stone came from to no avail, though they suspect Adam Strange knows. Story: B+ Signifigance: B- (sorta a team up, and the list non-Adam Strange Mystery in Space over since #50-something. I.Q. goes on to become a D-list recurring villain) Analysis: I guess Brave and the Bold wasn't quite enough to get the Hawks their own title, so they're over to share with Adam Strange... taking a quick browse, it's the first time in quite a while he was off the cover of Mystery in Space. This reads like a first issue... I guess since the Hawks haven't been in this book before, and no supporting cast, since they're not in Midway City. (which the cops point out so we'll know for certain). I didn't like that the Hawks now have Flash-like inflatable costumes (or maybe that's just for this issue)... come up with something original! I really liked I.Q's outfit and rocket shoes.. they're dated, sure, but really cool. Good story, too, though no some much a team up as the Hawks having an adventure near Adam Strange. I likely they they were actually being tourists when not in their home town, and there was at least a reason for the co-incidences of them running into the crimes.. shows more logic than usual for Silver Age DC! |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 30, 2014 0:57:51 GMT -5
 Mystery in Space #88 'Topsy Turvy Day in Midway City' Plot: All the electronics in town are running backwards!! Some high tech thieves manage to reverse stuff all over town (we even get an explanation how, though not how they crossed wires all over town), and rob a bank. Meanwhile, the secret broom closet in the museum where Hawkgirl keeps her uniform opens... just as Mavis Trent walks by. Unable to resist, she tries it on, just as Hawkman pops in to tell her to hurry up and go investigate the electronic thing. Mavis (how by amazing co-incidence, just dyed her hair), manages to fake it and goes off as Hawkgirl.. blaming her ineptitude on the electronics thing. Why Carter bought this, since his stuff was fine, I don't know, but after crashing into someone's house, Carter leaves 'Hawkgirl' behind and foils the crooks by himself, after dodging some nifty fire rings they shot out of their car antenna. By then the real Hawkgirl was able to get her spare costume (the Flash-ized version from last issue), and showed up, and Mavis reveals herself, and demands answers. Of course, the only answer she really wants is whether or not Hawkgirl and Hawkman are married! Hawkman refers her to the police chief, who says 'do you see a ring?' and lets poor Mavis believe she's still got a chance. Back at the Hall abode, Shiera explains to the readers (and I guess her husband?) that in Thanagar they have earrings instead. Pretty clever, huh? Interestingly, this felt alot more like the BnB stories than the 1st one did, and was back to being only 12 pages (instead of 24 for the other). Was Mystery in Space an anthology title, where Adam Strange just had the lead, or what it an Adam Strange book with a funny title and occasional back ups? Plot: B+ (pretty pedestrian story, but Mavis is awesome) Signifigance: C- (Mavis blows her chance to find out the Hawks secret identity, and the bad guys are just generic science-y thieves). |
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Post by Cei-U! on Dec 30, 2014 8:45:44 GMT -5
Mystery in Space started as an anthology title that sometimes featured recurring characters (e.g. Knights of the Galaxy, Star Hawkins) but became Adam Strange's title with #53.
Cei-U!
I summon the three Rs (rockets, robots and ray guns)!
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 30, 2014 10:13:05 GMT -5
I'd totally forgotten about Mavis Trent. She's hilarious!
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 2, 2015 11:01:54 GMT -5
 I'm not sure why this one the Hawkman showcase, as it's mostly an Aquaman story, but no problem there, since I like variety Plot: Tyros, a trouble making Atlantean, gets turned into a flying tiger-turtle with mental power rivaling Aquaman's and attacks Atlantis. He sends a Narwhal to attack Atlantis. Aquaman arrives on the scene, in fine 60s form, riding a dolphin with Aqualad in tow, and manages to play bull with the Narwhal until it gets tired enough for him to regain mental contral. Meanwhile, Tyros (still unknown to the good guys) steals a magic Aztec Flute that can control birds just like Aquaman controls fish. The giant condor guarding it reports it's loss to Hawkman, who goes to investigate.. he finds Tyros using the birds to create a updraft whirlpool, which has Aquaman and Aqualad trapped within. The Hawks talk to enough birds to disrupt it, but not before Tyros captures Hawkgirl and turns her into a Harpy (some sort of commentary on married life there, I'm sure. Aquaman and Hawkman chat for a minute, and split the work... Aquaman goes to look for Tyros (who he doesn't know is a mutated monster), and Hawkman goes to save his wife. Aqualad ends up stumbling upon the magic jewel that mutated Tyros (after another attack on Atlantis), they destroy it, all goes back to normal, good guys win! Hawkman ended up mostly wringing his hands a bit, then being joyful Hawkgirl was back to normal. Story: B+ Historical Signifigance: C (I assume the first meeting between Aquaman and Hawkman) Fun silver age silliness her, very enjoyable story. The weird things that hurt my brain: --When did Aquaman and Hawkman meet? Shiera recognizes them right away from afar, yet they haven't met as far as I know.. at least not in any Hawkman story... and judging by the fact this was included in the Showcase book, when it's only a step over a cameo, it probably didn't happen... neither is in the Justice League at this point (I think?)... I guess the Absorbacon? -- It made me LOL when the condor (who has a name, and who Hawkman greeted like he was an old friend) came to report.... does every bird in the world report trouble to the Hawks? No one notices? Also, how do they know a California Condor, which shoudl be quite some distance from Midway City? It was very bizarre indeed. -- The Aqualad-isms like 'Suffering Starfish' and 'Jumping Sailfish' are hilarious... do those pre-date the Robin-isms from the Batman show? Or did the show get them from late 50s - early 60s Batman comics (I've not really read any of those). -- It was implied that the Atlanteans did NOT breathe water...that's not true later. Also, it cracked me up that they all wear skull caps with fins on them. I like my Atlanteans a bit more fishy. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 8, 2015 0:02:19 GMT -5
 Mystery in Space #89 'Super Motorized Menace' Plot: A guy on a 'gimmicked' motorcycle steals some art from the art van (yup, the art van)... only the minature paintings, though, since he's on a motorcycle. The creepiest 'Cub Reporter' ever gets the scoop, and goes to the museum to talk to the curator, Carter Hall. He gets Mavis instead, who somehow manages to get her picture in the paper, because Mavis is awesome. Hawkman and Hawkgirl investigate, but the oil drips are too old and mixed with other cars to figure out. Luckily, the birds find him, and Hawkman goes on the hunt (with no weapons, and without Hawkgirl). He gets trapped by a tornado that comes out of the motorcycle's tailpipe, and has to watch helplessly as the thief robs the payroll Buick (I guess all the armored cars were busy). The motorcycle (which seems far to valuable to lose!) get sput on autopilot and sent over a cliff, but Hawkman escapes at the last second by removing his boot and throwing it through the tornado to block the tail pipe. He gets back to the crime scene and follows more oil drips (though where they came from, I guess the guy has a back up magic motorcycle) to the hide out, where he busts down the door, and happens to foil the thief lightbolt-throwing fan and capture him all at once, sorta by accident. Not surprisingly, it was the reporter all the time..day saved! Story: B (its so bad it's good) Historical Significance: F I assume this was an unused fill in or something? While I definitely like the art (I think I like Murray Anderson better than oe Kubert, at least in the black and white of Showcase), it seems so weird and random, it can't really be anything else.. though it does make a small bit of sense that the Midway City museum is getting art from New York, when the Hall just visited there. On the other hand, 'art van'? The super motorcycle is the best, though... it makes the tires drop off the 'art van', then generates it's own fog for a getaway (though how a fast moving fog bank is stealthly I don't know. Then there's the awesomeness of the tornado... I think someone at DC in the 60s REALLY liked the visual of things spinning around a tornado/vortex.. maybe a big Wizard of Oz fan somewhere? Anyway, it was awesomely bad |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Jan 8, 2015 0:08:58 GMT -5
Hey, Brave and the Bold! I'm not saying the book was GREAT this early on, although I like the random non-Batman team-ups, but their was a string of incredible artists starting with this issue - was it Howard Purcell? Anyway, great ariel and underwater sequences in this one.
Sadly, while I have it in Showcase + Masterworks + a reprint in a later issue of Brave and the Bold, I'm still holding out for an original in my price range. Someday!
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Post by Cei-U! on Jan 8, 2015 1:01:55 GMT -5
--When did Aquaman and Hawkman meet? Shiera recognizes them right away from afar, yet they haven't met as far as I know.. at least not in any Hawkman story... and judging by the fact this was included in the Showcase book, when it's only a step over a cameo, it probably didn't happen... neither is in the Justice League at this point (I think?)... I guess the Absorbacon? Hawkman was not a Leaguer at this point but Aquaman, a founding member, assuredly was. As such, he is world-famous. I doubt Shiera would need the absorbascon to recognize him. She'd just need to have watched the news. -- The Aqualad-isms like 'Suffering Starfish' and 'Jumping Sailfish' are hilarious... do those pre-date the Robin-isms from the Batman show? Or did the show get them from late 50s - early 60s Batman comics (I've not really read any of those). It's fairly typical dialogue for the era, and not all that different from the "Suffering Shad!"s uttered by Sub-Mariner in the late '40s and early '50s. Cei-U! I summon the slightly soggy Cliff Notes! [/quote] |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 8, 2015 7:37:09 GMT -5
I never minded the 'Suffering Shad' from Namor, it felt like an Atlantean swear word, like when they use 'Frell' in Farscape or 'Frack' in Battlestar Galactica... it's the goofy variety that gets to me, but I see your point.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 10, 2015 16:31:58 GMT -5
Rewinding a bit back to the JLA....  Plot: Kanjar Ro comes to Earth and sabotages their signal ers to get the all to head to JLA HQ. He uses the Golden Gamma Gong to freeze them, then extends the effect to all of Earth... and only the voices of his 3 enemy dictators can release it. Leaving Batman behind as bait to trap Superman (who is in outerspace again), the other 5 are forced to row galley-slave style into space. They do the usual teams of 2 thing, and capture Ro's enemies. He's about to double cross them when the JLA reveal that they got the voices themselves, so they no longer have to be nice. After going home to free Earth, the leave Kanjar Ro on an asteroid with the 3 others so they can learn to get along. The End! Analysis: Pretty fun story.. it was nice to see the JLA not look like idiots for a change. Really sloppy art, though... the figure work is bad (most of the JLAs have huge backsides for some reason), and several panels have just the vague outline of a background. Still, I was entertained Story: B+ Art: D- Signifigance: B+ (1st Kanjar Ro) -- So this time J'onn actually does alchemy on the fly with his hands... is there anything silver age Martian Manhunter CAN'T do, if there's no fire around? -- I thought it was pretty funny that the JLA'ers were happy to sit and watch as the people they captured did the rowing... they're supposed to be bad guys, too, but still. -- Was Superman in space alot in the 60s, or did they just not want to bother making up multiple excuses for why he's not there? -- I think it's interesting they have a montage every issue of the JLA assembling... that'll not last, I'm sure, but between that and the 'split up into little teams to fight 3 threats' thing, there's really very much a formula here. |
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Post by Cei-U! on Jan 10, 2015 18:50:19 GMT -5
Superman and Batman are both underused in the early Justice Leagues (and the JSA before that) due to an editorial mandate. The publishers were concerned about overexposing their two big moneymakers, believe it or not. Fan demand convinced them otherwise and the policy was soon rescinded.
Cei-U!
I summon the world's finest teammates!
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 10, 2015 22:29:44 GMT -5
Yeah, I've heard that before, and it's fine... it probably makes the stories more interesting, really, since Silver Age Superman didn't really need any help. I'd just prefer a more permanent excuse, or perhaps different creative ones every time.  |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Jan 10, 2015 23:32:46 GMT -5
Superman and Batman are both underused in the early Justice Leagues (and the JSA before that) due to an editorial mandate. The publishers were concerned about overexposing their two big moneymakers, believe it or not. Fan demand convinced them otherwise and the policy was soon rescinded. Cei-U! I summon the world's finest teammates! I thought some of this was due to possessiveness on the part of Mort Weissinger and Jack Sciff of "their" characters. |
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Post by Cei-U! on Jan 10, 2015 23:41:03 GMT -5
Superman and Batman are both underused in the early Justice Leagues (and the JSA before that) due to an editorial mandate. The publishers were concerned about overexposing their two big moneymakers, believe it or not. Fan demand convinced them otherwise and the policy was soon rescinded. Cei-U! I summon the world's finest teammates! I thought some of this was due to possessiveness on the part of Mort Weissinger and Jack Sciff of "their" characters. I'm sure that played a big part in it. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 11, 2015 9:27:44 GMT -5
I always find that (creators being 'possessive' of characters) to be annoying... I'd think when one works in a shared universe, one would realize the character they are writing is also going to be written by others.
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