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Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 31, 2015 20:57:00 GMT -5
Yeah, I wondered about that too... the justification in my head was that they were fighting an actual war, and the Justice League wouldn't kill the bad guys, but it certainly could have been brought up.
I'm mostly reading showcases as well.. Flash and Justice League I have the full color Omnibuses, and that Wonder Woman one was a newly released trade, but the rest are Showcases.
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 6, 2015 23:27:13 GMT -5
 Atom #2 Two stories in this one... 'The Oddest Man on Earth' Oscar D. Dollar always has the weirdest things happen to him ,ever since he bought a 1920 silver dollar (the year of his birth), and he asks Ray Palmer to investigate. After some random adventures that the Atom steps in for (including a barn fire and a jewelry store robbery), a two bit thief figures out following around Mr. Odd (as Oscar calls himself.. his initals... get it?), and tricks him into going near a bank, which causes an earthquake and lets him rob it. Meanwhile Ray is stumped, and Oscar has had it... he gives his lucky dollar to Palmer, but while doing so, happens to mention he also found a strange gem at the same time. Of course,it's a white dwarf fragment, and IT was really the culprit (well, it's interaction with the silver, actually).. the crook tries to steal it, which gives us the cool cover scene of the Atom getting flushed down the drain, but of course Atom wins in the end. This one was full of lessons (like telling us that hay can burst into flame if it's too dry), but it was pretty fun none the less, even if it was you typical crazy silver age science story. Signifigance: D- (pretty sure Mr. Odd never returns) Story: B+ 'The Criminals who Vanished' Story: The crook from the first Atom story, Carl Ballard, is back, and has figured out a way to get anyone out of jail in a night. He starts a crime spree, taking a cut form each, and every time one of his crooks gets caught, they vanish out of the cell at 10 PM when the lights go out. The Police call Ray Palmer to investigate... but he is also stymied.. until the Atom tags along with one of the vanishers and finds Ballard. It turns out he's been hypnotizing the crooks and usingthe Europium from the alien that he trapped into working for him before so they teleport themselves out of jail without realizing it. He gang overwhelms Ray, and he hypnotizes HIM to transport himself into 'Deepest Africa' every time he sees him. It works... twice (which is Hilarious). Ray finds a loophole.. the hypnosis said '60 hours from now' so he teleports to Japan (where it's more than 60 hours later), then back home, and the spell is broken. Once in jail, the 60 hours on the crooks is up, too, so they all stay put... the end! Goofy, yes, but very cool to see Ballard back.. I love me some continuity! The only down side is the lack of cool Atom effects.. there's a couple in the 1st story, but mostly just the weight change to float, then drop at full size thing over and over again. Signifigance: C (This is it for Ballard according to the DC wiki, but he is a character on Arrow now, so that counts for something) Story B OVerall, one of the better issues for sure! |
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 25, 2015 5:59:27 GMT -5
I've got a few random Superfamily titles that I picked up here and there I've been reading... I'm not posting full review here.. they're much later and kinda random, but I did have a few general comments I wanted to see what people thought about:
-- Is Jimmy Olsen aways one talking dog away from being Scooby Doo? Or what it just this issue?
-- I HATE HATE HATE Superman robots.. they are wrong in so very many ways.
-- What Earth was Barbara Gordon a Congressman in? That sounds like a really interesting set up.. are there Batgirl stories where this is the status qui somewhere?
-- It's kinda fun how Batman just calls Superman up and has him over the Batcave... I think I like that Batman better than Mr. Dark and Broody.
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Post by Cei-U! on May 25, 2015 7:41:29 GMT -5
What Earth was Barbara Gordon a Congressman in? That sounds like a really interesting set up.. are there Batgirl stories where this is the status qui somewhere? Barbara was elected to Congress in Detective #424 (June 1972), served one term, and was defeated in her re-election bid in Detective #488 (February-March 1980). She was in office through the entire run of Batman Family. Cei-U! I'd vote for her! |
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 25, 2015 11:48:36 GMT -5
Cool! Looks like the 1st half in in the Showcase.. I'll have to put that on the list  |
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Post by Hoosier X on May 25, 2015 11:55:45 GMT -5
I've got a few random Superfamily titles that I picked up here and there I've been reading... I'm not posting full review here.. they're much later and kinda random, but I did have a few general comments I wanted to see what people thought about: -- Is Jimmy Olsen aways one talking dog away from being Scooby Doo? Or what it just this issue? -- I HATE HATE HATE Superman robots.. they are wrong in so very many ways. -- What Earth was Barbara Gordon a Congressman in? That sounds like a really interesting set up.. are there Batgirl stories where this is the status qui somewhere? -- It's kinda fun how Batman just calls Superman up and has him over the Batcave... I think I like that Batman better than Mr. Dark and Broody. Barbara Gordon's tenure as a congresswoman was on Earth-1. The storyline of the campaign ran through Detective Comics #422 to #424. I love it! That's one I read every so often. Her nickname is "Boots" Gordon and there's a few scenes where her supporters are chanting the campaign slogan, something like "Send Gordon to Washington and give 'em the boot!"
And there are quite a few stories with Batgirl rambling around the nation's capital. Even after she was voted out, she continued to work in a government-related organization. There's a Batgirl story in Detective #497 to #499 where she's accused of murder and it all revolves around her government experience.
Superman robots have their place, but they are very out-of-place after 1964.
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 28, 2015 21:37:49 GMT -5
 Atom #3 'The Time Trap' David Clinton, a small time thief who spent some time in jail, learned to appreciate a good schedule, and comes to Ivy Town as a watch maker. His store is a cover for his activities as Chronos, the Time Thief. He quickly comes across Ray Palmer, who buys Jean a pretty watch for her birthday. Ray returns to the shop the next day (Jean manages to break it during the date), and admires Clinton's collection, and mentions the university has an atomic clock, which is missing from Clinton's collection. Chronos then tries to steal it that night, but runs into Ray Palmer. Palmer is forced to turn into the Atom to escape his trap and stop him, leading Chronos to deduce his identity. Meanwhile, Clinton knows that the Atom likely guessed he was in fact Chronos, so he prepares a trap, enhancing a bruise to make sure Ray makes the connection. The trap works, and Chronos wears the Atom in his watch as he goes to rob a bank. His villainous monologuing does him in, though as he left a small hole in the watch so he could talk to the captured hero. Atom escapes through it (shrinking further down and riding the hands of the watch), and appears as Ray Palmer, foiling the robbery and securing his secret identity. Wow, this one was a great story... even if the time references and cliches were a little bit over the top. I had no idea Chronos had such a cool origin! I like him much better as a watch maker than a time traveller. The duelling secret identity exposing was a fun twist, too, and actually worked out in a much more logical way that this sort of thing usually does in the Silver age. I hope Chronos doesn't really stay in jail for 15 years! Story: A History: B+ (1st Chronos) There's also a back-up, which is really terrible. Ray Palmer's old teacher has created a 'pool of whiteness' which allows him to grab stuff from the past, so of course Ray secretly changes to the atom and goes in.. somehow disappearing in front of his mentor without giving away his identity. Apparently one teleports as well as time traveling in the 'whiteness', as Ray ends up in ancient Arabia, where he helps 'Hassan' find Sinbad's treasure as 'Al Atom' the genie... which, of course, the writer says is later know as 'Aladdin'. Somehow the 'fishing line' that the professor guy uses just sits there for hours with no one bothering it, and the Atom goes back no problem.. bringing a gold coin back for his friend. Never mind that Aladdin is supposed to be the kid, not the genie, or that Sinbad is a totally different story, or that the whole premise is ridiculous. I really hope this isn't the first of a series of 'whiteness time travel', as the next issue box suggests. Story: D- History: U for UGH |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2015 23:19:28 GMT -5
Atom #3 'The Time Trap' David Clinton, a small time thief who spent some time in jail, learned to appreciate a good schedule, and comes to Ivy Town as a watch maker. His store is a cover for his activities as Chronos, the Time Thief. He quickly comes across Ray Palmer, who buys Jean a pretty watch for her birthday. Ray returns to the shop the next day (Jean manages to break it during the date), and admires Clinton's collection, and mentions the university has an atomic clock, which is missing from Clinton's collection. Chronos then tries to steal it that night, but runs into Ray Palmer. Palmer is forced to turn into the Atom to escape his trap and stop him, leading Chronos to deduce his identity. Meanwhile, Clinton knows that the Atom likely guessed he was in fact Chronos, so he prepares a trap, enhancing a bruise to make sure Ray makes the connection. The trap works, and Chronos wears the Atom in his watch as he goes to rob a bank. His villainous monologuing does him in, though as he left a small hole in the watch so he could talk to the captured hero. Atom escapes through it (shrinking further down and riding the hands of the watch), and appears as Ray Palmer, foiling the robbery and securing his secret identity. Wow, this one was a great story... even if the time references and cliches were a little bit over the top. I had no idea Chronos had such a cool origin! I like him much better as a watch maker than a time traveller. The duelling secret identity exposing was a fun twist, too, and actually worked out in a much more logical way that this sort of thing usually does in the Silver age. I hope Chronos doesn't really stay in jail for 15 years! Story: A History: B+ (1st Chronos)
What you've written here is exactly how I felt about this story and it's was sensational. Well written Review. This is my favorite ATOM story in the Silver Age of Comics. |
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Post by Cei-U! on May 28, 2015 23:26:36 GMT -5
The Time Pool stories are my favorite part of the Atom series. That first one, I admit, isn't so hot but they get better and better with each installment. Fox may not know his Arabian Nights but he certainly does his American and European history.
Cei-U!
I summon the strange encounters!
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 29, 2015 7:09:34 GMT -5
OK, I'll try to keep an open mind about them, then. It is a fun concept, hopefully I'll agree with you about the execution in the future ones! |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jun 5, 2015 22:12:54 GMT -5
 Challengers of the Unknown #2 Thought I'd change it up... Atom is definitely my favorite so far, but variety is the whole idea, so.. 'The Traitorous Challenger' The Challengers are in Australia trying to find out what tearing up the countryside when June Walker comes to summon them home. When they insist they have to finish this job first, she tries to sabotage them.. apparently her computer analysis said they have little chance to suceed. Luckily, people don't tell THEM the odds, and they defeat the giant walking brick thing anyway. June takes total credit, since the computer didn't know she'd be there.. and they all buy it. 'The Monster Maker' Some guy on a small island makes a machine that turns thoughts into matter, but his buddy wants to use it to take over the world. The Doctor give Ace the 'treatment' to use it too, to buy time to figure out how to reverse it. We get a mental battle of impossible constructs. The good guys eventually win and blow up the machine. Fun story to see Kirby draw all sorts of stuff (giant gorilla, Medeval Knight vs. Dragon, etc), but not much to the story. Story: C- History D- |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jun 11, 2015 21:55:10 GMT -5
 Challengers of the Unknown #3 This one seemed to come into it's own a bit... especially art wise, which I feel like a was alot better.. it had more soul somehow. Both stories here have the same problem though.. the resolution is severely lacking. I mean, I understand that's a problem in this kind of book.. you have to keep coming up with crazy problems to get solved, and you can't be changing the world every issue, but sometimes that sorta thing bugs me. 'Secret of the Sorceror's Mirror' This one almost seems like a detective story, as the Challengers try to find an ancient magic mirror that can be used to find the lost knowledge of the ancients... they figure out where it is, but the bad guy beats them by just a few minutes. Luckily, he had to leave the mirror behind, so the Challengers split up to chase the bad guys. Apparently what they're looking for is some sort of all powerful device of unmentioned ability... it's in three parts. The bad guys win and get all three, but one of the Challengers breaks a rod off one of the pieces, so when the bad guys assemble it it explodes.. the end! If you think that was a wasteful and ham fisted destruction of super-advanced tech.. ' The Invisible Challenger' The Challengers volunteer to try a serum that will allow an astronaut to survive the heat of re-entry. They draw straws as usual, and Rocky wins. They send him up into space, but as soon as he leaves the monkey they tested the stuff on falls into a coma, so everyone's worried. Rocky returns, but is out of his mind (first he's crazy, then he's amnesiac), and has every superpower ever. Some bad guys find him and try to get him to work for them, but the other Challengers find him quickly and Jane manages to get him to remember her... he takes a bullet across the forehead, too. Then the powers wear off, and the scientists decide to never test the drug again, because super amazing people are too good, I guess. Other than the cheesy endings, both stories were definitely better, and the art was VERY good.. best one since the giant space kitty for sure. Grade: B |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Jun 14, 2015 15:17:00 GMT -5
I'm basically with you on Challengers, although I seem to like it a lot more than you do.
It's basically an excuse for Kirby to drawn cool monsters. What else do you need in a comic?
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jun 21, 2015 17:12:52 GMT -5
I'm coming around on it... I was expecting more depth,so I was disappointed at first.. looking at it as a Kirby showcase is alot better |
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Post by Cei-U! on Jun 21, 2015 20:02:36 GMT -5
Challengers is basically one of Kirby's kid gangs all growed up. It's adventure 24/7 without an ounce of adult emotions.
Cei-U!
Not that that's a bad thing!
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