shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 1, 2014 12:59:08 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #449  "Search" writer/pencils: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Petra Scotese asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin grade: B- So it would appear that the new normal for Superman books is a weaving of multiple sweeping story arcs as opposed to focusing on one immediate story. I like it, but it makes it much harder to write these reviews. This issue brings with it the return of the Newsboy Legion and Project Cadmus, seemingly just to remind the readers they exist (odd that this wouldn't be done on Stern's watch; he's the one who resurrected them in Superman Annual #2), more heavy hinting that Superman is Gangbuster and doesn't realize it, Jimmy Olsen getting into trouble and ultimately getting rescued, a little more quality time with Amanda McCoy, and the advancing of the Invasion storyline. Nothing too notable, but the writing is strong, and so is the art except in the glaring case of Ordway drawing Lois Lane. For some reason, he makes her look like a crack-addict prostitute in this issue:  Seriously. It seems like everyone is still getting comfortable with this new format and, soon enough, we'll get back to big, interesting events. In the meantime, it's refreshing to watch Perry White exhausted after working 'round the clock in the wake of the Thanagarian attack on Metropolis last issue, while building inspectors make sure the Daily Planet is still structurally sound. Where, other than in the pages of Damage Control, have we ever seen the repercussions of superhero action addressed so realistically? Important Details: - Amanda McCoy explains her motives to herself more clearly, here. She's trying to prove to herself that she isn't wrong about Clark being Superman because her life became unhinged after Luthor fired her, and she is obsessed with always being right. She also reveals that she is the one who anonymously returned Ma Kent's scrapbook to Clark so many months ago, as well as the fact that she deleted all her files from Luthor's computers so that he can't utilize that information later. - It never occurred to me until it was explained in this issue that Superman was legitimately "born" on Earth in Byrne's Post-Crisis origin story. - We're told, once again, that Superman is pretty much the head superhero. That seems to be happening a lot this month, perhaps by Carlin's request? He's selected to arbitrate a cease fire with the aliens because even they are aware of his reputation. Minor Details: - A subtle reminder is provided that Jerry White is not Perry White's son (though Perry does not know this). plot synopsis: pretty much covered above, plus Superman brokers a one day cease-fire with the invaders. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 1, 2014 14:38:25 GMT -5
The Subtlety of the Ordway/Stern Reset, and Why Superman has to be a Goody-Goody It occurs to me now that there's a subtle genius at play in what Jerry Ordway and Roger Stern (and likely editor Mike Carlin) did with Superman's characterization in the wake of John Byrne's 1986-1988 run. Whereas Byrne's goal was to remake Superman as an ordinary farm boy from Kansas given extraordinary abilities -- a character who could be rash, ignorant, and even downright rude (especially in his Action Comics Team-Ups), the post-Byrne issues wasted no time in exploring a dual identity in which Superman attempts to be a hero in thought as well as action while his subconscious finds expression in an alternate identity called Gangbuster, all supposedly because of the events of Superman #22 (if you didn't read it, let's just say some bad stuff went down at the end). Really though, this was a clear opportunity for the new creative teams to reset Superman's persona -- to clearly identify what Superman DOES stand for (characterized by Superman) and what he DOES NOT (characterized by Gangbuster) by putting those behaviors into two different identities; a way far more clear than just having him start acting more like a boy scout again. Ordway and Stern present a man who has put such pressure on himself to be perfect that his most superhuman features become his character and will, not his powers. It's a brilliant way to do this, and, once Gangbuster is out of the picture and Superman's internal quest is resolved, it sets the stage for the kind of characterization that the Post-Crisis Superman franchise absolutely needed. Many have argued that Superman has fallen out of touch with American culture and needs to be more rough around the edges in order to remain relevant. Clearly, that's what Byrne was thinking, as well as several writers who followed (perhaps most notably James Robinson, who had Clark and Lois dry humping each other at the breakfast table). I'd actually argue that the reverse is true, though. We live in an age where the iconic Superman is needed more than ever. America lost its sense of idealism in the 1960s and early 1970s. In the wake of two Kennedy assassinations, the assassination of MLK, the Vietnam War, the Kent State debacle, and (perhaps most damaging of all) Watergate. Suddenly, all the good guys were gone, the world was a dangerous, senseless and depressing place, the remaining heroes and icons we looked up to and trusted were no longer trust-worthy, and the beliefs and assumptions about the world we'd been fed all along seemed to blow up in our faces. The ideals we'd been fed, the morals and behaviors we were to aspire to, all became suspect too. We threw away all that we'd been told to become and replaced it with nothing else, tossing aside all hero worship and, with it, any sense that we could strive to become better than we are. All one needs do is turn on the TV to see that this is true. Whereas we once watched well-dressed, responsible, courteous, successful, and generally happy/fulfilled protagonists, we've traded that for prime time anti-heroes. Married with Children, the Simpsons, Family Guy, The Osbournes, the Kardashians, and Duck Dynasty. We tossed away the characters that motivated us to want to improve/be better with characters so far below us as to affirm that who we already are must be good enough. As a result, we live in an age where people wear their ignorance with pride, where common courtesy in the workplace or in public is anything but, and where we laugh at others instead of working to learn how to better ourselves. Even facebook has become a steady stream of personalized news sources that affirm what you already believe instead of challenging one's perspective and informing people. Political scientists famously revealed that, in their polling, many people voted for George W. Bush in 2000 because he seemed like the kind of guy you could have a beer with; the kind of guy that was at your level (or possibly even below it) instead of some unwelcome potential hero, seeming to be better than us and challenging us to rise to his level; someone who should be distrusted because he might just let us down. It's how Joe the Plumber became a half-serious political candidate, and also how we got John Byrne's Superman. We need heroes again. We need people we can believe in. And if it seems too unrealistic to accept the idea that a person could act with total integrity at all times, act thoughtfully and with wisdom, treat people respectfully, and consistently sacrifice of him/herself for the sake of others, then maybe we can at least believe that an alien from Krypton can do those things. Really, the Christian New Testament, created in an age of great corruption and distrust of leaders, functions in the same way. It takes an outsider to show humanity its potential to be better than it currently is. Jesus' wisdom came from beyond, not from growing up in Nazareth. An ordinary Nazaethan could never achieve that level of greatness on his own within that cultural context, but he could be shown the way and follow. Apply the same idea to Buddha or Moses. And Superman fulfills the same purpose for a modern, less religiously inclined audience. We need heroes again; we need harbingers to show us the way in our own dark, chaotic lives in which we loathe ourselves and yet will defend to the end our right to not aspire to anything. And if such heroes can't be found in reality, then we have need of fictitious noble-hearted aliens more than ever.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 2, 2014 19:42:16 GMT -5
But didn't Man of Steel 5 say he'd been around 5 years? And that'd be a couple years ago in-story at this point... Man of Steel #5 contained one reference that completely contradicts all other continuity information provided in these reviews thus far. In it, Lois comments that she's been waiting 5 years to be kissed by Superman. However, Superman having already been around for five years is contradicted in numerous places. Here's the timeline I painstakingly assembled from all these continuity references, which I continue to update. You'll note it mentions the Man of Steel #5 contradiction at the bottom: classiccomics.boards.net/post/11284/thread |
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Post by dupersuper on Jul 2, 2014 21:08:55 GMT -5
But didn't Man of Steel 5 say he'd been around 5 years? And that'd be a couple years ago in-story at this point... Man of Steel #5 contained one reference that completely contradicts all other continuity information provided in these reviews thus far. In it, Lois comments that she's been waiting 5 years to be kissed by Superman. However, Superman having already been around for five years is contradicted in numerous places. Here's the timeline I painstakingly assembled from all these continuity references, which I continue to update. You'll note it mentions the Man of Steel #5 contradiction at the bottom: classiccomics.boards.net/post/11284/threadI think to make the post-Crisis timeline work you have to condense Clarks 7 years roaming to 4 or 5...at least that's my head-canon. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 2, 2014 21:57:57 GMT -5
True, but the seven years roaming was stated more than once, and far more definitively than Lois' off-the-cuff remark in MoS #5.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 3, 2014 11:37:38 GMT -5
Superman #27  "Of Course, You Know, This Means War!" writer: Roger Stern pencils: Kerry Gammill inks: Brett Breeding letters: John Costanza colors: Glenn Whitmore asst. editor: Renee Witterstaeter editor: Mike Carlin grade: B Check out that cover. You just don't see zip lines and impact bursts on comic covers anymore. Somehow, Gammill lends dignity to these old cliches. So, even though this issue is an Invasion tie-in (Aftermath), the title has nothing to do with that. Instead, it's about the big confrontation between The Guardian and Gangbuster. Really though, if you've already figured out who Gangbuster is (and how couldn't you) this issue just drags along the inevitable. Still, Gammill's art is breathtaking, Stern's characterization of Clark battling depression is brutally realistic, and so somehow the story remains compelling, even as nothing really changes. Important Details: - Dupersuper and I were just discussing the matter of how long Superman has been active. Man of Steel #6 and other issues have Superman only active for around three to four years at this point, but along with the big push last month for Superman titles to start emphasizing how well loved the Big S is, and how far his reputation extends, this issue includes a random Australian soldier commenting that he's "been readin' 'bout that bloke for years." Now "years" could certainly mean three or four years, but it seems to imply a lot more than that. Could be that Carlin and the boys are changing how long Superman has been around in order to get back to familiar upstanding hero territory rather than spend a few more years having Superman first have to prove himself to everyone. - Superman's mind is super-strong, even in a vulnerable state, causing Brainiac to go into shock when trying to probe his mind. Is this a standard Superman ability, or is it a symptom of the mental ordeal he is going through? After all, Brainiac has attempted to probe his mind before in Superman #25. - The closest thing to an acknowledgment of Byrne having left unexpectedly occurs in this issue's letter column, in response to a letter praising Stern picking up where Byrne left off, where Witterstaeter writes: "All of your votes of confidence helped see us through a rough time, folks. Thanks!" Minor Details: - Alice, the Daily Planet gofer appears again. I don't know why I'm so attached to following this character, but it seems odd how much attention she's repeatedly gotten when no other personnel at the Planet appear more than once beyond the core cast of Perry, Lois, and Jimmy. Without going back to check, I'd wager this is Alice's sixth or seventh cameo. Looking ahead, I see Alice actually has a real story coming up. I just may have to do an article afterward, tracking her many appearances and speculating on why she's been featured so prominently. I still suspect she's a nod to someone working at the DC Offices. plot synopsis in one sentence: Four pages are spent on Superman recapping the events of Invasion just so that DC can call it an Invasion tie-in, Everyone notices Superman doesn't seem quite right, he reflects on the events of Superman #22, returns to the Planet as Clark Kent after missing for an undetermined amount of time (not clear how long it's been since the Thanagarians attacked Metropolis last issue), everyone notices that Clark doesn't seem quite right, he goes home to fall asleep, and (coincidentally enough) Gangbuster appears, breaking into Lexcorp to rough Luthor up, gets stopped by The Guardian, the two end up fighting and, in the process, the Guardian rips open Gangbuster's shirt and sees something shocking (could it be a giant "S"?). Again, we're not quite at the triangle era yet, so the engines are just beginning to rev, but the writing and art are very strong, even if we're not anywhere all that interesting just yet. |
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Post by shaxper on Jul 8, 2014 17:06:15 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #450  "Triple Threat" writer/penciler: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Glenn Whitmore assistant editor: Renee Witterstaeter editor: Mike Carlin grade: A- It's clear that, in Ordway and Carlin's minds, this was their first big issue. The Superman/Gangbuster arc resolves in expected but dramatically powerful fashion, closing the books on Byrne's final dangling plotline, while Superman blasts off for exile in space and a handful of other plot lines are begun and/or hinted at. It's a great way to celebrate the 450th issue of what used to be the core Superman title, as well as signal the beginning of a new era of coordination and shared vision across the Superman office. It's also necessary to point out the lengths Mike Carlin goes to in this issue to hold out an olive branch for John Byrne. Byrne's departure was never even acknowledged until the last letters page, but here we first get this acknowledgement by Carlin on the first page of the story: Thanks are in order to John Byrne for initiating the storyline Roger Stern and Jerry Ordway have been doing these past months...as well as to Mike Machlin for his part in the creation of Gangbuster. Thanks, guys! Incidentally, how interesting to have left Marv Wolfman out of an acknowledgment concerning Gangbuster. But then Carlin continues on the letter column page, stating CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE DEPARTMENT: As stated on the first page of this issue, all of us here on the two Superman titles would like to extend a hale and hearty thanks to John Byrne for setting up and helping to plan some of the directions these books have taken over the last five or six months. Before John's untimely departure from the Superman comics, much of the "Personality Crisis: plotline has been outlined; subsequently Jerry Ordway and Roger Stern fleshed out and fully realized this chapter of the Man of Steel's adventures. Thanks again, J.B...good luck with W.C.A. and S.H. -- say "hi" for us over there. I doubt Carlin speaks for everyone, as a lot of evidence brought up throughout the course of this thread suggests Byrne parted on bad terms with nearly everyone at DC, but to return to the issue raised by Brian Cronin over at CBR concerning whether what Stern and Ordway did was a continuation of, or a move away from, what Byrne had been working on, my point remains the same. Byrne laid the groundwork for Superman to seriously wig out after executing the Phantom Zone criminals in Superman #22, but Ordway and Byrne used that opportunity to redraw the lines of Superman's moral code -- to clearly articulate what his regular self stood for in contrast to his emerging dark side. This was not presented as a transformation in response to all that had occurred, but rather as if it had been Superman's way all along, only now threatened by what had occurred. In short, Byrne had a plan to make Superman wig out. Ordway and Stern used it to portray Superman as a more heroic individual than Byrne had. Important Details: - Superman realizes he has been Gangbuster all along. The Guardian is the only other witness to this. - Superman decides to exile himself from Earth until he can straighten all this out. Props to Ordway for figuring out that Superman can survive in deep space indefinitely with a simple breathing apparatus since Byrne once pointed out that he requires no food nor water. - Lois breaks the bad news to Jose Delgado: she doesn't love him. - Luthor forces Delgado to become his bodyguard against his will by remote controlling his body. Now really, what sense does it make to have a bodyguard who is serving you against his will? He's not going to make those death-defying leaps to protect you unless you make him do so. Is Luthor going to have to watch his bodyguard watch him 24 hours a day? - The return of Professor Emil Hamilton! Definitely the best new character introduced in the Post-Crisis continuity! - Kitty Faulkner (formerly Rampage) is now working for STARR Labs. - Subtle hints that all is not right at STARR Labs under the direction of a "Doctor Durwood," and that Durwood may be affiliated with Morgan Edge. Is it possible this is the same corruption at STARR Labs that was discussed in the Starman feature in Action Comics #622? - Morgan Edge is working for Darkseid. So, in what way is a media mogul attempting to turn the world against Superman and secretly working for Darkseid NOT a complete repeat of G. Glorious Godfrey from only a year earlier?? - As yet another kind nod to Byrne (who likely didn't deserve it), this issue concludes with a nice homage to his very first Post-Crisis Superman story, even if a dramatic inversion is present (and impressive): Man of Steel #1  Adventures of Superman #450  Minor Details: - This is the first Post-Crisis Superman cover to indicate which issue to read next ("Don't miss Superman #28 in 3 weeks"; Direct Stand version only). A clear indication of the increased alignment occurring between titles and the coming of the Triangle Era. - What were the three threats in this storyline? With so many plotlines being hinted at by this point and only one revelation of imminent danger (Luthor taking control of Delgado), I'm not entirely positive what the title is implying. - Lois still looks like a crack whore when Janke inks over Ordway - Jimmy Olsen sitting in Perry White's office and answering his phone is both adorable and seemingly out of character for someone we've been invited to take more seriously in these stories. - Cat Grant continues to forget to carry cash to pay her cab fare. A cute carryover from Byrne. - Morgan Edge's secretary is named Miss Conway, Superman passes a truck marked "Kirby's Salvage," and Lana Lang returns from Siegel's Drugstore. Cute. - Superman reflecting that "with great power comes great responsibility?" I think Ordway got his characters confused. - Yet another tease to the reader when Pa Kent nearly falls off of a ladder and is saved at the last minute by Clark. Ordway's really having fun making fans sweat over Pa Kent's mortality in the Post Crisis. - Wait. Clark and Lana share an open-mouthed kiss as he says goodbye to her? I thought all the mind-f*cking Clark was doing to Lana's fragile mind would finally go away with Byrne's departure. What the heck? plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman realizes he's been Gangbuster all this time and flees in shame and terror, Lois and Jose DelGado have a massive fight about his new allegiance to Lex Corp and she reveals she does not love him, Superman enlists the aid of both Emil Hamilton and Kitty Faulkner to get a breathing apparatus that will allow him to survive in space, we learn that the director of STARR Labs is obsessed with maintaining total secrecy about what is done there and may have an affiliation with Morgan Edge, Luthor takes physical control of Jose DelGado and forces him to be his bodyguard, Morgan Edge continues to move in on Cat Grant and is also revealed to have an affiliation with Apokolips, Superman visits the Kents, Matrix, and Lana in order to explain all that has transpired since Superman #22, as well as his plans to leave Earth indefinitely until he has sorted things out, and then he leaves for deep space. Still not Triangle Era perfection yet, but this issue was a major step forward. Things are truly progressing now. |
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Post by Crimebuster on Jul 8, 2014 21:37:47 GMT -5
Only in that Morgan Edge worked for Darkseid when he first appeared way back in the Kirby Jimmy Olsen series in the 70's. I think the duplication of plots is maybe an inevitable side effect of everyone milking Kirby's work for decades afterwards. Didn't realize Morgan Edge had a Pre-Crisis counterpart. Anything else I should know about that backstory? Basically, once Kirby was off of Jimmy Olsen, the conglomeration in charge of the Superman line at the time decided to handwave it away so they could keep Morgan Edge as a supporting character. Robert Kanigher wrote a storyline in the pages of Lois Lane where it turned out the evil Morgan Edge was a clone from the Evil Factory. He was defeated and the real Morgan Edge was eventually rescued in a storyline that went on for several months. He then became a regular character in the Superman line, as Clark's boss at Galaxy Communications, which owned both the TV station and the Daily Planet. It's pretty obvious reading the original appearances that Kirby - who created Edge - intended Edge to be a bad guy all along, and that all the clone stuff was a retcon to tie up the 4th World elements that had crept into the Superman line. |
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Post by shaxper on Aug 3, 2014 19:22:11 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #451  writer/art: Jerry Ordway letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Glenn Whitmore asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin grade: C I was really expecting more from this storyline by this point. I wasn't surprised when Stern's installment was a bit ho-hum, but Ordway hit it out of the ballpark last issue, and yet this chapter leaves me yawning. Superman is still aimlessly wandering through space and running into random conflicts that seem to exist simply for the sake of giving him something to do on panel, and the world believing Clark Kent is dead isn't really making for any exciting drama just yet. I don't know why Ordway is holding off on showing the Daily Planet staff and their presumably emotional reactions to all this. That's the story that's worth reading here. Instead, the issue gives its focus to Luthor using Jose Delgado as DC's answer to Deathlok, and it just doesn't make any sense. I could believe that Luthor is trying to punish Delgado for past deeds, but he never says nor implies this. He's just using Delgado as an overly expensive remote controlled cyber-thug with which to terrorize his minor enemies. Speaking of which, even before Prof. Hamilton decided to exploit the scenario, I decided it was damn right careless for Luthor to be brazenly threatening to kill a man over a remote feed, let alone to a technology wizard in his laboratory. How could he be sure there weren't any recording devices on, or people able to intercept the feed? How could a man this damn clumsy when dealing with a low-on-the-totem-poll enemy ever expect to hold on to power? I can't say I particularly enjoyed any aspect of this issue, and that comes as a sincere disappointment to me. Important Details: - The world believes Clark Kent is dead. - Luthor believes Superman is far away from Earth, thanks to Brainiac's telepathy failing to sense him anymore. - Prof. Hamilton publicly embarrasses Luthor by putting him on TV while he was threatening Hamilton, and doing it via a pirated broadcast that appeared to originate from Luthor's television station with the seeming intention to aggrandize Luthor's image. Minor Details: - Though Ordway is solely credited for art in this issue, it still looks like Dennis Janke is inking him in places, especially when Amanda McCoy, a woman who was young and attractive enough to be a personal assistant to Lex Luthor a little more than two years ago (more like one within comic continuity), is inked like a homely old woman much in the same way that Lois Lane looked like an aging crack whore in previous issue. The penciling is all right; it's the inks. - Toby Raynes, reporter for the Metropolis Star, under editor in chief George Taylor, reappears here after having not been seen since Superman #9. Ordway does his homework. - Wait. The breathing apparatus Prof. Hamilton gave Superman is just a glorified oxygen tank? I'd assumed it was some impressive invention that was creating more air for him. How could Clark have taken such extraordinary preparations for his trip as we saw last issue, fully realizing he might never come back, with a limited oxygen tank and no plans on how to refill it once he was deep in space? This makes absolutely no sense. - Happerson, the assistant Luthor was displeased with so many months back when he first pried the kryptonite from Metallo's body that became his kryptonite ring, is still working for Lex in this issue. I find that surprising. - For someone who's been so careful about following Byrne's continuity, even going so far as to resurrect the loose plot points from Superman #2 in this story arc, Ordway sure blundered on the cover. That very same Superman #2 was where Byrne put forth the absurd explanation that the reason no one ever realized Superman looked like Clark Kent was because Superman always vibrated his head at high speeds in order to prevent cameras from taking non-blurry shots of his face, yet the newspaper photo on the cover of this issue shows a clear picture of Superman's face...and it's right beside a photo of Clark Kent. To be clear, I think Ordway is trying to show how the two faces don't look that similar after all, largely because Clark apparently takes the time to do his hair completely differently when he turns into Superman, but it's still a poorly timed continuity glitch. Plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman accidentally space leaps into a giant space creature's digestive system and spends the issue fighting its stomach microbes, the world believe Clark Kent has been murdered by intergang, Morgan Edge has ordered his people to discover who Kent's informant was on the Intergang exposé, Luthor, aware that Superman is off-world thanks to Brainiac, decides to finally get revenge against Prof. Hamilton by sending a remote controlled Jose Delgado after him, Toby Raynes of the Metropolis Star calls Ma and Pa Kent, who do not know the world believes Clark is dead, and is told that Clark is staying with them, thus sparking her curiosity, Prof. Hamilton is able to both free Delgado from Luthor's control and publicly embarrass Luthor by broadcasting his death threat on live television, and Superman decides to head back to the alien planet that worshipped him because his oxygen is depleted and he realizes his space leaps have been reckless and dangerous. |
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Post by shaxper on Sept 29, 2014 1:33:40 GMT -5
Superman #29  "If This Be My Fate" writer/pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Brett Breeding letters: John Costanza coors: Glenn Whitmore asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin plot assist: Jerry Ordway grade: B- A filler issue of sorts as Jurgens takes over in order to give Stern, Gammill, and (next week) Ordway a break after scrambling to pick up the pieces in the wake of Byrne's abrupt departure (the letter column in this issue again confirms that the departure was abrupt). There's a lot working in this one, and a lot that isn't. The art and somber tone are quite moving, and Jurgens definitely enjoys toying with the reader quite a bit, misdirecting us to believe that Superman's Gangbuster persona may have emerged again to wipe out an entire planet Superman had recently visited ( "A grim, haunting memory begins to gnaw its way to the surface of Superman's mind..."), and taking his time in allowing us to remember just what the heck happened in Trudeau, South Dakota (hint: Adventures of Superman Annual #1). Along related lines, I love the effort made to respect continuity. I never expected anyone to return to the story of the Word Bringer, but I suppose it makes sense that people would eventually wonder where a whole town went, and using the end of that story, where the townspeople momentarily took control of Superman's brain in order to have him mercy kill them, as further ammunition for why Superman ended up with the dual Gangbuster persona, is brilliant. Additionally, I love that we can still clearly see the Daily Planet being rebuilt in the long aftermath of Invasion. Carlin is doing a hell of a job making all of this feel real and believable. It's amazing what he can accomplish now that Byrne is out of the way. As for what isn't working, a lot of how Superman rescues that stranded spaceship in the beginning makes absolutely no sense. How would he know which circuits connect to life support if he can't even understand their language, why is the stellar mapping display still on when he returns to the alien if he disabled all non-life support systems, how do you restart a power core just by shooting energy into it, and how can even a genius like Superman calculate his throw exactly while in space and using an alien gravitational constant in throwing a space ship at a nearby sun so that it will swing around the sun and break its orbit? Just a lot of silly conveniences, even while Jurgens takes amazing pains to explain it all and make it seem believable. Finally, what are the chances that Lois would be investigating the Word Bringer's attack from a year ago just as Superman stumbles upon his latest attack deep in space? Essentially, I love what Carlin is doing as editor here, and I think Jurgens did a decent job considering the demands of creating a multi-part filler story on the fly. plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Superman rescues a stranded astronaut from the planet he'd recently visited, repairs his ship, and sends him on his way, returns to the planet and finds it devoid of life, Lois is unable to bare Clark having been murdered (so everyone believes) and thus accepts an assignment to investigate the disappearance of the entire town of Trudeau, South Dakota, she figures out that the disappearance was caused by an alien and gets the scoop on The Word Bringer from the presiding military officer stationed there while Superman (conveniently enough) figures out that the Word Bringer was also responsible for the disappearance of the entire planet he'd recently visited, so Superman pursues the Word Bringer and enters his ship, only to find it lined with countless abducted alien brains. To be continued. |
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Post by dupersuper on Sept 30, 2014 23:54:05 GMT -5
Superman #29 "If This Be My Fate" writer/pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Brett Breeding letters: John Costanza coors: Glenn Whitmore asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin plot assist: Jerry Ordway grade: B- A filler issue of sorts as Jurgens takes over in order to give Stern, Gammill, and (next week) Ordway a break after scrambling to pick up the pieces in the wake of Byrne's abrupt departure (the letter column in this issue again confirms that the departure was abrupt). There's a lot working in this one, and a lot that isn't. The art and somber tone are quite moving, and Jurgens definitely enjoys toying with the reader quite a bit, misdirecting us to believe that Superman's Gangbuster persona may have emerged again to wipe out an entire planet Superman had recently visited ( "A grim, haunting memory begins to gnaw its way to the surface of Superman's mind..."), and taking his time in allowing us to remember just what the heck happened in Trudeau, South Dakota (hint: Adventures of Superman Annual #1). Along related lines, I love the effort made to respect continuity. I never expected anyone to return to the story of the Word Bringer, but I suppose it makes sense that people would eventually wonder where a whole town went, and using the end of that story, where the townspeople momentarily took control of Superman's brain in order to have him mercy kill them, as further ammunition for why Superman ended up with the dual Gangbuster persona, is brilliant. Additionally, I love that we can still clearly see the Daily Planet being rebuilt in the long aftermath of Invasion. Carlin is doing a hell of a job making all of this feel real and believable. It's amazing what he can accomplish now that Byrne is out of the way. As for what isn't working, a lot of how Superman rescues that stranded spaceship in the beginning makes absolutely no sense. How would he know which circuits connect to life support if he can't even understand their language, why is the stellar mapping display still on when he returns to the alien if he disabled all non-life support systems, how do you restart a power core just by shooting energy into it, and how can even a genius like Superman calculate his throw exactly while in space and using an alien gravitational constant in throwing a space ship at a nearby sun so that it will swing around the sun and break its orbit? Just a lot of silly conveniences, even while Jurgens takes amazing pains to explain it all and make it seem believable. Finally, what are the chances that Lois would be investigating the Word Bringer's attack from a year ago just as Superman stumbles upon his latest attack deep in space? Essentially, I love what Carlin is doing as editor here, and I think Jurgens did a decent job considering the demands of creating a multi-part filler story on the fly. plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Superman rescues a stranded astronaut from the planet he'd recently visited, repairs his ship, and sends him on his way, returns to the planet and finds it devoid of life, Lois is unable to bare Clark having been murdered (so everyone believes) and thus accepts an assignment to investigate the disappearance of the entire town of Trudeau, South Dakota, she figures out that the disappearance was caused by an alien and gets the scoop on The Word Bringer from the presiding military officer stationed there while Superman (conveniently enough) figures out that the Word Bringer was also responsible for the disappearance of the entire planet he'd recently visited, so Superman pursues the Word Bringer and enters his ship, only to find it lined with countless abducted alien brains. To be continued. I always took the memory line to be referring to the AoS annual, I never got the impression it was a Gangbuster tease (considering we've been with Supes since he left and he was seemingly light years away...). I agree with the Lois investigation being a bit eye-rollingly conveniently timed, but have no issue with the super-genius who can scan a ship with x-ray vision and such figuring out how to fix it or a nav-com having a back-up power source. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Oct 1, 2014 1:05:14 GMT -5
I always took the memory line to be referring to the AoS annual, I never got the impression it was a Gangbuster tease (considering we've been with Supes since he left and he was seemingly light years away...). We didn't have enough information at that point in the story to be thinking of Adventures of Superman Annual #1 yet  I don't honestly recall whether we saw the moment where Superman left the planet in the previous installment, but his beginning to remember something right after wondering what happened to all of them (and he'd already reminded us of the danger he posed as Gangbuster in this issue) seemed calculated to elicit that response from the reader. Had Superman blacked out and allowed Gangbuster to emerge once again? With no knowledge of their language and, thus, no ability to read any labels, markings, or even understand their onboard computer systems? |
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Post by dupersuper on Oct 1, 2014 1:16:20 GMT -5
With no knowledge of their language and, thus, no ability to read any labels, markings, or even understand their onboard computer systems? Sure: they seem to still use standard ol' wires, and he can trace them all. He can see into the machinery and tell what it's doing, he doesn't need it to be labelled. Super geniuses with X-ray eyes make for awesome repairmen... |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 8, 2014 10:13:15 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #452  "Hell Beyond" writer: Dan Jurgens pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Dennis Janke letters: John Costanza colors: Glen Whitmore asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin special thanks to Jerry Ordway for his plot assist Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster grade: C+ I believe this marks the first time Jurgens and Ordway collaborate on a Superman story, though I wasn't as pleased with the result as I might have hoped. Superman gets his reunion with the Word Bringer, but what transpires is pretty lackluster. A large part of that is due to Superman's characterization. For the first time since Byrne's departure, we have Superman returning to the arrogant, brazen, and sometimes downright ignorant characterization that Byrne had given him, especially in those Action Comics team-ups. It was pretty much my least favorite aspect of Byrne's run -- Superman not behaving like a Superman, and thus it really irks me that he storms in, fists blazing, punches first and asks questions later, and ends up being completely right. "The Union" is a morally problematic concept to say the least, but Supes has his rights and wrongs sorted out before he really assesses the situation and is rewarded for doing this. Word Bringer = bad. Union = good. Punch a whole lot, lecture, and they'll all listen. And they do. A real opportunity was presented when The Word Bringer revealed the truth about what happened in Trudeau (Adventures of Superman Annual #1). I was waiting for him to reveal that Superman had acted rashly there too, contributing to all those deaths, but instead, he's carte blanc exonerated. So I guess he's going to get over his insanity pretty soon, then. Why didn't The Union just tell him he did the right thing with the rogue Kryptonians too and be done with the whole arc? If we're giving out easy victories, we might as well go all the way. Important Details: - The Union is now in charge, not the Word Bringer, and they pledge to amend their practices. - Superman learns that he was not at all responsible for the deaths in Trudeau. The brains there did not, in fact, make him kill them. They killed themselves. Minor Details: - Luthor's life being meaningless without an enemy is a fun concept to explore. I suppose he was still on his way up when he first butted heads with Superman in Man of Steel #2. Now he's achieved all his goals; won all his victories. All that was left was Superman. This helps to answer Byrne's idea that never fully went explained of why Luthor was waiting to kill Superman when he could have done so at any time. - ...but, wait. Isn't Morgan Edge Luthor's enemy? Heck, he's far more of a threat to Luthor than Superman. And what about that stunt Prof. Hamilton pulled recently that hurt Luthor's public persona? Seems to me Luthor's got PLENTY of enemies and challenges to face right now. - Doesn't the Word Bringer concept -- the bald green alien who assimilates alien cultures -- resemble that of the Pre-Crisis Brainiac? Granted, I haven't read much Pre-Crisis Superman, but that's the impression I always had. It's certainly a good summary of who Brainiac is in the later Bruce Timm Superman Animated Series. I guess they still had to figure out what to do with the utterly ridiculous Brainiac that Byrne had given us (and that solution is coming soon). - Adam cruising down that hill in a speeding power wheels car while totally unattended. I assume this is foreshadowing. I'll give Jurgens credit for the subtlety with which he's handling Cat Grant. It's abundantly obvious that her life is still a car wreck waiting to happen, even without any overt clues given to indicate this. - "Helferer, or whatever your name is, your number is up!" Is Carlin still making digs at Andy Helfer this long after his departure? This seems to be all in good fun, but Helfer is gone and Carlin is still there presumably because of their differing attitudes towards John Byrne back when he was still calling the shots. I'd assume there's got to still be some resentment there. plot synopsis in one sentence: Superman confronts the Word Bringer and his Union of telepathically linked brains from various planets, Perry White orders Lois to bury the story on Trudeau because he's getting pressure from the President and because the information can't be substantiated without Superman around, Lois tries not to think about Clark being (presumed) dead, Luthor's life is meaningless without an enemy, Cat Grant is still involved with Morgan Edge, The Word Bringer creates "Eon," a super powered physical manifestation of the Union, they battle, inadvertently damaging one of the brains, Superman tries to save it, and The Union begins to remember what compassion, death, and loss of life mean, so they side with Superman against the Word Bringer, keeping him as a servant with Eon now in charge, and vowing to amend their practices, only collecting brains from willing donors who are about to die. |
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Post by shaxper on Dec 8, 2014 15:49:15 GMT -5
Superman #30  The Exile storyline is finally beginning to take shape and, in the process, provide the Post-Crisis franchise with everything the Byrne run lacked by (1) finally giving Superman some rich characterization by leaving him alone in space to work through his thoughts/feelings/experiences and (2) using Superman's absence on Earth as an opportunity to develop the supporting cast and begin resolving old plotlines that were carelessly tossed aside. Theoretically, Byrne had planned to do some of this himself in the wake of Superman #22, but the letter columns have commented frequently on the amount of last minute scurrying Carlin, Stern, Ordway, and Jurgens have been doing to plan out this storyline, suggesting either that Byrne didn't leave them with much, or that the plans he left weren't all that usable. Whatever the case, getting an emotionally complex Superman and a more elaborate exploration of the franchise's supporting cast lays the groundwork for the highly regarded Triangle Era that's on the horizon. "Alone!" writer: Roger Stern pencils: Kerry Gammill inks: Dennis Janke letters: John Costanza colors: Glen Whittmore assistant editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin grade: A- This is what the Exile storyline should have been all along. No conflict; no convenient aliens. Just Superman working through some stuff, and having him attempt to settle on an empty but fertile planet, building a farm and taming the land with his super powers, is the ultimate expression of what the Post-Crisis Clark is: a super powered farm boy from Kansas. It's done beautifully here, especially as his immense satisfaction at finally being able to do what's always been in his heart proves hollow and empty. He's not a super powered farm boy; he's Superman, and he doesn't belong here. Gammill's art does wonders to help express this, especially with Clark's weary but satisfied face with a subtle hint of dispair on page 5. Conveying all that emotion at one time...wow.  It's worth noting that, while I was upset with Jurgens' depiction of Superman in the most recent Adventures of Superman for being too much like the Byrne version in his arrogance and ignorance, Stern is clearly writing the Superman I prefer -- a character who chastises himself for lashing out at asteroids without thinking first. This guy never would have blundered in against The Word Bringer in the way that Jurgens' Superman did. They'll have to reconcile these characterizations down the road. Minor Details: Carlin and the gang are trying hard to drop references to past Byrne continuity whereever they can in this issue. It begins in this story with Pa Kent referencing his service in World War II (World of Smallville #1-2). plot synopsis: Supes tries to settle down on an uninhabited planet and ultimately comes to realize he can't stand isolation; meanwhile, Matrix wishes she was more like Clark Kent. "King of All He Surveys" writer: Dan Jurgens pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Dennis Janke letters: Albert De Guzman colors: Glen Whittmore assistant editor: Renee Witterstaetter editor: Mike Carlin with special thanks to Jerry Ordway grade: A- If you'd never read a Post-Crisis Superman story before and wanted to know about the Post-Crisis Lex Luthor, this would be the story to read. It sums up absolutely everything there is to know about the character (aside from Amanda McCoy and his love for Lois Lane) in an amazingly efficient 8 pages, ending with Luthor deciding to attempt a hostile take-over of STAR Labs. And that's the weird part. The story build and builds, with Luthor deciding that making money isn't enough anymore; he's got to do something RISKY, and the end decision is a corporate hostile take-over? Even Carlin jokes after the final panel that you should "warn your broker!" Why in the world is this interesting to anyone? Yes, hints were dropped in the previous months that something shady is going on at STAR Labs under the new director (who we have not yet met), but this bold new direction doesn't exactly leave me clamoring to grab the next issue. plot synopsis: A review of pretty much everything that's happened to Luthor since Man of Steel #2, as well as Luthor's new decision to attempt a hostile takeover of STAR Labs. |
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