shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 23, 2016 23:55:39 GMT -5
Action Comics #652  The Day of the Krypton Man, Part VI: "Wayward Son" writer: Roger Stern layouts: George Perez finished art: Kerry Gammill inks: Brett Breeding letters: Bill Oakley colors: Glenn Whitmore assoc editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: C+ This issue felt like the closing of a very long and confused chapter in the story of Superman. It's been a tedious year and a half, first spending far too much time on the aftermath of Superman's execution of the rogue Kryptonians in Superman #22 (even Ma Kent feels like "it took forever") and then this Eradicator business we've spent the past eleven months on. Well, it's gone now, and with that, so are all the lingering primary plot points that drove the Byrne and Post-Byrne Superman Offices. With Perez now exiting, the newly restructured office can charge boldly into new territory, with very little restraint placed upon it by lingering plot lines. Jimmy Olsen's situation at Project Cadmus aside, the doors are wide open to take on the new, and there's a lot of new coming by the end of 1990. The story, itself, wasn't much this time around. You can predict it all by looking at the cover and not gain much more from reading the actual book -- Ma and Pa Kent talk Clark out of his brainwashing, and he takes down the Eradicator. End of story. Even Perez/Gammill's art wasn't all that impressive for the culmination of Perez's run. This chapter was just the obligatory ending to a story that never needed to be this long and did little to deserve it. Eleven months of mostly okay stories just so that Superman can finally say: Got it. Important Details:- The Fortress of Solitude is destroyed. Easy come, easy go.  - Superman's indestructible costume, created by The Eradicator, is now discarded, and he's wearing an ordinary suit again.  His aura of invulnerability will still keep the main portions of the costume from tearing except under the most superhuman of circumstances, but we'll probably be seeing Superman's cape get torn apart again at least once per month. - We get some more insight into Kryptonian history, which I've now added to the Post-Crisis Superman Timeline.  Minor Details:- The Eradicator device left Krypton around the time of World of Krypton #1, a time during which Krypton was not yet slavishly devoted to logic, so why is The Eradicator slavishly devoted to logic as if it had been built 200,000 years later during the time of World of Krypton #4? - I would love to have seen a limited series set during those earliest years of Krypton's history that Kal-El describes, with barbarian Kryptonians using advanced sci-fi technology. Sounds a lot like Masters of the Universe, actually. - Hank Henshaw (still no last name provided as of yet)'s spaceship has vanished  - Apparently, we're still not done with this joke yet  and it's not even Ordway writing this time. - BELIEVE me; I'm a huge fan of meticulous continuity, and I really respect this team's efforts to make sure that absolutely no past events from the Byrne era go forgotten, but I am truly disappointed to see acknowledgement that Sleez happened:  Truly, some aspects of continuity need to be allowed to die. plot synopsis: Ma and Pa Kent go to see Clark (now Kal-El). He flies them to his Fortress of Solitude, where Jonathan begins to place some doubts in Kal-El's mind. In response, the Eradicator begins to attack them, and this only sets off Clark further. He destroys the Fortress and The Eradicator, hurling the remains of both the device and the costume it gave him into the sun. |
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Post by dupersuper on Jun 24, 2016 21:16:59 GMT -5
Action Comics #652  The Day of the Krypton Man, Part VI: "Wayward Son" writer: Roger Stern breakdowns: George Perez finished art: Kerry Gammill inks: Brett Breeding letters: Bill Oakley colors: Glenn Whitmore assoc editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: C+ This issue felt like the closing of a very long and confused chapter in the story of Superman. It's been a tedious year and a half, first spending far too much time on the aftermath of Superman's execution of the rogue Kryptonians in Superman #22 (even Ma Kent feels like "it took forever") and then this Eradicator business we've spent the past eleven months on. Well, it's gone now, and with that, so are all the lingering primary plot points that drove the Byrne and Post-Byrne Superman Offices. With Perez now exiting, the newly restructured office can charge boldly into new territory, with very little restraint placed upon it by lingering plot lines. Jimmy Olsen's situation at Project Cadmus aside, the doors are wide open to take on the new, and there's a lot of new coming by the end of 1990. The story, itself, wasn't much this time around. You can predict it all by looking at the cover and not gain much more from reading the actual book -- Ma and Pa Kent talk Clark out of his brainwashing, and he takes down the Eradicator. End of story. Even Perez/Gammill's art wasn't all that impressive for the culmination of Perez's run. This chapter was just the obligatory ending to a story that never needed to be this long and did little to deserve it. Eleven months of mostly okay stories just so that Superman can finally say: Got it. Important Details:- The Fortress of Solitude is destroyed. Easy come, easy go.  - Superman's indestructible costume, created by The Eradicator, is now discarded, and he's wearing an ordinary suit again.  His aura of invulnerability will still keep the main portions of the costume from tearing except under the most superhuman of circumstances, but we'll probably be seeing Superman's cape get torn apart again at least once per month. - We get some more insight into Kryptonian history, which I've now added to the Post-Crisis Superman Timeline.  Minor Details:- The Eradicator device left Krypton around the time of World of Krypton #1, a time during which Krypton was not yet slavishly devoted to logic, so why is The Eradicator slavishly devoted to logic as if it had been built 200,000 years later during the time of World of Krypton #4? - I would love to have seen a limited series set during those earliest years of Krypton's history that Kal-El describes, with barbarian Kryptonians using advanced sci-fi technology. Sounds a lot like Masters of the Universe, actually. - Hank Henshaw (still no last name provided as of yet)'s spaceship has vanished  - Apparently, we're still not done with this joke yet  and it's not even Ordway writing this time. - BELIEVE me; I'm a huge fan of meticulous continuity, and I really respect this team's efforts to make sure that absolutely no past events from the Byrne era go forgotten, but I am truly disappointed to see acknowledgement that Sleez happened:  Truly, some aspects of continuity need to be allowed to die. plot synopsis: Ma and Pa Kent go to see Clark (now Kal-El). He flies them to his Fortress of Solitude, where Jonathan begins to place some doubts in Kal-El's mind. In response, the Eradicator begins to attack them, and this only sets off Clark further. He destroys the Fortress and The Eradicator, hurling the remains of both the device and the costume it gave him into the sun. Ouch, only a C+? This was one of those books that made me hear the Williams theme in my head as I read it... |
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Post by shaxper on Jul 3, 2016 17:45:43 GMT -5
Superman #43  "The Evil Factory" story/pencils: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke colors: Glenn Whitmore letters: John Costanza assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin "Evil Factory" created by Jack Kirby grade: B Another (and hopefully the last) "clean-up issue" that exists largely to wipe the slate clean, finally resolving the matter of Jimmy's missing dad (he dead) and mom (she not), putting the Project Cadmus stuff to bed for the moment, and (most importantly) returning Clark's life to normal in the wake of Day of the Krypton Man (and, by the way, advertising the introduction of "The Kryptonite Man" an issue after the conclusion of "Day of the Krypton Man" isn't going to confuse anyone, right?). Sure enough, the issue begins with Superman helping to restore the Statue of Liberty, the top half of which was transported to the moon during Day of the Krypton Man. And yet, so much like the transporting of the top half of the statue, I find myself asking what the point was for all these things Ordway has stirred up and then put so much work into putting back into place shortly after. Looking at this issue, what was the point of The Krypton Man? He shows up, he doesn't really want to fight Superman, and he's gone. For several months now, I've noted that Ordway seems far more concerned with following and resolving plot points than actually telling a story and so, much like the tidal wave that hit Metropolis a few months back, stuff happens, but none of it seems to further any dramatic purpose. We don't get a rich story out of it. Ordway says "Here's some stuff happening -- and now I'll clean it all up." That said, one thing Ordway does get right in this story that isn't really telling a story is his characterizations. Simyan and Mokkari come off like an old married couple in a subtle but endearing way that's hard to capture in a single scan:  Never having read the original stories, I wonder if this was suggested by Kirby or was entirely Ordway's doing? Similarly, the subtle characterization of The Kryptonite Man, a clone of Superman reluctantly forced to be evil but, somehow, instinctively more noble like Superman himself, was quite endearing.  I love that, in the end, when he and Sumyan and Mokkari are trapped in the colorless zone, he goes to rescue them, declaring "This looks like a job for..." I'm then left to wonder what the implications are if Superman's character is somehow a part of his genetics and not the result of life experiences and choices, but I don't think Ordway really intended to open that can of worms. And I'll admit to being surprised by the revelation of just how small Simyan and Mokkari were.  Ordway did an excellent job of manipulating perspective for the past several issues; I did not see this coming. It allows their final undoing to be played for laughs (something Ordway's been doing well lately). Looking at the Dc Wikia though, it doesn't appear that their size remained canon after this appearance. I particularly enjoyed seeing Mrs. Olsen smile while believing she was killing them because "don't tell me they didn't deserve it." I was just listening to the 1940 Superman radio show the other night, where Mrs. Olsen is a helpless little widow being intimidated by gangsters, declaring "oh dear" and cowering every five seconds. I like this new interpretation a lot better. And, of course, how could I get this far in the review without discussing this moment (or at least scanning and embedding it here)?:   So not only has Ordway cleaned up the messes in Clark's personal life, but he's actually moving it forward to a place where Clark's Pre_Crisis counterpart was never permitted to arrive. Byrne was hinting we'd eventually get here as far back as Man of Steel #4 , but it's finally happening. Important Details:- Clark's life is generally returned to normal. He's been rehired by The Daily Planet, though now he's a freelancer (which makes a LOT more sense; it probably always should have been that way in the Post-Crisis), and he and Lois have agreed to a first date. All that's left unresolved are his relationship with Lana Lang, his being evicted from his apartment, and whatever bad reputation he may have made for himself over at Newstime. - Superman does not know why the green Kryptonite that the Kryptonite Man (never actually called this within the story) was made from did not affect him. He takes a sample of the same ineffective Kryptonite, lying around the exterior of The Evil Factory, for analysis. Where are they going with this? Mxyzptlk already gave us red Kryptonite in Adventures of Superman #463, so what's this variation of Kryptonite going to do? - Ordway acknowledges in the letter page that the laboratory from Superman #1, containing all of Superman's secrets, is still orbiting the Earth. I've been waiting A LONG TIME to see that one resolved. - Ordway comments on the "Still only 75 cents" move the Superman office has made for 1990, stating that: Sounds like the creative staff was onboard with (or even pushed for) this decision, cutting into their own royalties. I recently determined by looking at the Statement of Ownership numbers that sales for the Superman books were actually UP at this point, beyond the numbers at the beginning of Byrne's run which, themselves, were higher than the numbers during the Pre-Crisis run, so sales weren't low by any means. I'm therefore guessing the intent was to beat out Batman's sales (this was 1990 and Superman had recently slipped to being DC's #2 hero) and make Superman #1 again. Of course, we know in hindsight that won't actually happen until 1993 and, even then, only fleetingly and because of a promotional stunt. Minor Details:- What was Simyan and Mokkari's ultimate goal? Yeah, they wanted Superman dead, but only because he'd interfered in their operations. What was the intended end result of creating these monsters and setting them loose? - Superman engages a potential enemy atop The Daily Planet by coming out of The Planet's roof access door? Isn't that going to raise questions about what he was doing inside of The Planet building? I mean, couldn't he just leap out a window and fly up to the roof instead?? - I respect this Superman clone not automatically having his costume, and really, why would Simyan and Mokkari bother to duplicate it? - Yup, only one issue after Superman returns to wearing a conventional costume, his cape is already getting torn up again. - How did The Kryptonite Man end up in the colorless zone at the end? Simyan and Mokkari teleport him back to The Evil Factory, and then we never see him again until the end of the issue, where he is with them in the colorless zone. - In a recent letter in regard to a previous issue, a fan suggested to Ordway that it was offensive to have a bunch of Construction Workers all calling our hero "Sooperman" as if they were all ignorant. In response to that, Ordway offers this fun moment on the first page:  Ordway still struggles with how to actually tell a story, but I admire his commitment to continuity and enjoy his humor and art. plot synopsis: Superman helps to restore The Statue of Liberty in the wake of "Day of the Krypton Man," Simyan and Mokkari complete their clone of Superman and teleport it to the roof of The Daily Planet with orders to kill Superman. Just then, Guardian and Jimmy Olsen show up at their hideout, forcing them to engage in two battles at once. They then teleport the Superman clone back to them so that it can help fend off the intruders but accidentally bring Superman along with it. During the struggle, Mrs. Olsen's confinement is broken and she uses one of their own devices on them, seemingly killing them but actually sending them to the colorless zone (along with The Kryptonite Man, somehow?). Somewhere along the line, Jose Delgado accepts a bodyguard job in order to stay afloat financially, Clark gets his job back at The Planet, and Lois accepts his invitation for a date. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 3, 2016 21:39:39 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #466  "The Limits of Power" writer and layouts: Dan Jurgens finishes: Dick Giordano letters: Albert Deguzman colors; Glenn Whitmore assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: B- I'm seeing a trend in this month's Superman titles. Both Ordway's Kryptonite Man story in Superman and this story here had a lot of buildup but ultimately concluded far too quickly with very little accomplished. Considering that it's huge news and yet only first being mentioned this month, I'm guessing next month's Dark Knight Over Metropolis storyline was a last minute addition, forcing Ordway, Jurgens, and Stern to immediately wrap up the storylines they'd planned to tell once Day of the Krypton Man resolved itself. As a result, there isn't much to this story beyond it being Hank Henshaw's first full appearance (he made a cameo last month) and origin story. Essentially, it's a clear nod to Marvel's Fantastic Four  with a more thought-out Modern Age explanation for their powers. We have a guy made of pure radiation who looks like The Human Torch, an unspeaking mass that was once their quick-to-anger pilot who comes across as a more tragic Thing, the wife of the leader/scientist who is fading into another dimension, giving her the basic powers of The Invisible Girl, and the leader/scientist himself, Hank Henshaw, who is the only one not to receive a power that coincides with the original Fantastic Four. In fact, we're never told what his power is beyond watching his skin peel off  and watching him slowly lose his mind  These two factors provide Jurgens with an out for bringing Henshaw back after Dark Knight Over Metropolis (though no suggestion is offered anywhere in this issue that the story isn't over)  He could still be alive (though wouldn't Superman be able to hear his heart beating?) and he might be deranged enough to want to fake his death. Jurgens' treatment of two of the astronauts is remarkably endearing and tragic:   but the whole thing just comes off as rushed and a tad pointless. What was the purpose of introducing a team that Superman fails to save from death by the close? The title of the story would suggest Superman should somehow be affected by this, but he isn't. He goes right back to Lois' apartment and does this without batting an eye:   which is hugely important, in and of itself, but comes off as a serious FU to the A storyline of this issue. Again, Hank is coming back in two issues, but nothing about this one suggests the story will continue. It just appears to resolve itself completely unsatisfactorily. I have to admit the kiss caught me off-guard. I'd always thought that Superman #46 had been Clark and Lois' first kiss. This one seems...rushed. Keep in mind that, while fans of the classic Superman have always wanted to see these two get together, we haven't seen them spend all that much time together in the Post-Crisis. There have been a few striking moments of romantic tension, but there was no natural progression to this specific point. With all the inward reflection Superman has done as of late, we've never once seen him thinking of this, or even considering the point Maxima made just recently in Action Comics that she was the only woman around who was genetically capable of procreating with him. I suppose the implicit point is that seeing Henshaw and his crew die made him decide that life is short, but that still makes this moment pretty abrupt. It feels imposed instead of the culmination of careful long-term development, something this office is usually quite good at. Who knows though? We haven't seen Lois' reaction to this kiss yet. Important Details:- Clark and Lois' first kiss (note: Superman and Lois' first kiss was way back during Superman and The Earth Stealers) - Some early Byrne stories suggested that Superman had an advanced understanding of technology and sciences, but that is either not the case or it has significant limitations, as he has no idea how to help the astronauts in this story, stating that, "if only I knew more about Krypton's advanced sciences, I might be able to cure him." Minor Details:- I generally love Dick Giordano's inking, but Jurgens' faces look SO MUCH better when finished by Art Thibert. - FINALLY we have acknowledgement that Jimmy Olsen and Lucy Lane's having previously dated is still in continuity:  - Jurgens isn't letting Clark off the hook as easily as Ordway did. He's still going to face some consequences for leaving The Planet the way that he did while under the influence of The Eradicator Device:   Plot synopsis: Hank Henshaw's spaceship crashes on Earth and the four astronauts begin to gain fantastic powers akin to The Fantastic Four. They head to Metropolis and Lexcorp for help. Clark and Lois begin their date, but Perry interrupts with an urgent assignment for Lois, leaving Clark behind since he's only freelance now. Meanwhile, Mannheim makes it clear to Morgan Edge that Intergang will still help him but is no longer under his control. We also learn that Jose Delgado's bodyguard job is protecting Cat Grant during the Morgan Edge trial. Soon after, Superman arrives at Lexcorp to figure out what is happening with the super-powered astronauts attacking there. He hears their story and attempts to help, but he is too late to save all but one of them (Hank Henshaw's wife). One loses his mind and flies into the sun, another commits suicide via Magnetic Resonance Imaging Booth, and Hank Henshaw simply appears to die naturally. Clark then returns to Lois' apartment and, upon her return, he tells her he wants things to move forward and kisses her, all while Jose Delgado watches from the hallway. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 4, 2016 7:33:31 GMT -5
Updated once again. The Superman Office is making serious progress in addressing these...
Old Byrne Plot Points Still Left Unresolved
(as of Adventures of Superman #466, May 1990)
Needs to be resolved:
- There has now been a laboratory floating in orbit of Earth containing ALL of Superman's secret information since Superman #1, and yet no one has noticed it yet (getting addressed soon, according to Ordway in the letter pages)
- Elinore Lane (Lois' mother) is still battling a deadly illness. Luthor is controlling Lois in exchange for treating her mom.
- Amanda McCoy is trying to prove that Clark Kent is Superman and was inadvertently involved in the death of the private detective aiding her (coming up in "Dark Knight Over Metropolis")
- When is Perry going to learn his "son" Jerry is the biological son of Lex Luthor? (probably coming up in "Soul Search")
- What's up with the new director of STAR labs who was implied to be shady and have questionable motives? And is STAR labs still under the control of Morgan Edge's company?
- Luthor and the Kryptonite radiation (coming up in Action Comics #660)
Getting addressed right now:
- Jose as Gangbuster.
- Jimmy Olsen and Project Cadmus / search for his father
- Cat Grant's son. We had some serious foreshadowing that things were going to go bad for that young man.
Probably should be revisited:
-Jimmy Olsen dating Lucy Lane (last mentioned in Superman #4)
-Lois and Superman shared a kiss during The Earth Stealers
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 5, 2016 22:04:28 GMT -5
Updated once again. The slate is nearly wiped clean!
Old Byrne Plot Points Still Left Unresolved
(as of Adventures of Superman #467, June 1990)
Needs to be resolved:
- There has now been a laboratory floating in orbit of Earth containing ALL of Superman's secret information since Superman #1, and yet no one has noticed it yet (getting addressed soon, according to Ordway in the letter pages)
- Amanda McCoy is trying to prove that Clark Kent is Superman and was inadvertently involved in the death of the private detective aiding her (coming up in "Dark Knight Over Metropolis")
- Jose as Gangbuster.
- Jimmy Olsen and Project Cadmus / search for his father
- When is Perry going to learn his "son" Jerry is the biological son of Lex Luthor? (probably coming up in "Soul Search")
- What's up with the new director of STAR labs who was implied to be shady and have questionable motives? And is STAR labs still under the control of Morgan Edge's company?
- Luthor and the Kryptonite radiation (coming up in Action Comics #660)
Getting addressed right now:
- Elinore Lane (Lois' mother) is still battling a deadly illness. Luthor is controlling Lois in exchange for treating her mom.
- Cat Grant's son. We had some serious foreshadowing that things were going to go bad for that young man.
Probably should be revisited:
-Jimmy Olsen dating Lucy Lane (last mentioned in Superman #4)
-Lois and Superman shared a kiss during The Earth Stealers
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 27, 2016 22:51:55 GMT -5
Superman #45  "Native Sons" artist/writer: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke colors: Glenn Whitmore letters: John Costanza assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: B You've just launched an ambitious event to attract new readers to the three Superman titles. Now that you have their attention, what do you do next? ...a full month of filler stories and uninteresting covers, apparently. Don't get me wrong; there's a lot to love about this issue, but with all the exciting threads and developments weaving throughout the Superman franchise right now, stories about Native American social justice and (gasp!) Lana Lang's feelings probably aren't the best way to sell this franchise to new readers. Still, the one aspect of this issue that positively shines is the time Ordway gives to The Kents. The concept behind the Superman relaunch all along was supposed to be that Superman was an ordinary farm boy from Kansas, and that his inherent goodness came from the qualities instilled upon him there. Yet, outside of their origin in World of Smallville, the Kents never had a true presence in this franchise up to this point, serving as little more than uni-dimensional cheerleaders that worried appropriately when something was wrong with Clark. But, here, Ordway takes the time to give this family a SOUL, and Janke's inks are there right along with him, helping to paint some of the warmest, life-like images we've yet seen in these pages. These people end up feeling thoroughly real, and you can't help loving them as a result:    There's some subtlety at play too. I like that Ordway gives Ma Kent a feminist slant that breaks from the default homemaker tradition:  And there's even a playful (if not creepy) reminder that this Pa Kent hasn't died in the way that the Pre-Crisis and movie one did:  Foreshadowing? However, though Ordway and Janke are positively on fire throughout most of this issue, they do have their misses. We get a couple of truly weird looking faces from time to time that really kill the momentum of an otherwise powerful story:   As for the central conflict of this issue, it's impressive to see both Superman and this book concerned with the plight of Native Americans:  and I give extra credit for the level of complexity Ordway gives to this piece. It's not a simple lecture about how the White man has wronged the Red man. Careful attention is given to portray multiple voices and interests within a Native American community, each with their own perspectives and concerns. Of course, Ordway just has to give us an actual fight and a super-powered stranger  but if tribal elders could really project astral fire monsters, levitate on air, heal bullet wounds, and pass bullets through them, the Native Americans probably wouldn't have to worry about the white man to begin with. Superman always requires a certain level of disbelief, but somehow expecting us to believe that real-world Native Americans could possess the ability to do these things (and, therefore, simply allowed what occurred to their people, only now taking action over a much smaller matter for some reason) just maxed out that disbelief for me. Really though, the entire purpose of that altercation is to reintroduce us to Pete Ross  who we have not seen since Adventures of Superman #436. His handling of the situation shows us that he is a Superman in his own rite, more successful here, in fact, than the super-powered original with his bravery, selflessness, and knack for diplomacy. There's a clear implication that Lana Lang will now be moving on to Pete Ross and will be happy with him. So maybe...just maybe we're done with sad-sack Lana Lang now?  Important Details:- The 8 page insert (Jimmy Olsen's Diary) provides an actual date for Superman's first public appearance: June 15, 1985. I'll be updating The Post-Crisis Superman Timeline to reflect this. Minor Details:- Lois gets a page to randomly reflect on her progressing relationship with Clark. It seems included just to remind us this is still happening, but it doesn't go anywhere interesting.  - Jimmy Olsen's mom has gone into shock as a result of her experiences with The Evil Factory and learning of her husband's death:  - Any previous attempt to mature Jerry White and make him into a sympathetic character is now out the window as Ordway begins setting him up for his final fate:  Plot synopsis: Clark returns home to the Kents, now fully free of self-doubt in the wake of The Eradicator storyline. Conveniently enough, a hostage situation breaks out in Smallville at exactly this time, desperate Native Americans feeling they have not been treated fairly by the mining company looking to acquire their land, and taking Pete Ross hostage as a result. A tribal elder shows up to try to save the day, as does Superman, but it soon becomes evident that different tribal members have very different views on this land purchase, most willing to sell in exchange for jobs and fair compensation. Meanwhile, Superman makes it clear to Lana that they will never be romantically involved. |
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Post by chadwilliam on Sept 18, 2016 22:20:11 GMT -5
I just picked up the DVD set containing all 13 episodes of the Ruby-Spears Superman cartoon from 1988 and thought I'd share a few details here seeing as how, well, you'll see.
I watched this series when it first aired but other than an episode in which Luthor becomes a Shadow Thief and the fact that most (if not all) episodes ended with a short 'Story from Superman's Childhood' segment focusing on his time in Smallville, I remember very little other than the fact that I enjoyed it. 28 years later however, the thought occurred to me that even though the show coincided with Superman's 50th anniversary, 48 of those years might have been off-limits due to the changes Crisis and John Byrne brought to the comic. Could characters who hadn't yet appeared post-Crisis be allowed to make an appearance? "Hey, you know what would be great? How about we use Brainiac in that cool looking skull ship of his?" "uh, he doesn't exist anymore but how about a fat guy in an ill fitting tux whose wife has driven him to drink?"
So while I've only watched the first episode since getting the set today, it's clear that the writers have more freedom than I thought they might be allowed. Interestingly enough, the writer who put my concern that this series might be a little too promotey towards the Post-Crisis status quo, was none other than one of the architects of the Post-Crisis Superman - Marv Wolfman.
Wolfman was the one who suggested to John Byrne that following the Crisis, Lex Luthor should be a criminal businessman. Actually, according to Byrne, his exact wording was:
"Outside Metropolis is a mountain. On that mountain, in his fabulous Xanadu-like estate, lives Lex Luthor, the world's richest man, and his mistress, Lois Lane. You see, she's drawn to power."
OK, so the Lois Lane stuff was never used, but that Xanadu-like estate, actually makes an appearance in this series. It's shown briefly, but it's all there - a mountain outside of Metropolis on top of which is Luthor's home, so although it didn't make its way into the comic, Wolfman's idea of Luthor's "Xanadu-like estate" made it onto the show. I don't know if LexCorp will make an appearance or if it will look anything at all like it did in the comics.
Now, the show is clearly aimed at children - Luthor is busy sipping a milkshake when Superman stops by to drop one of his tanks into his swimming pool - but I can't help but wonder how much of his portrayal here (and everybody else's for that matter) is due to who the intended audience was and how much was "Hey, I don't have to run my ideas through John Byrne's sieve here, so I'm going to do what I would have done had I been allowed to revamp Superman".
Wolfman once stated that he wanted to make Luthor a rich businessman because he wanted to explain how he could afford to build all these expensive machines he'd use to rob banks with. I don't know how Wolfman expected Luthor to balance that thin line between being a notorious bank robber and a legitimate businessman/philanthropist Post-Crisis, but that's what he said.
So what does Luthor do in this episode? He donates a bunch of robots to Metropolis to aid in catching criminals, rescuing people from fires, etc - essentially anything to make Superman look obsolete. His plan works well enough that Superman seems to retire until we learn what exactly Luthor hopes to gain from Superman's absence - he wants to steal a trainfull of gold that's been earmarked for Fort Knox. He's asked point blank in the episode "why do you want to steal more money when you're already rich" and Luthor responds that you can never have enough money. Luthor's stopped, but not arrested as he's able to cover his tracks by claiming that his machines malfunctioned and if Superman checks with the Mayor, he'll learn that Luthor had already called him to explain that his robots were running amuck due to faulty wiring.
Yeah, yeah - acceptable logic for a cartoon aimed at kids, but it likely wouldn't have worked for the comics at the time. However, it's interesting to me that Wolfman addressed that whole "what do you need more money for" issue as if this were an interpretation of the character he believed strongly enough in to defend. I can't help but wonder if this is what Wolfman's Luthor would have looked like sans Byrne - Businessman, yes, but still a scientific genuis who robs banks as he did pre-Crisis but with a team of lawyers (or with the Mayor on constant speed dial for those "Yes, my machines were robbing that bank when Superman arrived, but I was also leaving a message on the Mayor's answering machine with my alibi while that was going on so it's all good" phone calls) to bail him out whenever he needs them.
Other than Luthor, I can't think of anything else about this one episode that didn't work with pre-Crisis continuity. There are a few updates - Jimmy Olsen rides a skateboard through the Daily Planet offices and doesn't wear a bowtie - but it has mild-mannered Clark Kent, a Superman who was dropped off at a local orphanage when he was discovered and not claimed as the Kents' biological child, and a Superman who had his powers as a baby. Oh, and judging from the opening credits, Titano should be making an appearance.
Not sure how the timing works with Wolfman's departure from the comics and arrival on the cartoon - he's credited with a hand in writing three of the 13 episodes for this series. When did he leave the Superman titles - end of 1987? The first episode of this show aired in Sept 1988. Would that have meant he left the comics to help with the cartoon (admittedly in a limited capacity) or is it more likely he wrote this episode (and two others) back in 1987/early 1988 and then left both the comics and cartoon while the latter was being animated/voiced/etc?
Anyhow, that's some of the stuff that was going through my head after watching this episode and thought it relevant here (though not necessarily timely). |
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Post by shaxper on Dec 4, 2016 19:14:02 GMT -5
Superman #46  "The World of Tomorrow" pencils: Dan Jurgens writer/co-inker: Jerry Ordway co-inker: Dennis Janke colors: Glenn Whitmore letters: John Costanza assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: D+ Well, the Superman Office has really hit its stride and, with all their effort in the past two months to push Superman back to the #1 spot, it's a great time to be reading. Truly seems like there hasn't been an outright bad issue in ages now. Oh, wait. No. Here's one. Look, it's obvious that this month's issues are all filler in the wake of the three part Dark Knight over Metropolis event, and only one month ahead of the next big crossover: Soul Search (plus yet another and bigger event being planned for two months after that). Coordinating an event across three titles with three creative teams, getting it all done in a single month, and then planning to do it all AGAIN two months later and AGAIN two months after that -- that's insane, so it's forgivable if these stories aren't great, but man this one sure stinks. It really feels like Ordway's thought process was as follows: "You know, we've got all these new readers coming in. Might be a great chance to build interest for my aborted Infinity Inc. title by inundating new readers with tons of continuity from a long-dead title they're not likely to know anything about. And hey, I watched Westworld last night (the '70s movie, not the current show), so throwing Superman and these other heroes in an Old West setting with robot cowboys would be pretty cool. Who cares if it makes sense? Eh, I feel a little selfish. Maybe I'll put a message in there about global warming to expunge my guilt." That's essentially what we're given, the Infinity Inc. characters and references feeling forced and confusing, the Old West backdrop and robot cowboys seeming entirely random, and the global warming message even being a dud because the point made is that wealthy industrialists are responsible for the problem -- so that leaves us with no message about what we as readers should do about it. Couldn't Superman at least suggest we write our congressman? A lot of the plot doesn't make much sense either. I think my favorite part is when Terra-Man unleashes a tornado upon the area. Obsidian tries to stop him while Superman and Jade appear to stand by and do absolutely nothing as people around them are getting seriously banged-up:  No one even bats an eye or asks why Superman didn't help them. And these people look HURT. As an impressionable ten year old comic reader when this book came out, I'd been won over by Dark Knight over Metropolis and was thus reading Superman for the first time with these stories. Assuming my experience was not unique, I'd imagine there were a lot of people reading this book for the first time as of this issue, and that they therefore would have been floored by the last page (as I was):  If you'd been reading these titles previously, Lois and Clark had already shared several kisses and were in a serious relationship by this point, but it feels like this final page was there to shock the newbies and show them that this was not their parents' Superman -- foundations were being shaken. I know it made my jaw drop at the time. So a pretty darn awful issue, but that final page must have been pretty exciting to new readers, at least. Important Details:- Angelica Blaze first mentioned in this story as the owner of the Blaze nightclub Jerry White works at - 1st appearance of Terra-Man (Tobias Manning), a former industrialist turned environmental extremist utilizing advanced technology to achieve his goals.  Can build robots that resemble living people, and wears an exo armor that allows him to shoot energy bursts, create tornadoes, and alter his density at will. Minor Details:- This issue must have been a rush job. John Costanza has glaring typos all over the place, and that isn't at all like him. Plot synopsis: Clark and Lois are covering a sales pitch for a biosphere that will allow the rich to endure global warming, and Obsidian and Jade of Infinity Inc. are assisting behind the scenes. Terra-Man shows up to frighten the wealthy prospective clients that they should clean up the environment instead of running from it, and Superman, Obsidian and Jade try to stop him. Jimmy Olsen and Jerry White are on their way to meet up with Angelica Blaze while Clark and Lois have a picnic under fireworks and share a romantic kiss. |
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Post by shaxper on Jan 1, 2017 22:40:32 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman #469  "Nasty Boys" story & pencils: Dan Jurgens inks: Art Thibert letters: Albert DeGuzman colors: Glenn Whitmore assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: B+ At this point, the Superman Office is playing to two very different audiences. We've got new readers pouring in after Dark Knight Over Metropolis who need a few introductions, explanations, and (of course) some excitement to make them want to stick around. It's for that last reason, I suspect, that this issue begins exactly where Superman #46 left off:  Hey, new readers -- this isn't the Superman you grew up with! But much of this issue is also written with the original audience in mind: those loyal fans who stuck around throughout and after Byrne's run and are still expecting this new team to preserve that continuity and address all unanswered questions. Now, I'm a continuity guy. I love when a book is meticulous in how it utilizes and recalls past events in a meaningful fashion, and thus I've been really impressed with the lengths the current Superman team has gone to in order to fill in nearly all missing pieces left behind by Byrne. And yet even I believe that adherence to continuity can go too far. This issue is an example of that, dredging up a forgettable done-in-one conflict from two years back in Adventures of Superman #442 that never made any darn sense, in which two robot probes that look like aliens sap Superman's strength and test him to determine whether or not their invasion fleet should invade Earth. I'll be honest -- I completely forgot about this story and had to go back through my reviews to jog my memory. It wasn't memorable, and the parts that made no sense were no more or less dumb and in need of further explanation than a lot of other stuff Byrne wrote during his run, so why dredge it up again? It's true that Ordway assisted on the writing of that story, but this is Jurgens' title; Ordway wasn't involved this time around. ANYWAY, so the robots are back, but it turns out they weren't robots at all, aliens appearing to hunt them were just sent by one of the non-robots' wives in order to bring him home, and basically they're just two idiots out looking for fun, telling aliens they fight the whole story about being robots scouting for an invasion fleet:  The whole thing feels like a total cheat -- dredging up a storyline no one remembered anyway in order to claim it was all a lie. However, just when you think you know what's going on, it turns out the story we've now been fed was also a lie:  I have no idea where this is going, and thus I'm not sure whether I dislike it or not. Continuity and after-the-fact revisions aside though, this was a really fun issue. The goal of these filler stories between Dark Knight Over Metropolis and Soul Search appears to be reaffirming that Superman is finally okay again. So, when these bad guys come cruising for a bruising, it's fun to watch Superman not work up a sweat since he's ready for them now. He says as much and reels off all the troubles he's had recently while essentially trouncing these guys without an ounce of effort.   It's just FUN. And we get this amusing moment a little earlier on as well:  Kissing, fighting, comedy, and absolutely no misery or depression whatsoever -- what a nice contrast to the really dark stories we waded through for so long before arriving at this moment that feels a bit like a victory lap. Superman did it; things are back to normal. Well...until the last page.  We knew Jerry White was cruising for a downfall, but Jimmy Olsen too??? Some intergang thugs gun them both down after Angelica Blaze caused them to believe Jerry had stolen their drug money. And before you start telling yourself there's no way Jimmy is dead, we just saw Clark and Lois making out at the beginning of this issue. Clearly, the Superman status quo is out the window, and nothing is safe as a result. (of course, Jimmy DOES end up living, but that's not the point  ) Minor Details:- Is no one yet questioning why Smallville has now been the subject of FOUR alien invasions over the past two years?? - Whitmore does one heck of a job making an evening backdrop look compelling, panel after panel. Blacks, purples, even pinks at time. He never lets it get monotonous. plot synopsis:
Clark and Lois are "enjoying" their evening picnic when they are interrupted by Pete Ross and Lana. Before that can get awkward, an alien spaceship arrives with super powered hunters seeking aliens that are, in turn, seeking Clark Kent for some reason. Turns out that the aliens being pursued are the alien scouts from Adventures of Superman #442, which Superman has to defeat after defeating their pursuers. Then Dreadnaut's "wife" shows up to explain it was all a bogus story and Superman sends them on their way, but they subsequently report to a hidden base on Earth where a commanding officer chides them for nearly exposing their secret plan to Superman and Clark Kent. Then, at Angelica Blaze's nightclub, she causes two Intergang thugs for whom Jerry is selling drugs that he has stolen their money. They gun down Jerry and Jimmy Olsen (who is with him). Angelica admires her handiwork and, caressing the dying bodies, informs them that, instead of going to St. Peter, they will be going to her.
In the end, none of this month's filler issues can be outstanding, almost by definition, but this one was a lot of fun and left us with a mystery to boot, even if it slaved over past continuity just a bit too much. |
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Post by shaxper on Jan 14, 2017 10:54:57 GMT -5
Action Comics #656  "Soul Search, Part One of Three: Going to Blaze's" Script: Roger Stern Pencils: Bob McLeod Inks: Brett Breeding Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: C+ Two months ago, the Superman Office launched and concluded the head-turning Dark Knight Over Metropolis crossover in a record-setting single month. Now, only two months later and with a flock of new readers turning to these books in response, we get our next month-long crossover: "Soul Search". Dark Knight Over Metropolis, an overt effort to win the hoards of recent Batman fans over to Superman, did this in part by suddenly depicting Metropolis as a darker, crime-filled backdrop. They now attempt to one-up that darkness by literally putting Superman in Hell.  Every bit as ridiculous an idea as it sounds, and the presence of The Black Racer, possibly Jack Kirby's most ridiculous concept ever, doesn't help:  This probably wasn't the story that hesitant new readers needed to see, but it does have its moments. While these readers would have no reason to care about Jerry White (and, really, did any of us?), the reactions to his critical condition are damn powerful, especially his mother's:  and his true father's:  Of course, this leaves us with questions. If Lex knows that's his son, why was he using him in those biological experiments way back during the Gangwar storyline? Did he first learn of Jerry's genetic similarity to him via that research? And, most importantly, we still don't know if Perry White knows that Jerry is not his biological son. So odd not to have an editor's box at least trying to explain this matter to new readers who would have no understanding of why Lex Luthor would be so broken up about Perry White's son. Really, there isn't any more to this issue than that. People crying about Jerry (no real concern over Jimmy, other than from Clark), the Black Racer, and Hell. That about covers it. If it wasn't for the emotional poignancy of Alice White and Lex Luthor's grieving, I would have had no kind things to say about this issue. Minor Details: - Odd that Stern establishes the setting of the first scene as being "A Great Metropolitan Hospital". I mean, this issue names churches, offers street addresses, recalls the name and appearance of Clark's seldom seen neighbor (Andrea), and even makes a several year old reference to Superman Annual #1, but it can't name a hospital? Plot synopsis: Jimmy Olsen and Perry White are rushed to the hospital after being shot in Adventures of Superman #469, Perry and Alice show up and learn that their conditions are questionable, Clark arrives and discovers that their organs are fine -- something else is draining their life essence. The Black Racer arrives and summons Superman to what appears to be Hell and then vanishes. Superman is approached by a girl begging for his help who is actually Blaze attempting to deceive him. She shoots fire at him which causes him to fall into a pit, at which point he gets overly upset and starts making threats instead of...well...flying out of the pool and fighting her. Cue dramatic cliffhanger moment instead. |
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Post by shaxper on Jan 15, 2017 13:43:11 GMT -5
Adventures of Superman Annual #2  "Quest For Vengeance" Script: Dan Jurgens Pencils: Bob McLeod (pages 1-18); Curt Swan (pages 19-36) ; Kerry Gammill (pages 37-54) Inks: Bob McLeod (pages 1-18); John Byrne (pages 19-36); Dick Giordano (pages 37-54) Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Bill Oakley assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: A- Clearly intended more as a promotion for L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 than as any kind of meaningful adventure for Superman, we can see that Jurgens' priorities here did not involve keeping up with current continuity:  Jimmy Olsen's burning in Hell right now, Dan (someone please quote that out of context), and prior to that, Clark regretted that he hadn't seen Jimmy in ages. I'd also think that, after that story, he'll be giving Jimmy a lot of special attention. So, essentially, even though annuals are often written in advance, this moment, in which Clark is entirely unfazed by Jimmy's presence, should not have happened within even several months of the current storyline. Oops. The story does give us a few nice Superman moments. I'm always fond of those times when we get the people's perspective on what Superman means to them. Jurgens gets a lot of this into the first part of the story:  And yet, by the third part, I don't recognize Superman. He jumps to conclusions, is quick to anger, unwilling to listen to reason, and unnecessarily violent:  (strangely enough, the part I find more disturbing than anything else is his calling Lobo and Lar Gand "Butt-heads") This feels more like a page from Byrne's Superman than anything the Superman Office has been writing in the past two years. But, that minor objection aside, this was an excellent issue with intricate plotting, exciting action and backdrops, and strong characterization (when it wasn't Superman):  Unlike the last time he appeared in these comics, the Superman Office has a clear grasp on what makes Lobo endearing beyond being tough, stupid, and far too in love with inebriation. Jurgens extends that treatment to virtually everyone in this issue, even if some characters only get a panel or two to speak. This becomes especially clear after all the action of the issue winds down and we find ourselves in the midst of several fascinating ethical debates all at once:  Imagine, a comic that can balance compelling non-stop action with strong characterization and deep explorations of ethics. Why can't every comic book read like this? Important Details: - Slight revision of Brainiac's origin. He was now aiding the computer tyrants that ruled his home planet before they turned on him. Brainiac made the L.E.G.I.O.N.'s Vril Dox (implied that he might be a clone). - Though barely featured in this issue, Brainiac now appears to rule his former home planet, and now possesses the ability to control minds on Earth from there.  Minor Details: - Now that it isn't all about the Newsboy Legion, I'm starting to love stories set in Project Cadmus. ANYTHING can happen there. Plot synopsis: Vril Dox and Lar Gand come to Earth on a quest to kill the original Brainiac but accidentally crash land and discover Project Cadmus. Superman shows up to investigate and ends up running into the L.E.G.I.O.N., which is pursuing and attempting to stop Vril and Lar. A series of misunderstandings and much subsequent action ensue as Vril Dox attempts to obtain information about his father's whereabouts from Project Cadmus while the original Brainiac takes control of Dubbix's mind, causing him to attempt to destroy Project Cadmus. The threat is thwarted, misunderstandings are clarified, a meaningful debate about what should happen to the genetic experiments created by Dabney Donovan ensues, and Brainiac challenges his son to come find him on their homeworld. |
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Post by shaxper on Feb 19, 2017 0:33:10 GMT -5
Hey Shax, I've a question for ya. In the pre-Crisis era, there were several stories where Superman "met" Clark Kent, though usually this ended up being explained away via Kandorian lookalike, villain-programmed android, etc. Some of these stories include Superman 174, 198, & 315; Action 524; & DC Comics Presents 50 & 79. Do you know of any post-Crisis stories like these off the top of your head? Just curious. Thanks! Superman pulled a stunt to fool Lois in the wake of Millennium in which she was led to believe that Superman and Clark had been raised as brothers in Smallville. Off the top of my head, I recall neither the issue nor whether this required actually fooling her into believing the two had appeared at the same time. I'll have to go back and check. A more clear example would be when Matrix took the form of Superman and Clark Kent met him while Jimmy Olsen was conveniently on hand to snap a picture. But the reader was well aware of what was going on while it happened. |
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Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2017 9:47:49 GMT -5
Superman #47  Soul Search, Part Two: "Lives in the Balance" writer/artist: Jerry Ordway inks: Dennis Janke colors: Glenn Whitmore letters: John Costanza assoc. editor: Jon Peterson editor: Mike Carlin grade: C If you were looking for more insights or explanations after seeing Jerry White and Jimmy Olsen kidnapped by the Devil (disguised as a night club owner) last issue, keep looking. We still don't know if this is actually supposed to be Satan, nor why she has such an interest in these two random kids. The cover suggests she took two people near and dear to Superman in order to barter for his soul in exchange, but no such discussion occurs in the book within. Certainly, if Satan wanted to capture Superman, it wouldn't be hard to do since he is vulnerable to the supernatural. But the larger point is that, two issues into this three issue story arc, this thing still feels extremely stupid. As I've pointed out numerous times in recent reviews, the Superman Office worked its ass off trying to attract new readership and finally succeeded with Dark Knight Over Metropolis, but what's followed immediately on the heels of that event were three incredibly unimpressive filler stories and now this extremely dumb story arc. It's understandable that the creative teams spent all their energy and efforts on DKoM and were now sort of recalibrating, but once you have an attentive new audience, you have to do something to keep them. Instead, what's been offered are some of the most disappointing Superman stories we've seen in the past two years (since Superman returned to Earth and the "new" Superman Office semi-officially launched). Really, the only appeal to be found in this installment is our finally getting closure on the whole Jerry White paternity issue (first hinted at as far back as World of Metropolis #1, published two full years prior). It was in that issue where John Byrne first suggested that Jerry White was the son of Lex Luthor and not Perry White. Now we're finally offered explanations and a confrontation: Luthor did figure it out back when he kidnapped Jerry White for a genetic experiment during the "Gang War" storyline (note: that story was published a year before World of Metropolis and written by Marv Wolfman, who likely didn't even know John Byrne had this twist in mind), and Perry White had always suspected but never had the courage to ask. It all comes to a boiling point with a long overdue confrontation here:   The conclusion is neither definitive nor satisfying, but this is one of the few remaining unresolved plot points from Byrne's work on Superman, and it's nice to finally see it getting addressed. I guess The Superman Office was running out of time to do so if they're going to kill off Jerry White next issue (Oops! Spoilers...). Beyond that, we've got Superman fighting demons and neither definitively winning, losing, nor particularly holding our interest, Gangbuster constantly reminding us he's an ordinary guy in a costume as he complains about how hard it is to do the things he's seen Batman do, and the Black Racer standing around a lot and leaving us to wonder just exactly what his deal is:  (I never even understood this during Kirby's run. Is he the Angel of Death, or does he only show up for certain deaths? And if he can't interfere because these deaths are fated to happen, then why is he even needed? I just don't get it.) And, while we don't get any real explanation as to what the hell (heheh. Get it?) Satan is doing in this story (if that's who Blaze even is), we do get her connected to the old Skyhook storylines in Superman #15 and #34. The previous explanation for how Skyhook came to be was pretty unsatisfactory -- he made a deal with The Devil. So now, at least we get to meet that devil. If we end up getting some more meaningful insight into who/what Blaze is, it will tie up those old loose ends quite a bit. Clearly though, no one had Blaze in mind at the time those stories were written. So I consider this issue a disappointment in pretty much all respects beyond finally addressing the Jerry White parentage thing, and even that wasn't done all that remarkably. Plot synopsis:
Superman is fighting Blaze in "Hell" but struggles since he is vulnerable to magic and the supernatural, Blaze seeks Skyhook on him and explains that she's the one who made him what he is, we learn that Jerry's girlfriend is also the Black Racer's sister (she was married in Pre-Crisis continuity. Interesting), the Black Racer summons Gangbuster to fight Blaze's earthly form, Intergang decides to torch her club, Gangbuster saves the day, Lex and Perry have their big confrontation, and, back in Hell, Jerry is now controlled by Blaze and fighting Superman. |
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Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2017 9:57:05 GMT -5
Updated once again...
Old Byrne Plot Points Still Left Unresolved
(as of Action Comics #660, December 1990)
Needs to be resolved:
- There has now been a laboratory floating in orbit of Earth containing ALL of Superman's secret information since Superman #1, and yet no one has noticed it yet.
- Amanda McCoy is trying to prove that Clark Kent is Superman and was inadvertently involved in the death of the private detective aiding her (coming up in "Dark Knight Over Metropolis")
- Jose as Gangbuster.
- Jimmy Olsen and Project Cadmus / search for his father
- When is Perry going to learn his "son" Jerry is the biological son of Lex Luthor? (probably coming up in "Soul Search")
- Luthor and the Kryptonite radiation (coming up in Action Comics #660)
- Elinore Lane (Lois' mother) is still battling a deadly illness. Luthor is controlling Lois in exchange for treating her mom.
Probably should be revisited:
-Jimmy Olsen dating Lucy Lane (last mentioned in Superman #4)
-Lois and Superman shared a kiss during The Earth Stealers
- What's up with the new director of STAR labs who was implied to be shady and have questionable motives? And is STAR labs still under the control of Morgan Edge's company?
- Cat Grant's son. We had some serious foreshadowing that things were going to go bad for that young man.
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