Comic Coverage

Simply the Best: The Killing Joke

 No, I haven't seen The Dark Knight yet (I plan to see it later today), but if the wall-to-wall hype and early word of mouth is to be believed, it looks like one hell of a ride. With so much focus on Heath Ledger's Joker, I can't help but think about one of my favorite images of arguably the greatest comic book villain of all time. In the spring of 1988, superstars Alan Moore and Brian Bolland collaborated on Batman: The Killing Joke...which sounded good on paper, but fell short for me (especially the wrong-headed ending with Bats and the Joker yucking it up like old drinking buddies).

However, it's Bolland's spectacularly creepy cover that continues to stick with me and, frankly, haunt me all these years later.

Although there are dozens of unique interpretations of the Joker over his nearly 70 year history, Bolland's remains my favorite.  Sure, other artists can do the big rictus grin of jagged teeth and the foppish gangster/pimp clothing....but Bolland goes farther by perfectly (and consistently) capturing the viciousness and almost elemental evil within his facade of whimsy.  Even small details like the black pool of the Joker's left eye (with its tiny speck of light) and the snarling folds and wrinkles of his face make him seem less a "Clown Prince of Crime" and more a sadistic, leering demon.

Amping up the creepy factor is the camera, which on its own isn't particularly creepy, but after reading the story, I realized it was a reference to a scene in which he snaps pictures of Barbara (Batgirl) Gordon after brutalizing and crippling her. Although stories before this one had taken the Joker into darker regions, The Killing Joke seemed to be the moment the straightjacket came off for a much darker, over-the-top Joker from that point onward.

Crusaders Times Two: The Marvel-DC Pseudo Crossover

Yesterday I covered how publishing rivals Marvel and DC Comics arranged for an unofficial "crossover" of sorts between the Invaders and the Freedom Fighters. However, instead of the actual characters appearing in the other company's title, imitation or "pastiche" versions of them were created...with the added twist of both substitute teams sharing the name "Crusaders".

Marvel Comics went first with Invaders #14-15 (March-April 1977), which featured somewhat vague doppelgangers of DC's Freedom Fighters.  A few months later, it was DC's turn with Freedom Fighters #8 and #9 (June & Aug. 1977), featuring doubles of the Invaders that were remarkably close to the originals:

Thought to be only comic book heroes from the WWII era, the Crusaders suddenly appeared in the flesh to apprehend the Freedom Fighters (who were wrongly-accused fugitives from justice at the time). After the initial skirmish between the two teams, it was revealed that the Crusaders' shield-slinging leader Americommando was actually The Silver Ghost, an old enemy of the Freedom Fighters.  Like the Nazi spy "Alphie" from the Invaders story, the Ghost was the one responsible for giving the other four Crusaders their superpowers. Where did he find these gullible recruits?  Why, at a comic book convention, of course!

(click on the panels for a larger view)

Wait..,"Lenny", "Marvin", "Arch", and "Roy"? Those would be none other than Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Archie Goodwin, and Roy Thomas...all of them part of the first generation of fans to became comic book pros.

So...what did I think of the two Crusader crossovers?  Well, the artwork on both wasn't spectacular, and of the two stories, I think I prefer the one from The Invaders (the comic convention thing from Freedom Fighters is just smothered in cheese). However, I think the thing I appreciate the most about the pair of Crusader crossovers is the spirit of fun and good-natured collaboration behind them both. It'd be nice to see some of that again between DC and Marvel.

Which Came First: The Crusaders or...The Crusaders?

Unlike the other strange comic book coincidences I've covered, this one's more of a good natured quasi-collaboration than a perplexing mystery.

By late 1976, both Marvel and DC Comics were publishing titles that featured revivals of their respective Golden Age characters. First out of the gate was Marvel's The Invaders, which retroactively chronicled the WWII-era adventures of Captain America, his sidekick Bucky, the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch, and his young ward Toro. On the other side of the aisle, DC offered up The Freedom Fighters, featuring Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, Doll Man, The Ray, Black Condor, and The Human Bomb (all of whom were old Quality Comics characters DC had recently acquired).

Well, perhaps influenced by the Marvel-DC "Superman vs. Spider-Man" collaboration earlier that year, Freedom Fighters writer Bob Rozakis seemed to have caught a case of "crossover fever". As Rozakis himself explained in 2003, his idea for a pseudo Marvel-DC crossover soon took on a life of its own:

"As I recall it, I had come up with the idea of using the Crusaders...in Freedom Fighters and joked with then-editor Tony Isabella that it would be really funny if (Invaders writer) Roy Thomas used a version of the FFers in Invaders and called them the Crusaders as well. I believe it was actually Tony who spoke with Roy and suggested the unofficial crossover… but neither Roy nor I got to see these alternate-reality versions of our teams until the books were published."

Although Rozakis came up with the initial idea, Roy Thomas beat him to the newsstand with "Calling...The Crusaders!", which appeared in Invaders #14-15 (cover-dated March-April, 1977). In the story, a mysterious new group of superheroes appeared in war-torn England while the Invaders were elsewhere in Europe. It turned out the five members of the Crusaders unknowingly received their superpowers from a mysterious figure named "Alfie", who was actually a Nazi spy planning to assassinate the King of England! 

As with any pastiche of another company's characters, the members of Marvel's Crusaders (left) were clever mirror images of DC's Freedom Fighters (right): 

So...what was DC's answer to Marvel's opening salvo? Ah, you'll have to come back tomorrow to check out the other Crusaders, who appeared a scant two months later.  See you then!

The Magic of SHAZAM!

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been looking forward to DC's new Magic of SHAZAM series since it was first announced last Fall. Not only because it was an honest effort on DC's part to connect with today's younger readers (something I passionately believe in), but also because I'm thrilled to see a bold, expressive cartoonist like Mike Kunkel getting the mass-audience exposure he deserves.

So, today I finally got my hands on it, had a chance to read it, and man...like an ice cream cone on a summer day...what a treat.

As both the writer and illustrator for the title, Mike Kunkel has brought a delightfully unique vision to the world of Captain Marvel without getting hung up on imitating past creators. Loosely tied into a previous SHAZAM project by Jeff Smith (which I wasn't bananas about), Kunkel jumpstarts Cap's world with a giddy cartoon energy, bursting with brilliant design and gentle humor.

Here...check out this early exchange between Cap and his little sister Mary Marvel, as they spot a runaway circus train (click on the panels for a larger view):

Note Kunkel's inventive use of multiple figures within panels two and five. In panel two, instead of confining each of the statements to their own panels, Kungel's triple-progression feels much like an animator flipping through a stack of key frames, giving Mary's motor-mouthed monologue a real sense of movement and personality.

Next up, in one of my favorite sequences, Cap assesses the situation with the train's frantic engineer. During the exchange, the boyish Billy Batson aspect of Cap briefly surfaces with charming results...

Beyond the great pacing and the cute gags, take another look at that gorgeous artwork. Speaking with my cartoonist hat on now, Kunkel's sense of expression, mass, fluid motion, and his elegant pencil work just blows my mind.  In fact, the only negative aspect of the artwork is that the panels looks so great, it's tough to stay in the story flow...since I'm too busy taking in and enjoying each panel!

Another talent of Kunkel's I really admire is his ability to craft a story just for kids without it feeling fake or condescending (like so much of children's entertainment). Having worked in the children's entertainment and education fields for almost twenty years, very few people have what it takes to craft material kids really connect with....and Kunkel is definitely one of them. His ear for natural-sounding kid dialogue and behavior is gratifying to read, knowing how well he's connecting with any kid who's lucky enough to pick up a copy.

Another indicator of Kunkel's talent is his ability to infuse the more down-to-earth scenes with the same playful spirit as his action set pieces. A great example is the exchange between Cap (posing as Billy and Mary's "father") and his school principal Ms. Strikta. Prior to the meeting, Billy/Cap struggled with how to convincingly dress like a grown up (which you can see from the red tennis shoes, he still needs to work on).

Later in the story, a young tough named Theo Adam magically appears in Billy's world, obviously the alter ego of long-time Cap villain Black Adam...who'll probably be appearing in the near future.

Obviously, I highly recommend Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM.  It's part of DC's kid-oriented Johnny DC line and retails for a somewhat cheaper $2.25 (due to its newsprint stock).  For all of you who are weary of the non-stop dreariness of so many modern comics...or burned out on multi-part mega events...give Magic of SHAZAM a shot.  Even if the lighter approach isn't your thing, there's surely a kid in your life who'd enjoy something like this....so pick 'em up a copy!

UPDATE: ShadoWing, a regular reader of Comic Coverage, took the time to translate the coded messages left throughout the first issue of Magic of SHAZAM. If you bought the first issue and haven't translated the messages, click here to read them. Thanks, ShadowWing!

Playing Catch-Up (Part 2)

Continuing to play catch-up from my All-Superman June, I have to talk about something that happened just last week:

He's Baaaaaack! Anyone familiar with Comic Coverage knows how much I can blather on about Barry Allen, the second man to wear the Flash costume who perished in DC's epic Crisis on Infinite Earth (1985).

Over the intervening 23 years, Barry's been lionized as some sort of Ultimate Martyr King...and the one character death that was somehow off limits and irreversible (despite everyone else and their uncle coming back from the dead).

Well, after a false alarm last summer, the final page of last week's Final Crisis #2 featured Barry Allen blasting through the dimensional barrier, appropriately yelling "RUN!". Who's he running from? That would be the re-designed version of the Black Racer, the personification of Death from the New Gods pantheon of characters. Oh, and in the jar above Barry's head? That's probably a super-deadly viral creature named Morticoccus.

Where this all goes from here is anyone's guess. There's still a very good chance Barry's return is a big, giant head-fake (as it has been in the past), but there's always hope they'll let him stick around. Personally, I can't wait to see how Barry would interact with the modern DCU and all its challenges. This past weekend at the WizardWorld Chicago Con, there was an intriguing hint regarding Barry's possible future in an exchange between Executive Editor Dan Didio and artist Ethan Van Sciver:

Didio followed up, “Which Flash would you talk about?” Van Sciver shot back, “Why not all of them?” Didio pretended to be incredulous “In the same book?” Van Sciver drove it home with, “Why not?”

So, maybe in answer to the "dilemma" of who gets to be DC's primary Flash character, DC's decided to have all of the living Flashes play a roll in a new Flash title. Obviously, the first Flash (Jay Garrick) can appear anywhere and be welcome, Barry's a given, yet Wally West (the former Kid Flash and standard-bearer since Barry's death) is still a vital character as well...so keep 'em all around and we'll see what happens.

But for now: Welcome back, Barry!

Next item of belated business? One word:

SHAZAM!
I've been looking forward to this for quite awhile, and wouldn't you know, I'm able to provide a "heads up" for it just in time. Today marks the debut of Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM, a new title from the kid-oriented Johnny DC imprint. Writing and illustrating the book is Eisner Award-winning creator Mike Kunkel, long known for his work on Herobear and the Kid.

I absolutely adore Kunkel's cartooning, and I can't wait to see what he's got in store for the good Captain and the rest of the Marvel family.  Unfortunately, Cap's gotten lost in the shuffle over in the "regular" DC Universe (and that's being kind)...so it's wonderful to see Cap get the spotlight he deserves....better yet, aimed squarely at younger children...where the soul of Captain Marvel has always seemed most at home.  In the words of Mike Kunkel (from an interview last September):

"I love the heart in those (classic Captain Marvel) books. I can’t help but draw upon their charm and whimsy and fun. That helps, because I always strive to choose the perspective of childhood and tell the stories with that point of view. "

I realize times are tight, and comics aren't getting any cheaper...but if you support the concept of giving kids some comics of their own (and enjoy a whimsical approach yourself), give Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM a shot when you're at the comic shop today.  I'll let you know what I thought once I've had a chance to check it out myself.

Not quite convinced?  Here, check out Kunkel's fantastic character studies for The Magic of SHAZAM (click on the image for a larger view):

Playing Catch-Up

So, have I mentioned Superman turned 70 in June?

KIDDING!  (sorry, I couldn't resist).  After last month's wall-to-wall Superman@70 marathon, we now return to regular Comic Coverage programming...which translates to "anything but Superman" (to the collective cheers of comicdom).

During that month of super-centric posting, there were a number of things that I'd normally talk about, but had to take a back seat to You-Know-Who.  So, l think I'll get back into the swing of things by catching up on some of those belated blatherings. First up:

The Incredible Hulk movie: I'm sure you've all spent many a sleepless night wondering what I thought of the new Hulk movie since it hit theatres back on June 13^th. The verdict?

"HULK SMASH EXPECTATIONS!" 

Really, nobody was more pleasantly surprised at how good this movie was than me.  Or maybe it's because my expectations were steadily lowered leading up to opening day...but whatever the reason, this thing rocked.

The highlight of the film? The HULK himself, of course!

I was concerned about the somewhat plastic-looking CGI from the previews, but as I'd hoped, they did a great job of working out the kinks during the intervening months.  The man-monster was a great amalgamation of several comic book looks from over the years, though the versions of both classic Marvel artists John Romita Sr. and Sal Buscema seemed to dominate. Unlike the green "gumby" from the previous Hulk film, this Hulk had a convincing range of motion and well-played facial emotion (though I was more partial to the "rage" end of the emotional spectrum).  

Sure, the comic book proportions of his body still fight my mind's resistance to such exaggeration in a realistic context, but the CGI wizards managed to pull it off, especially when aided by techniques that subtly masked CGI's vulnerabilities (such as using creative shadowing for quieter scenes or shaky-camera effects during battle scenes). Of course, my giddy laughter during the pure chaos of Hulk's rampages is testament that these guys did a fantastic job of bringing the Jolly Green Giant to life.

The other performances were generally pretty good. Ed Norton did a great job of playing Bruce Banner...giving him enough pathos to feel for him, but not wallowing in it to the point of boredom (like the Ang Lee snoozer). Tim Roth did well as Emil Blonski, though I have to say I've about had my fill of psycho special-ops characters. I wasn't as impressed with both General and Betty Ross, though.  William Hurt and (especially) Liv Tyler seemed ill-suited for their roles, and not terribly convincing (Tyler a biology professor? Really?) But who cares.  Their non-entity status was easily overlooked with the movie's great pacing and generous amounts of Hulk action.  Add the nifty cameo appearances of Stan Lee, Lou Ferrigno, and a certain Mr. Stark, and you've got yourself a smashing addition to Marvel's growing roster of comic-to-film successes. Not quite as good as Iron-Man (the new Gold Standard for superhero films), but definitely worthy of

4 out of 5 Ferrignos!

Bizarro's Toybox: A Kinder, Gentler Hulk

Since my kids are well into their teenage years, I'm completely out of the loop when it comes to toys aimed at younger children, especially the toys of the pre-school and early grade school crowd. However, during a recent trek to Target, I decided to take a stroll through their toy section to check out the latest superhero toys. Stopping me in my tracks was Hasbro's line of Hulk toys and games.  My reaction?

Two words: "What the?!..."

Here, let's run down a few of the Hulk-themed toys I ran across, which...while cute as a button, were also strange as all get-out (click on the photos for larger views)....

Marvel Super Hero Squad-Abomination and Hulk: Since the new Hulk movie is rated PG-13, these doe-eyed versions of Hulk and the Abomination are subtley cynical creations. Although the age group they're aimed at clearly aren't the movie's target audience, Hasbro (and everyone else) knows full well that boatloads of clueless parents will bring their tiny tots to the movie anyway, regardless of the PG-13 rating.

Yeah, I know...it's not the first time PG-13 movie tie-ins have been marketed to a much younger crowd, but I guess seeing a freaky character like the Abomination translated into a "Happy Lil' Fella" is pretty jarring. Plus, how many tykes can even pronounce "abomination", anyway?

Power Glow Hulk: From the sales pitch:
"The gamma radiation running in the Hulk's blood surges, giving him incredible strength! His very skin glows green from the incredible energy within, and nothing can stand up to the Hulk's gamma charged power!"

In other words, pretend you're playing with something that's emitting high levels of radiation!  Wheeeee!

"Press the Hulk figure's power glow button and watch his "skin" glow green with anger!"

Dare I ask where the power glow button is located?

"Fists clenched with rage, this gritted-toothed hero means business - and he's heading for your neighborhood!"

A rage-filled, extremely radioactive man-monster is heading for our neighborhood? Pleasant dreams, kids!

  Operation Hulk: Okay, what do we have going on here?  Apparently Lil' Spider-Man and Lil' Iron-Man need our help "fixing" an ailing Hulk. Why a powerhouse like the Hulk would require hospitalization, or how teddy bears and butterflies penetrated his invulnerable hide isn't explained...but like the classic Operation game it's based on, there's plenty of pressure on kiddies to remove the "funatomy parts" without triggering the heart-stopping Sound Effect O' Failure.
But wait...what's that green mist that seems to be emanating from the Hulk's nether regions? Obviously some sort of gamma-charged super fart (the Holy Grail of kid humor)...silent and plenty deadly based on the skull and crossbones symbol floating inside of it!

Don't Wake Hulk: Based on "Don't Wake Daddy" (yet another heart attack-inducing game), this version features a very kid-friendly Hulk who "needs his sleep" while his superhero buddies engage in the noisy business of crime fighting. If you have to push Hulk's alarm clock one too many times, up he'll pop in a fit of rage...sending your hero straight back to the Starting Line!  As we all know, a sleepy Hulk in the comics usually lead to him to transform back into Bruce Banner, but I think we can overlook that bit of Hulk lore in this instance. After all, how many kids would want to play "Don't Wake Bruce"?

Zoom-N-Go Hulk ATV 4-Wheeler: Hilarious on so many levels, Zoom-N-Go Hulk puts the "nonsense" in "nonsensical". What...riding an ATV is preferable to his 100 mile leaps? Does he stop at a gas station to fill the tank? Could this technically be considered "Off-Road Rage"?  Most important, can he pop extended wheelies?

Plus, not to be too much of an old poop, but considering the surprising number of young kids that ride ATV's (especially in my part of the country), check out the responsible riding skills the sales pitch encourages:

"The Hulk smashes right through anything that gets in his way!  He’s the most powerful superhero there is, so when he hits the road, everyone else better watch out!  The Hulk is coming through and nothing can stop him!"

Now, get the Hulk to ride the Zoom-N-Go ATV in the upcoming movie, and I think you've pretty much guaranteed a HULK SMASH BOX-OFFICE success.

Humble Beginnings

You know, as different and varied as our life experiences are, we all have one thing in common: profoundly embarrassing photos from our younger years! Whether it's the dorky hairstyles, goofy clothes, or some bizarre, faddish phase we went through, photographic proof of those awkward times haunts us all. In fact, even comic book characters have embarrassing aspects of their early years they'd just as soon forget...even a box-office bigshot like Iron-Man!

In between Tony Stark's original grey armor and his more familiar red and gold togs was a suit of golden armor.  Patterned after his bulky grey suit from his debut in Tales of Suspense #39 (1963), Version II (appearing in the very next issue) featured several upgrades... including a skirt-like apron! (click on the image for a larger view)

Why the apron?  It's not clear...though considering Tony's love for the ladies, perhaps the metallic skirt was designed to be extra protection for his..uh... "command center".  Whatever the reason, the apron made an already cumbersome costume design even more odd looking, not only for it's nebulous purpose, but also for it's decidedly non-metallic, almost cloth-like appearance.  Mercifully, the gold armor (and the apron) lasted only a few months, making way for the more streamlined look of Stark's red and gold armor.

Of course, Iron-Man isn't the only comic book character to harbor a secret shame from his earliest adventures...as you'll see in upcoming installments of Humble Beginnings!

Do-It-Yourself Comic Book Restoration

Comic book restoration has always been a somewhat controversial practice in the world of comic collecting.  The use of meticulous and sophisticated repair techniques can dramatically improve the appearance of lower-quality comics, but not without a hitch.  In addition to being an expensive process, all restored comics are required to be advertised as such and cannot get the same prices as high quality unrestored copies. That aside, seeing the results of these extreme makeovers are dramatic and borderline magical...as you can see from the restoration of Detective Comics #31 (1939) by Fantasy Masterpieces Paper Art Restoration (click for a larger view):

Obviously, this degree of restoration requires highly specialized tools and materials as well as years of experience.

In other words, everything I didn't have when I tried my hand at "comic book restoration" as a young lad. Blissfully ignorant of the strictures of comic book grading, I would sometimes try to "improve" the appearance of various well-read comics in my collection as only a ten year-old boy could.

For example, let's take my "self-restored" copy of Avengers #114 (1973).
No, really...this IS the restored version:

Sure, it's still pretty ratty looking, but let's take
a closer look at a few of my clever upgrades:

How does a kid solve the problem of a detached cover? 

That's easy: staples!...and plenty of 'em!  Note the proximity of comic's original staples along the spine to my additional staples a good half an inch into the cover area. Crude, sure...but the cover was re-attached, so mission accomplished, right?

Next up was the problem of the black areas, which tend to show wrinkles and scuffs much easier than lighter colors.  How could I restore those areas to their original midnight luster?  Enter the Sanford King-Size Permanent Marker!

That's right, I "restored" the glossy black by scribbling all over the cover with a highly toxic permanent marker.  To my ten year-old mind, it was indistinguishable from the luster of a brand new comic book and an official Job Well Done. Click on the close-up to the left to check out my mad magic marker skillz!

Even better, check out the black marker
seepage on the inside front cover. Classy, huh?

As the years went by, and I grew in the ways of comic book care and condition, the Sanford Permanent Marker (a.k.a. "Ol' Stinky") was retired from the comic book restoration toolbox...though I'll still re-staple my comics from time to time (with a bit more precision than I used thirty-some years ago).

How about you? Any do-it-yourself restoration stories
you can recall from your early years of collecting?

Friday Night Fights: Citizen Kane (GIL Kane, that is)

You know, it's been awhile since I've jumped into the ring of Friday Night Fights, the weekly event celebrating the smashy-clobbery stuff we superhero fans can't get enough of.

Switching things up a bit, fighting-mad space god Bahlactus has decreed that all battle scenes should be in black and white only, sorta like that cinematic masterpiece The Raging Bull.

Well, I'm more of a Citizen Kane man myself, so I thought my color-free frenzy could feature the work of the late, great Gil Kane.

As one of the most distinctive stylists in comics history, Kane (no relation to Bob) was one of the first artists I could readily identify as a kiddie comic fan. In fact, my friends and I classified him as "the nose guy" in response to his repeated "nostril canyon" close-ups of characters. Although Kane has never been one of my favorites ("distinctive" can easily become "distracting"), there WAS an aspect of his work I prefer over everybody else: Gil was the undisputed king of the Sprawling Smackdown!

As a master of foreshortening and human anatomy, Kane would super-charge characters with so much dynamic, explosive power that stray hands, feet, or elbows would routinely extend into adjoining panels. Punches were never the stiff, Rockem-Sockem pokes of lesser artists, but thunderous blows that sent the target sprawling head over heels at a steep backwards angle.

Assembled as a montage of panels from Marvel Team-Up #16 (1973), Comic Coverage proudly presents the flashing fisticuffs of Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and the evil Basilisk, as choreographed by Gil "Citizen" Kane!

(click on the scratchy Newsreel film footage for a larger view!)