Comic Coverage

Simply the Best: Anniversary Covers

Prior to the 1960's, so-called "anniversary issues" typically weren't acknowledged on a comic book's cover or, if they were, the publishers were fairly low key about it.  A good example of the more subdued anniversary cover would be something like Superman #100 (1955).

However, when Marvel Comics entered the picture (a publisher few would describe as "low key" or "subdued"), anniversary issues went from non-events or austere cover galleries to bombastic, star-studded celebrations.  In fact, when it came to high wattage covers for anniversary issues, Marvel easily outpaced DC Comics, who could never really muster the same kind of energy for their milestone issue covers.

My favorite Marvel anniversary covers were the ones featuring the title character (of course) along with a blizzard of supervillains and (occasionally) supporting cast members.  Yeah, the stories inside were often a let-down (as the promised horde of supervillains often turned out to be only robots or mind game hallucinations), but the dynamite covers were usually enough to overcome the disappointment.

Here's three of the very best (click for a larger view):

This "Everthing but the Kitchen Sink" style of anniversary cover gradually fell out of favor, especially after the modern trend of celebrating "anniversaries" every twenty-five issues made the whole practice a little less special.  Ah, but for a time, those 100th or 200th issues were something so special, they demanded to be bought!

Friday Night Fights: Less Talking. More Smashing.

Since I've entered the Fantastic Four's Ben Grimm (a.k.a. "The Thing") twice before in the knuckle-busting battle pits of Bahlactus, I thought the third time could show him on the business end of the clobbering for a change.  Who better to take care of that business than the Incredible Hulk?

Although Thing vs. Hulk fights number in the dozens, one of the very best appeared in Marvel Feature #11 (1973), the first of two preludes to the Thing's long-running Marvel Two-In-One team-up title.

In a race against time, the Thing had to destroy an Ultrex Bomb capable of destroying the planet Earth. Why? Because two rival supervillains (Kurrgo & The Leader) decided to battle each other using super-powered proxies, namely the Thing and the Hulk. Teleported to a deserted ghost town, the Thing desperately tried to reach the bomb while the reliably cantankerous Hulk unknowingly stood in his way!

After several minutes of scenery-oblierating mayhem, the Thing made a last-ditch appeal to the Jade Giant's rationality. Um, yeah...let's see how that worked out for him (click on the panels for full seismic impact)...

Comic Coverage Public Service Announcement

Just a reminder to my fellow Americans: Daylight Saving Time comes to an end early tomorrow morning, so be sure to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed (that is, unless you're one of those "we're too cool for Daylight Saving Time" states like Arizona or Hawaii).

What's the big deal? 

Hey...the Daylight Saving thing is the closest thing us comic book/sci-fi fans are ever going to get to real time travel, so why not savor it?

DC Comics Asks: What Do YOU Think is Groovy?

While recently paging through Justice League of America #83 (1970), I came across an interesting little reader poll conducted by a desperate-to-be-hip DC Comics (some things never change).  Leading off the pitch was the epitome of hipness himself...Superman!

To which wary readers might have replied,
"Hey, Far Out!...but what's in it for me, man?"

Flash?  Tell the hippie what he could win if he fills out the Groovy Quiz...

Get that?  A portable TV set...see the handle on top?  Sure, not a big deal here in the iPod age of portable video...but back then?  Let me put it this way:  A portable TV in 1970 was the equivalent of the iPhone on the High-Tech Awesomeness Scale.

If the prospect of winning a portable TV wasn't hip enough for the readers, surely this additional blurb from Superman completely sealed the deal:

DIG!  Click on the link below to jump to the survey!

Cover to Cover: Celebrity Parade!

Real-World Celebrities Meet Star-Struck Superheroes

Admit it. At one time or another, we’ve all been a little starry-eyed over the prospect of meeting or even glimpsing a popular celebrity “in the flesh”.  From 1950’s teenie-boppers screaming over Elvis to modern day fanboys packing the San Diego Comic Con to gaze at this year's Veronica McBuffy, everyone (of every era) is guilty of worshipping at the Altar of Celebrity…even comic book superheroes!

Intended to bolster comic book sales, superhero comics have a long history of celebrity appearances….dating all the way back to the early 1940’s!  One of the earliest I’ve come across was the cover of Flash Comics #28 (1942), which featured a kaleidoscope of movie stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age.  Some of the faces are still instantly recognizable here in the 21st century, while others are as unfamiliar as the faces in a stranger’s photo album.

In Action Comics #127 (1948), Superman made an appearance on the popular radio show Truth or Consequences, created and hosted by Ralph Edwards (of This is Your Life TV fame).  Obviously, Supes failed the “Truth” portion of the quiz show and, according to the rules, had to endure a zany, humiliating “Consequence”.

Dear Editor: Flashing in Public

In the dawning years of comics fandom, the comic book letters page was a popular place for fans to share their opinions and ask questions about their favorite heroes.  While most letters dealt with the usual topics...praising or panning an issue, story suggestions, or nit-picking minor errors...there were occasionally letters that defied classification. Sure, you could probably file the Flash-Grams letter from England's Bruce MacTwaine under a fairly common heading: questions about the Flash's powers or mode of operation...but Bruce took things in a rather unexpected direction (especially for 1961)...

from Flash #120 (May, 1961)

A pretty smooth recovery from editor Julius Schwartz there...especially with the volatile words "female" and "sex" in such shockingly close proximity (it's 1961, people).  However, even though Julie artfully directed the discussion away from Barry Allen speedily stripping down in front of the ladies, the explanation doesn't quite add up, does it?

But then again, we're talking about the topsy-turvy world of superheroes here....so I guess it makes perfect sense that a man who could run faster than light and kept his costume inside of his ring could also wear that costume over his suit coat, slacks, street shoes and bow tie...yet somehow get it to appear skin tight.

Gold Nuggets: Fighting the Jungle Hordes of Hitler!

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

I've had some fun with the obscure heroes of Golden Age comics here in the Gold Nuggets feature, all courtesy of the fantastic Golden Age Comics site.  They've got hundreds of old comic books available to download (pending registration), all of which have passed into the public domain...so anyone can view them or use the characters in their own comics.  In fact, Dynamite Comics will be featuring many of these forgotten heroes in their upcoming Superpowers series...with new stories, updated costumes (reimagined by Alex Ross, no less) and a chance to regain their Golden Age glory.

One of the front-and-center stars of Superpowers will be the eternally cool Daredevil (known as simply "Devil" for obvious copyright issues), whose skintight, cape-free costume was the basis of so many modern-era costume designs (such as Spider-Man's).

Daredevil made his debut as the headliner of Daredevil Battles Hitler (July of 1941), a fascist-bashing jamboree featuring the heroes from the Lev Gleason line of comics: Silver Streak, Lance Hale, Dicky Dean, Cloud Curtis, and the Pirate Prince! 

Throughout the issue, the hapless Hitler and his fiendish inner circle (such as Goebbels, Goering, and Himmler) randomly wander the globe and encounter the fists, boot heels, and...yes...charging elephants of our fighting-mad patriots.

The second story finds Hitler preparing to take over the jungles of Africa, going so far as to lead the invasion himself!

Let's join Herr Schickelgruber and his generals are they're interrupted by a certain red and black-garbed visitor (along with his own "personal shock troops")...

And that's how they did it back then.  No "talks".  No "diplomacy".
Just fists and feet, pal!

Oh, and since tonight is another round of Friday Night Fights, Bahlactus decrees another knuckle sandwich for Uncle Adolph!

A Salute to Our Veterans

To help show your appreciation for our veterans and all they've done for our country, please consider a donation to Soldiers' Angels, a wonderful charity serving deployed soldiers, those in hospitals here at home, and military families in need.  Click on the banner below to find out more about Soldiers' Angels and to make a donation.

The Highlight Reel: VALHALLA!

I've come to realize that Marvel's Thor character is quite the polarizing figure.

There are those who really enjoy the character (like me), then there are those who seem to hate him with the fury of an Asgardian Storm Giant....with not much middle ground.  Yeah, I can see why Thor might drive them crazy.  After all, the Shakespearian dialect, the wonky space-age Mardi Gras costumes, and the bombastic, operatic personalities certainly aren't for everyone.  However, for those of us who love classic mythology, fantasy fiction, cosmic hokum, and heroic high adventure, Thor's our poster child.

As a veteran of hundreds of the Thunder God's adventures, some of my favorites remain the short Tales of Asgard backup stories from mid-1960's issues of Thor.  As the name of the series implies, Tales of Asgard would explore the mythic home of Thor and his fellow gods...often adapting many of the old Norse myths themselves into comic book form.  By leaving the superhero trappings of Thor's life on Earth behind, Tales of Asgard told the stories of Thor as a boy, striving to one day hold the might hammer Mjolnir...or exploring the creatures and far-flung lands of Asgard...or even the epic accounts of the creation and ultimate destruction of the cosmos.  Most of them in eight pages or less!

For this installment of The Highlight Reel, I've chosen one of my favorite Tales of Asgard stories from Thor #133 (1966).  Titled simply "Valhalla", this beautiful five-pager follows the barbarian king Harokin on his journey to the Norse afterlife, where noble warriors go enjoy the eternal glory of endless battle.  As you read through it, take time to savor Jack Kirby's detailed costumes, cinematic staging, and engaging crowd scenes...particularly Hela's solemn march through the streets of Asgard as the assembled warriors avert their gaze.  The story ends on a soaring, triumphant note as the invigorated Harokin seizes hold of his eternal reward and storms the gates of Vahalla! (click on the pages for larger views)

Worst. Cover. Ever. (part 14)

To very loosely paraphrase Dickens,

"It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times." 

I can only be referring to the dreary years of Superman comics under the dreadful "leadership" of editor Eddie Berganza.  I could devote an entire week's worth of blog space to the failures and frustrations of the incoherent Berganza years, but that way lies madness!

Instead, I'll pick out a tiny island in a sea of incompetency for you to consider:  The cover of Superman (vol. 2) #188 (2003).  However, before subjecting your eyes to such blinding unprofessionalism, keep in mind that Superman is supposed to be the flagship character of DC Comics....so nothing but the very best for Superman, right?

WRONG!

Multiple Choice Quiz: 
What's the most visually offensive element of this cover?

A)  The awkward, zig-zaggy body position of a square-jawed, vaguely Asian woman I presume to be Lois Lane?

B)  The improbably cheerful expression on said woman's face, despite being dragged butt-first through a brick wall?

C)  The utterly incompetent and unconvincing foreshortening of Superman's giant fist and forearm?  Is that forearm musculature or a bag of snakes padded with potatoes?

D) Superman's knobby, protruding chin gene-spliced
    from either Popeye or the Madam puppet?

E)  The sloppily Photoshopped "heat vision" effect (or is that the Flash zipping by at super-speed)?

F)  The vast dead spaces of yellow?  What...he couldn't put a few more falling rocks in there?

G)  Okay, how about if we just say All of the Above and call it a day?

Seriously, have you ever seen anything this unprofessional on a mainstream comic book cover?  Why was an illustration that was little more than a convention sketch (and a bad one at that) allowed to make it onto a cover?  Oh, but wait....under the hapless supervision of editor Eddie Berganza, ANYTHING was possible!

(In an endlessly irritating, non-positive kind of way, that is)

Word of the Day

The Word of the Day is:  "SHWAPHAOOM", as in...

Say it with me now: Shwah-fah-oom.  Good.

Bonus Word:  "CHUBWOK".

From Iron-Man #132 (1980)

Thor's Day

Since "Thursday" derives from the Anglo-Saxon phrase "Thor's Day", I thought today would be as good a day as any to talk about Marvel's new Thor series.

As I made clear a few days ago, I'm a big Thor fan...but knowing today's appetite for darker, edgier comic book stories, I was more than a little apprehensive about how he would be presented. After all, I find the work of writer J. Michael Straczynski tedious and dreary, so the odds were stacked against the Thor revival being something I could get behind. Still, since my enthusiasm for the character outweighed my reservations (well-founded as they were), I ended up giving the new series a shot.

The verdict? Well, after finishing issue #4 Wednesday night, I'm officially "not impressed". Straczynski's writing is as tedious and dreary as ever. What he may have intended to be grand and majestic pacing comes across instead as Fred Thompson-like lethargy, turning a previously dynamic, action-oriented character like Thor into a brooding, self-absorbed bore.

In other words, pretty much like every character JMS writes.

Though generally better than the writing, the artwork of Oliver Copiel has also been disappointing. He's got solid storytelling ability, and wonderfully eccentric background characters, but I just can't get past the look of Thor himself. If the title character of an already poorly-written book is a constant source of visual irritation, that's pretty much the deal-breaker for me. In an effort to give Thor his own unique interpretation, I think Copiel went a little (okay, alot) overboard. First off, the quilted thermal underwear has got. to. go. I thought it might be able to grow on me, but four issues in, it's not. I realize there may be some historic armor element Copiel is after here, but whatever the intent was, it's not working.

Also, maybe a few less Arby's Melt Sandwiches for Thor? Yeah, he's supposed to be a big guy, but come on. He's starting to get that "fat costumed guy at a comic convention" air about him.

Worse than the fireplug body, Copiel's design of Thor's face seems to get more caricatured and ugly by the issue...to the point where he now resembles Ron Perlman from the old Beauty and the Beast TV series:

Thor?...or Ron Perlman as the Beast?

Yeesh. Oh, and let's not forget Thor's alter ego Don Blake. Sure, in the past he was always the squarest of the square pegs, but overcompensating Blake into a hipster dweeb with a gelled-up "fin" hairdo is a bit much, don't you think?

So, will I be sticking with the book? In the fabled words of Thor himself, "I say thee NAY!"

Classic Ads: Candy of the World's Wonder Children!

You'd think a product with origins as controversial as the Baby Ruth candy bar would try to avoid more controversy at all costs.  When Curtiss Candy introduced the Baby Ruth bar in 1920, everyone assumed they'd named it after baseball superstar Babe Ruth, though they always claimed to have named it after President Grover Cleveland's daughter Ruth (despite the girl having died sixteen years earlier).  Sounds like a dodge from paying Babe Ruth royalties, right?  Right.

Flash forward two decades to 1940, as Curtiss Candy once again dives headfirst into controversy. 

In this ad that I oh-so-carefully scanned from my copy of Superman #15, we can see that Curtiss enlisted the infamous Dionne Quintuplets to sell their Baby Ruth candy bars (click on the ad for a quintuple-sized view).

Who were the Dionne Quintuplets? Quick history: Shortly after their birth in 1934, their parents signed a contract to live in a special World's Fair facility where the public could view "The Quints". Following an angry public outcry, the government of their native Canada removed the babies from their parent's custody and put them under the guardianship of four government officials.  Now that the Canadian government had saved the baby girls from crass exploitation, they almost immediately began exploiting the girls themselves.  Housed in a specially-built government facility, the Quints and their "caretakers" could be viewed in an observation room twice a day by the public.  When the facility was expanded to a "Quintland" themepark, an average of 6,000 people a day came to view the Dionne sisters...eventually surpassing Niagara Falls as Ontario's most popular tourist attraction!

It's against this backdrop of ignorance and exploitation that we return to the Baby Ruth ad.  Now that the "World's Wonder Children" were receiving their "first and only candy", let's see why the Canadian government selected Baby Ruth for such a momentous occasion:

Ah, yes..."pure, wholesome candy made of fine, natural foods". 
And what might those "fine, natural foods" be? 

Dextrose?  Isn't that just a type of SUGAR? 
That's the "fine, natural food" in a Baby Ruth bar?

What did the medical community of the time have to say about this?
Let's ask Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe for his opinion...

Okay, that's better.  I mean, if a real doctor thinks a Baby Ruth bar is "wholesome" for children, I guess it was okay for the Dionne Quintuplets to make this their first candy experience.

Unless, of course, that doctor was actually one of the Quint's government-appointed guardians! 

It's true!  Allan Roy Dafoe was one of the creeps who allowed the Quints to be viewed by the public. Need more proof?  The government facility they lived in was named the Dafoe Hospital and Nursery.  I knew there was something creepy about that guy!

So, the next time you enjoy a "wholesome" Baby Ruth bar, be sure to think about the five little girls who enjoyed the nutritious bounty of dextrose while 6,000 nose-picking rubes stared at them.

The Hightlight Reel: MARVELS Behind the Scenes

In 1994, Marvel Comics published MARVELS, a four-part overview of the various eras of their comic book universe as seen from the vantage point of everyman Phil Sheldon. This was the hook that made the series so intriguing...instead of recounting familiar events through the eyes of superheroes, we literally see them at street level from the perspective of a bewildered, frightened, and occasionally awe-struck humanity.

However, beyond the gimmick of simply shifting the narrative "camera angle", writer Kurt Busiek and painter Alex Ross traced how the wonder and optimism of the early heroic age gradually gave way to darkness and fear...mirroring the same gloomy trend many of us have observed in superhero comics over the decades.

My favorite issue of the series is MARVELS #2, which focused on Marvel's early Silver Age era and its virtual explosion of super-powered beings.  The story opens with Phil Sheldon (a photographer for the Daily Bugle) witnessing the Avengers battling a collection of supervillains in (and over) the streets of New York...which includes a jaw-dropping "worm's eye view" of Giant-Man, one of the most breathtaking panels I've ever seen:

(click on each page for a larger view):

As amazing as this sequence is (I still get shivers reading it), there's something else about these two pages that I find special in another way.  You see, although no deep knowledge of the Marvel universe is required to read and enjoy this series, there are some wonderful "Easter Eggs" Busiek and Ross included that give the story an added level of enjoyment for old Marvel True Believers like me.

What do I mean? Well, for those of you who see just another generic superhero/supervillain clash on the first page, I see panels echoing the Avengers battling the Masters of Evil from Avengers #6 (1964).

Let's take it from the top-left:

Here we see Radioactive Man fogging the crowd with Adhesive-X and its corresponding panel from Avengers #6.  Note the same positioning of the fleeing crowd!

Of course, he was soon bundled up and shipped off to the authorities.

The Black Knight and his flying steed do the same thing with the Adhesive-X mist, though this time the MARVELS panel shows the same scene from an entirely different angle (perfectly illustrating the unique perspective-switch of MARVELS):

Thor puts a end to the Black Knight's treachery....

...while Iron-Man drags the Melter off to police custody!

Finally, we see the astounding shift in perspectives between the MARVELS street-level shot and its likely Avengers #6 counterpart (click for a slightly larger view):

It's this kind of clever detail that I think makes an already amazing work like MARVELS into a true "love letter" to the old stories that inspired it.  'Nuff Said!

P.S.- If you've never read MARVELS, click here to add it to your Christmas Wish List...on the double!

Profiles in Villainy: Black Adam

Imbued with the power of Ancient Egyptian gods by the wizard Shazam.

The Evil Opposite Number of Captain Marvel.

Ecstatic that Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson has
been cast to play him in the SHAZAM! movie.

Black Adam © DC Comics

It's good to see that Hollywood can occasionally get it right now and then. 

Other than Christopher Reeve as Superman or Patrick Stewart
as Professor X, I can't recall a more perfectly cast role...can you?

Click here for more Profiles in Villainy!

UnHappy Bizarro Thanksgiving!

Don't Be a Robot! (Shameless Plug)

Though I typically don't hype my Secret Identity shop here on Comic Coverage (other than the conspicuous sidebar ad), what's one more sales pitch on National Shopping Frenzy Day (a.k.a. The Day After Thanksgiving)?

Here's the pitch:  Forget the robotic trudge through your local mall.  If you're looking for some fun comic book or sci-fi themed gifts, give Secret Identity a shot.  With over forty designs on a cornucopia of products (clothing, mugs, computer accessories, magnets, stickers, etc.), you're bound to find something for the geek in your life.

So, fight past your post-turkey tryptophanic haze, park your bloated belly in front of your computer, and start shoppin'!

As if you needed any more incentive, here's an e-coupon:

Cover to Cover: Bring on the (really bad) Bad Guys II

Earlier this year, I took a look at some of the worst supervillains to ever stink up a comic book cover.  Though I don’t normally do “sequels” to columns, this particular topic almost demands more coverage, don't you think? I mean, who am I to deprive comic book fans of the rich history of poorly conceived villainous losers?

So, put aside your high standards and good taste for a few minutes and gird yourself for another batch of Really Bad Bad Guys!

How bad is “really bad”?  Let me demonstrate with Exhibit A: Dr. Tyme, a villain so stupid he couldn’t even spell his own name right!  Making his first appearance here in Doom Patrol #92 (1964), Dr. Tyme’s goofy clock-face helmet could emit a beam that slowed down the passage of time.

Granted, the Doom Patrol’s villains have always been off-the-charts crazy (Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man, anyone?), but Dr. Tyme stands alone even within that surreal society.

Dear Editor: Forty-Six Years Later

Regular readers may be familiar with my occasional Dear Editor feature, which spotlights fan feedback from the vanished era of comic book letter pages.

A few months ago, I posted a "Dear Editor" letter from a young lad named Tony Armalis, originally published in a 1961 issue of Superman. Well, imagine my surprise when this comment appeared in my email inbox this past weekend:

"Mark, this is unbelieveable! I was having a hard time
sleeping, out of boredom did a search on my name, and
came up with this. I remember writing this letter back in
'61 at the ripe age of 14. I really got a kick out of this."
–Tony Armalis

Although the crux of the joke for that particular "Dear Editor" post was the editor's strange reply, I still have to hand it to "Grown-Up Tony" for having a good sense of humor over the whole thing. As surreal as it was to hear from him, I can only imagine how surreal an experience it was for Tony to see a letter he wrote forty-six years ago discussed on some geek's website.

I suppose in the age of Google, this sort of thing isn't quite the star-crossed cosmic coincidence it might have been in years past....but still....what're the odds?

Simply the Best: Modern Masters and Mythic Power

During the early decades of the 20th century, giants walked the earth. 

No, not giants in the physical sense but rather giants of illustration who applied their mastery of painting and composition to the burgeoning worlds of advertising and publishing.  Instead of being confined to stuffy art galleries and high society functions, the artwork of these modern masters became widely known to and appreciated by the masses, primarily through popular magazines, illustrated fiction, and high profile advertising campaigns (click on the paintings to the left for a larger view).

In particular, artists like J.C. Leyendecker, Howard Pyle, Maxfield Parrish, and N.C. Wyeth brought a mythic power and rugged heroism to their paintings that resonated with American audiences.  Somewhere in between the age of these Master Illustrators and what we know to be the modern comics era came the Golden Age of Comics, whose artists grew up with a steady diet of Parrish dreamscapes, Pyle's flinty pirates, or Leyendecker's Greek gods sporting Arrow dress shirts.

It's exactly this influence that I see at work here on the breathtaking cover of Whiz Comics #22 (1941).  Though he was primarily known for a more whimsical or cartoony approach to drawing Captain Marvel, artist C.C. Beck obviously had no trouble taking things in a more "illustrative" direction from time to time.   

Beyond the simple "iconic" appeal of the scene, it also seems to capture the essence of Captain Marvel's world:  Majestic power (the lightning bolt), a dash of danger (the billowing smoke clouds), coupled with a mythic scope (the mountainous vista), all of it reinforced by the strength and simple decency of the two central characters.

In addition to those basic elements (and the vivid color palette) are the more subtle touches I enjoy, such as young Billy's confident, relaxed body language or Cap's convincing body mass (you get the feeling nothing could possibly budge that guy), which is only amplified by his exaggerated height.

Although I don't belong to the "Billy and Cap are two separate beings" camp*, I can't let that nonsense get in the way of enjoying one of the greatest covers of the Golden Age or, for that matter, any age of comics.

* I've always preferred the interpretation that Captain Marvel is, literally, a magically grown-up version of Billy Batson.  Although there are plenty of examples to suggest otherwise, I stubbornly insist that the powerful wish-fullfilling element of a boy instantly transforming into a super-powered man is one of the major "pillars" (if not THE major pillar) of the character's appeal. Merely switching places with him doesn't seem to have the same mythic punch...know what I mean?

Full Circle

Hat tip: JoBlo.com

The Highlight Reel: Rebirth

The early to mid-1990's was a rough time for DC's top tier of iconic characters.

First Superman "died", got better, then started sporting a mullet. Batman had his back broken.  Wonder Woman started wearing biker shorts. Aquaman got a fishing hook for a hand. Green Arrow blew up.

And Green Lantern?  Oh, Green Lantern got the worst of DC's collective nervous breakdown. He not only went crazy and destroyed the entire Green Lantern Corps, but became a universe-threatening supervillain on top of it! Some time later, after he sacrificed his life to reignite Earth's sun (long story), Hal Jordan's wandering spirit was named the new host for a near-omnipotent supernatural entity named the Spectre. What a mess, huh?

Well, DC eventually came to their senses and began repairing the damage wrought by their 1990's fever dreams and restored most of the fallen heroes to their former glory.  But what about Hal Jordan, an eternally doomed traitor moping around the DC universe in his ill-fitting role as the Spectre?  How could anyone restore him to his former glory?

Enter writer Geoff Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver.  These two guys accepted the Houdini-like challenge of freeing Hal Jordan from years of editorial incompetence in 2005's Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series...and succeeded spectacularly! 

Using compelling dialogue, a carefully constructed plot, and cleverly retro-fitted continuity, Geoff Johns made Hal Jordan's return to life a thrilling, touching, and....surprisingly logical tale!  Somehow, against all odds, Geoff Johns pulled it off, restoring both Hal's life and (incredibly) his good reputation...made all the more triumphant with Van Sciver's amazingly cinematic visuals. With echoes of masters like Neal Adams, Irv Novick, and Brian Bolland, Van Sciver's gritty realism pushed an already compelling story into "instant classic" territory.

Without going into too much detail, it's revealed that Hal Jordan's corpse had been preserved all these years by the Guardians of the Universe, ready and waiting for Hal's spirit (now residing within the Spectre) to one day rejoin it.  Hal-Spectre and his loyal friends battle the forces of a demon named Parallax and his old foe Sinestro, resulting in Hal's spirit being freed from the Spectre, while his friends faced a certain death from the renegade Green Lantern.  Now...time for me to shut up, get out of the way, and let Johns and Van Sciver blow your minds as the power ring Green Arrow has faithfully safeguarded is reunited with the greatest Green Lantern of them all (from Green Lantern: Rebirth #4).

(click on the pages for larger views)

Now THAT'S a triumphant return!

Interested in checking it out?  Here's the Amazon link: