Comic Coverage

Even "Superman" Doesn't Want a Dark Superman

Regular readers may recall my extremely negative reaction to a statement from a Warner Bros. film executive this past August. In a nutshell, Warner Picture Group president Jeff Robinov was so pleased with The Dark Knight's success, he (insanely) believed that forthcoming DC adaptations should be "bathed in the same brooding tone" as the Batman movie.

Read the original post to see just how vigorously I disagreed with Robinov's assessment. Well, it appears that I'm in good company, since Brandon Routh (the star of Superman Returns) also seems skeptical of a darkened treatment of Superman.  In a recent interview with IESB.net, Routh...who may or may not reprise the role of Superman...nonetheless had this to say about a possible darkening of the character:

"I don't know, I don't think the character necessarily has to be darker, I think he is kind of dark in a sense, emotional dark, in Superman Returns, and the movie as a whole was slightly dark, they could have had more prowess in it I suppose, and I think that's one thing that can be done in the sequel, so I don't know how much darker you want to make it necessarily. You make the stakes higher, you make the villain darker, I think that's a way to do it. But I don't think Superman himself needs to be darker. He definitely has to struggle, how does Superman be a part of the world? And does he have to make sacrifices to be a part of that world? To fit in and what purpose does he really play in the world? Those are all kind of dark places to explore. But, I don't think Superman should ever be dark and brooding, that's not his nature."

Absolutely right.  Although I've never gotten the impression that Routh is some kind of lifelong Superman fan, he obviously understands enough about the character to know a gratuitously darker Superman isn't the way to go. Strangely, this shouldn't be something you'd pick up only after portraying the character in a movie...it's something most people who've ever been exposed to the character seem to understand.

That is, unless they're film executives of the company that actually owns the character of Superman!

Quiz: Hail to the Chief!

As the frantic U.S. election builds to its cataclysmic conclusion, it seems nothing is free from presidential politics...not even Comic Coverage! However, instead of adding to the partisan bickering and mud-slinging you see everywhere else, I thought I'd offer a bit of a respite from all the nastiness.

Here's the deal: I've got a 10-question quiz below that deals with the intersection of superhero comic books and the Presidency of the United States. How many of them do YOU know? By the way, just ignore the "name" blank below.  You can take the quiz without having to leave your name.

Hail to the Chief: Superheroes and Presidenti… » Make Your Own Quiz

Humble Beginnings: Where'd You Park Your Broomstick?

Most Spider-Man fans will agree that the Green Goblin is one of the Wall-Crawler's greatest foes (if not THE greatest). Beyond the psychodrama of their long conflict, a big part of the Goblin's appeal is his sheer visual impact. Frightening elements like his rictus-grin and bulging yellow eyes are balanced out by goofier touches like the curly-toed boots and pointy ears...but the most arresting element of the Goblin's get-up is, of course, that wonderful bat glider. Both functional and frightening, Norman Osborn's high tech invention would belch out billowing clouds of smoke while dipping and diving like a real bat (not to mention eventually becoming the instrument of Osborn's death). 

However, the Green Goblin's first appearance way back in Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964) hardly conveyed the complex master villain he would eventually become. As I touched upon earlier this year, the Green Goblin was initially a bizarre, somewhat whimsical figure who convinced Spider-Man to star in a phony Hollywood movie. Amplifying the loopiness of the Goblin's debut was his first flying device...no, not the bat glider, but his original flying broomstick! Looking a bit like a vacuum cleaner, the Goblin would ride perched upon the mechanical broomstick while (miraculously) not tipping to the left or right while flying. 

Like all of my Humble Beginnings subjects, a much-needed upgrade soon came along, in this case the aforementioned bat glider (in the Goblin's next appearance three issues later). But he'll always have that peculiar, impossibly stable flying broomstick to live down.

Dear Editor: The Gospel According to Cap

 

Hey, since I dipped my toe into the taboo subject of politics earlier this week, I might as well finish off the week by touching that other "third rail" of public discourse: religion! Back in Captain America #108 (1968), the "Let's Yap with Cap" letter page included this missive from one Gary L. Robinson (click on the letter excerpts for a larger view):

 

 

GASP!  Here are the controversial Cap panels Gary was referring to:

 

 

So...what was Gary's beef?  Read on...

 

 

Wow! I guess a vaguely Christian Captain America was just too much for ol' Gary to tolerate. Strangely, there was no reply from "traditional Christian" Stan Lee (who's actually Jewish), but three issues later a self-described atheist named Paul Johannes defended Stan's use of Cap's Christian witness (while somehow knowing that Gary was Jewish)...

 

 

Ah, but even though Paul had Stan's back on Cap's mini-homily, 

there was another religious comment he just couldn't let pass...

 

 

Here's the panel in question from Fantastic Four #72 (1968):

 

Paul continued....

 

 

Woah! "Minority-excluding remark"?  Let's see how our favorite theologian Stan Lee replied to Paul's rather serious charge...

 

 

Nuff said!

YouTube Theatre: A SHAZAM Cartoon?!

Just when I thought I'd seen all of the superhero cartoons of decades past, along comes SHAZAM! In fact, not only hadn't I seen it, but I never even knew it existed until I stumbled across it on YouTube!  Sure, by the time it hit the airwaves in 1981, I (as a "mature" fifteen year-old) was pretty much out of the Saturday morning cartoon loop...but I'm sure I (as a comic book fan) would have at least checked it out if I'd been aware of it.

So, here's what I've been able to find out: Sharing NBC's Kid Superpower Hour with a live action/animated segment named Hero High, Filmation's SHAZAM cartoon ran for a scant 13 episodes. Judging by the video below, SHAZAM was definitely a creature of its time, with all of the low-wattage animation and clunky scripts you'd expect from the Saturday morning set. However, despite its glaring limitations, it does manage to capture some of the innocent, whimsical appeal of the original Marvel Family comics (Uncle Dudley and all). So, if you're like me and you've never seen (or even heard) of the SHAZAM animated series, sit back and enjoy The Return of Black Adam (Part One):

Who'd have guessed Black Adam had a voice deeper than Lurch from The Addams Family...and that he was the classic hen-pecked husband?

 

If you're interested, here's The Return of Black Adam, Part Two! Memorable quote: "Junior and I will find the baboon!". Also, Black Adam's creepy hypno-seduction of Mary Marvel. 

Wild Cards and Gadget Masters

Back in the late 80's and early 90's, I was a big fan of the Wild Cards series of science fiction novels. Created by popular writers with a mutual love for comic book heroes, the books explored an alternate history in which an alien "Wild Card" virus endowed some with superhuman powers ("Aces") and cursed others with bizarre mental and physical deformities ("Jokers"). Set during the latter half of the 20th century, the Wild Cards live through (and sometimes alter) the history we're familiar with...often with shocking and decidedly R-rated results.  

Sounds a bit like a rip-off of DC's Watchmen, doesn't it? Believe it or not, I don't think it was, since both Watchmen and Wild Cards were published at virtually the same time (1987). Whatever the case, one of my favorite elements (from both of them) is the pseudo-documentary materials included in their closing pages. Watchmen would often feature authentic-looking magazine pages, news clippings, photos, or top secret stationery, while Wild Cards included an appendix with excerpts taken from history books and science reports.

One of the more entertaining Wild Cards excerpts was from a talk by Dr. Sharon Pao K'ang-sh'i of the Harvard University Department of Metabiophysics. After discussing the physics-defying abilities of various flying, running, and power-zapping "Aces", Dr. K'ang-shi'i turns her attention to a sub-group we (as comic book fans) are familiar with: the Gadget Masters! We know them well: they're the guys with the ultra-advanced armors, ray guns, and assorted gimmicks that can perform wonders...but here's a different take on them and their miracle tech:

"...a salient feature of the so-called 'gadgets" ––anti-gravity belts, dimensional portals, armored suits –– is the fact that none of them can be replicated. On disassembly and examination they're often found to make no mechanical or electrical sense. Each is a nonreproducible result. This explains why some enterprising gadget-master hasn't marketed, say, a personal light-speed flying belt, or an antigravity forklift. Only the creator could make one that would work. In some cases, the components consist of ludicrous assemblages of debris, up to and including apple cores, hairpins, and the torsos of Barbie dolls. Others consist only of a diagram of a circuit, which, like the chimerical Hieronymus machine, work as an actual circuit 'should'.

The explanation is, once again, a manifestation of psychic ability. The creator has in effect impressed himself upon his work in a metaphysical (in the current scientific meaning) sense. This explanation makes sense of the frequently observed phenomenon that there seems to be a limit to certain "gadget masters'" creativity, that they will sometimes have to disassemble an old device to get a new one to work."

I love that. Useless, nonsensical equipment as a focal point for immense psychic powers. If you enjoy that kind of thing, give Wild Cards a try.  Like I said, some of it gets pretty rough, but overall, it's a sprawling, fascinating, quasi-historical, pseudo-scientific adventure.

Top 10 Comic Book ROBOTS (Part One)

I know what you're thinking: "When's Mark going to create those 'Top 10' lists all the cool blogs are doing?"

Well...how about RIGHT NOW??!! Great, so here's the deal: every now and then, I'll post ten favorites from whichever random category I feel like blathering about. What better category to start out with than

 

Yup...robots.  I've been a fan of 'em as long as I can remember...which makes it tough to narrow the list down to just ten. Now, they're not necessarily the most high-profile comic book robots...and one even crosses the line into cyborg territory, but in their own way, each of them is visually and conceptually riveting (pun fully intended).

The Dreadnought: Created by the international terrorist organization HYDRA, these 8-foot tall robots were programmed for intense hand-to-hand combat and armed with a staggering array of weaponry. Designed by Jim Steranko (who was obviously channeling Jack Kirby), the multiple spikes, battleship-gray color, and eerie, skull-like face made for a picture-perfect killing machine (click on it for a larger view).

The Metal Men: Part of DC's parade of quirky 1960's heroes, this team of robots was created by Dr. Will Magnus to mirror the properties and "personalities" of their namesake metals. Left to right: confident team leader Gold, genial yet slow-witted Lead, boisterous strongman Iron, hot-headed Mercury, and timid Tin. In the foreground is the female robot Platinum ("Tina" for short), and Metal Men creator Doc Magnus. Remembered best for their wild, body-bending teamwork, the Metal Men remain a source of lighthearted Silver Age fun.

Raydeen (Shogun Warriors): As my introduction to Japan's giant robot Mecha Anime genre, the 24" Shogun Warriors were the toys every pre-teen boy had to have in the late 1970's. Although my personal favorite was Mazinga, a close second was Raydeen, who co-starred with Combatra and Dangard Ace in Marvel's Shogun Warriors comic book series.

Deathlok: When The Six Million Dollar Man TV series introduced America to the half-human, half-machine Steve Austin in early 1974, illustrator Rich Buckler took the bionic warrior concept into a much darker direction with his creation of Deathlok. Barely alive in a bleak post-Apocalyptic America, Colonel Luther Manning was revived as a hideous cyborg assassin who later resisted his programming and fought against the military-corporate complex that once controlled him.  Sound a bit like the 1987 Robocop movie? Yeah...I thought so, too.

Pneumatic Man (a.k.a. "Pneuman"): Built by 19th century inventor Sinclair Strong while marooned on a Pacific island, Pneuman became the butler of the Strong family. Sporting a bow tie, derby hat, and a stuttering pop-hissing speech pattern, the steam-powered robot still faithfully serves their son Tom Strong some one hundred years later.

That's all I've got time for now. Stay tuned for Part Two, where I'll finish off my Top Ten Comic Book Robots!

Top 10 Comic Book ROBOTS (Part Two)

I'm sure the suspense has been killing you since
Part One, so here's the final five of my 

  

The Bat-Sentry: A cross between the forever-cool Batmobile of the early 1940's and a Transformer, the Bat-Sentry robots appeared in the alternate future of DC's Kingdom Come (1996). With his body battered and broken from his Batman career, Bruce Wayne built an army of these imposing robots to patrol the virtually crime-free streets of Gotham City in his stead. For a better look at the detail of Alex Ross' fantastic design work, click here to view Jin Saotome's custom Bat-Sentry he created for Wizard Magazine a few years back. 

The Vision: Stretching the traditional definition of a "robot", the Vision has often been classified as an android or "synthezoid" whose makeup and construction virtually duplicates that of a true human. With a devil-red face, a costume that evokes a movie serial space tyrant, and the "sparkling personality" of Star Trek's Mr. Spock, the Vision has remained a fascinating, enigmatic figure. Amping up the Vision's fascination factor is the fact that he's what you might call a "recycled superhero", since his body is a modified version of the original (and ironically-named) Human Torch.

 

 Who upgraded the Torch into the Vision? 

Why, that would none other than Robot #3...

Ultron: Created by Hank "Ant Man/Giant Man" Pym, Ultron pulled an Insta-Oedipus on his "father" by immediately trying to kill him. Escaping from Pym's lab, Ultron upgraded and strengthened his design to include impervious Adamantium metal, advanced weaponry, and a distinctive, truly eerie-looking "face". Resuming his quest to kill Daddy Dearest and his fellow Avengers, Ultron (as I touched on above) discovered and altered the inert body of the Human Torch into an android assassin. Rebelling against his programming, the android joined the Avengers and took the name of "The Vision" (as suggested by his teammate the Wasp). Ultron, like any good A-list villain, has returned time and time again to destroy the Avengers and all of humankind.

The Sentinels: Making their debut way back in X-Men #14 (1965), the Sentinel robots were invented by Dr. Bolivar Trask to "save humanity" from the threat of mutants. Programmed to hunt, capture, or kill mutants, this army of 30 ft. powerhouses have faced the X-Men countless times while under the control of various individuals and organizations. Coolest thing about 'em? Those weird, expressionless faces and glowing eyes...underscoring their relentless quest to capture and crush mutantkind.

The Iron Giant: Okay...technically not a comic book robot, but considering he's my Favorite Robot of All Space and Time, hear me out. I as wrote about many moons ago, the Iron Giant movie (1999) completely blew my socks off for a whole host of reasons. One of those reasons was the (surprisingly vital) role comic books played in the title character's development. Because of that role, I feel justified in not only including the Iron Giant, but placing him right into the coveted Number One slot as well. Sure it's a stretch...but hey, it's my list, right?

But maybe if you watch this clip from the film's final act, you'll understand why I included the big guy. Here, as the tiny town of Rockwell faces nuclear annihilation, Hogarth's giant pal performs one final act of heroism...his last whispered word sealing the deal for the Top 10 number one slot.

(sniff) Excuse me, there...there must be something in my eye.

Okay, so now that you've seen my Top 10
comic book robots, what are some of yours?

Worst Cover Ever: An Un-Special 50th Anniversary Issue

I always feel a little bit guilty picking on covers from the so-called Silver Age of Comics (the mid 1950's through the late 60's) since standards have shifted so dramatically over the past forty to fifty years. However, every now and then a Silver Age cover comes along that's so bad, so poorly designed, that even the simpler standards of its native time period can't excuse it. 

A good (bad?) example of these classic underachievers is the cover of Justice League of America #50 (1966), obviously published before "divisible by 25" issues received "Extra Special Anniversary Issue" status...because as you're about to see, there's nothing special (much less "extra special") about this mess:

Let's go down the checklist of problems, shall we?

1. Granted, horrifying color choices were rampant in the 60's and 70's, but that blank pea-green background immediately sets the limbo bar of low expectations far below even that decade's ticky-tacky standards. If this was the best representation of the 20th century, then maybe we deserved to be attacked by the Lord of Time! 

2. The ultra-awkward positioning of the JLA members is just awful. Batman's oddly twisted body and poorly-drawn legs make him appear to be perched on the Lord of Time's left shoulder while feeding him his right boot. And what's with Batman' right hand? That vast, empty space between Batman's head and Lord of Time's football helmet would have been a great place to put his outstretched arm instead of giving the impression it's sprouting from Batman's stomach.

In addition to a leg sprouting out of his rear end, "Special Guest Star" Robin has kind of a hunchback thing going, which is only aggrivated by his red tunic blending in with Lord of Time's red costume.

The Flash appears to be...well, I'm not sure what's he's trying to do. Possibly attempting to pantomime either the capital letter "A" or "L". Whatever it is, it looks highly silly.

3. Finally, when it comes to effective cover design for superhero comics, you ideally want to establish a credible threat level for your featured villain, right? 

Well, apparently artist Mike Sekowsky didn't get that memo, since the Lord of Time's zany Jerry Lewis face is far more laughable than it is threatening. Add to that a poorly-drawn left arm (with an elbow that stretches clear down to his waist), cartoonishly misfiring rayguns, and that wedged-in "sandwich board" of wordy hype, and you've got yourself one heck of a Silver Age crap sandwich.  On rye.

Gold Nuggets: A Perfect Night's Work

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

From Shield-Wizard Comics #5 (1941)

Classic Ads: Ten for a Buck

While working on an upcoming post, I came across a great old "house ad" appearing in DC Comics cover-dated September of 1964. Granted, inflation is the big culprit here...but just look at those rates. Do you realize that for the cost of a single modern $2.99 comic book (plus one penny) you could buy ten issues each of Superman, Flash, and Detective Comics? For those of us seriously recoiling at the next bump in cover prices (Marvel's already floating out a number of $3.99 titles), ads like this really focus the mind, don't they? 

So...how many of you are planning on sticking around when the standard cover price hits $3.99? Sure, we've threatened to quit comics many times before over price increases (as I illustrated here), but really...are we getting to a threshold where the skimpy 22 page format can no longer justify the cover price...leading to a "mass exit" effect?  I'm thinking "yes".  Your thoughts?

Simply the Best: Imaginary Imaginary Stories

"This is an imaginary story...aren't they all?"

So ended Alan Moore's opening paragraph of "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" (Superman #423, 1986), his bittersweet farewell to the so-called "Silver Age Superman". Spanning the late 1950's through the mid-1980's, this era marked a dramatic expansion of the Superman mythos in both imaginative new concepts and an ever-growing cast of characters. Among those innovations was what became known as "The Imaginary Story", or a story where divergent and dramatic events could occur without affecting the established continuity. 

Of course, as Mr. Moore's wry observation reminds us, all superhero comics are imaginary...but it was an old comic book ad that made the distinction that even fictional tales had rules the imagination could ignore as freely as it ignored reality itself. As a young lad reading my grandparents' copy of Sugar and Spike #54, I came across a house ad for Superman 80 Pg. Giant #1 (1964), which introduced the fascinating concept of pretend imaginary stories (click on the ad for a larger view). Sure, I'd imagined alternate endings to favorite fairy tales and bedtime stories like any kid before and since, but this was the first time I can recall seeing someone actually following through on those idle thoughts and stretching the imaginative boundaries of a fictional character. And not just any fictional character...it was the "life" of Superman himself they were messing with!

It was exactly this mindblowing audacity that earned the cover instant entry into the ranks of Simply the Best...even before I actually owned the issue many years later! Yeah, I'm a sucker for any cover with a black background...and that simple four-panel grid design has a certain appeal, but it's those alternate reality scenes that first grabbed hold of my imagination and never let go...

Top Left panel: Could there be anything more jarring (yet strangely intriguing) to a young boy than the concept of an evil Superman (complete with the standard burglar mask and huge bag of cash)?

Top Right panel: Whaat? A helpless Superman who could do nothing to save the world?  Say it ain't so!

Bottom Left panel: A masterful play on the common kid fear of someone else assuming your role in your family...worse yet by a girl!

Bottom Right panel: Finally, the spectre of age and death applied to the seemingly immortal Superman, making seemingly immortal kids contemplate...mortality? Even if it wasn't quite that deep, it was still amusing seeing Superman as an oldster!

As it turns out, I've remained a fan of alternate reality stories, including DC's Elseworlds and Marvel's "What If?" takes on the concept. However, as entertaining as they can be, none of them have ever quite surpassed the impact of that wondrous, vaguely subversive cover so long ago.

Dear Editor: LOVE on the Letters Page

As one might guess, the vast majority of fan letters published in the comic books of old were written by males. However, a small percentage of female fans had their letters published, too...most of whom commented on the same stuff their male counterparts did. Ah, but every once in awhile, a female fan would forego the usual shop talk and go straight for the mushy stuff! Temporarily transforming Flash #125 (1961) into what seemed to be an issue of the Tiger Beat teeny-bopper magazine, young Geneva Hawkins made a confession that boys weren't accustomed to reading on a Flash letters page...

Twelve years later, on the letters page of Avengers #117, the mysterious "Ms. S. Otis" revealed that she and her girl friends had a thing for a certain red-faced synthezoid. Complicating the matter was the fact that the Vision's budding relationship with the Scarlet Witch rendered him romantically "off limits" to Ms. Otis and her posse (nevermind the minor detail that he didn't actually exist)!

Er..."blood test"? This letter's taking a rather odd turn, isn't it? First Ms. Otis is going "ga-ga" over a fictional android (an android, mind you), then we take a sudden, unseemly turn into birth certificates and blood tests? Read on...

"After what you did to Gwen" was a reference to Spider-Man's (then) recently murdered girlfriend Gwen Stacy...but what did Ms. Otis mean when she thought offing the Vision or Wanda "wouldn't...be too safe"? For whom? Hey, are we getting into Fatal Attraction territory here? Probably not...but it's still a pretty weird direction to take her commentary. It looks like someone in the Marvel editorial department felt the same way:

This is exactly what I love about those old letters pages, particularly Marvel's...where the weird and surreal made frequent appearances (as this exchange proves). Nowhere else could an editor's reply begin with declaring a fan's musings "totally insane and absurd", working in the phrase "delinquency of a minor", and ending with an equally insane non-sequitur.

Now...where can I get some Low-fat Oranges?

Quiz: Pseudo-Science...The Sequel!

Just like Fridays when we were back in school, it's time for a pop quiz! 

However, instead of geometric theorems or obscure 19^th century literature, we'll be taking another quiz in Comic Book Pseudo-Science!

 

Like the first one back in September (which you can still take here), I've put together an interactive 10-question quiz (with an assist from the ProProfs website), which you can begin by clicking on the "Start Quiz" button below. Oh, and disregard that "name" box...you don't need to enter your name in order to take the quiz (I couldn't figure out how to delete it).

Comic Book Pseudo-Science II » Make Your Own Quiz

Superman: Out of Action?

With the conclusion to DC's  Final Crisis event just around the corner, more of DC's post-Crisis plans are starting to emerge. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times' Geoff Boucher earlier this week, DC executive editor Dan Didio discussed some of the plans regarding their Big Two iconic characters: Batman and Superman. Although it appears that the plans for Batman will be the most radical of the two...Didio broke some Superman news that also seemed pretty radical in its own way...

Geoff Boucher: And what about the Man of Steel?

Dan Didio: Simultaneous to “Battle for the Cowl,” we’re going to be making changes in Superman’s world as well. Superman has been the star of Action Comics for its entire run, essentially, and he will be leaving it and handing it over to new characters. The only time he hasn’t appeared in the book, I believe, was after “The Death of Superman,” in those years. So this is a lot of fun for us. I think that’s going to get people excited and scratching their heads and wondering what’s going on. In his own book, Superman,  there will be a dramatic turn as the hero leaves Earth and it seems like he’s leaving for good. We’ll follow his adventures in space moreso than his adventures on Earth, and that’s a big and exciting thing.

You know, I get the whole "absence makes the heart grow fonder" thing behind both the Batman and Superman strrategies (it's been done before), but I'm not sure if that's how it's going to work out in the current comics market and an increasingly souring economy. 

Sure, on paper the banishment of Superman from Action Comics may look "fun", "big", and "exciting" to guys like Didio, but not so much to average fans like me. Look, I've been collecting Superman comics for most of my life, and I read Action Comics because it's Superman's book.  I'm not interested in whatever "new characters" are plugged into the title, especially when the book is three bucks a pop (or probably more after the first of the year).  These are economically precarious times for DC to be pushing the experimentation and radical reinvention angle, and they may end up alienating and shaking loose more readers than attracting them.

Adding to my wariness over Superman leaving Action is the highly symbolic and inter-linked nature of the character and title themselves.  Superman is Action Comics, and vice versa...and messing with that long tradition is no doubt the "sacred cow" Didio wants to skewer for his Brave New DC Universe.

The jury is still out on the "Superman leaving Earth" aspect of Didio's comments.  The "Exile in Space" storyline nearly twenty years ago is one of my favorite Superman "epics", and I've always had a soft spot for "hero quest" stories...but I'm just not seeing the wisdom of booting Superman out of Action Comics.  That seems like a serious mistake, especially since the Superman books have been on one heck of an upswing over the past several years.  This sort of move could destroy alot of that positive momentum.

Thoughts?

The Highlight Reel: Pre-Lucas Space Coolness!

The early 1970's was a dreary time for budding science fiction fans like me. Sure, we'd seen plenty of old movies and Star Trek reruns, but their primitive special effects were (at best) distracting or (at worst) a laugh-out-loud brand of silly that took us right out of the story. Movies that did have decent effects, like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Soylent Green, usually conformed to the depressing late 60's/early 70's paradigm of dreary socio-political pontification and certainly weren't what our youthful spirits (or grade school intellects) were yearning for.

However, before George Lucas came to the rescue (and simultaneously blew the lid off popular culture) with Star Wars in 1977, there was a special comic book that seemed to foreshadow that film's epic scale and groundbreaking visuals. As the penultimate chapter of Marvel's Kree-Skrull War, Avengers #96 (1972) brought comic book action to an unprecedented level of "widescreen" spectacle. With very little to inspire him visually (save perhaps the WWII dogfight films that also inspired Lucas), artist Neal Adams drew quite simply one of the most cinematic, visually exciting comic book stories ever published...particularly the pages I'm about to share with you.

But let me back up a bit.  Way back in January, I featured another sequence from this story in one of my Friday Night Fights posts. In that post's comment section, a reader referred to the pages you're about to see as "one of the best sequences in all comics history", so obviously other fans share my high opinion of Adams' work (along with some snappy...and sometimes endearingly sappy...narration by writer Roy Thomas). So, to my good pal Hube...this one's for you!

(click on each page for a larger view)

 

Have the Avengers ever looked cooler?  Yeah, that shot of Iron-Man at the top of page 2 was little goofy (not to mention his ill-advised use of the word "Bazzonies"), but beyond that tiny glitch, this stuff is pure gold.

Some highlights:

Page One:

• Iron-Man leading the squadron of fighter ships.

• Thor hurling his hammer from his fighter craft!

Page Two:

• That dynamic panel of Thor and the Vision in classic Adams-esque poses dodging laser fire.

• The aforementioned thunder god and android ignoring the void of space and ripping a hole in the Skrull spaceship!

Page Three:

• The cool tech Adams drew for the Skrull warriors.

• That heroic under-shot of Thor in panel three.

Page Four:

• Cap almost casually jumping out of his "crashing go-buggy" while assessing the situation amidst total chaos and destruction.  Captain America defined.

Page Five:

• That "Oh, $%#&" look on the Skrull commandant's face in panel three.

• The Avengers bringing new meaning to "kicking the door in".

• Thor's final panel threat, sounding like some kind of elaborate curse from the ancient world.

With the reality of an Avengers movie getting closer every day....who knows? Maybe we'll see this sequence come to life in an Avengers sequel somewhere down the road! Until then, Avengers #96 will live on as a visual precursor to Star Wars and a high point of The Highlight Reel.

Wishing You a Thanksgiving Feast of JUSTICE!

Smashing the stuffing out of Injustice! 

Sending evil to the kiddie table! 

Clubbing criminals with his deadly drumsticks! 

It's a bird! It's a serving tray! 

It's Captain Thanksgiving, the Turkey Terror of Crime!

I wish all of my readers a wonderful (and safe) holiday weekend!

What's YOUR Secret Identity? (shameless plug)

Too tired from that mega-dose of turkey L-tryptophan to go shopping? You want to buy great comic-themed gifts for you and your fellow geeks but the thought of crowded malls and parking lots sends you collapsing into the fetal position? 

Relax...and shop from home by visiting Secret Identity, my Cafepress shop specializing in geek gear and gifts! Yes, it's my annual shameless plug...just in time for the national shopping frenzy of "Black Friday". Featuring over 40 different designs on a blizzard of products, you're bound to find something fun for the comic book or sci-fi fan in your life! Check it out!

Classic Ads: Jean Jacket Firefighting

Let's face it...the entire 1970's was a crime against all that was visual, whether it was architecture, interior design, graphic design, or worst of all: fashion design. As such, there wasn't much boys my age had any desire to wear...with the exception of jean jackets! 

Whether it was the cowboy cred they imparted or the rare pleasure of wearing something that wasn't plaid, every guy I knew owned at least one jean jacket...with some guys owning several jean jackets of different colors. 

But wait...true story...my pals and I also used our snazzy jean jackets to fight fires in the wilds of northern Minnesota! With the TV show Emergency a big hit at the time (both a live action and animated version), we were anxious to get in on the fire fighting action ourselves and, living near grass fields and forests that routinely caught fire during dry summer days, we had that opportunity. Most of the time we'd be shooed away by justifiably irritated adult firefighters (some using rather colorful language as I recall), but sometimes we'd be able to stick to the margins of a grass fire and slap the flames with our trusty jean jackets without the adults noticing...fulfilling our dreams of firefighting glory (at least until our moms chewed us out for coming home with singed and smokey jackets).

So, with this youthful anecdote in mind, imagine my surprise when I came across this early 70's comic book ad, which featured some startling parallels to my own jean jacket heroism (click on the panels for a larger view).

Unlike my own foolhardy firefighting adventures, Tom and Danny Lee had parental approval to fight a raging forest fire with no discernable firefighting equipment or skills.

Wow...that's some amazing parenting on display there, isn't it?  Yet through all the reckless decision-making, Mike Lee still had the presence of mind to work a plug for Lee into his utterly insane plan.

See, this was the outcome my friends and I always imagined would happen: grateful authority figures thanking us with the promise of medals! In reality, young Tom and Danny Lee might have been placed into protective custody while their danger-loving dad was questioned by social services...but not here in the peculiar alternate reality of advertising.  Instead, a man and two boys put out a forest fire with only their crisp, clean jean jackets...miraculously unfazed by the flames and smoke!

"Yeah, dad...and you were pretty reckless back there. We were so scared we wet ourselves...and we're going to tell mom when we get home."