If Nothing Ever Changed, There'd Be No Butterflies

I enjoy writing this blog, and I don't plan to quit posting as long as I'm enjoying it. That having been said, I am planning to make some changes going into the new year.

There is part of me that hates to pull back at this time because my audience seems to be growing right now. The growth isn't huge, but it is significant. I don't get a lot of comments posted, but the number of you silently reading out there has multiplied by quite a bit in the last six months or so. Anyone is free to join in the conversation, as always, and I can't complain about a lack of comments as there are many blogs and sites which I frequent without leaving comments of my own. But getting back to that growth, I don't want to lose whatever momentum I might have built up by posting multiple times a week.

Still, I have other demands upon my time that I need to focus more energy on going forward. For instance, I've mentioned here in the past that I am trying to go through my sizable comics collection and figure out what space will allow me to keep and what must be gotten rid of -- not because I didn't or don't like it, but simply because there isn't enough room in our house now that we've added another person. Based on the number of views different posts get, some of the more popular posts are my looks at older books, particularly complete runs of short-lived series or a specific creator's run on a longer-lived title. Most of those stem from my time spent going back through some of the comics in my collection. But when I decide to sell something, I have to price the books, make scans of the covers, and list them in various places so potential buyers can see them. All of that takes time away from blogging and even reading.

That project has been put on the back burner a lot of late, but I need to concentrate on getting through this stuff. I don't have an exact count, but my collection at its largest probably ran somewhere around 12,000 comics, not counting trades, hardcovers and other collections. I'm trying to cut that down to 30 Drawer Boxes storage boxes I bought and placed along one wall in my new office. Maybe I'll post a picture of that sometime in the future, but the image accompanying today's post is 39 boxes and other loose comics that still need to be sifted through and even that represents just a portion of the total that needs to be gone through. These no longer fit in my office, so they are stacked in a corner of my wife's and my bedroom, a fact she is less than pleased by. She tolerates them there because she knows I'm trying to cut the collection down, but she hasn't seen much progress in the last few months. That project needs to get moving again.

I've also mentioned recently that I have cut back considerably on what I have been buying, both for financial and space reasons. The less I buy means less variety in the new comics I'm reading and discussing on the blog. That's probably fine for those readers whose tastes line up with mine and enjoy reading what I think about the comics they also enjoy. But some blog readers might be put off if every fifth post is about an issue of Aquaman or Nightwing or Lone Ranger because I am buying and reading fewer new titles right now. Maybe by posting a little less often, I can be a little more choosy about topics and not cover the same book as often.

Probably like most of you, the biggest demands on my time remain my paying job and my family, and that's as it should be. My wife and I used to have the house to ourselves and work at the same place on the same schedule. Since shortly after our daughter was born, that has all changed. We both still work at the same place, but on different schedules now. That helps cut down on the cost of day care, but I don't get to see my wife except in passing most days that way. I do see my daughter quite a bit, which is very nice, but also time consuming. When she was smaller, she took frequent naps, which made ideal times to get little projects done. She's 28 months old now, however, much more mobile and commands much more of my attention. Don't get me wrong; I love spending time with her, reading to her, playing with her, potty-training her, etc., but that leaves little time for anything else right now.

So bottom line is this: I am going to continue to post new blog entries here every Tuesday that I have something ready to go. There might be a week or two here and there where a Tuesday goes by without a new post, but I hope those will be very few and far between. And hey, things could go the other way; posting only once a week might result in a backlog of stuff waiting to be posted, thus resulting in some extra posts from time to time.

I hope everyone keeps stopping by and reading despite there being new content a tad less often in 2014 than you were used to in 2013. And as always, happy collecting!!

It's Really Not Bad; I'm Just Not Feeling It

Superman: Earth One tpb
DC Comics
J. Michael Straczynski, writer
Shane Davis, artist

A couple weeks ago, I talked about finally giving Batman: Earth One a try after finding the hardcover for a price I couldn't pass up. The Earth One original graphic novel concept is to re-tell origins of iconic DC characters as if the events were happening today, in the modern era, instead of 20, 30 or 75 years ago. If done well, it's not a terrible concept, and in my opinion, Batman: Earth One was done exceptionally well.

Enjoying that story prompted me to try the first such Earth One OGN re-imagining Superman for the modern era. The trade version of that book is available now, so I picked it up and gave it a whirl. I'm not sure what went wrong, but the experience was definitely not the same.

I didn't hate the story or the re-imagining that these two creators came up with. I really just had trouble getting into the story.

I have friends who will see a movie in the theater, and if they like it, I mean really like it, they will swear that to fully appreciate the film, one has to see it on the big screen. I never quite understand that caveat. For me, it truly doesn't matter if I'm in a large theater with a giant screen or simply sitting in my own living room watching something on our modest-sized TV. If I'm into what I'm watching, really enjoying it, I am immersed in the experience to the point that the size of the screen doesn't matter; my surroundings kind of vanish to the background, and I'm "in" the film or program.

It's the same with a really great read. I literally lost myself in the pages of Batman: Earth One while I was exploring that reality. But with Superman: Earth One, I was very aware of the fact that I was sitting in the breakroom on my dinner break at work reading this book. Several times I looked up noticing the time so I wouldn't be late getting back; the narrative just wasn't holding my interest as well. Several times some action by a character seemed just a bit off, taking me out of the story, puzzling over the perceived inconsistency. And a few times, my focus actually wandered a bit, forcing me to back up and re-read something I'd "missed."

The charge that a character's action seemed off might seem odd when applied to an Elseworlds-style story where the characters are not exactly the ones we know. I'll admit, seeing characters changed or altered is part of the draw of an Elseworlds story. But even in that type of setting, you expect certain things to be constants. Maybe it's just a matter of personal taste. For instance, this version of Jimmy Olsen is a take-charge daredevil willing to do whatever it takes to get the best photos possible. That's a little more devil-may-care than Jimmy is usually portrayed, but it works here. I like it. But Lois Lane's character is just the opposite. In every iteration of the character I have ever seen she is a gutsy, barge-right-in kind of reporter. In some ways, she still is that in this story. But she also tries several times early on in the story to pull Jimmy back from danger, not so much out of concern for his safety although I'm sure that was a factor, but because she seemed to be afraid for herself. And she wasn't obviously doing any reporting or observing, really, during the action of the story.

Another major problem here, for me at least, was the villain of the piece. I can buy into the history that pits this villain against the last surviving son of Krypton. But I never completely got the threat this guy posed or understood how he operated. There is an entire armada of ships, but we only ever see one guy. Is this just the leader or is this one person in control of all these ships? He refers to a collective "we" at times, while also seeming to challenge Superman one-on-one a lot. I have no problem with creating an entirely new villain, but it seems odd in a one-shot like this not to use an established character. This Tyrell's appearance is very similar, though, to Silver Banshee's in the regular Superman books. Is that coincidence, which seems odd, or is there a reason for that similarity because none is given? If you're going to use an original character, make it a completely original one.

Even Clark's action and motivations seem inconsistent. He comes to Metropolis not sure what he wants to do with his life and abilities or how best to use them to benefit mankind. He applies to a number of sports teams and companies, quickly impressing almost all of them with his prowess at whatever skills they need from him. First off, that seems like a huge secret identity risk as all of these firms have Clark Kent's name and address on resumes; it doesn't seem like it would take a genius to figure out when Superman shows up shortly after this wunderkind impresses the hell out of you and several other leaders of the community that they might be connected. They even look alike. Then, Clark's rationale for joining the Planet staff at the end seems a bit contrived, based on the actions of only three people at two of the many, many places to which Clark applied for work.

I admit, this is a minor quibble, but another point that bothered me about Superman: Earth One was the inclusion at the end of Clark Kent's and Lois Lane's Daily Planet articles concerning the debut of Superman. I'm a journalist. I work for a newspaper. That doesn't make me an infallible authority, by any means, but whenever a Superman story includes "actual" articles written by Daily Planet reporters, they always yank me out of the story because they are seldom ever written like real news stories turned in by actual reporters. Typically, these devices are used to convey additional story points, I know, but it bugs me nonetheless.

Bottom line, I was pretty underwhelmed by this tale.

With A Pedigree Like This, It Has To Be Great

Velvet 1
Image Comics
Ed Brubaker, writer
Steve Epting, artist

I tend to be more of a story fan; be it comics or prose, if the writing is good, I'm in. I confess, I haven't read everything by Ed Brubaker, and I have read a few titles by him I haven't cared for as much as others. But for the most part, if he wrote it and I didn't buy it, it was because the subject matter didn't grab me more than anything else. Brubaker has had some fantastic runs on some titles I've really enjoyed, titles like Batman, Daredevil, Gotham Central, Scene of the Crime, and Criminal. His writing is full of rich characters he makes come alive with his talent for dialogue, and Brubaker has a knack for making his characters feel like real people. They don't always do what you want them to do, but you can believe that they would act as he portrays them.

Just because I tend to notice writing credits more doesn't mean I ignore art credits. There are a number of comics artists that I very much like and whose name on a project is a definite plus. As with Brubaker, I haven't read every single book Steve Epting has worked on, but I have enjoyed very much the ones I have read. I first became aware of Epting's name during his all-too-short collaboration with Dan Jurgens on Aquaman in 1999-2000. Epting's art next caught my eye when he moved to CrossGen and supplied the art for Crux and El Cazador. Epting just has a crisp, realistic art style I appreciate. His figures are dynamic, and his panel layout is clear and easy to follow.

These two creators came together in 2005 to relaunch Captain America for Marvel Comics. I like superhero comics, so I mean no disrespect when I say that their run on Captain America didn't feel like a superhero comic -- it felt superior. They took Cap's association with S.H.I.E.L.D. and made the title an espionage book. It wasn't straight-forward spy versus spy, but damn close. Both the writing and the art combined to give the book a cinematic feel. That mixed with the high adventure; the human drama of re-inroducing Cap's former partner, Bucky Barnes; the simple decision to have Steve Rogers appear without his Cap costume so much of the time alongside former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and girlfriend Sharon Carter all worked to make this feel like a very real drama playing out on a worldwide scale.

More of the same is what I hoped for when I first heard of Velvet, the new Image title by this same creative team. And that is what we are getting, judging by this debut issue.

Velvet Templeton is the secretary/head assistant for the head of a secret British spy organization. Think Miss Moneypenny from the James Bond franchise. Only Velvet is so much more, as she so skillfully demonstrates when several of the organization's top agents are killed.

It seems that Velvet was herself the super-spy in previous decades before being assigned to a desk job. But just because she is currently riding a desk doesn't mean this lady can no longer cut it in the field. She begins by conducting her own investigation into the first murder, that of Jefferson Keller, Agent X-14. Before long, Velvet finds other dead agents and is framed for the murders. And all of this is in just the first issue!

Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating the holiday! See you again, Friday!!

Somebody Needs To Put Him Down

Justice League 24
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Ivan Reis, artist

Much of this issue is devoted to giving the back story for this latest version of Ultraman, the darkly twisted Crime Syndicate version of Superman, but we also see some events in the present, taking place between issues 2 and 3 of Forever Evil, the limited series detailing the Syndicate's takeover of our world.

Ultraman's back story is told in almost-familiar vignettes. We see the destruction of the planet Krypton as its citizens mob, maim and kill each other to be the first to get to escape pods. The two most ruthless and bloodthirsty are Jor-Il and Lara, who not only destroy their fellow Kryptonians but also several other escape pods to maximize their son's chances for success. But it is clear that these two are not motivated out of any sense of love for their child.

As the infant Kal-Il is flown through space headed for Earth, he is bombarded by his father's voice, urging him to conquer and pillage his new home but also reminding him that his father fully expects him to fail and be proven worthless.

We see the young child crash landing on Earth, destroying the home of a drunken Jonathan and drug-addicted Martha Kent, failed farmers in a mutually abusive marriage. Kal-Il forces these two to be his new "parents" until he reaches the age of 7, when he decides they are no longer worth the trouble to him. And then we see glimpses of some of Ultraman's first encounters with people in Metropolis.

Through all of this, we learn that an individual was responsible for the destruction of Krypton, although Lara casts some of the blame on Jor-Il, too. We also learn that the same individual who destroyed Krypton came to the Crime Syndicate's Earth and caused the devastation of that planet that prompted the Syndicate members to seek out our universe and come to conquer it.

From there, the story switches to the current time frame. Ultraman continues his search for kryptonite, the source of his powers, but decides to take a detour and investigate this universe's version of his old stomping grounds. Several members of the Daily Planet staff catch the brunt of his temperamental personality, but none moreso than Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane. That is, until Black Adam shows up to challenge Ultraman.

All in all, this issue provides some nice insights into Ultraman. I'm not sure any incarnation of the character has ever really had a back story beyond being an evil, twisted version of Superman, so some of the glimpses into his past were interesting. And the current events were nice moments likely not included in the main Forever Evil series. I'm very curious who it is that destroyed Ultraman's version of Krypton and Earth. I think Darkseid is too obvious an answer, especially since there are strong hints that the hooded prisoner the Syndicate brought with them is the individual responsible for that destruction, and he looks like an ordinary man. If this is the actual destroyer, how did the Syndicate subdue him and what is the purpose of bringing him along? If it isn't the destroyer, then who is he and again, why bring him along?

I'd definitely say I'm enjoying the ride Forever Evil is offering so far.

More Tales Of Daring-Do, Bad And Good Luck Tales

Walt Disney's Donald Duck: "Christmas On Bear Mountain" by Carl Barks hardcover
Fantagraphics Books
Carl Barks, writer and artist

If money holds out, I guess I will keep buying these Disney Duck collections; I'm five-for-five so far on the collections featuring Donald as the headliner, and they've all been great reads, featuring a combination of one-page gags and longer stories about Donald and his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie. This particular volume has a much heavier concentration of the longer narratives, including only a small handful of one-pagers. Still very good, though.

The first duck tale in this latest volume, the title story, has the distinction of being the very first appearance of Uncle Scrooge McDuck. The character in this 1947 story bears little resemblance to the globe-trotting miser from future stories, however. The physical appearance of Scrooge in this tale is close, but the crotchety uncle of Donald Duck is pretty mean-spirited and has difficulty moving around unassisted. His dim view of others prompts him to tempt Donald and the nephews with the promise of a resplendent holiday full of food and gifts if they will only spend the night in his hunting cabin on Bear Mountain. Then he plots to scare them away as unworthy cowards. But Scrooge's plot is foiled by the unwitting intervention of some real bears.

Other yarns in this collection have Donald and the boys planting flower gardens competitively; learning about dancing, music and magic; tracking down the whereabouts of a "lost" mine; and traveling to such far-off locales as Australia, the West Indies, and the fictional Volcano Valley.

In another Christmas-themed story, Huey, Dewey and Louie decide that they have been pretty bad all year and need to work hard in the last days before Christmas to earn the possibility of presents. Unfortunately, most of their genuinely good deeds and favors for Donald end up having disastrous results for their poor uncle. But more often than not, it is Donald's attempts to teach the boys a lesson that end up backfiring, resulting in Donald himself getting into trouble.

He's Tugging At The Emotions

Fables 134
DC Vertigo
Bill Willingham, writer
Mark Buckingham, artist

One of the reasons I don't talk about Fables with every issue I read is because all I tend to do is gush about the title. I haven't much cared for some of the DC superhero work that Bill Willingham has written; his stint on Robin wasn't a half-bad story at all if he'd told it using an original character, but it really didn't fit the established personality of the Tim Drake Robin character; and his work with the magical-based heroes, Shadow Pact, or the legacy-minded Justice Society did nothing for me at all.

I can't say the same for his superhero work from other companies. I've long been curious about his Elementals series from Comico, but still haven't read any of those issues yet. And while those characters are superheroes, my understanding without having read an issue is that the Elementals characters have a lot in common with the Fables crew. That's one of the reasons I'm still curious to try that series someday.

But the world presented in Fables -- as far as I know pretty much wholly created by Willingham himself (Yeah, yeah, all of the characters are ages-old characters from fairy tales and folklore created by others, but the world they live in in this series and their current personalities and voices are pretty much all Willingham, right?) -- is just a fantastic read every single issue. Having said that, every now and then an issue of Fables comes along that is just a step above the usual greatness of the rest. This issue, focused on Little Boy Blue and Bigby in the afterlife, is one of those best of the best.

Blue died way back during the great war to overthrow the Adversary, and Bigby more recently met his end at the hands of the treacherous Prince Brandish. There has been hope offered that Bigby might be resurrected if all of his various pieces can be reassembled owing to the fact that he is a natural shape-shifter. This issue seems to further indicate that possibility while also revealing even more about the supernatural nature of Bigby.

As the issue opens, Bigby finds himself in an unfamiliar forest without any memory of how he got there or how long he's been there. In short order, Blue comes to meet him and explains that he is in a transitional period between worlds/realities/lives; the very nature of reality and life and death is much more complicated it seems than most suspect.

Blue has come to explain some things to Bigby about his situation before moving on. Blue has no desire to go back to his life in Fabletown, having found a measure of peace in his own transition, but he confirms that Bigby can indeed return if he wishes to do so, although the journey will not be easy. Blue also cautions Bigby that going back might not be the best course to pursue and warns that there is more trouble ahead for the denizens of Fabletown.

Of course, if you've seen the news that Fables has only about another year to go before the title comes to an end, the threat of danger lurking doesn't seem like a huge surprise. But the simple discussions between these two characters satisfies on many levels. This issue serves as a quiet, non-action issue in the middle of a larger sprawling epic. It is two old comrades who haven't seen each other in quite some time catching up. There are even a number of revelations given to readers, although in true comic book fashion, the revelations leave more questions than they truly answer.

As nice as the bulk of the issue is, however, the real heart-tugger moments come at the very end. Blue is not the only person to visit Bigby in this transitionary forest before the Great Wolf must decide his course of action. Someone else wants to speak with him before Bigby moves on, whichever direction he chooses to go, and this person represents a truly once-in-a-lifetime, no-parent-would-ever-wish-for-such-a-meeting-nor-turn-it-down reunion. Readers aren't privy to all the details of this second reunion, but we see enough that I think Willingham made the right choice in leaving the rest to the imagination.

I'm Afraid, But Not Necessarily For The Right Reasons

Afterlife With Archie 1
Archie Comic Publications
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, writer
Francesco Francavilla, artist

I've said before I'm not really a zombie fan. I don't hate the genre, but don't especially seek it out or care much one way or the other most of the time.

I tried The Walking Dead because I grew tired of hearing how good it was and not knowing first hand. So I tried it, and I liked it, but I still maintain that the book is not so much about the zombies as it is the people still living and fighting to survive. The zombies in the book are more like props or part of the environment.

But I don't really care that much about zombies. I skipped the whole Marvel Zombies craze, now on its zillionth miniseries permutation. I'm aware of the franchise, it's popularity, and some of the events that have happened in the books, but I've never actually read one of them. Just don't care to so far.

I did read and enjoy DC's Blackest Night, but that wasn't really zombies although I'll grant that the re-animated corpses of heroes and villains in that book were very similar.

But zombies in Riverdale? That is a concept almost too bizarre to pass up. It's like putting the Archie gang together in a story with the Punisher! Oh wait. They did that, and I bought that one too for the sheer oddity of the thing.

Had this been a miniseries, I likely would have waited for the eventual trade collection, but from the get-go, this series was announced as an ongoing title. So I opted to give the single issues a try. I even opted to buy No. 1 with the gorgeous variant cover by Andrew Pepoy despite the fact I tend to prefer the cover artist be the same one as the interior artist when there's a choice to be made. That's not a dis of Francesco Francavilla's art; his work is perfectly moody for this type of subject matter. But Pepoy's Betty Cooper being terrorized by zombified versions of her friends was just too cute to pass up.

I'm not spoiling anything not already revealed in preview materials for the series by saying that the zombification of Riverdale begins with Hot Dog, Jughead Jones' lovable sheepdog. But the blame for how Hot Dog turns into the first contagion gets spread around a little bit. First Hot Dog is killed in a hit-and-run accident; I won't name the culprit here, but he is named in this first issue. But then two others conspire to bring the beloved canine back. Don't worry, both of them are duly punished for their efforts.

While only one of the five core Archie-gang members is turned into a zombie in this first issue, several other familiar peripheral characters are attacked in these pages. So far, their fates -- newly formed zombies now themselves or simply zombie chow -- are not known, but the body count still seems kind of high for an ongoing series. Who's going to be left after a few more issues at this pace. But then, the threat is still new and most are unaware even of the threat at this point. Maybe the body count will slow as people realize the danger they are in and start fighting back against the zombies now in Riverdale.

I'm loving the book after this first issue and look forward to more. So what am I so afraid of, you might ask. The day before I read this first issue of Afterlife With Archie, I received a notice from my comic supplier that my pre-order for issue No. 4 has been canceled by the publisher. I'm hoping that simply means a delay and the book will be resolicited, but when that is the case, the cancellation notice usually includes that information. Is this book headed for its own untimely demise???

I'm Not Too Old Yet

Batman: Earth One hardcover
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Gary Frank, artist

I have "known" some comic-fans who have stopped keeping up with the current slate of comic books and continuity developments. They often are still actively re-reading books from their respective collections, just not reading the new stuff. They are still fans of the medium and often dabble by remaining a part of online communities that by their nature are most concerned with the current stuff, but such fans have found their own personal golden age of comics and prefer to stop reading the more recent books that aren't doing anything for them anymore.

The older I get, the more I understand those feelings; many of my favorite books were ones published in the 1970s. But I don't know that I'm quite ready to label that era my personal golden age yet. I also have favorite comic stories from each of the subsequent decades, and more modern times have truly been great with regards to comics turned into animation and film.

Having said that, I don't try as many new comic and graphic novel titles as I once did. When Marvel announced the Ultimate line, I half-heartedly picked up the Ultimate version of Spider-Man and X-Men, but I didn't stick with either long. I had more of an interest in the New 52 when DC launched that project, but those books were replacing, not running along side of, the already established continuity. I stuck with my favorites but didn't stay long with many of the newer titles and characters. So my reaction when DC announced their "Earth One" line of stand-alone graphic novels re-inventing their heroes for a modern era, my reaction was, "Good luck and I hope it brings new readers in as created to do, but I think I'll just pass." Not worth the price of admission for me; I already know the origin of Superman and Batman, so far the only two characters to get the Earth One treatment.

Then I went in search of a copy of the trade collection Superman: Exile, and found a nicely priced copy for sale online. That particular seller also had a copy of the Superman: Panic In the Sky trade, which I decided to pick up. And also for sale by this individual was a $5 copy of the Batman: Earth One hardcover. That's the hardcover. In nice shape. For $5. I'm not as interested in trying this book for the initial hardcover price tag, but I'm not going to turn down a chance to try it for a fraction of the cover price, either.

And I'm glad I took the chance!

This volume is a great example of what the old Elseworlds and What If ... ? series could be at their best. I don't want to ruin some of the many story surprises Geoff Johns and Gary Frank have crafted in this volume; a large part of my enjoyment reading this graphic novel was in discovering these gems on my own. But these men have created a powerful story that changes the established facts longtime readers know about the Wayne family and gives a satisfying read. There are many familiar faces such as Bruce, Thomas and Martha Wayne and Barbara Gordon. There are familiar names like Oswald Cobblepot, Alfred Pennyworth and Harvey Bullock that are used in brand new, fascinating ways. And there are more subtle changes to familiar characters like James Gordon and Gotham District Attorney Dent that add to the tapestry of this story. Johns has written a powerful origin story for this not-quite-the-Batman-we-know that lives up to the high standard set by his other writing. Gary Frank's artwork is crisp and adds visual nuances to Johns' script, as usual. Well done! Very well done, indeed!

I Was On A Roll And Then I Ruined It

Panic In the Sky trade paperback collection (1993)
DC Comics
Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson and Roger Stern, writers
Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Dan Jurgens, Bob McLeod, Brett Breeding, Doug Hazlewood, Dennis Janke and Denis Rodier, artists

Last time, we talked about the Superman: Exile trade collection -- one I read recently for the first time and very much enjoyed. A large part of that story involves Superman running into Warworld, being forced to take part in its gladiatorial-style contests to the death, and the Man of Steel's attempts to change that system. In Exile, Warworld is under the control of the Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of Mongul.

In this trade collection from a few years later, Warworld, now under the control of Brainiac, is headed for Earth  to enslave the populace. Unlike Exile, I read this story arc in the Superman titles of the time -- Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, Superman and Superman: The Man of Steel. I was drawn to "Panic In the Sky" because Superman assembles a large team of heroes to assist him in fighting off the Warworld invasion. Several of my favorites at the time play roles in the story. The group Superman assembles is a hodge-podge of heroes and anti-heroes because there is no current Justice League team in DC continuity at the time of this story.

One of the nicer things about this trade collection, which I purchased along with the Exile trade, is the inclusion before each chapter of the various writers' and the editor's thoughts on the story and how it came about. Turns out "Panic In the Sky" was initially envisioned as one of those all-consuming crossover stories DC did every year at that time. Only later was that notion turned down and the story moved to being told solely in the various Superman titles for a few months.

I very much enjoyed "Panic In the Sky" when it first appeared in single issues, and it isn't a bad story as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Guy Gardner, Kilowog, Fire, Ice, Flash, Captain Marvel, Booster Gold, several of the New Gods and more battle to save Earth from the schemes of Brainiac and the forces of Warworld. But honestly, rereading it now in trade format 20 years after I first experienced it, the story doesn't hold up quite as well as I remembered.

In one of his text pieces, writer Dan Jurgens wrote about superheroes -- especially Superman -- merely reacting to threats after someone has been hurt or some crime has been committed. One of the goals of this story was to depict the heroes -- again, especially Superman -- being more proactive. But the Superman depicted here is just as reactive as usual. Sure he assembles a team of heroes to come together and go into space to fight Warworld before it reaches Earth, but only after Brainiac sends his robotic Head-Ship to attack Metropolis, wreaking a great deal of destruction, and announcing to the Man of Steel that Brainiac is now in control of Warworld and bringing the artificial planet to Earth. Superman has no knowledge of the threat before this initial attack, so he's still reacting. To make matters worse, some of the character interaction among the many heroes in this story makes Superman seem like kind of a weak leader. He's constantly being challenged by Guy Gardner and Orion, to name just two examples, and he's also shown as uncertain several times and uneasy leading all of these various heroes.

Another problem in hindsight is the inclusion of Deathstroke the Terminator among Superman's assembled team. Deathstroke had his own comic in the mid-1990s, and while he was still an anti-hero, his strong moral code was emphasized in his own title. The character became a bit more heroic than he was initially depicted and would be written in later comics. In another text piece by Jurgens, the writer expressed his initial concern about including Deathstroke; why would someone like Superman seek out such an individual for help? But Jurgens said he later came to see the value of Deathstroke's tactical contributions. Except, wasn't Batman known as the master strategist of the DCU heroes? With some of the things the character has been used for since "Panic In the Sky," Deathstroke really seems out of place in this story now.

Several other characters are barely used. Wonder Woman is among the heroes Superman assembles, but her role is limited to appearing in a few backgrounds and exposition scenes. She plays no real role in the battle against Warworld. Other heroes get the same treatment, showing up but contributing little. I was happy when these books debuted to see two of my favorites, Aquaman and Nightwing, included in the story. Happily, they get much more panel time and much more dialogue than Wonder Woman in the story, but sadly, neither contributes a vital role to the proceedings, I discovered upon rereading these issues.

That isn't to say that there is nothing of value here; Draaga's story in this trade continues from what was begun for him in Exile. His is a pretty compelling story and easily provides much of the heart of these issues. Supergirl/Matrix also has some interesting developments in this arc. And finally, events at the end of "Panic In the Sky" were directly used to help re-launch the Justice League title for this era. But all of these things also seem to make Superman a supporting character in his own titles for two months. That's really kind of sad for the hero known for inspiring all others.

Based On Recommendations From "Friends"

Superman: Exile trade paperback collection (1998)
DC Comics
Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, George Perez and Roger Stern, writers
Kerry Gammill, Dan Jurgens, Mike Mignola, Jerry Ordway, George Perez and Curt Swan, artists

This Superman collection is one that was never really on my radar before.

I tried a lot of the new books that started up in the wake of DC's Crisis On Infinite Earths in 1986. The revamped Wonder Woman by George Perez drew my attention when it debuted in 1987, and I enjoyed it for a couple years before moving on. I followed the Bat-books -- still just Batman and Detective Comics at that time -- following the Dark Knight's soft reboot that same year. There were many others, including The Man of Steel miniseries wherein John Byrne rewrote Superman's history.

I thought that six-issue miniseries was great at the time -- still do except for Byrne's sterile interpretation of Krypton -- and followed Superman's adventures into the relaunched Superman, the renamed Adventures of Superman and the retooled Action Comics. But my interest waned after only a few months of following the Superman titles.

I've still never read the three part "Supergirl Saga" that led into the "Exile" story line, although I have long been mildly curious about it. In Byrne's reboot, Superman is truly the last son of Krypton; there were no other surviving Kryptonians in a bottle city of Kandor, no Supergirl, not even Krypto, Superman's dog. But in this arc, a mysterious female version of Superman shows up and leads the Man of Steel back to the pocket universe where she came from. She is an artificial being sent to seek out Superman to help save this pocket reality in which three Kryptonian criminals are wreaking havoc. The criminals manage to wipe out all life in that pocket dimension before Superman stops them. Then they threaten to find a way to travel to Superman's reality and repeat their heinous acts. Superman sees no alternative but to rob them of their superpowers and then execute them.

For months after this tale, Superman suffers mental anguish over taking these three lives. The emotional and psychological toll is so great, that Superman begins dressing up as another hero and apprehending criminals in much more brutal fashion than usual. He finally decides that he can no longer safely stay among humans and takes off, exiling himself to space.

"How do you know all of that lead-up if you've never read those issues?" you might be wondering. "From listening to podcasts," I would answer. To be specific, by listening to a podcast named From Crisis To Crisis, a podcast by Michael Bailey and Jeffrey Taylor. Part of the content offered through the Superman Homepage, this podcast concentrates on Superman comics published between 1985-1986's Crisis On Infinite Earths to 2005-2006's Infinite Crisis. That would include everything from Man of Steel No. 1 to Adventures of Superman No. 649. Each episode, these two gentlemen look at a month's worth of Superman issues from this period, taking them in chronological order. They provide a synopsis of the issues and then their own brand of commentary, and the show is very well-done and quite entertaining.

Through listening to this podcast, I have relived some great Superman stories I haven't read in quite a while and gotten to get a taste of the many stories that I've never read. Listening to this podcast has spurred me to buy a few single issues here and there because I want to read them for myself after hearing Michael and Jeffrey talk about them. Their description of the "Supergirl Saga" has made me curious to finally buy and read that tale, but so far I haven't found that it has ever been collected in trade format, the way I would prefer to find it. DC's Superman: The Man of Steel series of trades collecting the 1980s and 1990s Superman stories in chronological order might be my best bet, but so far that series hasn't quite gotten to the "Supergirl Saga" yet.

However, the aftermath of that "Supergirl Saga" -- Superman's self-imposed exile into outer space -- was collected shortly after its initial publication, and I managed to find a copy of that trade in great shape for a not terribly steep price for sale online. Now that I've finally read the issues collected in Exile (and listened to the corresponding episodes of From Crisis To Crisis), I'm surprised I didn't know more about this story line before. This collection introduces characters and concepts that were used again and proved very important to the 1990s and early 2000s Superman mythology. Much of what is explored here would be built upon for a number of stories and developments. If you're a Superman fan, these are pretty key stories introducing the Kryptonian Eradicator, various historical elements from Krypton's past, Warworld and recurring characters like Draaga and Mongul. In fact, Draaga, Mongul and Warworld were such popular concepts, they were adapted into the DC Animated Universe in episodes of "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited."

I'm sorry I missed these comics the first time around, but I'm very proud to have this volume in my collection now. In case you couldn't guess this on your own, I recommend checking this trade out!

Through The Magic Of The Internet

Comic-themed podcasts
Various creators and amateurs alike

I've mentioned before about buying comics I've heard about listening to comic-themed podcasts. I'm a bit of a late-comer to the whole podcast thing. My lovely wife got me my first iPod a few years ago as a gift. Then it was several months after receiving it before I tried to use it -- I'm a bit of a techno-phobe when it comes to new gadgets. But once I did finally try to use the iPod, I quickly began finding podcasts I thought I might like, loading them onto my iPod and listening to them when out walking the dog or doing household chores.

My first podcast was the excellent Word Balloon by John Siuntres, and my interest in that show predates my iPod gift. I discovered this interview-style show through the Newsarama website and had been listening to it at work during slow periods whenever a new episode was uploaded there.

I very much appreciated the interview format of the show where Siuntres asks creators about their current and past projects. Of course, my interest in the show was greatest when the featured creator was someone whose work I enjoyed or who had a forthcoming project I was looking forward to. But over time, I came to appreciate Siuntres' style and professionalism and gave episodes a listen even if I knew little about a specific guest.

Once I got my iPod (and got brave enough to try it out), I quickly came across other shows I liked. One of the first of these was Comic Zone Radio, hosted most often by Vincent Zurzolo. I didn't always like Zurzolo's interview style as much, as he sometimes tended to talk over his guests, interrupting their recollections with his own, but the show was still entertaining to listen to, and I enjoyed several of them a great deal.

I tend to favor the interview-style podcasts rather than story reviews of current comics. I like hearing the insights of the creators responsible for books I've collected and enjoyed, and some of the podcasts I listened to early on included not only current creators, but legends in the field from previous decades. I've still never been to a comics convention large enough to have big-name creators present, so this was a chance to hear some of their thoughts and musings.

There's another reason I mostly avoid review-style programs, and it requires an admission about the anal nature of my geekiness: each time I find a new podcast, I have to download and start listening from the earliest episode available. Hence, I haven't heard many current episodes; the bulk of what I am listening to most recently comes from the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008! From time to time there might be an episode that talks about some big book from the past I'm curious to hear thoughts about, but I'm less interested in a show that talks solely about whatever books came out the week the episode in question was released. I just don't have enough time to listen to everything if I'm ever going to get caught up to the more recent shows!

Another type of show I discovered and liked are ones similar to this very blog, only in audio form -- programs where the podcaster(s) in question simply talks about comics or pop culture in general, his or her love of the medium and other related themes. Some great examples of this kind of podcast are Fire & Water: The Official Podcast of The Aquaman Shrine and Firestorm Fan, Half Hour Wasted and Views From the Longbox. The folks who do these shows are easy to listen to, generally around my age (though often a little younger) and therefore often fans of some of the same comics I like.

Most of the shows I subscribe to are downloaded through iTunes, but there are some new links to the left for some of the shows that have their own websites. The list at left is not a complete list by any means, but there are some great shows among the ones available through these sites.

Now (to paraphrase Bill Cosby), I told you all of that to give you a little background for another story, for which you'll have to wait until next time. Hope to "see" you then.

Rucka Is The Master

Detective Comics 757 (2001)
DC Comics
Greg Rucka, writer
Rick Burchett, artist

I have mentioned before in this space that Greg Rucka's run on Wonder Woman from 2003-2006 is one of my all-time favorite runs for the character. Not too long ago, I also re-read and discussed Rucka's great run on The Adventures of Superman between 2004 and 2006. Rucka also handled a great run on Detective Comics from 1999 to 2002, a fact reinforced for me recently when I re-read those Detective issues.

There was a lot going on in this run to like. Rucka took over at the end of "No Man's Land" and did a lot of what would become groundwork for the later Gotham Central series he and Ed Brubaker co-wrote. The concept of the Wayne Enterprises board of directors insisting that Bruce Wayne accept a bodyguard allowed Rucka to introduce the character of Sasha Bordeaux, a character who he made a key part of the Bat universe for awhile, and later a big part of the overall DC Universe. The regular artist for much of the run, Shawn Martinbrough, is pretty great, too.

Rather than talking about this entire run this time out, however, I want to narrow the focus a bit to this excellent done-in-one stand alone issue that falls in the middle of Rucka's run on Detective Comics. None of the various subplots make an appearance in this issue at all. It is so very stand alone, it could almost be a fill-in issue, but Rucka's name is still in the credits. As for the art, Rick Burchett's Batman looks close enough to Martinbrough's usual pencils that it isn't jarring because none of the other characters in this issue are seen in the series again.

The first page introduces us briefly to a family of three approaching Gotham on a lonely stretch of highway late one night. We don't even get their names except the father calling his wife Hannah.

Turning the page, we get a seemingly unrelated voice-over by Batman. The Dark Knight is very annoyed by the direction his night is going. We also see four thugs fleeing a drug deal and gunning down at least two Gotham City Police officers as they go. Batman is in pursuit as soon as possible but is not able to catch the felons before they meet and force the family of three to drive off the road, their car dropping off a cliff into open water.

Batman has no idea of the plight of this family as he continues to pursue the thugs. Subsequent pages switch from showing Batman taking down the villains to the family fighting to survive as best they can. The parents are surprisingly calm and resourceful, but they can't get out of their car as it continues to fill with water. Batman finally becomes aware of the presence of another car and questions the final criminal before knocking him unconscious.

I like that the family in danger in the submerged car is able to survive as long as they do because they don't panic. Often in these kinds of stories, the heroes are all-knowing and brave while the people they save are helpless victims. That isn't exactly the case here. But the ending is also excellent as Batman saves the family and then apologizes to them for taking so long. The Dark Knight seems genuinely distressed by the inconvenience to these people.

But the mother replies, "You arrived just in time. Any sooner, the water pressure would have kept you from opening the door."

And Batman simply says, "I hadn't considered that."

Yeah, I just ruined the ending for you if you've never read this issue, but it's still worth your time to check out. There are a lot of details skimmed over in this synopsis, and this issue holds up well to multiple readings.

This is a fantastic story that shows Batman is NOT always infallible, but rather than making him less of a hero for that, it makes him all the more heroic for all he accomplishes without being perfect. This issue is definitely good comics!

Warped Reflections

The Lone Ranger annual 2013
Dynamite Entertainment
Shannon Eric Denton, writer
Matt Triano, artist

Having the hero confront a darker, twisted version of him- or herself is a familiar comic book plot, but I don't think I've ever seen it applied to a western hero like the Lone Ranger before. I'm sure it likely has (and feel free to chime in if you know of an instance), I'm just not familiar with an example. That is what this annual does, however.

Acting solo while Tonto takes care of some personal business, the Lone Ranger tracks down a killer who is targeting anyone associated with a former outlaw. I say former because the one-time stagecoach robber is now a "respected" politician. But 11 years ago, back when Bob Burdine led a different kind of gang in criminal activities, he also killed a sheriff who had apprehended him.

That killing leads a mystery man in a mask, a man given the name Devil-Gun, to track down and kill anyone ever associated with Burdine and his criminal activities past and present. And Devil-Gun is quite proud of the inspiration he got from reading about the exploits of the Lone Ranger.

The writing on this book is its best feature; the art isn't bad, but it's a little rough and sketchy looking for my tastes. But Denton does a nice job of defining the differences between Devil-Gun and the Lone Ranger in the final confrontation. The Ranger makes it clear that what he does is not about punishing the guilty; it's about protecting the innocent. Spoken like a true hero!

OK, He's Evil, But How Does He Breathe

Villains Month
DC Collectibles/DC Comics
various writers
various artists

We're going to do something slightly different today. I bought and read Forever Evil No. 1 and some of the various Villains Month special issues where the bad guys take over the existing titles for the month. I enjoyed most of what I read, but I feel like it is too early to say much about the seven-issue Forever Evil story as it is just getting started.

So, our primary focus today is going to be another release timed to coincide with Villains Month: one of the first action figures dedicated to villains since the launch of The New 52! Overall, I like the design of the new Black Manta figure offered by DC Collectibles. The old smooth black costume Manta used to wear seems more like a diving suit, but some of the new details added to his New 52 suit are interesting additions.

He looks even more lethal with a wrist-mounted device that shoots something (a grapple line, if memory serves), his familiar energy "gun" and two short swords/long daggers. The bulkier, raised collar on his suit also makes his helmet look that much more otherworldly. And this figure has textured lenses for the helmet's eye pieces -- another nice touch.

But the figure is not perfect. The hoses that run from the tank on his back to his helmet are much stiffer in construction than previous Black Manta figures. They are cramped into a smaller space because this Manta's helmet is smaller and there needs to be room for those swords/daggers on his back as well. All of that means you can't really turn the figure's head from side to side for posing purposes. This Manta looks straight ahead, never to the sides.

And there's another thing about this figure I noticed. Previous Black Manta figures in the 6-inch scale include the DC Direct Alex Ross Justice series and Mattel's DC Universe Classics series figures. Both have a tank on Manta's back that closely resembles the way the figure is typically drawn in the comics. I've always thought of this tank as simply an oxygen tank like any diver would wear, but really, Manta tends to spend a great deal of time underwater, often much longer than the average diver might spend, yet his air tank seems smallish in comparison to the kinds of tanks I've seen actual divers wear.

This new DC Collectibles figure takes that size issue a step further. This figure's tank is flat, not bulbous as past figures' tanks have been, greatly reducing the amount of space available inside. Further cutting into any air capacity the tank might offer is the fact that Manta's swords/daggers are carried on his back, sliding into compartments on the tank. The tank also serves as a holster for Manta's energy weapon. The thing on this Manta's back seems much more like a utility belt or weapons pouch, except for those hoses.

In my own mind, I've decided to reconcile this problem by acknowledging that this device can't possibly be an adequate air supply in and of itself. Rather than being an air tank, it must be a machine that helps Manta extract the oxygen he needs directly from the ocean water. It's like one of Batman's re-breathers, a device so small he can store it in his utility belt. Manta's version is not as compact because he doesn't have the resources Bruce Wayne can tap.

Anyway, back to the comics for some thoughts and recaps, starting off with Forever Evil No. 1: The evil doppelgangers of the Justice League -- the Crime Syndicate from an alternate Earth -- have come to the main DC Universe Earth. They've announced their intentions to be the new masters of this world via all electronic devices across the globe displaying the message "This World Is Ours" upon their arrival as seen at the end of lead-in series Trinity War.

Forever Evil shows the destruction of Belle Reve prison and the subsequent escape of the various super-powered inmates incarcerated there. Several of these villains were given communications devices and sent to rendezvous with the Crime Syndicate, where they are told to do whatever they want to do as long as they don't stand in the Crime Syndicate's way. Of course, Lex Luthor immediately takes a dislike to anyone assuming they are in charge of what he sees as rightfully his. As far as heroes go, the Justice League is gone; the Syndicate members claim to have killed them. Other heroes, like the Teen Titans, are trying to organize a counter attack, but Nightwing tries a more direct approach and is captured for his boldness. Other Syndicate members want to kill Nightwing, but Owlman won't let them. Instead, the Syndicate publicly exposes Nightwing's secret identity and threatens everyone close to him.

For the Villains Month issues, I stuck mostly to the characters featured in titles I usually get anyway. Those seemed to be the villains I would have the most interest in reading more about anyway. Of course I got the Black Manta and Ocean Master issues of Aquaman, both of which were good reads. Both men were incarcerated at Belle Reve before the Crime Syndicate attack, and both have no interest in what the Syndicate members have to offer at first. Manta claims Aquaman's trident from the spoils the Crime Syndicate offers as proof that the Justice League is dead, then goes to visit his father's grave. Though it wasn't by his hand, Manta believes that Aquaman is dead and his father's death has been avenged until Ultraman, seeking buried kryptonite, causes a tidal wave that destroys Manta's father's grave. Manta's hatred of Aquaman has found a new outlet, Ultraman, so it seems likely Manta will be joining Luthor in opposing the Crime Syndicate soon. Ocean Master is harder to predict. His first instinct upon being freed is to seek the ocean, but he isn't sure which direction to head at first. His interactions with the people he meets while trying to return home to Atlantis are often brutal, but it is more from his opinion that humanity is beneath him than any real malice. Unless someone shows they intend to do him harm first.

The other Villains Month books were a mixed bag. Black Adam's history is explored in the pages of Justice League of America and makes for a nice read, but the information presented is similar to his history as seen in the maxi-series 52 from a few years ago. Oh, and he got better after being turned to dust prior to Trinity War. The Secret Society issue in the pages of Justice League shows readers some of the history of Owlman and the Crime Syndicate's version of Alfred Pennyworth, the Outsider. We learn how Alfred became the Outsider and why Owlman seeks to protect the life of Nightwing. I also read the Count Vertigo back story presented in Green Arrow and the DeSaad issue of Earth 2 and decided to give the Cheetah issue of Wonder Woman a try; all three books were OK but not outstanding.

I'm looking forward to the story unfolding in Forever Evil. It's started off pretty good.

It's Not Exactly My GA, But It's A Valid GA And I Like It

Arrow tpb Vol. 1
DC Comics
Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and others, writers
Mike Grell and others, artists

I think I've mentioned before that I tend not to like licensed comics based solely on movies or television programs. Quite often the comics seem like inferior versions of the properties' first medium. I don't like inferior versions of original things I've liked, and I don't care for comics that make the comics medium seem inferior.

A fairly recent example would be the Heroes trades based on the television series from a few years ago. These were short online-first strips that told further adventures of characters from the show or fleshed out events only hinted at in episodes that DC later collected. There were some genuinely good stories in those trades, but by and large, most of them were just -- meh. It didn't help that most of the stories had little real impact on the actual series. You can't have major revelations or critical events about a television show occur in another medium that not all viewers of the show will follow.

Every now and then, however, a licensed comic will fire on all cylinders. This is one of those comics. And I'm very glad that the promise of the Mike Grell artwork spurred me to take a chance on it. His art, as usual, does not disappoint. And neither does the storytelling in this trade.

Once again, these were short, online-first glimpses into the world of the CW's "Arrow," the series based loosely on DC Comics' Green Arrow character. Each chapter collected in this print version is a 10-page glimpse at events in that world. Early chapters are vague as not much was yet revealed to viewers about the series. But as time goes on, these vignettes provide some nice, but non-critical background. For example, during season one of the series, we learn that Moira Queen has a warehouse where the wreckage of her husband's boat, the Queen's Gambit, is stored. This is the sabotaged boat that Oliver and his father were on before Oliver ended up on the island for five years. One of the chapters in this collection shows how the wreckage was found and salvaged and how those remains of the ship ended up in that warehouse. Other chapters show defining events from the past in the lives of China White and John Diggle, two characters important to the show.

I would say you'd have to be a fan of the show to enjoy this trade collection. Not a lot of effort is made to explain who people are in the stories or how they relate to the overall narrative of the series; this collection is not new-reader friendly in that regard. But if you watch the show, you already know who the characters are and what roles they play.

For those of you who don't know, the show is pretty different from the Green Arrow/Oliver Queen depicted in the comics for the past seven decades. There are many familiar names and characters, and the basic origin story is pretty faithful, but the similarities end there. I am not one of those fans who is close-minded about different interpretations of characters; I think this incarnation of Green Arrow/Oliver Queen is just as legitimate, if done well, as the original one from the comics. And this television program is done well.

In fact, as a bit of a digression, I'm rather liking the CW version of Green Arrow better than I am the comic version of late. The first story arc in the life of The New 52! version of Oliver Queen was a good one, but then the title began to wander and start a downhill slide that continued until recent issues when Jeff Lemire took over the writing chores. I'm still unsure what I think of Lemire's run on the title; it's much better than what came immediately before it, but I'm still not quite sure where Lemire is headed or how I feel about his new direction. He is introducing characters and concepts from the television show, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I hope he is not trying to imitate the show too much. It is a different medium and a different, albeit very similar character, but I think it would be a mistake to make the regular DC comic too similar to the show. But that's just my two-cent's worth.

Silver Age Greatness Presented Poorly

The Secret Society of Super Villains tpb
DC Comics
Gerry Conway, David Anthony Kraft and Bob Rozakis, writers
Pablo Marcos, Rich Buckler, Dick Ayers and Ric Estrada, artists

This collection has been promised for a while now. The name Secret Society is currently being used in The New 52! and previous solicitations have indicated that this 1976 series was to be collected first in Showcase form and now in this more traditional trade collection.

I'd never read any of this series when it was coming out initially. My comics buying habits then were much more sporadic, limited to occasional trips with my mother to the grocery store and whatever they had in stock at that time. But in the intervening years, I've read other books that contained ads for this series or even referenced it. So I was curious about this gathering of rogues.

Now that I've read this volume, I wish they had gone the Showcase route instead. Showcase volumes are massive 500-plus page collections printed in black and white to keep the price lower, but they cram a whole lot of stories into those pages. And one other thing Showcase volumes typically do is include related material.

Now this full-color trade includes an extra. There are actually two versions of Secret Society of Super Villains No. 1 included along with reprints of issues 2-10. There's a text piece accompanying the second version of No. 1 that explains two creators had different but similar ideas for developing the series. That second, unused version of the story is included to show how things might have gone slightly differently for SSoSV with its slightly altered cast line-up and different chain of events. That's a nice touch, to be sure.

But what is missing from this trade, but likely would have been included in a Showcase-style collection, is the story originally published in  Super-Team Family No. 13, a part of the same story from this book which takes place between SSoSV Nos. 9 and 10. The nature of SSoSV is that characters come and go as the story requires; there is no set cast. Several guest heroes and villains appear for a portion of the story, then move on. Some of these guest-stars include Green Lantern, Black Canary, Hawkgirl, the Trickster, the Creeper, Sinestro and Jack from the Royal Flush Gang. In the story arc begun in issue No. 8, for example, Kid Flash is along to assist regular series hero Captain Comet. Between issues 9 and 10, however, Kid Flash leaves and the Atom is introduced to the story. All of this happens in Super-Team Family No. 13, so you won't see those things happen in this trade.

Another reason for including the extra but vital issue here would be to balance out the inevitable second trade collecting the rest of the 15-issue run of SSoSV. This trade could have collected the first seven issues of the published series plus the alternate version of No. 1 for a total of eight stories. Then the second collection could be issues 8-15 plus the Super-Team Family story for a total of nine stories. But by collecting 10 issues plus the alternate No. 1 in this first trade, there are only five issues left to go; that's kind of a slim trade.

Back to the stories themselves, as originally published, the members of the Secret Society are assembled by an unknown benefactor. The initial invitees include Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Gorilla Grodd, Star Sapphire, Sinestro, Copperhead, the Wizard, Captain Boomerang, Shadow Thief and Manhunter. The various members come to San Francisco, where they find a secret headquarters, a butler and the Justice League. Fearing a trap, the villains attack and defeat the League, which turns out to be robots instead of the real heroes. This was all an initiation test, and there will be more.

The title suffers from a touch of schizophrenia with the multiple writers, or maybe that cast was simply too large to keep straight. In the second issue, Shadow Thief is gone with no reason given. In his place is High Jack, Jack from the Royal Flush Gang trying to start a solo career in crime. Grodd and High Jack are performing another initiation task when they run into Green Lantern, the real one this time. But before the battle goes far, another person intervenes.

Captain Comet, a space-faring hero from comics of the early 1950s, makes his return here. He has mutant abilities which allow him to fly and alter his appearance. He also has some telepathy and telekinesis, as well as super-strength. In story, Captain Comet, born Adam Blake, has been away from Earth for 20 years and has come home for a visit. He stumbles upon Grodd, High Jack and Green Lantern and incorrectly assumes GL is attacking the innocent Grodd and Jack. Captain Comet helps the villains escape and becomes an honorary member of the Society.

His mental powers allow Captain Comet to quickly learn his error, but he continues to stay with the Society to learn their plans and the identity of their mysterious benefactor. Then vows to round up all of the members of the Society while he re-learns about life on Earth. During the course of the series, several other villains and heroes come and go, and a number of other series and adventures are referenced as the various villains plot and scheme, sometimes against each other.

All in all, this series really was great fun, and I am glad that I finally had a chance to read these issues. I just wish the powers-that-be at DC had re-read the issues first so they would have known to include the extra story that is a missing chapter in this SSoSV collection.

I Expected A Little Bit More Than Nuggets

Star Wars Vol. 1 tpb: In the Shadow of Yavin
Dark Horse
Brian Wood, writer
Carlos D'Anda, artist

No, I'm not talking about chicken; this book simply has some nuggets of goodness, but I was expecting a more filling, satisfying read than I got.

The done-in-one single-issue comic book is almost a thing of the past. They still pop up from time to time, but very rarely anymore. I've come to accept that fact of modern comics. But I still expect a pretty complete story when I purchase a trade. I'm not saying the story can't continue into a second or even third volume or beyond. That's kind of the point of the continuing stories most often told in funny books. But a trade typically is a complete story arc. Subsequent trades might build upon what happened, but you still have a satisfying chunk of story -- a beginning, middle and end -- to the specific tale the trade collects.

Not so with this book. This series is meant to take place in the Star Wars universe shortly after the events of Episode IV -- A New Hope but before Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back. The rebel fleet has defeated the first Death Star and remained intact in the face of the Emperor's assault on their base on Yavin. But they have also been driven from that base and are looking for a new one. Unfortunately, every scouting expedition is met by Imperial forces almost immediately upon reaching whatever planet they have been sent to check out. Mon Mothma, the leader of the rebellion, and Princess Leia Organa suspect a spy in their midst. They hatch a secret plan to ferret out the spy, but things aren't going too well.

Meanwhile, the Empire, despite seemingly knowing every rebel move ahead of time, is not doing very well either. Imperial forces and coffers took quite a hit with the destruction of the Death Star. They try hard to cover with the ships and personnel they still have, but they are stretched pretty thin and still haven't managed to crush the rebellion. The Emperor is displeased with Darth Vader's failure to protect the Death Star, in particular, and takes command of the the flagship super star destroyer Devastator away from Vader. Instead, the Emperor sends Vader to Endor to oversee construction of the second Death Star and think about his failure.

We see a number of other familiar Star Wars faces in this collection, characters like Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Wedge Antilles, R2-D2, C-3PO and others, of course. But most of the action in this particular volume seems to center on Leia and Vader. And while both stories are interesting and nicely illustrated, this entire six-issue trade feels more like a teaser for things to come than a complete story.

I'm very curious to see how the Imperial forces are managing to stay one jump ahead of each rebel scouting party. And Brian Wood is an accomplished writer who makes readers feel Leia's frustration as nearly everything she tries seems to fall apart before yielding any answers.

I'm also quite curious about a woman named Birra Seah and her interactions with Darth Vader. It is obvious that they do not know each other previously, but once this woman comes to Vader's notice (by publicly standing up to him, no less), she very quickly earns his trust. She even renders Vader speechless at one point. My interest is very piqued about her and what exactly is going on with her.

Some critics of "writing for the trade" say that such practices rob single issues of their impact. Whether or not you subscribe to that notion, how much sadder is it when an entire trade feels merely like setup for what is to come next? I am curious where this story is going, and I'm not ruling out buying the next trade in hopes of finding out more about the rebel spy, if one exists, and Birra Seah and her connection to Vader. But if money is tight when the next trade is solicited, the lack of forward momentum will make it that much easier to give this title a pass. And if I do buy the second trade and still find no story progress being made, I'm pretty sure I'll move on. I want a story, not an installment.

It's All Becoming A Little Clearer

Rachel Rising 19
Abstract Studios
Terry Moore, writer and artist

Things are starting to come together in this series. We have the current events which involve both Rachel and her friend, Jet, walking around and talking and interacting with other folks despite the fact that they are dead. We also have an ancient witch that only some people can see walking around and speaking in riddles to some while enticing others to commit horrible acts. There's also a demon who possessed a little girl and later Jet, at least for a little while.

Then there's also a Colonoial-era story line we've been getting glimpses of from time to time, providing some background for the town in which this all takes places. Apparently there was a large massacre of young girls, all accused of being witches. Their leader, Lilith, is the witch roaming around in modern times, and we know from her that she cursed the town for the deaths of all those young girls in Colonial times. We also know that she is set on destroying the modern inhabitants of the town in retribution for the massacre. But so far, aside from Lilith, there hasn't been a great deal of overlap in the two stories or an explanation of how Rachel and Jet are still ambulatory and seemingly normal, at least at first glance, while being quite dead. At least, nothing obvious.

That begins to change with this issue. A quiet dinner for Rachel, Jet, Rachel's Aunt Johnny and Johnny's friend Carol takes an unexpected turn. Rachel and the readers are given another flashback to the Colonial-era events, and this time, Rachel has less trouble making sense of those past events and how they relate to her today. This doesn't necessarily mean the end of the series is drawing near, but I do hope the answers keep coming.

Now That's More Like It

Merciless: The Rise of Ming tpb
Dynamite Entertainment
Scott Beatty, writer
Ron Adrian, artist

This four-issue limited series tells Emperor Ming's back story and leads directly into Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist, a series I actually found a little bit disappointing. I actually read Zeitgeist first because I received that trade in the mail a few months before this one. Not sure if the collection for Merciless was delayed for everyone or if maybe I just ordered mine late and had to wait longer for my copy to arrive, but I did order Merciless before Zeitgeist. If I'd read them in the "proper" order, maybe my perceptions of both series would be different, but that ship has sailed.

On the whole, Merciless just read better to me. Maybe it was because there were fewer expectations in the story of Ming's younger years, a subject not often breached before, versus the more well-tread path of Flash Gordon's adventures featured in Zeitgeist. I mean no disrespect to Zeitgeist scribe Eric Trautmann when I say that it might also have been the writing. I have read a number of things written by Scott Beatty and liked almost all of them. I have read only a handful of Trautmann stories and found those few a more mixed bag when it comes to lining up with my tastes.

Ming is not the only familiar character in this tale of his rise to power on Mongo. Of course, most of the races of Mongo are familiar to those who have read the exploits of Flash Gordon -- Frigians, Arborians, the Lionmen and the Hawkmen, among others -- but we also are introduced to a younger Prince Vultan before he became ruler of the winged denizens of the Aerie. We also see a young scientific researcher named Klytus rewarded for his efforts by Ming and elevated to being the new emperor's second-in-command. And we witness the birth of Ming's heir, Aura, another character quite central to the later Flash Gordon tales.

But mostly this tale centers on Ming's cunning and ruthless rise to power. His father, the Emperor Krang, seems to be an emperor in name only. Rather than ruling over the other kingdoms, he is head of a council of rulers who enjoy a shaky non-aggression pact with each other, a pact that is often broken and reformed with the whims of any of the various players.

That changes quickly once Ming decides to usurp his father's title. He does not win every one of his early campaigns, but he learns quickly from defeats and ultimately, with a few well-placed, decisive victories -- and one nasty bit of genocide -- to pull the other people of Mongo into line under his reign. And once Mongo is under Ming's complete control, he sets his sights on the rest of the universe and beyond.

As always, the Alex Ross designs and covers for this series are simply beautiful. But Ron Adrian does an excellent job, too. Adrian follows Ross' designs for these characters so closely, a casual observer might even miss the fact that one artist is responsible for the covers and another for the interiors. Kudos all around, gentlemen!