Who Knew Ultimate Evil Could Be So Good

Batman: The Ultimate Evil prose novel (1995)
Aspect/Warner Books
Andrew Vachss, writer

This isn't your typical Batman story, but it is a very good read. The ultimate evil in the title refers to child abuse and the use of children in human trafficking and the international sex trade, so it's not light fare for younger readers.But if you're a fan of the character, this novel is well worth seeking out.

I've also read "The Further Adventures of the Batman," an anthology of Dark Knight prose stories written by a number of authors not known for tackling superheroes before. The book first came out around the time of the 1989 Tim Burton-Michael Keaton "Batman" film and was popular enough to have a number of sequels spotlighting Batman, the Joker, Superman and Wonder Woman. All of the contributors to these anthologies were well-respected, previously published authors, and most of the tales offered some unique takes on the characters presented. Some handled the superheroics better than others, though.

In this book, Andrew Vachss handles the superhero genre like a pro, keeping a number of the Batman's signature tropes — things like the Batcave, the Batmobile, Batarangs, his stick-to-the-shadows motif, his keen, analytical mind, among others — but also uses the best aspects of prose fiction to craft a Batman that feels unique while familiar at the same time. And Vachss makes the Dark Knight's mission in this novel all the more personal by tying child abuse and child prostitution into the very origins of the Batman in a way that adds depth but doesn't disrespect anything that has been done before with the character.

I don't want to reveal specifics and spoil too much for anyone who hasn't read this book before. But I stress again that this book is well worth seeking out for any fan of the character.

Six Degrees Of Kate Spencer

Manhunter 1-38 (2004-08)
DC Comics
Marc Andreyko, writer
Jesus Saiz, Javier Pina, Brad Walker and Michael Gaydos, artists

This series revolves around federal prosecutor Kate Spencer and her growing sense of frustration as juries fail to convict powered criminals based on a variety of technicalities. For instance, in the first issue, Kate is prosecuting Copperhead, a mutated snake-like villain, suspected in a string of multiple, recent homicides. The jury finds him not guilty because of his mutation, a condition his defense attorney argues compelled him to kill and over which Copperhead has no control.

Finally deciding she has had enough, Kate sneaks into a police evidence lockup and removes a number of items she uses to fashion a superhero costume and arm herself. Kate then takes to the streets in pursuit of Copperhead, who escaped from custody following his trial. Kate is able to follow the trail of blood Copperhead has left behind, and after a touch-and-go battle, manages to deliver some justice on behalf of the villain's victims.

The rush from her first outing convinces Kate to hang onto her new gear, and she adopts the costumed identity of Manhunter. And all of that is just the first issue!

I followed Manhunter as it came out and really enjoyed the tone Marc Andreyko brought to the title. If you were reading comics at the time, you've probably heard of the title before as almost any of the podcasts and reviewers I followed then talked the series up at every opportunity. Despite the positive word-of-mouth, the title seemed to always be on the verge of cancellation. In fact, it was canceled at least twice, only to be resurrected through fan outcry before its final cancellation with issue No. 38.

Part of the appeal of the book was the supporting cast helping to make Kate a more rounded, engaging character. Most superhero books have their recurring characters beyond the main hero or heroine. But Kate had a family around her.

First and foremost was Kate's son, 6-year-old Ramsey. Kate shares custody of Ramsey with her ex, Peter Robinson, an author. Peter isn't in the book as much, but does make some pretty major appearances and enjoys primary custody of Ramsey. So Kate only has occasional time with her son, but he's a pretty precocious kid who quickly stumbles upon his mother's costume stash.

Readers were later introduced to more of Kate's family members, many of whom served to further complicate her life. For instance, her estranged father comes back into the picture midway through the run of the title, and in addition to having some inherent powers of his own, he is not a nice man. That leads to the introduction to the series of a couple golden-age DC characters who just happen to be Kate's grandparents. But I won't spoil that surprise any more than I already have.

The second major supporting player in Kate's life was Dylan Battles. Dylan is a reformed henchman who has previously worked for such infamous characters as Queen Bee, Two-Face, Killer Frost, Black Manta — even the Joker at one point. Dylan has since testified against many of his former "employers" and is now a part of the witness protection program. Kate runs across him accidentally early in the series then tracks him down when her energy staff is damaged in battle with the Shadow Thief. It seems Dylan was in such demand from all of these villains because of his tech-savvy. So Kate blackmails Dylan into helping keep her gear in working order and upgrading her suit's various capabilities.

Let's talk about Kate's suit a little bit. As I mentioned previously, Kate pieced together her outfit and weapons from a police evidence lockup, so she has a bit of a mish-mash of items. For instance, her power staff was once used by a previous Manhunter, Mark Shaw, who also makes a number of appearances later in the series. Kate must have known the staff's history, and that helped lead her to her chosen hero identity. The suit itself is a former Darkstar outfit; the Darkstars were a band of space cops much like the Green Lantern Corps and were featured in a 39-issue series in the mid-1990s. Added to the Darkstar outfit, Kate wears some armored gauntlets that feature distinctively sharp fingertip claws. These gauntlets were part of the Batman costume worn by Azrael during the time he assumed the mantle of the bat from Bruce Wayne. For more on the Azrael-Batman, check out the mid-90s "Knightfall" story line in the Bat titles. And for more on how all of these various items ended up in that evidence room, check out Manhunter No. 15.

Need more name dropping? Kate's co-counsel throughout the run of the book is a man named Damon Matthews. Damon is a great character in his own right, but if you haven't read Manhunter, his name probably means nothing to you. But during the series, Damon meets and begins dating Todd Rice, also known as Obsidian, super-powered son of the golden-age Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Both Todd and his heroic alter ego make several appearances in the pages of Manhunter.

There are more ties to the greater DC Universe. Kate went to college with Cameron Chase, the title character in a short-lived series in 1998. Chase was a special agent with the Department of Extranormal Operations in DC continuity. In her own 10-issue title, Chase learned that her father was a little-known superhero, Acro-Bat, killed by a member of his rogue's gallery. That same villain, Dr. Trapp, had kidnapped Chase when she was younger. In Manhunter, Kate comes to the attention of the DEO, and Chase becomes a regular recurring character, continuing her story.

Speaking of the DEO, elsewhere in DC continuity, it was established that Mr. Bones, a character with convoluted ties to the superhero group Infinity Inc., assumed the role of director of the government agency and is Chase's boss. During the "One Year Later" jump all DC titles made in 2006, Manhunter began doing some work directly for the DEO, and Bones became another recurring character in the series. On Bones' order, Kate switches jobs during the "One Year Later" jump and becomes a defense attorney, taking a number of cases referred to her by the DEO.

Once she switched to being a defense attorney instead of a prosecutor, Kate came to the attention of Wonder Woman. Diana needed a defense attorney when international officials charged the Amazon with the murder of Maxwell Lord, leader of Checkmate. Diana snapped Lord's neck in the "Sacrifice" story line that preceded Infinite Crisis.

Still not enough to establish Manhunter firmly in the DCU for you? Other connections to the wider DC Universe passing through the pages of Kate's series include the Crime Doctor, Phobia, Dr. Psycho, the Suicide Squad, Batman, the Birds of Prey, Blue Beetle and several members of the Justice Society and Justice League, just to name a few. Some of these might have been cameos engineered to boost sales along the way, but Andreyko always made the guest appearances spring very organically from ongoing plots and story lines. He seems to have a talent for that kind of thing, making his creation, Manhunter, very tied into the DCU.

Keeping Up With Family Traditions

Locke & Key Vol. 1 hardcover: Welcome to Lovecraft (2008)
IDW Publishing
Joe Hill, writer
Gabriel Rodriguez, artist

This book has been around for a while, but it wasn't even on my radar when it debuted in 2008. I'd later heard some good things about the title without ever learning much about the plot beyond the fact that it was a horror series. That I'd already kind of suspected from the subtitle of the first story arc.

I enjoy horror movies — not gore-fests, mind you, but really good scary, suspenseful pieces — but I've read a few horror comics that just didn't seem to work. That generalized rule only made it better when I happened to find a comic horror series that I felt genuinely DID work. Sorrow from Image Comics, Skinwalker from Oni Press and Rachel Rising from Abstract Studios would be some examples of some good, scary comics stories I've tried and really enjoyed. But they continue to be the exception, not the rule, from my own experience.

Enter a friend of my wife's from her college days, Todd. She thought he and I shared some broad interests in sci-fi, television and comics, and introduced me to him through his blog several years ago. One of the comics that he talked up quite a bit was Locke & Key, which I learned from him was a series of limited series — six of them to date with a seventh in the works. Based on how much Todd liked the series and talked it up, I finally added it to my list of things to try at some point. For several more years, however, there was always something I wanted more or could get a little cheaper when placing orders or going shopping.

That is, until I decided to start getting serious about getting some of my books, especially things I was trying out to see how much interest I'd really have, from the library instead of the store.

Well, I recently asked our local librarian — a very nice lady named Charlotte — to request the first Locke & Key trade via interlibrary loan, and she came through with the hardcover version of the book. Man, am I glad I finally tried this series! I have to say, this first volume is so good, I was tempted to just buy an entire set of trades to read the rest. I like it that much. Well, that is until I did some quick web-surfing and found that bargain hunting this series would take a while. There are plenty of the books for sale, but most of them carry a pretty hefty price tag, even for used copies. So, I've decided to stick with the library for now, but if future volumes continue to be this good, I may be tempted to start looking to buy again.

The story starts out on the west coast where the Locke family lives. There's the father, Rendell Locke, a high school guidance counselor; his wife, Nina; and their three children, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode. Tyler and Kinsey are high-schoolers; Bode is in elementary school. But after Mr. Locke is killed during a home invasion, the family packs up and moves to the Locke family home, currently occupied by the kids' Uncle Duncan, in Lovecraft, Maine.

That family home is a sprawling structure with a rather large number of rooms and doors, many of them with their own keys — hence the second half of the series' title. Hints are dropped along the way that the house may have a supernatural aspect. Rendell and Duncan have long told the children about their own childhood in Lovecraft and the fantastical adventures they shared there, doorways that led to far-away places and mystical lands. The two adult brothers tell the stories as remembered play, but the stories have the air of more truth just beneath the surface.

Bode is the first of the next generation of Locke children to uncover some of the property's secrets. First, he finds a locked well house with a rather unusual echo. Shortly afterward, while exploring the house itself, Bode makes another discovery: "I found a secret door and when you go thru you turn into a gowst. It's fun to be a ded persin," he writes for a school project.

Before long, other family members discover strange things about their new home. But before they can learn much, they must contend with another danger: the young man who killed Rendell Locke has escaped from prison and is making his way across the country, tracking the family's movements east.

Joe Hill has crafted a very engaging narrative with characters a reader can connect with easily. This feels like a satisfying chunk of story while still being Hill's opening salvo only. There is still much more to learn from the Locke house, and I fear, much more for this family to endure.

And Gabriel Rodriguez's artwork is clear and easy to follow. Despite some of the graphic violence in the story itself, Rodriguez does not illustrate too much gore. He doesn't shy away from showing the violence at times, but I never had an issue with feeling like the depictions were overly graphic.

In case you couldn't tell already, I say give this book a try if you haven't already!

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Side note: It wasn't planned this way, but Locke & Key makes for a nice Halloween week post. But just in case the spookiness in this title isn't enough to put you in the Halloween mood, then check out this Monster Pin Up Girls kickstarter project I came across last week. There's still time to back the project, so give it a look.

Pass The Popcorn; I'm Ready To Watch

Velvet 6
Image Comics
Ed Brubaker, writer
Steve Epting, artist

Another short post today. I've praised this series before, and it continues to be a solid read.

Ed Brubaker is crafting an intriguing story about a former spy who re-enters the game after one of her colleagues turns up dead. Complicating her search for answers, Velvet Pendleton quickly finds herself framed for the murder she is trying to investigate. And along the way, she is finding out that much of her life has revolved around lies she never suspected as untrue before. It is a story that I was quickly sucked into and am thoroughly enjoying.

Add to that Steve Epting's wonderful, cinematic art, and this series is like watching a favorite old action movie for the very first time.

In fact, my only real complaint about this title to date has been the lag between this issue and the previous one. This title seems to be following the Image trend of taking a break from the single issues during the month that a new trade comes out. If it gives the creative team a break, that's great; but I want my Velvet every month, if possible.

Well Done, Good Sirs

Star Trek Special: Flesh and Stone
IDW Publishing
Scott and David Tipton, writers
Sharp Brothers, artists

 
I don't have a whole lot to say about this "Star Trek" one-shot, but wanted to take a post to extend my kudos to the creative team all around for not taking the easy way out with this story. Of course, why even do the darn thing if you're not planning to "do it right."

This was solicited as a "Star Trek" special that incorporated all of the doctors from every incarnation of Trek television program ever aired. (Technically, they didn't include Dr. Mark Piper from the second Original Series pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," or Dr. Philip Boyce from the first Original Series pilot, "The Cage," but since neither of those gentlemen appeared for more than one episode, I have no problem with glossing over them.)

I fully expected the special to take place in the era that would allow the easiest access to the most Trek doctors. The "Next Generation," "Deep Space 9" and "Voyager" television programs all happened around the same time frame, so Drs. Beverly Crusher and Katherine Pulaski (TNG) were contemporaries of Dr. Julian Bashir (DS9) and the Emergency Medical Hologram program that gained sentience while serving on the lost Voyager.

The problem would be including Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy from the original series. McCoy is shown briefly in the first episode of "The Next Generation" hitching a ride aboard the latest version of the Enterprise, but he is at that time an honorary admiral and 137 years old. I expected the main medical problem that brings together the other contemporary docs in this story would force that team to turn to some notes or case files left behind from the now-deceased McCoy.

That's close to what happens, but these guys not only found an even better way to incorporate McCoy into the medical mystery threatening the entire Federation, but they also used that clever ploy to include Dr. Phlox, the ship's physician from "Enterprise," the "Star Trek" prequel, which I had completely forgotten about when anticipating this one-shot. (Slams his forehead with the heel of his hand while saying, "D'oh!") No, I'm not going to tell you how the Tiptons and Sharps pulled it off; I'll just say again that I was pleasantly surprised by their solution and encourage you to read the issue for yourselves. It's not like you have to invest in a 20-issue epic to find out.

My only complaint, and its a minor one, with the issue is once the medical mystery is solved, there is still a bit of detective work left to do, the final resolution of which feels a bit rushed — particularly a single sequence of panels near the end where a button is pushed. One can assume what happened from the artwork, and maybe this was a production error or something, but there is no dialogue in the panel where the button is pushed or labels on the buttons or anything else to directly clue readers in to what is being done by the pushing of that button. Again, I can make a pretty good assumption from the next panels, but some more visual direction would have been nice.

Overall, a good issue though, and one I recommend to fans of Trek.

I Admit I Continue To Be Curious

Teen Titans 1
DC Comics
Will Pfeifer, writer
Kenneth Rocafort, artist

I grew up with the members of The New Teen Titans in the 1980s. I don't pretend that I followed the team in their Silver Age incarnation (1966-1978), although I have since read and enjoyed most of those issues. I wasn't even on board in 1980 when the New team debuted in DC Comics Presents No. 26 between the pages of a Superman/Green Lantern tale. But I discovered the title in 1983 in a story I've told here before and followed the title going both forward and backward, eventually collecting the entire run.

I decided to try the next incarnation of the team (1996-98) led by a de-aged Ray Palmer Atom when Dan Jurgens relaunched the title shortly after Zero Hour, and I enjoyed the new characters he introduced to the team name, although in all honesty, my favorite issues were the later ones when the original team members came back into the narrative.

I liked even more when Geoff Johns relaunched the title (2003-2011) with the next generation of Teen Titans. A big part of the appeal of that version was the continuity that was established with the formation of Young Justice, and then those characters' "graduation" to the name Teen Titans, while the original group members dropped the no-longer-accurate modifier and became just the Titans for a couple more iterations.

But I dropped out when the New 52 came along. One of the goals of the relaunch was to shake things up and draw in new readers. Teen Titans was one of the titles that changed the most. Despite some early confusion, the entire history of the group was jettisoned, and the personalities of the existing characters were changed pretty drastically along with bringing in a number of newer characters. I'm not going to say the title after the makeover was bad, but I'd lost my connection to the characters and thus, the title.

Then, a few months ago, I reread the H.E.R.O. series from DC written by Will Pfeifer. Not long before that, I'd reread his fantastic run on Catwoman. After both those titles, I decided to give the fresh relaunch of the New 52 version of Teen Titans a try with Pfeifer at the helm. It's too soon to know much about the direction of Pfeifer's run with only one issue under my belt, but he does have me curious.

As far as I know, not having read more than an issue or two of the previous series, it seems that Pfeifer has elected not to drastically reboot the team again to start his run. I know some of the names, but that is about it with the members of the team so far. But in this age where real teens' lives are consumed by electronic devices, Pfeifer has chosen to make said devices a commanding presence in his story — the Titans use social media and electronic gadgetry to communicate with each other as they take down a group of terrorists holding a school bus of students hostage. Bystanders on the street also record many of the events using their own cellphones and tablets. It even seems that the leader of the terror group is using tech-savvy to lead and control his or her own minions (the lead villain's gender wasn't clear to me from the art, but I think the character was referred to as "she" once).

While I'm not familiar with the revamped history of older characters like Beast Boy, Red Robin, Raven and Wonder Girl or the back story for New 52 newcomer Bunker, I liked what I read in this issue. And Kenneth Rocafort's art, while not always to my liking, works in many scenes of this book. I'm sticking around for more before passing any kind of final judgment, but I'm sticking around.

OK, I'll Bite

Star Trek 35
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Tony Shasteen, artist

This issue is the first of a six-part story arc called "The Q Gambit," and I was nervous going into this issue. For starters, this would be the longest story arc so far attempted by this incarnation of Star Trek; most arcs were smaller two-issues tales, with an occasional four-issue miniseries tied to the two J.J. Abrams movies. Did this story really need to be six issues long?

And an even more basic questions was, should this story even be told at all? I like the character of Q, first introduced in "The Next Generation" continuity of "Star Trek," but a little Q goes a long way. He is a character that very easily could be overused or used incorrectly. Do we really need to impose him on the rebooted Trek universe, and if so, why at such an early point in time, as we humans measure it?

This creative team does an excellent job in this first installment answering those exact questions: why is Q in the rebooted universe and why is he showing up earlier in that universe than he did in the reality that preceded it?

It all goes back to the Trek fact that Vulcans live much longer than humans, and that Spock is still around and kicking during much of "The Next Generation" time span. Spock appeared in a number of TNG episodes, so it is canon that Spock and Q are contemporaries. I don't recall an instance where the two characters met in any TNG episode — or even in any of the licensed novels based on the Trek universe. But Spock and Q do meet and have a philosophical debate in the Alien Voices production of Star Trek: Spock Vs. Q. I'm not entirely sure if that audio-drama is considered canon or not, but as contemporaries, it is possible that Spock and Q could have met, even if said meeting has yet to be depicted.

So this series starts out in the original TNG continuity with Q popping onto the Enterprise to speak with now-Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard about their mutual acquaintance, Spock, in the aftermath of the events told in the first Abrams Trek film. To any of the contemporary people of the original Trek universe, Spock is presumed dead after he went back into the past in that film because he never returns to that timeline. But Q, being omniscient, knows all about the new timeline created by Spock's actions, along with the fact that Spock is alive and well in that altered timeline. Also, Q knows of some universe-ending event that will destroy that altered timeline. Q's visit to the Enterprise is to let Picard know that the Spock Picard knows is alive and well, but not for long, and to ask Picard's advice on whether or not he — Q — should intervene in this universe-ending event that threatens that other timeline. Picard, of course, comes down on the side of Q not interfering with any natural order of events, and Q, naturally, takes that as a challenge to do exactly what he wants anyway.

Thus, Q thrusts himself into the altered Trek timeline for perfectly valid reasons, at least as far as Q is concerned. And I would have to agree that his actions herein are quite consistent with his established character.

Mike Johnson is a regular on the IDW Trek titles and handles his duties with the usual spot-on characterizations and intelligent, griping writing that this series is known for. Tony Shasteen is a newcomer to the IDW Trek franchise and is praised in the back of the book in the newly launched letters page for his ability to capture the likenesses of the actors who portray the Trek characters on both big and small screens. The art on this Star Trek Ongoing series has been mostly good from the beginning with a variety of artists handling the illustration chores and handing in mostly good character likenesses. Shasteen's art in this issue seems a bit darker than is typical for this series; everyone's faces, clothing and backgrounds have a lot more shadowing than readers are used to. That in and of itself isn't a bad thing, but I wouldn't want to see the palette permanently shifted to such a degree when Trek is known for its generally positive, brighter future than other science fiction franchises portray. Some of Shasteen's panels also seem to sport pretty stiff characters as if he is relying too much on photo reference to capture those likenesses. Not every panel suffers in this way, but some that particuarly seem to scream for action do depict stiff figures at odd angles. It was enough to pull me out of the story a time or two.

Mostly though, I feel this story is in capable hands, and I'm anxious to see it play out over the next five issues.

Judge The Complete Story, Not A Piece Of It

Saucer Country Vols. 1 & 2: Run/The Reticulan Candidate
DC Vertigo
Paul Cornell, writer
Ryan Kelly, artist

Saucer Country has been on my radar from time to time over the last year or so since its debut in 2012. I was curious about it, but didn't know much about what to expect and had never picked up an issue. Then a few months ago, on a comics trip with my nephew, I found a good deal on the first trade and decided to take the plunge "down the rabbit hole" and give the series a try.

The story focuses on New Mexico Gov. Arcadia Alvarado, a popular politician on the cusp of announcing her candidacy for the presidency of the United States. Along the way, however, she and her ex-husband, Michael, are abducted by aliens. The book was described in early reviews as a cross between "The X-Files" and "The West Wing," both shows I enjoy.

But I have to be honest, while I liked the premise of the series, I was undecided about the execution after reading the first six issues included in the first trade, Run. The art isn't bad; Ryan Kelly does a good job illustrating the main characters, keeping their appearances consistent from image to image, and making the more grounded scenes feel like the world we are all familiar with. He also does a good job with the more fantastical elements and the rare scenes where the two are combined to hauntingly creepy effect. And overall, I liked Paul Cornell's story; he is another writer whose work on the iconic company characters hasn't always lined up with my personal tastes, but I can better appreciate his writer's voice on his own original characters.

The problem was not feeling like I really understood the underlying story that was unfolding involving the aliens and the various conspiracy theories that come in and out of the narrative. I wasn't always certain exactly what was happening in some of the more fantastical "remembered" scenes characters would relate after the fact.

Some research into the series told me that there was only one more trade; the series had been cancelled early, presumably due to low sales. Finding out the series had been cancelled early made me worry there would never be any kind of resolution to the Saucer Country tale, but the parts I liked, I liked enough to take a chance on a series I'd already read half of (or so I thought). So I started hunting for the second trade, hopefully at a reasonable price to assuage my uncertainty.

Turns out that second trade, The Reticulan Candidate, collects issues 7-14 of the series, so a little more than half remained. And it continued to be a good read, although I still felt I wasn't always "getting" every scene. And truthfully, every single plot thread is not explained by the end of the series. As in the real world when it comes to alien visitation, some of the questions raised are left hanging, unanswered, leaving both readers and characters questioning. But I'm happy to report that the series does have a satisfying ending, and many answers are provided. Some portions of the tale are explained and finally fleshed out, making it clear that the portions that had left me feeling confused before were deliberately crafted that way. The exact events that transpired were left vague by design, not poor writing or poor comprehension on my part.

I'm glad I took the chance on the second volume of the series, and if the premise sounds even remotely interesting to you, I suggest you pick these two trades up. That's why I'm deliberately keeping my descriptions a little more vague this time out than I usually do. I don't want to ruin anything for the next reader who might also enjoy this series.

None of this is to say that folks who read an issue of a title and drop it because they don't like it should have just stuck with the book and it would have all made sense. This was a happy example where that strategy worked for me, and I'm glad it did. But no one knows your reading likes and dislikes better than you, and if you're not liking a story, you should move on if that is your choice. Life is too short to waste reading anything you're not enjoying.

But maybe, some folks on the Internet who bash a story as incomprehensible after reading only the first part of a four- or six-part story, should reserve judgment a little longer. Give the creators a chance to reveal their full vision before pronouncing something garbage. It would certainly make the web a friendlier, happier place for us all to come together.

What Do You Think You're Doing?

In case the absence of a comic title, issue number and list of creators didn't already clue you in, we aren't talking about a specific book today. I am hopeful that my "new normal" at work becomes just a little more normal soon because I haven't just had trouble finding time to write posts for the ol' Comics Blog, I haven't had a lot of time to READ either! I have some comics and trades than were released and delivered back in July that I haven't read yet.

Of course, just because I haven't had a lot of time to actually read any of my comics, doesn't mean I don't still have some time to think about comics. I mean, c'mon, I can't be expected to think about work ALL the time I'm at work, can I? (None of my bosses from work read this, right?)

Anyway, in the absence of being able to actually read my comics, I've still been doing some thinking about my comics habit, and I've come to a bit of a realization coinciding with my efforts to winnow down what I buy each month, which also coincides with my efforts to drastically reduce the size of my comics collection by selling off a bunch of what I have amassed.

If you had asked me any time over, let's say the past 25 to 30 years, I would have readily told you that I collected comics. That was my mentality at the time, and I stand by that statement on the surface of it. I was buying what I was reading, and for the most part, I was reading what I was enjoying. I was a comics reader and collector.

And I still see myself as a collector, even though I am trying to sell off a bunch of my comics. I've just refined my focus a bit. I have three main characters — Aquaman, Nightwing and Green Arrow — I have followed for a long time, continue to follow now, and plan to continue to follow into the future. Then there are characters from other media I like whose occasional forays into comics I will likely continue to have an interest in — the original Star Trek crew, the Lone Ranger, Zorro, to name just a few. And there are more titles that I like to read and enjoy, holding onto certain issues, runs and titles that for whatever reason seem to resonate just a little bit more with me.

But thinking about the differences in my buying habits between then and now, I've noticed that the main difference is in that refined focus now. Then, I was mostly focused on amassing a huge collection of a variety of titles and genres of comics. I was much less discriminating in what I bought, following a larger number of characters and titles and creators, amassing a huge collection of books that made me feel good in the immediate moment. And they did make me feel good, because again, I was buying what I was reading and reading what I was enjoying. But it was more about a goal of having the books as there were so many of them, there wasn't a lot of time to go back and re-read favorites. In fact, there were several titles I bought that I certainly planned to read as soon as possible, but set aside in favor of reading more immediate story lines. That pile of things to read "sometime" just kept getting bigger and bigger.

It was mostly about amassing the collection, although I don't think I ever thought of it in those terms then. Trying to decide what to keep and what to sell hasn't been about getting rid of comics I don't like; I always did that along the way. If I tried a book and didn't care for it, I stopped buying it and got rid of what I had, hopefully to someone who could better appreciate it. This culling process I've been going through — and continue to go through — is more about winnowing down the collection to the most prized books and stories, keeping the size managable and allowing myself time to re-read and re-enjoy favorite arcs and stories.

I'm not trying to belittle or denigrate anyone else's buying or collecting habits. Even amassing lots of comics is a type of collecting. For me personally, I feel that I am better appreciating what I am keeping by narrowing the focus of my collection so I am amassing a smaller number of specific things. It's certainly a more practical collection.

Let's hear from some of you: What is comic collecting to you and what do you collect — characters, titles, creators or anything and everything?

**********

Switching gears for a moment, I have some auctions running on eBay this week for anyone interested in the stuff I'm selling off. Depending on what you enjoy, you might find some good deals among the auctions. And of course, the most complete, up-to-date list of what I have available for sale or trade can be found at the main Steve's Comics For Sale site.

Do You Ever Get That Sinking Feeling?

Lois & Clark: A Superman Novel
Prima Publishing
C.J. Cherryh, writer

I was a fan of the Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman television program in the 90s. It isn't the best example of superheroes being done in a live-action format, and the show seemed somewhat dated when I re-watched the first season a few years ago. But it was an interesting prime-time glimpse into the relationship between these two iconic characters, and it was a fun — albeit down-to-earth — portrayal of the Superman mythos.

I say down-to-earth because the budget constraints of a weekly network television program from 20ish years ago didn't allow for a lot of powerful adversaries for Superman to face. Other than Superman's own, I don't think a single other costume appeared in the series. While a few names of super-powered rogues were re-imagined in the series, no costumed villains were in evidence in that version of Metropolis. In fact, I think the only time Superman faced a powered threat in the series was in the fourth season when some other Kryptonians showed up on earth. But all of that grounded adventure helped keep the show's focus on the relationship between Lois Lane and Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego. That's who the show was named for, and those two were the show's stated focus.

This novel, based of the television show's continuity and published in 1996, follows the same formula of no super-powered threats for the Man of Steel, taking the main focus off superheroics and placing it on the relationship between The Daily Planet's two star reporters. That being said, this is a very well-done original Superman novel that also gives some nice insights into the Man of Steel, his powers, his goals and his limitations.

The big threat facing Superman in the book is an earthquake which causes a poorly-constructed dam to fail, threatening several villages and rural farmers in one of the former Soviet republics. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen Superman tackle a natural disaster in a mere matter of moments in comic stories and animation. A volcano is threatening a Pacific island population? A giant boulder quickly caps the threat or a blast of super-cooled breath hardens the boiling lava. An earthquake shakes a major city somewhere? Superman just burrows underground at super-speed, relieving the pressures. Dam breaks? A quick shot of heat vision welds it back into one piece.

Not so in this book. Modern technology has indicated the likely threat of an impending earthquake somewhere in the region. Learning of this, Clark Kent has been keeping an eye on The Daily Planet's wire services reports coming out of the area for signs of danger for the past week. That's one of the reasons the young Clark Kent decided to become a reporter — to have news resources and be able to monitor situations around the globe.

Even Superman can't be an expert on everything. So Clark has spent some of his downtime during that previous week, studying maps of the area, familiarizing himself with locations of towns and villages, lakes and rivers that might be affected if a quake should happen. He also studies up on the politics of the region so he will better be prepared to work with whatever local governments and/or relief agencies might be involved wherever disaster might strike. But also, this advance research helps Superman know where he is going. Flying across Metropolis, a city he is already familiar with, might not be much of a challenge; but flying from the eastern United States to a country on the other side of the globe that he's never been to before might present some difficulties if Superman weren't prepared. Borders and landmarks clearly detailed on a map don't show up on real terrain.

All of this is a nice touch in the book to keep things a little more grounded, again, like the show, and unlike a more traditional Superman story. It's to the point where even in a few instances where Superman can fall back on some of those more familiar remedies, there's a complicated real-world twist I've never thought of before. For instance, at one point Superman is able to use his heat vision to weld back together the fracturing support on a bridge damaged in the quake. But he must use a delicate balance of his heat vision with his super breath because the damage is underwater. Using his heat vision alone would also boil the surrounding water, destroying much of the fish and plant life in the river. He must use extra care to heat up the damaged bridge support, yet keep the surrounding water temperature normal. It makes him more of a thinking character than one of sheer brute force, and I like that.

So Superman sets about trying to minimize the damage from the quake and the failing dam, flying trapped residents to safety, protecting the survivors from nearby guerrilla fighters, and coordinating efforts between governments and relief agencies, all while maintaining his secret identity and trying to restore things to their previous condition where possible after the quake.

Of course, Clark/Superman is only half the subject of this book. After the Man of Steel flies off to help with the quake, disaster also strikes in Metropolis. The residents of the city, including those in The Daily Planet building, are shocked when a downtown hotel collapses. The hotel happens to be only a few blocks away, so reporters and staffers from The Planet are some of the first on the scene, including Lois Lane, who quickly sets about trying to help people caught in the collapse while also trying to determine what has happened to cause the tragedy.

Lois, every bit as resourceful and heroic as her fiance, helps a number of people to safety before becoming a central figure in the rescue efforts of a young boy trapped in an underground parking garage below the hotel. Of course, Lois has to accomplish all she can without the benefit of superpowers, and her efforts take more of a physical toll on her all-too-human body.

Despite her own injuries, once all of the victims who can be saved are rescued from the collapsed hotel, there are still a great many questions to answer about what exactly caused the collapse. Blame begins to center on the contractor who designed the building, but Lois begins to suspect there is more to the story, and proceeds to uncover details which tie into previous continuity of the show going back to the earliest episodes.

While Clark pursues his Superman duties, Lois must act, largely alone, to expose the real threat to Metropolis. But the pair have brief moments here and there to come back together, encouraging and supporting each other through the twin emergencies. That all serves to further showcase the partnership between these two individuals who manage to combine to be a true dynamic duo stronger than either is separately.

Ms. Cherryh has crafted an engaging story that explores these two famous characters in fresh ways while remaining true to the core traits a reader would expect from a Superman and Lois Lane story. If you are a fan of Superman, I encourage you to give this novel a try. And even though the story she presents ties closely into the continuity of the television series, Cherryh provides all of the information necessary to follow and enjoy this self-contained narrative, keeping it accessible to readers not already familiar with the series.

Today's Post Is More Of An Update Than A Post

Work outside of the funnybooks has been even worse this past week than my new normal, so there's really not a new post today about comics exactly. But this seemed like a good time to call your attention to a new link to the left: the new Steve's Comics For Sale on Facebook. Like the page on Facebook and you can see posts related to this blog as well as the various sites through which I sell my comics: my own personal site, my StorEnvy shop or my monthly auctions on eBay.

Thanks for your support!

That Worked Out Nicely

The Twilight Zone Vol. 1: The Way Out
Dynamite Entertainment
J. Michael Straczynski, writer
Guiu Vilanova, artist

Last time, I touted the idea of trying new books by borrowing them from the library instead of buying them. It's a great way to cut down on the comics budget, and you can always go back and buy a copy later if you like it enough after reading it to want to own it. But that certainly doesn't mean to ignore a good bargain when you find one, either.

I recently took my nephew on a comic shopping trip out of town to visit some comics stores we don't typically visit due to distance. I hadn't planned to buy anything specific myself on this trip; it was mainly at the request of my nephew. But at one of the stores we visited, I found a pretty good deal on a book I'd planned to request from the library in a few months.

I've always liked "The Twilight Zone" television program, and when it was announced several months ago that Dynamite Entertainment and J. Michael Straczynski were going to produce some licensed comics based on the concept, I was curious. I have read and enjoyed a number of books in the past written by Straczynski, especially when he is working with original characters and ideas. The Twilight Zone is a licensed comic, but not really involving pre-existing characters, so this title would certainly fit into my preferred Straczynski-reading category.

And this trade did NOT disappoint!

"The Way Out" collects the first four issues of The Twilight Zone series telling a complete story of a crooked financial executive who is about to be indicted for his crimes. Seeking a way out, he finds an agency that offers to give him a new identity, a new appearance, an entire new life to escape punishment for his crimes. And the man is quite happy with the deal until it becomes obvious that someone else has stepped into his old life as he stepped out of it. Some of the twists in the story are more obvious than others, but the entire tale is an enjoyable read.

A while back, I criticized another trade for not giving me a satisfying chunk of story. That is not a problem here even though this trade collects fewer single issues than that one did. Straczynski's story has something more going for it to boot. It is obvious that some of the supporting characters in the main story in this trade also have some very strange things going on in their lives. Presumably, their stories will be explored in more detail in future issues of this series. But rather than making the main story seem incomplete, these other situations feel more like a bonus that will pay off later.

If you've wondered about giving this series a try or hadn't heard about it before, I very much recommend it. You'll be glad you gave it a chance. I know I was!

Changing Habits, Changing Suppliers

Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy and Vol. 2: A Troubled Mind
Marvel Comics
Dan Slott, writer
Humberto Ramos and Ryan Stegman, artists

I've been buying a lot fewer comics of late.

This isn't the first time I've tried to trim my comics-buying budget. Several times in the past, I'd look at what I was buying and how much I was actually enjoying each title as opposed to buying out of habit. I think such periodic analysis is good, and it would often trim my pull list by a few titles here or there.

But this time has been different. It started out the same, weeding out a few titles only at first. But as I discussed last time, I'm selling titles I very much enjoyed but no longer have the storage space for. In light of some of the things I've been selling, it seems silly to buy so much stuff I might enjoy briefly, but will likely just turn around and sell in short order and take a big loss on. Don't get me wrong, reading and enjoying some books has its own value. But why buy so many knowing I'm just going to eat the difference?

Especially when I don't have to. The prevalence of trade paperbacks these days means there are other venues available to comics readers. For instance, the public library. I've borrowed a number of trades and read them through my local library. It's a good, inexpensive way to keep up with a title in which my interest might have waned or to try something new I'm not sure I'll like.

Superior Spider-Man is one of the titles I decided to give a try through the library, and I've been very glad I did. I like Spider-Man. I read some runs from the 1970s when I was a kid that I very much enjoyed, and I still have a few stand-alone issues that are fun to re-read from time to time. But I've never followed the character on a regular basis.

I've heard and read a lot of good things about Superior Spider-Man, the title that recently wrapped up to make way for the return of Amazing Spider-Man. I've also enjoyed other things Dan Slott has written in the past. So Superior Spider-Man seemed like a good title to try, but since Spidey isn't a character I regularly read, the library seemed a good option for a trial of the book.

The first two Superior Spider-Man trades aren't the meatiest in terms of page count; each one collects five issues of the title. But the first was good enough, I requested the second. And the second was also good, so I plan to continue with the series.

For those not in the know on Spidey's world, Superior Spider-Man launched with a new No. 1 in January 2013 because the man under the mask was no longer Peter Parker. In the final story arc of the previous volume of Amazing Spider-Man, the terminally ill Dr. Otto Octavius (Dr. Octopus) managed to transplant his own consciousness into Peter Parker's body, leaving Peter's mind in his own dying form. Peter was unable to undo that switch before Octavius' body died. Believing the real Peter to be "out of the way," Octavius set about using Peter's memories to assume the younger man's life, including his alter ego. But Octavius was not content merely to be young and powerful again. He set out to be a better Spider-Man than Peter had been — a superior Spider-Man.

The first trade in this new series showed Octavius assuming Peter's life and relationships. It also let readers know that Peter was not completely out of the picture. A fragment of his consciousness still existed in his old body, but Peter could not physically affect anything Octavius was doing.

In his defense, Octavius did do some good in Spider-Man's body. He used both Peter's scientific knowledge as well as his own to improve Spidey's costume and create a number of helpful gadgets. For instance, he took Peter's original design for the spider-tracer — a simple way for Peter to "tag" an enemy so he could find him or her later — and fashioned an army of tiny spider robots that could patrol the city, giving him instant eyes on any trouble situation. But Octavius' hubris and violent tendencies also made him much more brutal and unforgiving than Spider-Man had ever been before. In that first volume, Octavius as Spider-Man knowingly uses lethal force to stop a criminal, an act which garnered a mixed reaction among the authorities and civilians.

In the second volume, Octavius continues to operate as a much more inventive but brutal "hero," much to the horror of the phantom Peter trapped in his own body. But with effort, Peter slowly manages to gain some slight control of his body when Octavius sleeps. Peter hopes to use this limited control to call attention to his situation, especially when the Avengers begin to question the dark turn Spider-Man has taken. Unfortunately, Peter's actions also serve to make Octavius aware of his presence.

Slott is telling a gripping tale that is certainly holding my attention better than I expected it to. I'm genuinely curious to see what more Octavius can and will do in his effort to be a better hero than Peter was, and knowing full well that Peter will somehow come back, I'm still curious to see how that feat will be accomplished. Additionally, Slott has populated his tale with a number of new supporting characters that are equally as interesting as the leads.

Ramos' and Stegman's art is a little on the cartoony side and might not work for some other heroes, but seems to fit well in Spider-Man's world. In fact, the lighter tone of the art serves to soften some of the darker ramifications of Octavius' actions as Spider-Man.

I don't plan on dropping all of the titles I buy in favor of borrowing from the library; I still want to own the stories of my favorite characters and certain story lines I'm more likely to return to and re-read multiple times. But the library is a great alternative for reading and trying titles I might not otherwise be able to afford.

Who Says They're All Bad

Villains United 1-6 (2005)
DC Comics
Gail Simone, writer
Dale Eaglesham, Wade Von Grawbadger, Val Semeiks and Prentis Rollins, artists

I was reading a comic recently when my wife asked me what I was reading. Her interest in my collection is usually not very high, so I was trying to keep my answer brief for her benefit. I simply replied, "Just reading a miniseries before I list it to sell."

"I'm sorry your book's not very good," was her immediate, genuine reply.

I was a bit surprised by that assumption and quickly asked, "You know I'm not selling things because I think they weren't good, right?"

Sure, every now and then I'll come across a comic that just isn't to my liking for one reason or another. That's bound to happen from time to time. But the biggest reason for this sell-off is one of space. I'm selling a lot of comics that I very much enjoyed the first time around, and often even through subsequent readings. But some of the good stuff has to go in order to get my collection down to the space we can spare for it now that we have a child.

This limited series is one of those good ones I would definitely keep if space wasn't limited because it is beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written. It is rich in characterization and tells a gripping narrative. It also happens to be the series I was reading when the above exchange between my wife and I occurred.

Villains United was one of four six-issue limited series in 2005 exploring various aspects of the larger DC Universe leading up to Infinite Crisis in 2006. Villains United focuses on the creation of a version of the Secret Society, but rather than being a finite group of a dozen or so villains banded together in a common cause as in the past, this Secret Society is Lex Luthor, Black Adam, Talia al Ghul, Deathstroke, the Calculator and Doctor Psycho uniting all villains under their control.

All that is except for six — Deadshot, Catman, Chesire, the second Rag Doll, Scandal Savage and a displaced Parademon from Apokolips — who decline to "get with the program." These six — dubbed the Secret Six — are still villains, but they choose not to pledge fealty to Luthor and the others. The name Secret Six seems odd for them in this first outing as their identities as the holdouts from the Society are hardly a secret. And these six chose not to follow the orders of the Society, but begrudgingly follow orders from someone they know only by the pseudonym "Mockingbird." Despite those basic contradictions, this story works as heroes and villains alike pursue the Secret Six. Readers quickly found themselves rooting for this motley collection of rogues as they fight to stay alive, stay free and continue to quarrel and fight amongst themselves.

In fact, the team proved so popular, they got a second six-issue series, The Secret Six, in 2006 and ultimately an ongoing, also named The Secret Six, which ran for 36 issues beginning in 2008. There were a few changes in membership for the Secret Six during this time with a few members leaving due to betrayal or death. Along the way, the Mad Hatter, Knockout, Harley Quinn and Bane were some of the various replacements, some staying for a while and others departing rather quickly after showing up. The ongoing series was still quite popular at the time of its cancellation in 2011 to make way for the restructuring that resulted in the New 52.

For those of you interested in comics history, just as there have been several incarnations of the Secret Society in DCU continuity, this 2005 series was not the first for a Secret Six led by a mysterious figure known only as Mockingbird. The name and concept were first used in 1968 with the debut of The Secret Six No. 1. Creators E. Nelson Bridwell and Frank Springer told stories of six covert operatives, each with a different special talent, operating under the command of an unidentified figure they knew only by his codename — Mockingbird. The title lasted for seven issues stretched out across one year and has two characteristics which are rare among comics then and now. The cover of the May 1968 The Secret Six No. 1 is also the first panel of the story continuing on inside the comic, and the series ended without revealing to the characters or the readers the real identity of Mockingbird.

The Secret Six concept was updated in the 1980s as one of the rotating features in the anthology title Action Comics Weekly. Martin Pasko, the writer, and Springer and Dan Spiegle, the artists, brought back the same six operatives, once again assembled by Mockingbird, who is early on revealed to be one of the six. Early on in this new mission, the original six members all die and are replaced by six new operatives and a new Mockingbird. This incarnation of The Secret Six logged two story arcs in Action Comics Weekly Nos. 601-612 and 619-630, all in 1988.

When I first learned of the original Secret Six comic at the height of the 2005 and 2006 series' popularity, I sought out those issues to see how different they were from the modern incarnation. I haven't taken time to read those seven issues yet, but I did read at least portions of the Action Comics Weekly version when they were new. I don't remember being much impressed with that segment of Action Comics Weekly at the time, but I didn't know the past or future history of the title then, either. I'm just as curious to revisit the 1988 stories as I am to finally read the 1968 ones at some point.

No matter what I ultimately end up thinking of those two earlier incarnations of the Secret Six concept, I was a big fan of the modern villains version of the team. And I'm a little sad to part with these issues. They aren't going up on my site to sell because they are poorly done comics or because I didn't like them. Like a great many other titles I'm selling, these were fun at the time, and I'm glad I got to read and enjoy them. I just don't have room to keep all of the comics I've read and enjoyed over nearly 40 years of reading them.

Sorry About That, Folks

I swear, the title of the previous post was intended to refer ONLY to Kurt Busiek's final issue of his Avengers run, and NOT that I wasn't coming back.

Unfortunately, work — my paying job — has been getting in the way a whole lot of late. I won't bore you with all the details, but the increased demands on my time there do NOT look to be changing any time soon.

It is my hope that I can continue to post here from time to time in the foreseeable future, but I can't promise any kind of regularity right now. Hopefully, that will change before long.

In the meantime, thanks to those of you who have still been stopping by; I hope you continue to do so, enjoying posts from the archives when there is not something new. I really hope to be back as time allows and get back to a regular posting schedule before long.

Going Out On A High Note

The Avengers No. 56 (2002)
Marvel Comics
Kurt Busiek, writer
Yanick Paquette and Ray Snyder, artists

Back in 1996, most of the Avengers, along with the Fantastic Four, were apparently killed off by the villainous Onslaught. The Avengers, the F.F., Captain America and Iron Man all had their respective titles relaunched with new No. 1s under the banner "Heroes Reborn" and their various continuities were all rebooted. That lasted for one year before it was revealed to both the readers and the characters that instead of being killed by Onslaught, they had been shunted off to a pocket universe. Naturally, upon learning this, the heroes combined forces to return to their proper reality, and in 1997, the four titles again relaunched with new No. 1s under the banner "Heroes Return."

The 1997 Avengers relaunch was led by writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Perez, both very much fan favorites, to say the least. Perez left the title with issue No. 34, but Busiek remained until mid-2002, turning this stand-alone issue in as the finale for his run.

Similar to Busiek's creator-owned title, Astro City, this issue focuses a bit more on the aftermath and consequences of superheroics on regular people's lives — specifically, who is liable for damage done when heroes and villains clash in populated areas.

In addition to providing the Avengers with their mansion home base, Tony Stark (the team's own armored Avenger, Iron Man) has created the Maria Stark Foundation, a nonprofit organization that handles all those niggling details after a dust-up. However, in a real-world twist, the Stark Foundation must answer to the government on expenditures in order to maintain its nonprofit, tax-exempt status. Also, they don't want to pay for fraudulent damage claims, just as a responsible course of doing business. Therefore, at least periodically, Avengers missions and the consequences must be audited.

This issue has a number of Avengers gathered together to meet with these Stark Foundation auditors to relate, and sometimes justify, their actions in a recent mission pitting the team against the Elements of Doom, several non-sentient entities scientifically created to wreak havoc. The issue is presented very tongue-in-cheek and mixes a great deal of humor with the expected level of superhero mayhem.

I haven't read Busiek's entire run from this incarnation of The Avengers, but I've enjoyed most of what I have read of the title. This issue is by far one of the best of that run.

An Attitude Adjustment For Grid Made Me Feel Much Better

Justice League 29
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Doug Mahnke and Keith Champagne, artists

A few weeks ago, I was lamenting the new designs that went into the New 52 versions of the Metal Men as they appeared in Justice League No. 28. Their new designs were clunky and over-rendered. Despite having malleable, shape-shifting bodies, when standing, each one is drawn with an unnecessary number of grills and fenders and ornamental attachments that seem to serve no real purpose other than to give future artists headaches.

I didn't really have an issue with the story itself, just the designs of the Metal Men.

This issue gives Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Tin and Platinum even more chances to shine — story-wise — as they join Cyborg in taking down Grid, Cyborg's now-sentient former armor. The Metal Men don't spend much time standing around this issue, so there were fewer chances for the artwork to bother me and more chances for the robotic heroes' sense of fun and adventure to shine through in the battle. I definitely like Geoff Johns' take on these characters. If this can be how the team is written going forward, sign me up for more of them.

Just please give them a simpler re-tooling in the chassis department!

Two For The Price Of One

JSA Classified Nos. 5-7 (2005)
DC Comics
Jen Van Meter, writer
Patrick Olliffe, Ruy Jose and Drew Geraci, artists

Anthology series are often a hard sell, due in part to the rotating characters, stories and creators involved. That can make for very uneven quality from issue to issue in the eyes of some readers and fans. Such was the case with JSA Classified, published by DC between 2005 and 2008, but by and large, there were a number of great stories loosely based around the characters in the Justice Society of America. Today, I'd like to bring two of those to your attention.

In this first three-issue story arc, the members of the Justice Society are mostly background players; the focus of the narrative is on the Injustice Society, the JSA's villainous evil counterparts. And the entire story — quite an interesting read, by the way — plays on the concepts often used in superhero team dynamics and explores them from the perspective of a group of villains.

The narrator for this tale is the Icicle, and this story takes place around the time of Infinite Crisis, so there is some crossover in the setup. Icicle gathers the old Injustice Society back together to help former teammate, the Wizard, explaining that it is not just the heroes who band together out of friendship and loyalty to each other. These two call upon Rag Doll, Solomon Grundy, Gentleman Ghost, the Thinker and a villainess named Tigress — who I believe is an updated version of the Golden-Age villain Huntress, renamed to avoid confusion with the then-current heroine named Huntress.

The action of this story is gripping and could easily hold a reader's interest on the surface plot alone. But it was an ingenious stroke to use this venue to tell a superhero story from the point of view of the villains rather than the heroes. That flip adds another level of interest that almost has the reader rooting for the villains as they try to steal the Cosmic Key from JSA headquarters to free their friend and colleague, the Wizard, from enslavement to another, deadly villain, Johnny Sorrow.

JSA Classified Nos. 26-27 (2007)
DC Comics
Frank Tieri, writer
Matt Haley, Jerome Moore and Gordon Purcell, artists

This second, two-issue arc features Ted Grant, Wildcat of the JSA, in a solo story. I've always liked Wildcat as a non-powered, scrappy hero, but I suspect at least some of my appreciation for the character stems from my earliest exposure to him when I was very young and thought he was just an incorrectly colored Batman.

This story begins with Wildcat handing a beat-down to the classic Golden-Age villain, Sportsmaster. Quickly apprehended, Sportsmaster confesses that he only took on Wildcat in an attempt to pay off his gambling debts by betting others that he could defeat the pugilistic hero. He further explains that there is an entire underground gambling operation based around wagers placed on the outcomes of hero-villain slugfests.

Of course, Wildcat wants to shut down such an operation, but his disgust at the gambling is at least partially due to his father's own gambling problem. I must confess that I am not that familiar with Wildcat's history beyond his being a former boxing champion. But in this story at least, Ted's parents were reportedly killed in a car accident when he was in college. Years later, Ted learned of his father's gambling problem, and that only his mother died in the car crash, which was no accident. It was a warning to Ted's father to pay his debts or else.

The resulting story gets a bit preachy at times, but is still a solid read. And it offers glimpses into the motivations and habits of villains, similar to the story arc discussed earlier.

Both of these and several other story arcs from JSA Classified are worth seeking out and reading! Give 'em a try; I think you'll be glad you did.

Checking In With Our Belgian Friend

The Adventures of Tintin: Cigars of the Pharaoh
Little, Brown
Hergé, writer and artist

It's been a while since we last checked in with Tintin. This fourth installment in The Adventures of Tintin series — originally serialized between 1932 and 1934 — is much closer in tone to the few later adventures I'd read when I was a kid. It also serves to introduce a few of the recurring characters besides Tintin and his dog, Snowy.

Previous installments in the series have begun with Tintin being assigned by his employers, Le Petit Vingtieme, to explore and report back to his readers about foreign lands — Russia, the Congo and America. Cigars of the Pharaoh, however, begins with Tintin and Snowy embarking on a holiday cruise around parts of the Middle East and Asia. In fact, there are only a few mentions of Tintin being a reporter in this volume. One of the more humorous mentions is when Tintin runs afoul of Sheik Patrash Pasha. Once the sheik learns Tintin's name, his demeanor toward the reporter softens because he is fond of reading about the young man's adventures. As proof, one of his servants holds up a copy of Destination Moon, an anachronistic reference to the 16th volume in the series. Of course, what I have is a much more recent printing of the book that has obviously been modified; I wonder, however, what the servant was holding when this adventure was originally serialized. Maybe not a book at all as I don't think any of the Tintin adventures had been collected into book form in the early '30s; perhaps the servant was originally depicted holding a copy of Le Petit Vingtieme.

Back to the story, on the very first evening aboard the cruise ship, Tintin and Snowy chance to meet a seemingly befuddled professor, Sophocles Sarcophagus, who is endeavoring to be the first explorer to find the lost tomb of the Pharaoh Kih-Oskh. Tintin agrees to help the professor only to have the association lead the young reporter from one trouble to the next.

One such peril is being framed as a drug smuggler while still aboard the cruise ship. This brings Tintin to the attention of the Thompsons, two bumbling detectives who are almost identical and who show up in almost all of the subsequent Tintin adventures. By the end of this story, Tintin is cleared of the drug charges, as well as several subsequent charges the Thompsons level against him during their haphazard investigation and pursuit of the young man. The Thompsons part with Tintin on good terms, but they are not yet the friends and allies they will become in future installments.

At another point in the story, Tintin and Snowy are adrift at sea, only to be rescued by a passing ship. Also aboard the vessel is one Oliveira da Figueira, a disheveled but apparently gifted salesman of useless trinkets. I haven't seen da Figueira in the other Tintin stories I have read previously, but according to Wikipedia, he is a frequent, recurring character in the series.

And finally, back at the beginning of this tale — just after Tintin meets Sarcophagus, in fact — he also meets a man named Rastapopoulos. Again, this was a character unfamiliar to me prior to reading Cigars of the Pharaoh, but he pops up repeatedly in this tale, and again according to Wikipedia, Rastapopoulos is another character who will be seen in later volumes of the series.

This is a fun adventure, and as I said before, it more closely resembles the three later tales I'd read in my youth than the three that preceded it in publication order. My one complaint with Cigars of the Pharaoh is that the narrative is a bit disjointed as Tintin moves from one setting to the next, and a number of plot threads seem to be left dangling, or if resolved, that resolution is brought about by pure chance.

The villains in this story are smuggling opium disguised as ordinary cigars. The clues that help Tintin piece that together come in the form of counterfeit cigar bands and a symbol found repeatedly in the strangest of places. For instance, the mysterious symbol is a circle with a wavy, vertical line drawn through it and two dots placed on either side of the line, one near the top but inside the circle and the other at the bottom, outside the circle. At first, Sarcophagus believes this symbol to be the royal cipher of Kih-Oskh because it appears on the map he is using to locate Kih-Oskh's final resting place, and later, once Tintin and Sarcophagus find the tomb, the symbol is displayed in various places there as well. It turns out, however, that the tomb is being used by the smugglers as a base of operations. The symbol marks secret entrances and communications for the villains. Strangely, Tintin also comes across the symbol on random tree trunks in the jungle after crash-landing his plane there in one portion of the story. No explanation is given for the symbols to be in the jungle except to push Tintin onward in his investigations.

One further note about the villain behind everything in this tale: Rastapopoulos is first seen being very rude and gruff to both Sarcophagus and Tintin. He comes across as being very pompous and self-important. Later, he is seen again when Tintin stumbles onto his movie set. Here we learn that he is a movie producer, and he is much more kind and friendly toward Tintin. One character later in the story, the poet Zloty, tries to reveal the name of the mastermind to Tintin before he is poisoned; Tintin does not understand Zloty's final words, and the mastermind's face is never revealed in the art, but it is heavily indicated by what Zloty says that Rastapopoulos is the mastermind behind the smuggling operation. It will be interesting to see if and when Rastapopoulos resurfaces in future volumes of the series, as the mastermind of the smuggling scheme — identity still unrevealed — appears to fall to his death pursuing Tintin in the climax of the story.

One final humorous note: Snowy, Tintin's dog, speaks in every story of the series I've read. I've commented in the past that it is unclear if Snowy's often snarky comments are just humorous asides to the readers or if they are intended as being heard by the other characters. After reading this fourth volume, I'm going to solidly say Snowy's comments are NOT heard by the other characters and are just for the readers' benefit. While sometimes Tintin almost seems to be replying directly to something Snowy says, Cigars of the Pharaoh makes it clear that isn't the case. But also with this volume, Snowy is no longer the only animal to make such comments; while in the jungle mentioned above, Tintn and Snowy run into a very talkative herd of elephants.

Adding A Name To My Favorite Writers List

H.E.R.O. (2003-05)
DC Comics
Will Pfeifer, writer
Kano, Patrick Gleason, Leonard Kirk and Dale Eaglesham, artists

I recently re-read this series, rediscovering all of the enjoyment and wonder that kept me coming back issue after issue when the title was new. Picking it up again now, several years after those initial readings, I recognize the name of the writer where I didn't know him as well before. Will Pfeifer wrote that incredible run on Catwoman between 2005 and 2008, and he did a great job when he was handed the reins to the Aquaman title in 2004 for a brief eight-issue stint. I haven't read everything Pfeifer has written, but I enjoy much of what I have read. OK, he wrote the mess that was Amazons Attack! in 2007, but I can forgive him that if we can all just agree that series never happened.

But getting back to this series, it is an updating of the 1960s Dial H For Hero concept, which debuted in House of Mystery and was later revived in Adventure Comics. In those stories, a kid named Robby Reed finds a mysterious dial with the letters "H," "E," "R," and "O" on it. When Robby punches the letters in sequence, he is transformed into a super-powerful individual. Each time he uses the dial, he is transformed into a different powered being, but instantly with each transformation, Robby instinctively "knows" the hero name and abilities that go along with his new body.

During the initial runs of the feature, readers were encouraged to write in with their own hero suggestions and costumes. Contest winners then had their creations appear in a future issue as the next hero Robby Reed would transform into. The entire thing was based on randomness; Robby never knew what kind of powers he was going to get with each use of the dial, and sometimes had a challenge figuring out how to use what he got to resolve the situation he found himself in.

With this series, Pfeifer upped the randomness factor of the entire thing. Instead of focusing his series on a single dial-user, Pfeifer had the dial changing hands often through various means. For instance, one group of users in Pfeifer's series starts out sharing the dial, taking turns transforming themselves. But later, they begin to fight over who will use the device next and end up losing the device out a moving car window. Some people lose the device when it is stolen from them. Others, like Robby, simply find the device somewhere unexpectedly.

Pfeifer takes things even further. Punching the buttons on the dial results in the person possessing it being transformed into someone with superpowers; it does NOT, however, guarantee that a "hero" will result. Some folks have more selfish aims in mind when they learn the power the device gives them. Some of the people who find the dial are villains even before learning what it can do, and they see it as a means to further their criminal goals.

This series was a bit darker in tone than the other works I've enjoyed from Pfeifer's pen. The first issue starts out with a young man contemplating suicide after his disastrous encounter with the device. And that early issue pales in comparison to later ones when a deranged psychotic killer gains control of the device. But that's part of the appeal of this series; you never know from issue to issue what is going to happen next!

All in all, H.E.R.O. was a good read from a talented writer whose work I've often enjoyed. In fact, rereading this series and looking back at his past work I have enjoyed has inspired me to pick up Pfeifer's forthcoming relaunch of the New 52 version of Teen Titans and give it a try after writing off this incarnation of the team previously.