Category: dc comics

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The Flash by Mark Waid, Book Two

This is a review of The Flash by Mark Waid, Book Two. You can read what I thought of the first volume, here. This review requires a bit of Flash-edification to makes sense. The original Flash is Jay Garrick (alive), Barry Allen (dead) is his successor, and Wally West (Barry’s nephew) is the current Flash (very alive). This graphic novel starts innocently enough with a team-up between Wally West and Green Lantern Hal Jordan, where they face off against villains Hector Hammond and Gorilla Grodd. Rex the Wonder Dog guest stars!

After an encounter with a new Doctor Alchemy and a schmaltzy Christmas story, we witness the return of Barry Allen, the original Flash. Barry died in the first Crisis, back in the 1980’s. His return would not be unprecedented as superheroes die, are replaced by newer models, and return from the dead all the time. And this CERTAINLY IS Barry Allen. It must be, because he knows everything about Barry’s life. It’s not like he traveled from the future – the 25th century, maybe? – and read the authorized biography of Barry Allen. Of course not.

Anyway, Uncle Barry starts acting strangely, and it’s not long before he ZOOMs off on a rampage. The crime: the city failed to honor his memory when he was dead. Jay Garrick, the original Flash, rallies the troops – oldsters Johnny Quick and Max Mercury. Except this Flash – whoever he may be – is faster than any of them.

This is one of my favorite Flash storylines, period. Mr. Waid’s writing is a fusion of Silver Age ideals (optimistic, fun to read, good vs. evil) and the emotional depth (some would say nihilism) of the Modern Age. Wally is rejected by his hero, which devastates him, and that’s only the start. When Barry goes on a rampage, Wally gets thrashed because he isn’t as fast. Let’s face it – in most cases, The Flash is the most powerful guy in the room, but here Wally is a distant #2. Can he overcome his own self-doubt and fear to finally fill his mentor’s shoes?

Highly recommended!

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Superman Golden Age Volume Three

This is a review of Golden Age Superman Volume 3. Read my reviews of the first two graphic novels, here and here. I purchased five of these volumes when they were on sale; just be aware that reading one volume is enough, because they’re all the same. Here we have more of Superman as Big Brother, solving the world’s problems. Supes fights thugs using thug tactics, so arguably he’s the biggest thug of all, but at least he has a personality. Modern day Superman is pretty vanilla, and it’s difficult to explain why a fellow with godlike powers isn’t running things.

The Superman of yesteryear was even more powerful than the modern version, in that he has no qualms about playing God. Luckily, he doesn’t want to be bothered ruling the world. He also has superpowers that have either gone by the wayside, or he no longer uses. Yes, Superman is a master of hypnosis! The makers of the movie Superman Two also read this volume, apparently.

There are three standout stories here. In the first, a mad scientist uses science to make men giants. Superman is buried under an avalanche, which slows him down. The best part of this story is when the mad scientist threatens to make Lois a giantess! The Macrophiliacs in my audience will be disappointed to know he doesn’t succeed.

The second story involves giants, also. Enormous animals are overrunning the suburbs, and Lois and Clark go to investigate! I figured this one out halfway, but it has a clever twist. The third tale involves Superman trying to reform a spoiled heiress. He’s hired by the heiress’ father, the man who spoiled his daughter, but why quibble details? The unbelievable climax requires a deus ex machina in the form of a bursting dam.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Lois Lane. Superman follows Lois around like a lost puppy, or perhaps a stalker, but I’ve lost count of how many times he’s saved her life. Is Lois really that stupid? Well, yes and no. Lois is a plot device, representing Superman’s vulnerability. Since Supes himself is invulnerable, we have Lois held hostage/tied up/transformed into a giantess/thrown off a cliff-building-airplane-etc. in almost every issue.

Recommended for comic history buffs and Superman fanatics!  

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Batman and the Outsiders, Volume One

This is a review of Batman and the Outsiders Volume One. This book scores huge nostalgia points for me. I recall reading the first issue at my local drugstore whilst drinking a Cherry Coke at the counter, and that’s your slice of life for today. Interestingly, many of the pleasant memories of my youth involve comic books.

Hot off art duties for the Brave & the Bold, artist Jim Aparo and writer Mike W. Barr create a new superhero team. The plot: when his friend/employee Lucius Fox is trapped in the imaginary Eastern European country of Markovia, Batman quits the JLA (who won’t help) and goes it alone. The team comes together when he and Black Lightning, who loses his lightning powers for a grand total of one issue, travel to Markovia to rescue Lucius.

There they find Metamorpho, the goofy elemental, along with three new characters – Katana, Halo, and Geo Force. Katana is a samurai who wields a cursed sword possessed by the spirit of her dead husband. Halo can fly, possesses powers derived from light, and is a tabula rasa. Geo Force possesses earth-based elemental powers and is the brother of Tara, aka Terra, a character known to anyone who read New Teen Titans in the early 1980’s.

Anyway: after a few speed bumps, the Outsiders are formed. They’re led by Batman. I mean, who wouldn’t want their own super team, especially if you get to make the rules? The Outsiders are powerful, but not very experienced. This is done to make the villains seem like real threats. Most of the storylines are two issues and move along at a nice clip. The interplay between the characters is enjoyable.

My favorite part of this graphic novel is the Halo solo story. Halo joins the high school marching band, and is about to participate in a high stakes Battle of the Bands competition – no, seriously – when their leader/drum major is kidnapped by a gang of dudebros from the opposing school. Halo flies to the rescue, and even manages to hook her best friend up with the drum major, which is nice. I do enjoy comics that don’t take themselves so seriously.

The first volume of this is a fun, entertaining read. None of the other iterations of the Outsiders have ever really stuck, but DC keeps on trying! Unfortunately, these volumes are expensive, so keep that in mind. Recommended.

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The Flash Silver Age Volume Two

This is a review of The Flash Silver Age Vol. 2. I’m not going to mention that I have a special place in my heart for the Flash, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned that in every Flash review I’ve ever written. Instead, I’ll talk about how DC’s Silver Age comics aren’t to my tastes – most of the ones I’ve read are written in a style I have trouble connecting with. True, comics of that day were written for kids, but many of them are just glorified science fiction tales with eye-rolling pseudoscience.

Luckily, this volume isn’t like that. True, the stories are formulaic and the ‘science’ is dopey, but that’s fine. The author usually manages to give them an interesting twist: witness Charm School Gorilla Grodd. Grodd is an evil super-intelligent, super-powered gorilla who wants to conquer the world. In this volume, the Great Ape uses his mental powers to make himself irresistible to everyone, including the Flash. We have the Elongated Man, whose stretching powers derive from drinking soda pop. And then there’s Kid Flash, the bowtie wearing teen who emulates his idol, the head square himself, Barry Allen (who is the Flash).

In this volume we meet Digger Harkness, aka Captain Boomerang. Digger covers for his crimes by getting a couple of geriatric criminals to pose as his dear old mother and father. Later, he creates a boomerang that can time travel – not bad for a guy who probably dropped out of school in the fifth grade – and unwittingly causes an alien invasion, as one does. Instead of shooting The Flash in the head, Captain Boomerang enjoys tying the Scarlet Speedster to enormous boomerangs which he blasts into outer space.

This volume also has Bill “Beefy” Lawson. Beefy is all his nickname implies. We meet him at a class reunion; unfortunately it’s only a single issue. DC really missed out by not giving good ole’ Beefy his own series – he could use the moves he learned on the football gridiron to take down evildoers. I’m firmly convinced the creators of Married With Children read this particular issue, because Beefy is a perfect stand-in for Al Bundy.

There are a number of team-ups in this volume. Flash teams with Kid Flash, the Elongated Man, Green Lantern, and Jay Garrick, the Flash of Earth 2. I am unsure if the writer came up with the alternate earth gimmick, but it’s sure turned out to be a cash cow for the comics industry.

Recommended!

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Golden Age Superman Volume One

This is a review of Superman The Golden Age Volume One. I have a confession to make – I thought these comics would be awful. They aren’t. I enjoyed this graphic novel, warts and all, and liked seeing how Superman has changed over the years.

Superman is Clark Kent, milksop reporter. In reality, he’s a space alien rocketed to earth after his home planet explodes. Superman’s power set has evolved from his origins, where he jumps – just like The Incredible Hulk, minus the torn purple pants – instead of flying. He’s also super strong and invulnerable, although not quite as invulnerable as today.

What about Superman’s cast? At the moment, it’s just Lois Lane. Lois wears red a lot, which I’m guessing is a conscious choice on the part of the creators. She’s not very nice to Clark Kent (Superman’s alter ego). In Lois’ defense, Clark hits on her – well, all the time. My theory is that Lois stopped being cordial after rebuffing the first hundred attempts. No human resources departments back then, looks like.

The creators tend to use Lois as a hostage/rescue object, although nobody alive can beat Wonder Woman in that department. In one episode, Lois is thrown out a window and rescued by Superman. Apparently she’s in love with the big fella, because who wouldn’t love a space alien that can leap like an enormous grasshopper?

The basic template of a Superman story goes like this. Superman sees a bully kicking sand in someone’s face; Superman kicks the crap out of the bully. Sometimes the stories can get overly complex or weird, as when Superman kidnaps a college football player by jabbing him with a hypodermic needle and then poses as said youth, in order to teach the coach of the opposing team a lesson.

These stories are glorified power fantasies, which is fine, but they blend. They also overlook basic realities of human nature. In one issue, Superman kidnaps the generals of two opposing forces and tells them to fight. When they realize they’re not mad at each other, the generals end the war. Yeeeeeah.

There’s not a whole lot of suspense in these comics. The writers hadn’t invented kryptonite yet, so in the first year of stories Superman is invincible. It takes the introduction of the Ultra Humanite, whose claim to fame is managing to briefly knock Superman out a few times, to add an element of danger to the series.

I will leave you with this. There’s a fine line between fighting a bully and being a bully yourself. Superman might be the strongest man in the planet, but that doesn’t make him tough. He didn’t have to work for it.