Who’s laughing now, Science! WHO IS “LAUGHING” NOW?!? Anyway, this…

SPIRIT WORLD
Art by JACK KIRBY with Mike Royer & Sergio Aragones
Inked by Vince Colletta & Mike Royer
Written by Jack Kirby, Mark Evanier, Steve Sherman and Sergio Aragones
Cover by Neal Adams
Originally published in Spirit World, Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #6 and Weird Mystery Tales #1-3 (1971,1972)
DC Comics, $39.99 (2012)

“AND LIKE SOME UNNAMED PSYCHIC ANIMAL WHICH HAS BEEN LURKING JUST BEYOND SIGHT- -”

In Comics Publishing the greatest spur to innovation is, it seems, low sales, and by innovation I mean running around throwing faeces at walls and seeing if you have captured that lucrative Brown Dollar ( See: The NU52.) Low sales in the early ‘70s led to DC actually implementing some of Jack Kirby’s ideas for more mature magazine format product. (Jack Kirby was a visionary in content and format. He was The King). There were to be three initial titles; IN THE DAYS OF THE MOB (soon to be collected), SOUL ROMANCES (too awesome to ever be seen by human eyes) and SPIRIT WORLD (here in my hands). According to the informative text piece by Mark Evanier (a living witness; a gentleman) the SPIRIT WORLD magazine was intended to be a bold new approach to newsstand bedazzlement in the brash and bombastic 1970s Kirby style.

“COULD THAT BE THE FANTASTIC ANSWER??”

By the time it saw print though the process of whittling and denuding the initial concept endured resulted in a much diluted product. This slim, costly volume reprints the single published instance of SPIRIT WORLD magazine, together with content intended for the second issue which later appeared in other places. You don’t physically get a lot for your money but creatively you get something wonderful. Because most of what’s on these pages is by 1970s Jack Kirby. What isn’t by 1970s Jack Kirby is – the cover by Neal Adams, a page of Aragones funnies, one story with Royer working over Kirby backgrounds and a fumetti by Evanier & Sherman.

“The President Must Die!” by Kirby & Colletta

The level of DC’s faith in The King can be seen in the fact that they got Adams to redo Kirby’s cover, dropped the intended colour and went with a weird blue wash effect and, best of all, cancelled the book before sales on the first issue were in, not that they had adequately distributed the issue in the first place. As bold new thrusts into the heart of the marketplace go it was a bit feeble and lacked conviction. The premise of SPIRIT WORLD is basically a magazine version of THIS. Now a lot of people have a lot of time for the supernatural, and I think one of the reasons for this is they have all my time, because I haven’t any time for it so it must have gone somewhere. So, for me, this book is basically a load of preposterous balderdash. It is, however, EXCELLENT! Because, well, because 1970s Jack Kirby. If you aren’t keen on 1970s Jack Kirby then take it down to OKAY! because of the price gouge.

“YOU’RE IN POSSESSION OF MEMORIES THAT YOU COULDN’T POSSIBLY OWN!”

Yes, it’s 1970s Jack Kirby! Hawt Cawfee and Bagels!!! I don’t know if you’ve picked up on this yet but I’m quite partial to 1970s Jack Kirby. Like anyone sane I like all the Jack Kirbys but 1970s Jack Kirby is the Jack Kirby I like da mostest! Obviously, all the Jack Kirbys have something going for them and I don’t wish to denigrate any of the Jack Kirbys by my personal bias. Some folks go for 1940s Jack Kirby. Who, after all, worked with Joe Simon creating (or at least promulgating) the Child Endangerment genre of comics exemplified by The Boy Commandos and The Newsboy Legion and, also, a certain Captain America. He did a lot more of course, in fact he did so much more that he was able to stockpile enough pages that he could go off and give that paper hanger in Berlin a shiner without Comics noticing he’d even left.

“Children Of The Flaming Wheel” by Evanier & Sherman

People still argue about whether the Allies were justified in dropping Jack Kirby on the Axis. Ha, ha, ha! Just joking! It’s okay, don’t worry, he had a terrible time, nearly losing his extremities to frostbite and generally seeing enough of War’s horrors that some of the starch got knocked right out of him. 1950s Jack Kirby dusted himself down split from Joe Simon and headed out solo for pastures new. These being, unusually for pastures, located in the offices of DC Comics where he seemed (judging bythe JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS Vol.1)  a bit lost really with his most significant creation being, with Dave Wood, The Challengers of The Unknown.

“The Lorca File” by Kirby & Colletta

Then 1950s Jack Kirby jumped to Marvel. Initially, he seems to have been roped in to draw mostly tales in which ludicrous monsters were defeated by pipe smoking men with unconvincing science. It’s possible that this entertaining but basically repetitive fare primed ‘50s Jack Kirby for his transformation into 1960s Jack Kirby who… unleashed a colossal quantity of creative energy and unprecedented innovation resulting in the co-creation (with Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Bill Everett. Larry Lieber et al and etc) of the keystones of the Marvel universe. Keystones which continue to provide employment for thousands and earn hundreds of billions of dollars across a wide range of media platforms…did some Work-For-Hire for Marvel. Having (apparently) given his imagination the 1960s off to act as the facilitator for Stan Lee’s singular creative visions Jack Kirby’s mind was wide open and fresh as a baby wipe, ready for new challenges. Certainly after his treatment by Marvel 1970s Jack Kirby was willing to entertain any notion, no matter how outlandish. But then again he always had been. This natural enthusiasm for the offbeat came in handy when The King produced SPIRIT WORLD, which contains some world class baloney. Hokum for the ages!

“THE DEAD ARE EVERYWHERE! THE BLOOD IS NOT YET DRY!”

Kirby envisioned it as a colour magazine rather than the blue wash on the pages reprinted here. Perhaps that’s why the best stuff here is from the aborted second issue, printed at the back in B&W. Kirby’s ‘70s artistic apex is on full show in “Toxl” and “Horoscope Phenomenon or Witch Queen of Ancient Sumeria”. It’s on these pages, of all the pages in the book, that the bizarre glamour of ‘70s Jack Kirby shines most clearly. In comparison the previously published Kirby pages are (dis) graced by the inking of Vince Colletta.  Kirby’s dynamism is sapped softly by the apathy Colletta’s powdery finishes always evoke. Even allowing for that there’s something subdued about the layouts, as though Kirby is restraining himself; more intimidated by the maturity of the intended audience than invigorated by the immaturity of the subject matter. It’s wonky stuff but it mostly works, and it mostly works because of the dynamism of the delivery.

“Toxl” by Kirby, Royer & Evanier

In the ‘70s even calmer Kirby work moved like a beast in heat. In a strange act of balance the text takes up the unaccustomed artistic slack in impact. I understand people have been prone to mock the words of Jack Kirby, I believe such people to be in error. Some sophisticated individuals have been known to criticise Jack Kirby in that his work was a bit too on the nose sometimes. Perhaps, but then a pivotal figure in the life of Jack Kirby was a man called Goodman who didn’t behave like one. Sometimes life can be a little on the nose too, is what I’m saying there. I think perhaps the accessibility of Kirby’s work post ’60s Marvel is more of an assumption than a fact. Because most comic readers are so familiar, so early with Kirby there’s a tendency for his work to be taken as the norm; a tendency to be inoculated to the very eccentric complexity of his work. Take KAMANDI; why, land sakes, that’s just the hi-energy adventures of a cute lil cut-up in cute lil cut-offs in a wacky anthropomorphic world of stirring adventure. Okay, but it is also at one and the same time savagely violent and bleak; as much Hanna Barbaric as it is Hanna Barbera. By the 1970s Jack Kirby had found his definitive voice. It was a very strange voice but it was very definitely loud voice. A BIG voice because 1970s Jack Kirby was telling BIG stories.

“YET IN SOME UNCANNY WAY – - THEY FIT!!”

From JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS Vol.3

In SPIRIT WORLD Kirby takes this operatic bombast and turns it down a notch, but not by much. And it works like crackerjack. Here Kirby’s dealing with Joe Soap rather than Gods but all the same these pieces posit that people are at the mercy of forces beyond anyone’s comprehension; forces which at any moment could pick them up and throw them around like mad dog with a rag doll. The clinical detachment of the paranormalist Alden Mass who presents each episode is just a feint; swamping both he and his rational accoutrement’s of pipe and beard is a tsunami of tintinnabulation; beyond his elbow patches a tone of almost hysterical mania practically punches you in the face on nearly every page turn. Kirby blares these tales at your slack face in the manner of Coney Island barker! Inducing the screaming meemies in all but the most inert of minds!! And why not! A woman who knows the President will die but NONE WILL BELIEVE!?! A woman re-visiting a past life, in a time before bras, where she is BURNT AS A WITCH!!! People who combust SPONTANEOUSLY!?! Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances!?! Science become LIES!?!? Nonsense become SENSE?!? OF COURSE HE’S SHOUTING!!!

We hear him still.

If you like 1970s Jack Kirby you’ll like this, is what I’m saying. Otherwise it’s very expensive and you’re best off getting it from the library. But I’m glad I got it because, for me, 1970s Jack Kirby is – COMICS!!!

And, yes, there are Kirby collages:

It just passed into that spot a few days ago, where it passed the previous #2, THE WALKING DEAD v1.  Understand, that is for sales of TWD v1 OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. Uh, yeah.

What’s the most remarkable about SAGA is that it steadily sells even at this point.  When it crossed into #2 position, it was something like 243 copies sold in 248 days — even at this point, months and months after it first came out, we’re still selling 5+ copies a week.

Let me put this in perspective: this simply doesn’t happen, normally.  We’re generally selling less than 5 copies of TWD v1 or WATCHMEN (our #1 of all time) a month.

It really is the perfect “go to” book of the moment: there’s not a person, male or female, older or younger, that’s come back to me and said “that sucked!” — usually it is them coming back and begging for v2!

So, yeah, Thanks so very much to Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples for giving me a comic that I can sell so well!! That’s rare these days.

-B

After the jump: very quick shownotes because I am running behind, and I have a tummy ache! (And I am apparently eight!)

(Oh, and check out those John K(UK) posts below, would you?  They’re very good — I’m not even a father but I felt a special paternal glow from having all those 2001 covers and splash pages reprinted.  The perfect gift!

So, yes.  I may punk out shownotes-wise, but the podcast itself does not–Two hours! No intermission!  As many exclamation points as a Steve Englehart comic!

0:00-11:48: Opening comments; the longbox project; steampunk; the search for comic book cockery.
11:48-28:23: Kick-Ass 2 Prelude: Hit-Girl.  One of us read it.  Who? And, more importantly: Why?
28:23-45:58: Also discussed:  Superman: The Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude trade paperback, with a discussion of Superman and his fortress through the years; Superman painting; Superman’s friendships; Superman’s robot; Superman’s thong; and more.
45:58-51:48: Graeme has read Action Comics #21, and Superman #20, and has things to say about both.
51:48-1:04:48: And we both picked up Superman Unchained #1 by Scott Snyder and Jim Lee, so there’s some talk about that, too.
1:04:48-1:11:28: Pleased with his experience reading 2000AD digitally, Jeff has subscribed to Judge Dredd Megazine digitally.  Sadly, there’s a whole weird intermission where Jeff goes off to find out what the digital graphic novel packed in with the Megazine is…and fails.  Enjoy, everybody!  (Turns out it was Downlode Tales Vol. 3 for 335 Black Light Vol. 1 for 336).
1:11:28-1:32:48: Batman: Zero Year (or Batman #21 as it’s known in the colonies) by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo–also read by both Graeme and Jeff! We squabble, we tussle, we disagree about The Riddler. Sadly, Jeff brings up a potentially great topic–our five favorite Batman villains–and derails it just seconds later due to his befuddlement about Forever Evil.  Oh, Jeff.
1:32:48-end: Graeme has reread Brightest Day (because apparently this is our DC books from the library week).  We talk about whether or not the New 52 helped or hindered Johns’ Aquaman pitch, whether the New 52 is stabilizing or destabilizing, and other delightful topics.  Also discussed:  Suicide Squad #21 by Ales Kot and Patrick Zircher; Supermag by Jim Rugg; Empowered Animal Style by Adam Warren and John Staton; Relish by Lucy Knisley; Jennifer Blood #28 by Mike Carroll & Kewber Baal ; Star Wars #6 by Brian Wood and Carlos D’Anda; the saddest afterword in the world; and more.  And then it is done!

Choosy mothers who choose Jif know that four out of five dentists listen to Wait, What? on iTunes, but the podcast is certainly available for you right here and  right now right below:

Wait, What? Ep. 127: Capers

As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening!

100 BULLETS BROTHER LONO #1 (OF 8)
A PLUS X #9 NOW
AGE OF ULTRON #10 (OF 10)
ANIMAL MAN #21
AVENGERS #14 INF
BALTIMORE THE INQUISITOR ONE SHOT
BATMAN AND BATGIRL #21
BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #17
BATWOMAN #21
BETTY & VERONICA #266 REG CVR
BIRDS OF PREY #21
BLOODSHOT (VU) #12 HARBINGER WARS
BPRD HELL ON EARTH #108 WASTELAND #2 (OF 3)
CABLE AND X-FORCE #10 NOW
CAPTAIN MARVEL #13
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT #0
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #17
DANGER GIRL TRINITY #3 (OF 4)
DARK HORSE PRESENTS #25
DARK SHADOWS YEAR ONE #3
DOCTOR WHO VOL 3 #10
DREAM THIEF #2 (OF 5)
EDGAR ALLAN POES FALL O/T HOUSE OF USHER #2 (OF 2)
EVIL ERNIE #6
EXTINCTION PARADE #1
FABLES #130
FANTASTIC FOUR #9 NOW
GAME OF THRONES #15
GI JOE #5
GI JOE COBRA FILES #3
GREEN HORNET LEGACY #38
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #21
HARBINGER (VU) #13 HARBINGER WARS
HELLRAISER DARK WATCH #5
HOUSE OF GOLD & BONES #3 (OF 4)
INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #9 NOW
INVINCIBLE #103
IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS #11
JUDGE DREDD YEAR ONE #3
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICAS VIBE #5
LAST ZOMBIE #2 (OF 5) THE END
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #21
LIBERATOR #1
LIFE WITH ARCHIE #30 REG CVR
MARA #5 (OF 6)
MIND THE GAP #11
MINIATURE JESUS #3 (OF 5)
MORBIUS LIVING VAMPIRE #6 NOW
MY LITTLE PONY MICRO SERIES #5 (OF 6) PINKIE PIE
NEW AVENGERS #7 NOW
OCCUPY COMICS #2
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #21
REVIVAL #11
ROBERT JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME EYE O/T WORLD #35
SERGIO ARAGONES FUNNIES #8
SIMPSONS COMICS #203
SIXTH GUN #32
SIXTH GUN SONS O/T GUN #4 (OF 5)
SONIC UNIVERSE #53 REG CVR
SPONGEBOB COMICS ANNUAL GIANT SWIMTACULAR #1
STAR WARS DARTH VADER & NINTH ASSASSIN #3 (OF 5)
SUPERGIRL #21
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #12 NOW
THUNDERBOLTS #11 NOW
TMNT VILLAIN MICROSERIES #3 OLD HOB
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #24
ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #26
UNCANNY AVENGERS #9 NOW
WILD BLUE YONDER #1 (OF 5)
WITCHBLADE #167
WOLVERINE MAX #8
WONDER WOMAN #21
X-FACTOR #258
X-FILES SEASON 10 #1
X-MEN LEGACY #12 NOW

Books/Mags/Stuff
2000 AD PACK MAY 2013
ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 03
ALAN ROBERT KILLOGY TP
AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS TP VOL 04 AVX
BARNABY HC VOL 01
BATGIRL ROBIN YEAR ONE TP
BATWOMAN TP VOL 01 ELEGY
BLOODHOUND TP
BURNING BUILDING COMIX HC
CONAN TP VOL 13 QUEEN O/T BLACK COAST
DOMOVI GN
EDISON REX TP
FAILURE GN
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN TP VOL 11 FUTURE
MIND THE GAP TP VOL 02 WISH YOU WERE HERE
PRIMATES FEARLESS SCIENCE OF GOODALL FOSSEY & GALDIKAS HC
SAGA TP VOL 02
SONIC SAGA TP VOL 03 EGGMAN EMPIRE
STAR WARS CLONE WARS SMUGGLERS CODE TP
STAR WARS LOST TRIBE O/T SITH SPIRAL TP
SWEET TOOTH TP VOL 06 WILD GAME
TEEN TITANS TP VOL 02 THE CULLING (N52)
WITCH DOCTOR TP VOL 02 MAL PRACTICE

As always, what do YOU think?

IRON MAN: SEASON ONE
Art by Gerald Parel
Written by Howard Victor Chaykin
Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco
Marvel, $24.99 (2013)
Iron Man created by Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

Here we have what I like to call Iron Man: Season of Pissed. I guess an editorially assigned OGN about Iron Man is to a Creative like HVC as a grey day at the office is for an Uncreative like me. Rather than just leadenly type out another lump of chump bait Chaykin’s enough of a professional to want to do a decent job. Faced with the umpty umpth (already superceded) origin of the drunk in the metal trunks Chaykin manfully tries to find enough nooks and crannies in between the editorial requirements to make it interesting; interesting for both himself and the reader. He succeeds to the extent that my mind never quite glazed over, as sudden flares of Chaykin burst through frequently enough to keep me on my toes. Heartbreakingly , for me, he can’t go Full Chaykin as this is intended for all those New Readers who want to read Iron Man’s origin after watching those movies. One of which was Iron Man’s origin. Of course HVC’s Iron Man origin is quite similar but also quite different from the movie origin because confusing your audience makes sense. And it does make sense, the only sense that matters; financial sense. Because this “OGN” was originally a 6 six issue mini-series, but you probably missed this when it first came out in pamphlet form, because it never came out in pamphlet form. These contents preceded even the 2008 Iron Man movie and have only now been released, because, hey, it’s been paid for! I hear a cleaner recently found some sketches Jack Kirby did on the back of the cubicle door in the Gent’s which Brian Bendis will dialogue for Christmas release. Early indications are that it seems to involve Stan Lee being attacked by a donkey with five legs or something. Anyway, there’s been no attempt to reconfigure this work for release as an OGN and since Marvel don’t even spring for chapter breaks the narrative doubles back on itself at least once; unjustly making Chaykin appear possessed of short term memory loss much like the loveable liquid fuelled lothario, Tony Stark.

“Every party has a pooper, that’s why we invited you!”

Of course dynamic tights and fights action isn’t really HVC’s main area of interest so he provides himself metaphorical matchsticks under his eyes by breaking out his classic Hero’s Journey narrative. It works pretty well too, since Tony Stark is a self-involved pisshead. Nowadays of course Tony starts off as a cheeky tippler rather than the owner of a dodgy ticker. Heart problems were okay for the ‘60s, but clutching your chest and grimacing is what old people do and lacks the sexy glamour of staring into a mirror with a big sad stubbly face. By the end of course Tony’s still a dipsomaniacal dickhead but a teeny bit less self-involved since he has had a Moment of Clarity. A couple of such Moments actually because drink really does a number on those brain cells so it can take a bit for stuff to sink in. HVC gets to do a slightly more realistic drunk than that of old ‘80s comics with Tony doing a little bit of sick on some fit girl’s feet and blacking out but, alas, Tony never wets himself so badly his suit shorts out leading to a thrilling incontinence inspired brush with death. Nor does his Moment of Clarity involve waking up pantsless on a strange couch bleeding from a scalp wound with his thighs caked with his own shit. Hey, we’ve all been there.

In reality Tony is being rolled for his wallet in an alleyway redolent of dog piss.

It’s a book about Iron Man’s origin updated to the deserts of today’s Terrorist Bad Guys, with a twin set of foes to provide contrast to our hiccuping hero. First up there’s HVC’s reliable doppleganger who made the wrong choices in the form of The Fundamentalist Ex-Friend. He, in his jerry-rigged suit and certainty of purpose, provides the stark (!) contrast with our more equivocal but better equipped bottle suckler. Because he had 6 theoretical issues HVC doubles down and throws in his usual White Collar Wankers as well. This is a pretty generous allotment of threats to throw at someone who has trouble finishing a sentence so there’s certainly some suspense. Luckily Pepper Potts is around in strong ,but definitely, supporting role. Mind you, the white collar bunch’s plan basically amounts to little more than skimming off the top of a budget. The fact that HVC sees this as a cunning plan suggests HVC has never dealt with builders. I bet he has people to do that for him. It all builds nicely with the various threads and threats converging into one big climactic confrontation. It’s professional stuff by a professional man. Mind you, HVC does fluff the action finale (if something very (very!) big falls on the villain while he is astride Iron Man then doesn’t Iron Man get crushed also?) Actually, that could be a failure of staging on the part of the artist, Gerald Parel. This was his first work for Marvel but clearly isn’t his first work ever as he’s quite accomplished. Yeah, I like Parel’s work here; work which has a painted look but a soft and flowing aspect as opposed to, say Alex Ross’ doggedly defined offerings. In contrast, Parel’s approach provides rich textures which suggest detail and thus avoid slowing the eye down. Also, Parel is very keen on placing a young lady’s bottom in the panel foreground. Maybe he is just a frisky young man bursting with the sap of Spring or maybe he’s trying to stay awake as he draws another warehouse; one of the many through which our white collar villains persistently stroll practically rubbing their hands together as they explain their complex embezzlement plot very vaguely. It’s attractive stuff and cinematically framed throughout but except for the odd burst it’s hardly dynamic, and sometimes there’s a kind of flaky effect like the image has degraded. Ironically much as the titanic talent set of Iron Man’s original artist Dashing Don Heck was ill served by flights and tights these pages suggest Parel might shine brighter in a different genre.

“What you gon’ do with all that junk?“

Oh, it’s an Iron Man OGN detailing a more up to date origin written with facility and not a little flair, illustrated pleasingly if slightly passively. Overall it suffers because I judge everything Iron Man by the Gold standard of that time he went back in time to Camelot and punched Doctor Doom in his metal tits. Compared to that this is, like much else in life, just GOOD!

Of course Marvel have endearingly neglected to credit the creators of Iron Man without whom this book, those films and all those billions of Hollywood dollars wouldn’t exist. That’s okay because I’ve nothing but time. So yet again; decency costs nothing.

Iron Man was created by Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.

Those being the men without whose efforts Robert Downey Jnr would be charismatically portraying nothing. I understand they even get mentioned at the end of an acre of credit crawl on the Iron Man movies or something, but this isn’t a movie it’s  – COMICS!!!

Sure, every Dad’ll tell you how he  dreams of the day his spawn will leave home so he can actually watch, oh, that three and a half hour David Lynch film with the rabbit sitcom in it all in one go, or just get so drunk he pukes so hard he turns inside out in his own home. But it’s all a bluff facade; they all know deep inside that when it happens it’ll be like being kicked in the heart by a Shire horse. Jack Kirby knew that and Jack Kirby drew that. Empty Nest Syndrome but with robots and shouting and stuff. Because Jack Kirby was complex. Jack Kirby was The King:

Of course we all know he won’t ring unless he needs money.

And now in a futile attempt to satiate your cavernous need for content here be the covers and splash pages to the short-lived, but EXCELLENT!, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY series published by Marvel Comics. A company for whom Jack Kirby famously did some “work for hire“!!! The series was written and drawn by the ceaselessly astounding Mr. Jack Kirby and inked by his finest facilitator Mr. Mike Royer. If you find these issues in a back-issue box pick ‘em up because, due to some Rights business, it’s unlikely to be reprinted anytime soon. Advice that is, you know, like your Dad gives you. But more fun. Anyway, this…

Sup your micro-brews while you can, Fathers of The World.

Well, okay, there may not actually be a party goin’ on right here but at least there’s always – COMICS!!!

Happy “Father’s” Day!!!

Hello friend.  I represent the universal church of Cyber Terrorist Group, Ascension.  Perhaps you’ve heard of us?  Though rumours abound regarding our lack of resources – I assure you – we will play a role in the new Superman Unchained comic pamphlet!

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1

Snyder / Lee

DC COMICS $4.99

First!

QUICK, TO THE JUMP FOR ———

Second!

THIRD!

EASY there Mr. “heir to the throne.”  Lord and master of DC Comics for the forseeable future…we get it.  Sheesh.

LOW OK, mostly for the handling of the supporting cast. Although, personally, I’ve had it up to my neck with their choice for puppet master villain / hate monger. Since when did this guy enter the pantheon of “worthy adversaries?”

SUPERBOY #21

Jordan / Silva

DC COMICS $2.99

Justin Jordan is in and I’m curious to see him moving forward. Here he’s using the secret organization that spawned Superboy to deliver a little one-off. Hopefully, that puts the character on the path to tying up that nagging entity. Hell, it’s only been 21 issues, right?

Maybe Lobdell was writing for the Omnibus?

Anyhow, Jordan’s pretty good right out of the gate with the quippy quippy but I wish they had worked harder to play up the lost and unfocused Stranger in a Strange Land aspect of Superboy as he was constituted in the Nu52. Now he seems poised to be yet another teen loudmouth – JOY!

I was and sketchily remain a big proponent of RB Silva’s work. However, either his pencils are becoming erratically loose or the Rob Lean inks are going over the top in a lot of unnecessary ways. If you look back on the work this pair did for the Jimmy Olsen special with Nick Spencer you find a much cleaner, balanced, and altogether more pleasing look. Now it’s going for a basement version of a Joe Mad and Chris Bachalo aesthetic and I am not enamored. More Maguire faces, please. Less squished figures and overwrought inks. My overall read is of a thoroughly EH comic but it’s had pleasures throughout.

WORLD’S FINEST #13

Levitz / Rocha

DC COMICS $2.99

Robson Rocha’s opening splash is classically exploitative in its contortions of Power Girl but his depictions of Huntress are really quite nice. Come to think of it, I think Power Girl’s costume just changed back to old DC between issues with no explanation? I’ll have to look it up… Oh, yeah, editorial mandate to be sure. Occurred in the last 1/3rd of #12 with little reason. Anywho, the juxtaposition of the two leads– one with powers beyond belief and the other merely human have been played throughout the series to good effect by “old reliable” Paul Levitz. That aspect continues here as Karen and Helena are haunted by what looks like an amped up version of a member of the Apokolips Dog Cavalry. Levitz, and I mean this as a compliment, is workmanlike in his development and execution. We get a chase, a fight, a little info dump, and a partial resolution. All appreciated. Still, I was fairly disappointed we didn’t get at least half of the Maguire / Perez art squad.  OK

BATMAN #21

YEAR ZERO

Snyder / Capullo

DC COMICS $3.99

Great. We’ve run through his “definitive” Joker story so now we get his definitive “Origin” story. Father, I shall become a Bat…MAN ON A BAT DIRTBIKE WITH A CROSSBOW AND SLEEVELESS BATSUIT COWL COMBO?!?!

BATMANDIDIXON = BATMAN + KAMANDI + DARYL DIXON

Alright, sign me up. Batman running around in a post trauma flooded out Gotham fighting weird street gangs? Batman as KAMANDI?!?! Jesus, just take all my mo…AHHH, CRAP. Of course that only lasted for 3 pages…

Wait, 5 months prior to six years ago? Now we’re back before Batman as Kamandi, which was technically before the Batman we see in Justice League #1?

Excuse me, but what the shit?  A TIMELINE SO STREAMLINED AND EFFICIENT IT MAKES NO SENSE.  We are on the bleeding edge, people.

Anyway, Capullo’s stuff looks great and Bruce Wayne is written as having some real brass balls here as he goes up against the human size and shaped lipstick that is called Red Hood. Seriously, the dude looks more like a walking cherry push-pop than anything else. I dunno. It fits with the “Batman fights weirdos” motif but the look is really pushing it. Still, the introduction of a few key faces, some people I’m totally unfamiliar with and an inciting incident that bares no resemblance to the origin myth I know is definitely going to keep me around. All I ask is that we get to eventually spend some quality time with Batmandi and I am ON BOARD….(BWWWWWAAAHHHM)

GOOD!

So, all in all, a deeply troubling haul from DC Entertainment this week. Here’s hoping Man of Steel is a smart enough movie to swipe liberally from Mark Waid’s Superman work without giving him any kind of credit!