V #1 (February, 1985)
"City on the Edge"
Writer - Cary Bates
Pencils - Carmine Infantino
Inks - Tony DeZuniga
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Michele Wolfman
Edits - Marv Wolfman
Cover Price: $0.75
I remember V being one of the things my parents were excited for back in the long ago. They didn't often look forward to things on TV, but V was definitely one of those times. I, personally, remember very little about it. I'm sure I didn't watch the whole thing back then (or honestly, ever since), but it did affect me, and there there are a handful of scenes that stick with me to this day.
I think I was in second grade... and, me and my buddy Marc had the great idea that we'd be Visitors for Halloween. Now, we were just a couple of dummies, and so we created our "costumes" out of... paper. We made a pair of paper masks, one green and scaly, the other, like a normal human's. Or, whatever the second-grade approximation of a normal human mask might've been. They didn't quite live up to our expectations... and, sadly, we could only "tear off" the human mask once before having to make another. Kids are dumb...
As for the movie/mini-series, the main scene I remember (besides the initial lizard-skin reveal, of course), was one during which some kids were playing with Visitor action figures. I thought that was the coolest thing ever... and I really wanted them!
Now, for the comic. I've... never read it! Not til today. I don't have the foggiest idea what to expect. Is this going to be a faithful adaptation of the movies? Was it going to be something altogether new? Not sure... all I know is this series has been on my to-read stack for years now, and we're finally going to look at it now.
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We open in a "Neutral Zone" in Los Angeles, and from the looks of it, the Visitors have already made their presence felt. Hmm... wasn't expecting this to start this deep into the story. Anyhoo, members of the Resistance are having themselves some drinks at the Club Creole. They are Chris, Ham, Mike, and Juliet. A trio of trenchcoated Visitors enter the joint... and, even though there's a strict no-firearms policy in the Neutral Zones, the aliens start blastin' anyway!
There's a brief firefight, during which, either by blast or fallen debris, Chris takes a bang to the shoulder. One of the baddies snags a hostage, to which Ham blasts the bugger right in the face, revealing his reptilian face. The remaining Visitors rush outside to inform one of their patrols that there's a a gunfight goin' down... and, the humans started it. Uh-huh. Nice try.
Our Resistance members are separated, and we first follow Mike and Juliet as they lead some other humans into a secret headquarters located below the Club Creole. Ham and Chris are hiding out inside a dumpster outside the joint.
Inside the Club, the Visitors check in with a fella named Lorne, who is confident that this is just a temporary set-back, and the members of the Resistance won't elude them for long.
We catch back up with Mike and Juliet, who have arrived at an old Hollywood movie lot. There, they meet up with a man named Willie... who has been attempting to repair one of the Visitor's SkyFighter ships. Once that's done, our pair recruit two men named Boyce and Hart to take on their maiden voyage.
Meanwhile, Ham's eating garbage as he and Chris barrel down the Santa Monica Highway in the back of a garbage truck. They hop out when the gettin's good, and flag down an ambulance in order to forcibly get Chris' arm fixed up.
We zip up to space, and check in with the Visitor Commander Lydia, who is reading her Second-in-Command, Diana the riot act for disregarding the "Neutral Zone" treaty and allowing the Club Creole incident go down. Diana just takes it... she doesn't have any excuses.
We next head over to the Science Frontiers Offices, where that guy Lorne from earlier is meeting with a man named Bates... probably not Cary. We learn here that this Mr. Bates took out the Club Creole "hit", and paid for those trenchcoated visitors to take out Ham Tyler.
Speaking of that guy... Back in the ambulance, Ham is driving while the Paramedics tend to Chris' wounded wing. It's not long before they are spotted by some jet-pack-packin' Visitors.
We rejoin the rest, as they're flying in their stolen SkyFighter. Soon, they are confronted by a Surveillance Craft that demands them to identify themselves. It's here that they enlist their "Voca-Simulator", which makes it sound like their ship is full'a Visitors.
Back with the other two. They (and the medics) bail out of the ambulance and allow the baddies to blow up their ride. This way, the Visitors will assume they died in the blast. I guess this works... if we don't think too hard about it. I mean, didn't the jetpacked aliens see them get ou... er, nope... not gonna think too hard.
Ham and Chris bid their drivers adieu, and then hijack a boat at the Vista Marina. Well, they try to, anyway. They find themselves held up by an armed individual. Even though they outnumber the one guy... and are both armed, they surrender.
We rejoin Mike and the rest, as they land their craft by a small village. They are greeted by some very happy (and gift-bearing) people. That is, until they realize that the passengers of this rig are not the Visitors. Hmm... Anyhoo, they drop their gifts... and we get a glimpse of what might be inside. Some creepy critters indeed!
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So... I'm thinkin' you've kinda got to have a working knowledge of V in order to best appreciate this one. Going into it "fresh" really doesn't do you any favors.
I was kind of hoping this would serve as a "primer" to the V Universe... and sort of ease us into the concept and trappings of the world. I was also hoping to take a few steps back, and maybe not instantly reveal the Visitors as lizard-skinned baddies. Was really looking forward to seeing the paranoia angle played up... where the Earthlings didn't quite know what to make of their visitors. I wanted the Resistance to sort of "bubble up", as peoples' suspicions grew, ya know?
This feels kind of like a "worst of all worlds" sort of scenario. We don't get a reveal, we don't get a backstory, we don't get a reason to invest... unless we've already seen a great deal/all of the V media. Now, I'm usually the first guy to give a book "props" for not holding the readers hand... for rewarding "loyalty", knowledge, and research. But this? I mean, we're shifting mediums from moving picture to static image... and, there's an expectation that the reader be highly familiar with the source material.
I'm sure had I been more familiar with V... I'd probably have liked this better. Fact of that matter is, I'm not. It's been well-over 30 years since I've seen any of it... and, well... this issue didn't do all that much for me.
Let's look at the art. Holy smokes did Tony DeZuniga do a wonderful service to Carmine Infantino's pencils! If you've followed this site for awhile, you might know that Carmine in the 80's is some of my least favorite stuff. When I saw his name in the credits, I kinda cringed... but, hot damn... DeZuniga really pulls this one out!
Overall... if you're a more knowledgeable V fan than I, I bet you'll really dig this. If you only have a passing remembrance of the stuff... this might not be for you.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Interesting Ads:
BONUS BOOK - Dial "H" For Hero (March, 1981)
"Who Are the Heroes?"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Pencils - Carmine Infantino
Inks - Frank Chiaramonte & Dennis Jensen
Letters - Ben Oda
Colors - Gene D'Angelo
Here's a new one for me. Dial "H" For Hero... one'a those properties/concepts I never paid all that much attention to. This was the second "Insert Preview" DC Comics put out... but, we're doing these out of order... since each one requires rather strenuous longbox excavating. This story was included with Legion of Super-Heroes (vol.2) #272 (February, 1981).
Guess what... tomorrow we're gonna be doing another insert included in a Legion ish!
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Our story opens with a flashback to twenty-five years prior... where an old beggar named Horace Whittiker pops into an abandoned old house in hopes of finding a bit of shelter. He is quickly scared off by something inside. The house at 231 Jewel Avenue stood empty from that point on... until today, as the King family have just moved in!
One of the King boys, Chris, is wearing a very stylish outfit... or, at least editorial seems to think so, as they credit a 14-year old Eric Daniel, from Chuktowaga, New York for its design! Anyhoo, Chris is a bit nervous about starting at a new school during the middle of the term... and his goofy brother (?) Gary is no hope in that matter.
The next day, Chris heads off to school... where he feasts his eyes on a girl, who I believe we're supposed to find very beautiful. Unfortunately, this was drawn by 1980's Carmine Infantino... so, she just looks like a Muppet who underwent some unfortunate plastic surgery. Anyhoo, her name is Vicki Grant... and if school busybody, Roger Dunbar can be trusted... just about every fella in the school has eyes for her. This includes the resident bully, Brad.
Chris can't help but to... get this... sketch the lovely Vickie. Roger spies the art and snaps it out of Chris' hands to show to his muse. Nowadays, you might think Roger was just being an a-hole to the creepy new kid... but, I gotta say, I'm pretty sure he was his attempt at doing our man a solid.
And whattaya know, Vickie actually really digs the pic! A little advice from your friendly neighborhood bloggin'man... don't try that at home. I'm pretty sure (though, I couldn't say from experience... I promise) you'd just be branded as a creepy stalker. Thankfully, for story purposes, this isn't to be. Vicki thanks Chris for his art... and they become fast friends. This doesn't exactly sit well for bully Brad... who'd really just prefer Vicki'd spend all her time with him. Oh! Mustn't forget, Vicki's blue button-up and scarf combo was designed by a sixteen year old Douglas Cunningham, from Dayton, Ohio.
After giving Brad the cold shoulder, Vicki and Chris head back to the house on Jewel Avenue... all the while, Vicki fills him in on all of the rumors surrounding his new digs. More or less what it comes down to is "place be haunted". They head inside, and hear an odd whistling coming from the attic... and so, they decide to investigate. What they find is a light shining from behind some wood panels.
Meanwhile, we find out that Bully Brad Mann decided to follow Chris and Vicki back to the pad... and he's got vengeance on his mind. He enters the house... only to be enveloped in a thick fog, which leads to his beating a hasty retreat.
Back in the attic, Chris and Vicki find a box... with a plaque on it. Did you know that 1981 was mankind's darkest hour? Well, ya do now.
Inside the box, the kids find a pair of odd timepieces. One in the form of a watch, the other a pendant. When they touch them, however, the clock-face fades away, leaving only a strange dial... with four letters on it. Thankfully, they immediately recognize the letters as forming the word H-E-R-O, otherwise this scene could go on forever.
Vicki wastes no time in "dialing in" with her "slender fingers"... and before we know it, she's transformed into a superhero!
She bursts through the roof, soaring into the skies... and proclaims herself to be Futura! Worth noting, "Futura" was created by Jim Simpers, Age 15 - Newark, Delaware.
Chris doesn't wait long to join in on the fun... and with a flick of his digits, is transformed into The Moth! "The Moth" is credited to future comics colorist... Danny Vozzo, Age 17 - Brooklyn, New York.
As they play in the sky, Futura's Spidey-Sense starts to tingle. She can sense that an accident is about to occur nearby. Whattaya know, she's right! Dumbass Brad Mann, still so bamboozled by his haunted house experience, is completely out to lunch as he crosses a street... right into the path of a truck, with no brakes!
The heroes are able to save the day... and, even repair the trucker's brake pads for good measure. Not quite sure how Futura's "Mind Over Matter" powers can make brakes work... maybe it's kinda like how airplanes shouldn't stay in the air, and only do so because we all believe they can? Maybe? Okay, maybe not.
Back at Jewel Avenue, Chris and Vicki return to the attic... where, the latter quickly figures out how to return to their mortal forms. Ya see, ya just dial H-E-R-O... backwards! So, one letter off from one of my favorite cookies (O-R-E-H), and they're back to normal. It's here they decide that, from this point on, they're in the superhero business. Chris suggests that the Dial H Heroes are going to be around for... a long time. Oh Chris, I come from the future... and I have bad news.
We jump ahead to the next day... where a strange pyramid lands in a nearby field. Some military-types waste no time in... blasting it with bazookas. Really? That's how we're doing this? Naturally, the zukes do no damage... and, in fact, only tick off the occupant of the craft. Ladies and Gents, allow me to introduce you to: The Flying Buttress (created by twenty-year old Steve Mattson, from Portland, Oregon). I wonder if that's the same Steve Mattson who has a few comics credits to his name? Anyhoo... the baddie zaps the soldiers and flies off.
Meanwhile, at Hamilton Junior High School... Chris and Brad have a heart-to-heart. Which is to say, Brad tells him that Vicki belongs to him... and Chris tells him to bug off. Then, ol' busybody Roger runs up to tell Chris about the weird pyramid thing that landed... and suggests it might be a publicity stunt for "Star Wars 3". Chris knows better... and decides to dial in to check it out.
Oddly, he seems to already know that any time he dials H-E-R-O, he'll become a different superhero. I mean, that's an odd conclusion to jump to, if he's only dialed in once. What's to say he wouldn't just become The Moth again, right? Oh well... that's just a case of me thinking too hard. Chris does his thang, and becomes... Mega Boy! "Mega Boy" was created by a David Cason from LaGrange, Georgia... age unknown. He immediately finds The Flying Buttress.
Back at the school, we learn that Chris' use of the dial causes Vicki's pendant to glow. Realizing that her partner might be in trouble, she decides to dial in herself... becoming the super-heroine, Sunspot (sorry X-Fans, not that Sunspot). This "Sunspot" was created by a Shawn Sherman from South Roxana, Illinois... age unknown.
We wrap up with Sunspot arriving on the scene, just in time to see Mega Boy get slammed in the chest by the Flying Buttress! What happens next? Well, we're just going to have to start buying Adventure Comics with its 479th issue to find out!
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I tell ya what... this was kinda dumb, but so much fun.
I'm not even sure where to start here... but, I suppose I ought to open with the fact that I know precious little about Dial H For Hero. Outside of the broader strokes that is... which, hmm... I guess is sort of the entire thing, isn't it? I read a little bit of the "Sockamagee" stuff from a SHOWCASE Presents Volume... but, none of it really stuck with me. There was also Robby Reed's appearances during that Silver Age event from 2000 which Reggie and I covered a couple years back on the Treadmill. The Chris and Vicki versions, outside of their later New Teen Titans appearances, are completely new to me.
As for the current/recent Wonder Comics run? Well, when I found out that the fella Bendis picked to write the thing had never even heard of the concept before... I immediately gave it a hard pass.
That said... I really found myself enjoying this! I've come into a grip of those Adventure Comics issues, as well as the New Adventures of Superboy issues that feature Dial H as a back-up... I've just never read 'em! After reading this, I think maybe I ought to! I am brainstorming where this blog might be headed after the Bonus Books dry up... ya never know!
I really liked the Silver Age callback of crediting the creators of each Super-Identity. I think they might've been a bit "too cute" in crediting Chris and Vicki's civilian outfit designs to readers... not sure how legit that all was... and, I suppose it doesn't really matter. I just find it silly to credit somebody with "designing" a red v-neck shirt. Oh well.
I think my only real complaint about this story is... the art. I've expressed my distaste for 1980's era Carmine Infantino a time or two before... heck, I think with a different artist in the saddle, The Trial of the Flash would be much more fondly remembered these days! It's just a personal preference thing... but I find it so off-putting. It's something to do with the faces... it's gotta be, because everything else looks fine!
I included the "entry form" included with this issue below, where you (yes, you) could create your own Dial H hero for Chris and/or Vicki! It says that if you do (err, did), you'd get a Dial H t-shirt! I decided to Google that for ya... here's the t-shirt in all it's glory:
Overall though... even though my entire body told me I shouldn't... I did, in fact, really like this!
UPDATE: February 11, 2020:
Adding a copy of the Release Form DC would have readers sign for use of their ideas, along with a news item about the revival of the property (from The Comics Journal #56 - June, 1980):
UPDATE: February 16, 2020:
A note from Amazing Heroes #1 (June, 1981) addressing the "creators' rights" piece of the puzzle when it comes to Dial H:
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Interesting (and Relevant) Ad:
Action Comics Weekly #642 (Chapter IV)
"Where There's a Will, Chapter IV: The Restoration"
Writer - Elliot S! Maggin
Pencils - Curt Swan, Carmine Infantino, Jim Aparo, & Jim Mooney
Inks - Ty Templeton, Kevin Nowlan, John Nyberg, Ian Akin, & Brian Garvey
Colors - Glenn Whitmore
Letters - John Workman
Editors - Mark Waid & Brian Augustyn
It's been nearly 300 days comin'... but, today, we finally wrap up Action Comics Weekly! We're not done here, however. Tomorrow, we'll do our normal compilation piece... to be followed by a... hmm, shall we call it a trip "through the looking glass"? Maybe we spend a few days taking a look at the "real" Action Comics Weekly #642?
Yeah, I think that'll work.
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We open with Deadman, fresh off his little run-in with Hal Jordan and Clark Kent, returning to the body he's vacated... only to find that the "residual green energy" from that green light did the trick. From here, we jump over to that mustachioed negotiator... who, with the help of some residual green energy is able to successfully, ya know, negotiate. Meanwhile, Green Lantern is following the helicopter of the fella who very nearly murdered him!
In Beirut, that other negotiator... ya know, the one who was about to be perforated but good when the green light swept him away... turns out the residual green energy affords him the ability to produce a will-construct shield to deflect the shots. It's academic from here. Meanwhile, Hal catches up to the chopper.
In New York, Nightwing is speeding around the street on a motorcycle... he uses the residual green energy to erect a pair of barriers to separate the rival gangs. He ensures them that the walls will dissipate as soon as they find a way to peaceably work out their differences.
Hal Jordan confronts Major Easterly. I tell ya what, the "vignette" nature of this chapter would be really cool... if any of the cutaways were in the least bit interesting!
Elsewhere, that Arch Bishop is able to use his residual green energy in order to convince a pair of officials of... something. I'm really not sure what his whole story was here. It's like Maggin gave us way too much, and not enough at the same time. Whatever the case, it works out well for him.
While Hal and Easterly wrestle, with the former getting the better of the latter, we hop back over to the Dakotas, where Grampa Rufus is able to zap that mountain lion... bobcat... leopard... puma... jaguar... uh, "big cat" with his residual green energy to save the day... and his arm.
After Hal drops Easterly's chopper, he decides it's time to escalate his concerns... and so, he pays a visit to the Honorable Jerome R. Medowar of the Utah Supreme Court in order to try and torpedo the career of the decorated Major. The Judge is all about it... he ain't the biggest Easterly fan, referring to him as a "politician". He assures Hal that he'll give it his best shot.
We pop back over to Guy Gardner, who, without his ring must depend on the residual green energy to turn the arms-dealer's own will against him. Bada-bing, bada-boom... he gets his ring back.
Back in Utah, Medowar does a bit of digging on Major Easterly. He expresses a bit of trepidation, knowing that the Major's in pretty deep, and highly connected. If this investigation goes sideways, he could very easily have the Judge assassinated! Hal assures him that he'll be under his protection from this point on. Somehow, that makes the Judge comfortable enough to proceed. Has he... uh, not seen what happens to people under Hal's care? I mean, I don't wanna say he's bad at his job or anything... but, there's at least cause for concern, is there not?
Back in Metropolis, Clark is approached by that same kid who tried to fund-raise for his school band trip before he was whisked away by the green light. The lad is then inhabited by... Deadman! Boston confronts Kent, and sorta hints that he knows he's actually Superman. So, at least somebody here knows the Secret!
Kent proceeds to leave the building... Boston body-hops in attempt to keep up. They share some small talk about life and death... and pass under a movie theater's marquee. A worker is taking down the the letters for the film Fatal Attraction.
We wrap up with Boston jamming out of his latest vessel, telling Clark that, as far as "life" goes... he can have it. In a clever detail, the marquee only reads ACTION at this point... and the Real Steel Deal gives the reader one final weekly wink.
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Well... for a "final" chapter (heck, a final issue), this uh... hmm. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but... was it any good?
Not really... it smells like page-filler, it quacks like page-filler... what I'm trying to say is... it's page-filler, nothing more.
It's a bit deflating to have been building to this for over forty weeks... and have just so danged little to say about the conclusion! Outside of the "epilogue" portion (which we'll talk about more in a bit), this entire outing has been completely disposable. Again, it's "page-filler", and very likely eleventh hour page-filler, as the original Gaiman script fell through... so, it's hard to get mad at creative/editorial. This issue was just a victim of circumstance... and an uncharacteristically rigid adherence to a newly-established continuity nugget.
If I'm being honest, this entire endeavor probably should have wrapped up with The Crash of 88! back in ACW #635. I have a sneaking suspicion that editorial feels that way too, as everything since then (outside of the wonderful Wild Dog) has been slipshod at best. If ya ask me... this whole thing ends with Superman saving the Fellowship from Darkseid and Hal Jordan returning to Earth, having to deal with the after effects of wearing Malvolio's ring. Whattayagonnado?
So... let's take this chapter apart.
The majority of the thing felt like I was reading Millennium or New Guardians... which is to say, we saw a bunch of civilians being given some powers. Also, I was incredibly bored.
The epilogue, however, was the thing. It was very well done, and the marquee reading "ACTION" at the end was... poignant. Perhaps I'm a little too close to this, but... I'll admit, my typing fingers did get a little shaky as I worked my way through that final paragraph. It truly felt like everything we've been exploring throughout this past year is... done... complete... over. It's sobering in a way.
The use of the marquee was especially appropriate and clever, as when this entire deal was announced, it was done via a series of house ads depicting... a marquee! Action Comics, following issue #600, went on a bit of a hiatus while all of the pieces were shifted into place. Here are some of the ads we got:
Pretty neat, huh? Brings everything around full-circle, don't it? We'll talk more about that tomorrow during out compilation post. Don't forget... next week (as in the day after tomorrow) we'll begin our look at what could'a been. That is, the original Action Comics Weekly #642. Will it be better? Could it be worse? We'll get down to it in the coming days!
Now, if you'll excuse me... I'm about to do something quite surreal. I get to trudge upstairs with this comic book... file it away... and, for the first time in about a year, replace the lid on my Action Comics longbox. Weird day, friends...
Tomorrow: Tying that final bow... but not taking that final bow.
