Detective Comics #735 (August, 1999) “Fruit of the Earth, Part 3” Writer - Greg Rucka Art - Dan Jurgens & Bill Sienkiewicz Colors - Noelle Giddings & Wildstorm Letters - John Costanza Edits - Illidge, Vincenzo, O’Neil Cover Price: $1.99
Wrapping up Fruit of the Earth with a big ol' fight scene... that seems to end just as quickly as it begins! We get some answers as to what Batman had hidden in that cooler, and Commissioner Gordon decides to dissolve his association with his Two-Faced vigilante!
Batman #568 (August, 1999) “Fruit of the Earth, Part Two” Writer - Greg Rucka Art - Dan Jurgens & Bill Sienkiewicz Colors - Noelle Giddings & Wildstorm Letters - John Costanza Edits - Illidge, Vincenzo, O’Neil Cover Price: $1.99
After your humble host rambles on (and on) about his ongoing ocular challenges, we discuss the middle chapter of Fruit of the Earth, wherein Batman and Poison Ivy form an uneasy alliance against the terror of Clayface. We also get more GCPD Wolfpac drama from our friends Petit and Foley... who might just have a third member (but who's side is she on?!)
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #88 (August, 1999) “Fruit of the Earth, Part One” Writer - Greg Rucka Art - Dan Jurgens & Bill Sienkiewicz Letters - John Costanza Colors - Noelle Giddings Edits - Illidge, Vincenzo, O’Neil Cover Price: $1.99
After the Bat-Family reunion in LotDK, it's time to follow the Batman & Robin trail, as they head into Robinson Park to see what's going on with the fruit 'n veg biz. We also get some great GCPD drama in the form of a schism and possible splinter group forming!
BONUS BOOK - Teen Titans (Pre-October, 1996) "Titans Children" Story & Pencils - Dan Jurgens Finished Art - George Perez Colors - Gregory Wright Enhancement - Digital Chameleon Letters - Richard Starkings & Comicraft Edits - Eddie Berganza Waitaminute, waitaminute... You might be thinking "I know the Titans Insert Prevue, (in fact we've looked at it twice)... and this, is not that book!" Well, you'd be right... because this one, my friends, is not that book. This is actually a Prevue that I'd forgotten all about! It wasn't until I had my memory jogged by pal, Grant Kitchen, that this little ditty was included betwixt the pages of Superman (vol.2) #116! This is a sneak-peek at the second volume of Teen Titans... ya know, that attempt to give the newly teen-aged Atom a place to hang out? That Titans book where Dan Jurgens allegedly wasn't allowed to use any Titans characters? Yeah, that one! We've already looked at a few issues of that run here... including the first issue. You might notice the... very odd cover date here. Not sure what in the world "Pre-Oct, 1996" means. Does that mean it could've been published anytime between January and September, 1996? Does it just mean that Superman (vol.2) was twice-monthly at this point, and for whatever reason they used "Pre" instead of "Early"? I'm sure whatever the explanation is, it's very boring.
Before we hop in, just wanna let everybody know that this is the final post of the Fourth Year of Chris is on Infinite Earths! Tomorrow kicks off the fifth! Tomorrow's anniversary piece is going to be a lot of fun... and maybe just a little bit weird! --
We open, two days ago, on Titan... the largest of Saturn's 22 known Moons. Nowadays, Saturn's known to have at least 62... though, Titan is still regarded as the biggest. Heck, it's larger than Mercury. Anyhoo, these Titans of the Teen variety, who we have yet to be introduced to, are... maybe being abducted and held hostage there? A hooded figure (that is, Omen) laments their failure in stopping this from occurring.
We join them in space, where the fellas have all become just a bit more buff. They fight a pair of Psion aliens, the blonde kid refers to as "Pinky and the Brain", just in case we'd forgotten when this book came out. In the skirmish, they discover the bagged body of... oh my, is that Doomsday?! That sure looks like Doomsday's Goggle-Sack outfit!
Well, no... for better or worse, it's not Doomsday. It's actually Prism, who will be another member of our team. She blames the Psions for taking her world... and postures threateningly.
We jump ahead, and the day is saved... apparently. I gotta say, this is a really strange way to give an "Insert Prevue". This is really just bits and pieces from issues of the series that are yet to come out... so, we're bouncing around a good bit. So yeah, everything's cool... and the kids have even convinced the Psion, Dorek to give them a ride home.
We wrap up back on Earth... and the Titans try on their new "Calvin Klein" duds, and pick their code names. The recently teen-aged Atom, who was a part of this whole mess decides to stick around and help out. It's not like he has an ongoing series or anything... so, what the heck, right?
-- So... heckuva way to introduce a new team, huh? I am, of course, being facetious... this wasn't really all that great. An assortment of scenes from the first few issues of the soon-to-release ongoing series... with much/all of the context removed... just doesn't seem like anything to get all "rah-rah" about. I know, had I been reading DC Comics back in 1996... I most certainly would not have been enticed to pick up the first issue of Teen Titans (vol.2) based solely off of this Prevue. It just doesn't do anything to introduce the characters... which, ya gotta figure, is sort of the selling point to a team book... no? You want to follow a team book because you care about the characters... you have some sort of interest or investment in them. This fails to provide any of that. Even the "mysteries" here feel half-baked. Who's the hooded figure? Who cares? What's the deal with the girl in the Doomsday gimp-suit? Again, who cares? Now that I think of it, if anything... this Prevue might've actually hindered me from picking up that first issue! Couldn't imagine how actual Titans fans felt seeing this back in the day! Worth noting (maybe just to ninnies like myself), if you scan any of the DC Wikis and whatnot looking for first appearances, these new Teen Titans we're introduced to are listed as first appearing in Teen Titans (vol.2) #1... and not here. According to Mike's Amazing World, this issue of Superman (vol.2) hit shelves on July 31, 1996... whereas, Teen Titans (vol.2) #1 came out almost a full-month later on August 28. So, these Titans don't quite get the New Teen Titans treatment of having their first appearance listed as the "Insert Prevue". Probably a weird sticking point for me... but, these are the sort of things that keep me up at night! Overall... nah, didn't dig this. Felt too disjointed, and didn't build much of a defined mystery to derive curiosity from someone who was just reading Superman... but, that's just one dude's opinion. Maybe you feel differently... and this Prevue got you hyped to jump into TTv2 with both feet? Anyhoo, that'll do it for today... please come back tomorrow for my FOUR-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of putting out DAILY Discussions and Reviews of DC-and-DC-Adjacent-Comics! It'll be a good time... I promise! -- Interesting (and Relevant) Ad:
Legacy of Superman #1 (Linear Men) Story & Layouts - Dan Jurgens Finishes - Trevor Scott Letters - John Costanza Colors - Glenn Whitmore Assistant Editor - Jennifer Frank Editor - Mike Carlin Today we wrap up our look at the Legacy of Superman Special, with a chapter featuring... Waverider and the Linear Men. Woof. I tells ya what, if there were a group of characters that even the Challengers of the Unknown can turn their noses up at for being boring... the Linear Men are it. Err... that of course is supposing that we haven't reached a point in society where we're pretending to find the Challs entertaining and interesting, are we? Because, c'mon. Let's see how this all wraps up! --
We open at... Vanishing Point. Hey, hey... c'mon, wake up! Where the Linear Men... aw c'mon, quit snoring... this is going to be okay, I promise! Let's try that again. We open at Vanishing Point, where the Linear Men are taking Waverider to the Library of Time. They're here to show the golden fella one of the most significant moments of the late-twentieth century... that moment being, the Death of Superman!
Waverider is positively beside himself at the sight... especially with the realization that the death occurred like two days after the last time he'd chummed up with the Man of Steel. Waverider, with his time-traveling hoo-doo, sees no other option than to go back in time, and stop this event from happening! One of the boring Linear Men (the one that kinda looks like Cable) tell him that's a "no-go"... but, ain't nothin' gonna stop Goldie from doin' what he feels he needs to do!
And so, before we know it, Waverider is in Metropolis... on that day. He watches as Doomsday and Superman exchange blows, realizing the futility of the fight... and then, he pauses time so he can plan his next move.
Just as he does so, however, he finds himself joined by Linear Man, Matthew Ryder... who is, pretty much Waverider, just an "alternate" version. Matt tries to interject some critical thinking into the endeavor. Sure, they save Superman... this time. So, what happens... next time? And the time after that? Are they literally just granting Superman immortality? I gotta say, I know what they're going for here... but, ya know what? That doesn't sound like a half-bad idea, does it?
Matthew then plays the "where does it end?" card... ya know, asking why they don't just save everybody... superheroes, historical figures, just ordinary folks... everybody. A resigned Waverider quickly comes around to Matthew's way of thinking.
And so, Waverider unfreezes time... and decides to just sit back and watch the inevitable. And by "watch", I mean exactly that... he doesn't turn away from the brutality or "killing blow", he just watches it happen.
The story... and this special, ends the same way Superman #75 did... the way it was always supposed to.
-- Heyyy, how about that, I really liked this one! Well, mostly, anyway. I still couldn't give a rip about the Linear Men... however, as a "device" for this outing, I think Waverider served his role well. He's depicted as naive, brash, and well-intentioned... but, sometimes there's more to making a decision than who it might benefit in the immediate. He learns a pretty valuable lesson here... with more than a dash of "with great power..." I wanna take everything we know about how this arc played out out of the equation for a minute. I really wonder if any of the folks who bought this off the racks... actually thought, for even a half-second, that this story would result in the death being "un-done". I mean, it's almost ludicrous to consider... but, I mean... even for a fraction of a second, did Jurgens and Company actually get a "gotcha"? Were there readers who thought this was DC's "Get Out of Jail Free" card? A way to walk back the Death? I'd certainly be interested in finding out! As for the story itself... I liked seeing all of the familiar "trappings" of Superman #75. The bits and pieces of art shown at the Library of Time was a hoot... and also, seeing Waverider and Matthew Ryder sorta-kinda "Forrest Gumped" into the familiar and iconic panels of the "death issue" was really cool! The "message" here... I mean, the point of it is well-taken. If you use your great power to save Superman, each and every time he's in danger... well, then... where does it end? Right? Some of the examples Ryder gives here are Albert Einstein, Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr., and Beethoven. If you could save them/keep them alive... would you? Perhaps more importantly, should you? It's a pretty "heavy" topic... and one that I have a hard time making "jive" in the fantastical world of superhero comics, where the "rules" of the world are vastly (and often incomparably) different... but, again... the point is well-taken. We've looked at a story that had similar themes way back in the long ago here at the blog... and it also included Dan Jurgens' name in the credits! Booster Gold (vol.2) #5 (2008) featured the titular character attempting to un-do The Killing Joke... and failing time and again, until he finally learned his lesson about the amount of power a time-traveler potentially wields. All told, this was a very strong way to close out the Special... with both a glimmer of hope that the whole magilla will be un-done, and the ultimate realization that nothing was actually going to change. Worth noting, the art here was prrrrrrrrretty phenomenal. Tomorrow: T-Minus two-days til the blog's Four Year Anniversary... with a Compilation Post!
Adventures of Superman #500 (Early June, 1993) "Life After Death!" Writer - Jerry Ordway Pencils - Tom Grummett Inks & Tones - Doug Hazlewood Letters - Albert DeGuzman Colors - Glenn Whitmore Assistant Editor - Jennifer Frank Editor - Mike Carlin Cover Price: $2.95 (Deluxe) / $2.50 (Newsstand) Welcome, friends to Super-Blog Team-Up: Chromium... where the gang has all come together in order to celebrate... and maybe, just maybe, denigrate the various "eras of excess" within in the industry we all love so much. This time out, I've made a multi-media mess out of myself. We've got this post you're currently reading... for which, I made a video to introduce the whole thing:
I've also released, for those interested, an episode of the Chris is on Infinite Earths Podcast (Episode 33), wherein I spend the better part of an hour discussing... my first choice for this Chromium outing, if I hadn't already discussed it here: the five-variant covers/stories that appeared in Team Titans #1 (1992)!
And, if that ain't enough... the end of this very blog post contains a list of links to other great bloggers and content creators that I highly recommend checking out! Heck, I can take credit for nominating a few of 'em into the SBTU fold! What I can't take credit for, is their work, which is great! So, check 'em out! But first... here at these Infinite Earths... we've got us quite the issue of Superman to discuss. So, pour yourself a second (or third) cup... and let's do this. --
Picking up right where the story
left off… ya know, three months ago, Jonathan Kent has just flatlined… however,
in the “afterlife” he has just clasped hands with his son Clark. He’s not there to join his Super son,
however… he’s there to stop him from going toward the light. The Superman ghost compels Jonathan to return
to the land of the living
Superman turns his back to
Jonathan… and joins a pair of cloaked individuals… Though, it’s worth
noting, that it would appear that Jonathan sees them as Byrne-Man of Steel-style
Kryptonians. Clark walks into the
light… but that’s not going to stop Pa! He too flies toward the light!
Back in Smallville, Jonathan has been injected with Lydocaine... which breaks the flatline into intermittent blip-blips. A nurse is able to pull Martha away for a cup of coffee so the doctors can work their magic. Outside the examination room, she is surprised to see that Lois has arrived to check in.
In Metropolis, Gangbuster breaks up a drug deal… or does he? Well, actually he breaks up an undercover cop attempting to bust a big-time dealer. Such is life for Jose Delgado. Never one to quit while he’s behind,
Gangbuster then starts… Copbusting.
He judo throws an officer to the
ground… and hops onto a fire escape to, well… escape firing guns! Being as though this is still Jose
Delgado, he takes a bullet to the bicep during the escape. An officer gives chase… which forces Jose to
leap off the building, and into the conveniently-located Metropolis Harbor. Eesh, just think of all the bacteria getting
into that bullet wound!
Back in… Heaven? Pa is
dressed like Sgt. Rock’s grandfather… stomping through a war zone, bayonet in
hand. He stumbles onto a battlefield
where his entire unit lay dead. Jonathan
makes his way through the battlefield… and into some brush. Passing into
the clearing, he spots a burning hut.
He rushes inside to find a young man… who looks like his brother Harry. Probably because… it is! Well, a
near-death manifestation of him anyway…
As, Jonathan lifts his brother up…
a wild Commie approaches! The ol’
man punches the Red’s head clean off!
In Metropolis, Cat Grant gets her
butt pinched by Vincent Edge. Vincent
Edge is the father of Morgan Edge… he’s also tied up with Darkseid and
Apokolips, so… he’s a pretty bad dude.
We learn he’s sweet-talking Ms. Grant because he needs a
favor. Ya see, Jimmy Olsen hasn’t shown up for the last two-weeks worth
of Turtle Boy tapings!
He also asks about her love life. Who does this guy think he is, Tommy Wiseau?
Anyhoo, she reveals that she and
Jose are on the outs… and starts sobbing. Smelling blood… well, I hope that’s blood…
Vinnie decides to ask Cat out on a date.
Annnnd, she accepts?! The lesson
here, I guess is… pinching butts is a way to get dates? Nah, nevermind… I didn’t say that.
Speaking of Turtle Boy… over at
the prison, the Trickster’s cellmate is watching a rerun on his teeny tiny
television. And laughing like an “addled-brained,
methane gas-producing jackass”. That
Trickster, he sure paints with words!
The Jackass is enjoying his program… and refers to it as being “very
nineties”. Okey dokey, then. The Trickster pours water into the teeny tiny
television to put an end to the Turtling (don't Google that).
Speaking of Turtle Boy…
again! We next join Jimmy Olsen at the Daily Planet Building where he is
given an assignment. While there,
he’s approached by Ron Troupe, who has some Turtle-Boy related phone messages
for Jim… who makes it pretty clear that his days on the half-shell are behind
him.
Back in Smallville, Lois comforts
Ma… by telling her that she doesn’t believe in the afterlife. That… hmm, that might be a little tone-deaf
there, Ms. Lane. There’s a time and
place for that kinda debate, Lois… and I don’t think this is it.
Though, while speaking of the
afterlife… Jonathan Kent is still trudging through Korea. He steps on a
rotten plank and falls into a pit.
A man approaches the hole and tosses him a rope. A man Jon
believes to be his own Pa! Well…
that’s not Pa’s Pa at all… instead it’s a demonic monster! In the background, we see Blaze
sitting on a throne made of skulls.
She offers him… a deal.
Devil’s always do that kinda thing.
If you’re wondering if she’s going to offer him a return to the living
in exchange for his and Martha’s marriage… you’ve probably been reading other
comics in the interim. This is a much
more “boilerplate” arrangement being presented, she just wants his soul. Sorry, Aunt May!
Jonathan decides he’ll try his
luck in the pit… and lets go of the line. He continues to fall… until everything goes
white. He suddenly finds himself floating before Kismet. Kismet is like Marvel’s Eternity… only, with
boobs. She sets him on the right path… to perhaps save “the airman”…
which is to say, she send him to… The World of Krypton!
When Pa gets his bearings, he sees
his boy being carried by a gaggle of Kryptonians in a sedan. He rushes over in attempt to “wake” Superman…
but he is cut off by the Krypton Clerics.
Back in Metropolis, Gangbuster
pulls himself out of the drink… well, a fella named Highpockets pulls him
out. He suggests they head over to Bibbo’s, but Jose’s gotta stop by the
bus station first.
Back in the afterlife, Pa
continues to shout at Superman… and it finally seems to get through. Superman looks at his Kryptonian compatriots…
and sees them for what they truly are… monsters! Demons, even! Superman pummels the baddies pretty quickly. Pa suggests that maybe Superman can’t really
die… and the only reason he’s “going through the motions” is due to his being
raised by mortals… with the concept of mortality. Wow, there’s some food for thought! Anyhoo, the pair approach a black hole amid
the light… and go to fly into it.
But first… Jor-El! Kal’s bio-Pop shows up to stop the pair from
skidooin’. And so, Pa manifests a
shovel… and smashes Jor-El in the face with it! I always say, let the punishment fit the
crime! Anyhoo, Clark and Jonathan head into
the black hole.
At which time, back in Smallville… Pa sits up!
We join Lois on her return flight
to Metropolis… when suddenly, a blue and red blur buzzes the plane! When the plane touches down… it seems
everywhere Lois goes, all anyone can talk about is… Superman. As in, he’s
back!
On the news, various eyewitnesses
are interviewed. A young girl
named Cindy has drawn a picture of the “Sooperman” who rescued her kitty from a
tree.
But, there’s more… In Centennial
Park, a jogger describes Superman saving her from being hit by a stolen cab. A family in Suicide Slum claims that Superman
rescued their baby from their burning tenement.
The foreman at the Northpoint Nuclear Power Plant has a similar tale to
tell. And finally, a woman states that
Superman not only saved her from an attacker… but actually killed her attacker!
We wrap up with Lois at the
Centennial Park Memorial with Inspector Henderson. With all the sightings… she’s got to know. They enter, and… the casket… she be
empty!
That might be the end of the
story… but not the end of the issue!
Our first “sighting” vignette opens with a pair of gangs fighting over
some over-sized guns called “Toastmasters”.
The woman known as the White Rabbit looks on, pleased that with Superman
out of the way… Metropolis is hers for the taking.
The police drive up, and the gangs
disperse. From the rubble of one
of the buildings destroyed during the Doomsday massacre, a man rises…
This is a very large bald, black
man… but I'm not telling you anything that you don’t already know. He doesn’t
look like him, but he sure sounds a lot like… Superman?!
Our second “sighting” opens with a
would-be carjacker being stopped… by a man in a cape, and visor. The dude opens fire into the caped-man’s
chest… illuminating it just enough to make out a familiar logo.
The bum attempts to flee, but our
mystery man gives chase… finally descending on him, looking very much like…
Superman?!
Sighting, the Third takes place at Cadmus Labs, as the Guardian rushes toward Lab 13 where an explosion just jammed the doors shut. A soldier named Silvestri arrives to “gently” nudge the door… with a bazooka. Like
I always say, the right tool for the right job!
Once inside, they find… an empty pod, with what looks like Superman’s
torn cape caught in the broken glass.
Guardian notices a Dr. Packard
hanging from the ceiling wrapped in piping. He reveals that the Newsboys and this… Number
13 escaped through the air ducts.
At that moment, the five Newsboys… and a guest, pop out of the other end
of the air ducts… and hey look, it’s (don’t ever call him) Superboy!
Sighting, the Final. It’s morning in Metropolis… and the Sun rises
over the shimmery skyline. A
family of tourists is walking down Broadway… or whatever block the Daily Planet
Building is on, when their son notices the Superman memorial plaque,
commemorating the spot he died on while saving the city. This mustn’t be the original plaque, because
that one read: “In Memoriam - Superman - Killed on this spot while defending
the city”, while this one reads: “In Memory of Superman -
Killed on this spot while defending Metropolis”.
Anyway… as this family stops to admire
the plaque… Superman arrives?! He
picks up the plaque… and incinerates it.
In fairness… if he ain’t dead, I guess they don’t need it! Worth noting, these early panels are kinda
“Austin Powering” the left side of Superman’s face… and when we get a good look
at him… well, sonuvagun… he’s a cyborg!
-- The Extra Pages: The "Deluxe"/White-Bagged Edition came packed with an additional eight pages of story. They're all splash pages, and don't really add all that much... but, here they are, in all their glory!
Man... two whole "exclusive" pages wasted on Jose frickin' Delgado? Yeesh! Anyhoo, in case you were interested/unaware (I know I was)... these extra pages were just slotted in instead of Ads:
-- Got a lot of irons in the fire of late... and one of them has me revisiting the post-Claremont X-Men books. In re-reading X-Men (vol.2) #1, I mentioned just how iconic nearly every single panel in that thing has become... at least to me. These images have been burned... heck, imprinted into my memory... and will always be definitive "comics" to me. I didn't think there were any other comics, barring maybe Superman (vol.2) #75, that evoked that same reaction in me. Then... I opened this one. While it certainly wasn't every image that "got" me... there were definitely a fair-share that will always remain with me. I'm talking specifically about the early panel in the afterlife where Pa is grabbing Clark by the shirt... and the four Reign of the Supermen reveals. Perhaps it was the fact that I read this during my formative years... or, heck, maybe I'm actually right... and these are iconic to everybody! Anyhoo, whatta we got here, anyway? This is the beginning of the return of Superman. On that, we can all agree. I remember being very excited for this back in the long ago... but, after the initial shock to my system, I kinda fell off the Super-books. Even this issue, in and of itself, is... I dunno, a bit uneven? Don't get me wrong, there are some great bits here... but, there are also sections where it kind of drags. I can't really get mad at it... it's almost like a "necessary evil" situation. I'll admit, back when I was a wee lad of thirteen, I couldn't care less about Jimmy Olsen's Turtle Boy career, Cat Grant being sexually harassed by the elder Edge, and Jose frickin' Delgado bumbling his way through his vigilante life. I wanted Superman... and not much else. As an adult, I can't help but to appreciate the, for lack of a better term, "world building" employed here. We get to catch up with the wider cast... which helps to reinforce the fact to the reader that, even though Superman's story ended... life went on for the citizens of Metropolis, and beyond. There's something, I dunno, kind of sobering about that. A real feeling of mortality starts to creep into the corner of my mind when I allow myself to think about it. We get a sorta-kinda reunion with the Man of Steel... but, that's almost secondary here. When we look at the afterlife scenes, really and truly, they belong to Pa. Superman gets a few punches in (a few more in the Deluxe Version than the Newsstand), but this is Pa Kent's journey... and I think that was a wise decision on the part of the creative team! The issue wraps up by sweeping us right into the new "status quo"... leading to a quartet of comics with die-cut covers! Gimmicks galore, y'all! We meet our new stand-in Supermen... and, I still remember being kind of blown away by this when I first read it. I was almost positive that the Eradicator would be eventually revealed as being the Real Steel Deal... though, I gotta admit, I was holding out hope for the Cyborg! What a dumb kid I was... Overall... I almost feel silly reviewing (if that's in fact what I'm doing) this issue, with the assumption that most everybody checking out this site has very likely already read this story. Though, perhaps I'm just projecting. Wouldn't be the first time! If you've made it this far, feel free to lemme know in the comments who you thought the "Real Steel Deal" was going to wind up being? I wanna thank everyone, old and (potentially) new, for stopping by the humble blog today... perhaps during your trip through the Super-Blog Team-Up chain. I hope you enjoyed what you saw... and hope to see you back again real soon! -- Letters Page:
-- Otha Covuhs:
-- The Card (worth the price of admission on it's own)!
