NML Crossing, Episode 083 - JLA #32 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Eighty-Three

JLA #32 (August, 1999)
“Inside Job”
Writers - Mark Waid & Devin Grayson
Pencils - Mark Pajarillo
Inks - Walden Wong
Letters - Ken Lopez
Colors - Pat Garrahy & Heroic Age
Edits - Tony Bedard, Dan Raspler
Cover Price: $1.99

Back after an extended break for something a little bit different... attempting to answer the question as to why the Justice League didn't just pop into Gotham City and save the day. I say "attempting", because we really don't get much in the way of an actual answer... but, we get some fun action with some throwaway baddies from JLA: Year One all the same.

The Bada-Bin!

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NML Crossing, Episode 056 - Detective Comics #731 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Fifty-Six

Detective Comics #731 (April, 1999)
“Fear of Faith, Part Four: Be Not Afraid”
Writer - Devin Grayson
Pencils - Dale Eaglesham
Inks - Sean Parsons
Colors - Noelle Giddings & Digital Chameleon
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Illidge, Vincenzo, O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.99

Wrapping up the second arc of No Man's Land proper... well, third if we count our little Azrael detour (which we probably shouldn't).  This time out we see if the Scarecrow is able to foment enough fear without his toxin in order to inspire a whole lotta bloodshed.  Will he be successful?  Well, tune in and we can find out together!

Plus: Some'a that great NMaiLbag!

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NML Crossing, Episode 055 - Batman #564 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Fifty-Five

Batman #564 (April, 1999)
“Fear of Faith, Part Three: Life in Hell”
Writer - Devin Grayson
Pencils - Dale Eaglesham
Inks - Jaime Mendoza
Colors - Noelle Giddings & Digital Chameleon
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Illidge, Vincenzo, O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.99

In which all them dominoes the Scarecrow has been setting up these last couple of chapters are starting to tip... Jonathan Crane truly is as dangerous without the fear toxin as he is with it... perhaps even more so!

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NML Crossing, Episode 054 - Batman: Shadow of the Bat #84 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Fifty-Four

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #84 (April, 1999)
“Fear of Faith, Part Two: To Serve and Protect”
Writer - Devin Grayson
Pencils - Dale Eaglesham
Inks - Sean Parsons
Colors - Pam Rambo
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Illidge, Vincenzo, O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.99

Coming to you live from a wind-tunnel (for the first bit of the episode), it's NML Crossing! Today is, among other things, air conditioner tune-up day... so, apologies for the ambient noise intermingling with my usual busted attempt at speaking!

Today we check back in with the Ark, where the Scarecrow is planting seeds left and right in order to compensate for the fact that No Man's Land doesn't stock his usual blend of fear toxin!  It's good stuff... check it out!

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NML Crossing, Episode 053 - Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Fifty-Three

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116 (April, 1999)
“Fear of Faith, Part One: Fanning the Flames”
Writer - Devin Grayson
Pencils - Dale Eaglesham
Inks - Batt & Aaron Sowd
Colors - Pam Rambo
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Illidge, Vincenzo, O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.99

Back in No Man's Land, where Father Chris' Ark Refugee Center offers sweet sanctuary to anyone in need of it... even those fresh outta Arkham, clad in hay! Is the Scarecrow just as dangerous without his fear toxin? I suppose we'll find out together!

Plus: As always, a fun NMaiLbag to dive into!

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NML Crossing, Episode 016 - Catwoman #57 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Sixteen

Catwoman #57 (May, 1998)
“Cataclysm, Part Fifteen: Reap What You Sow”
Writer - Devin Grayson
Pencils - Jim Balent
Inks - John Stanisci
Colors - Buzz Setzer
Letters - Albert De Guzman
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.95

All's I can tell ya is that today's issue happens... at some point after 7:03pm on the night of the verybadthing.  It's Catwoman vs. Poison Ivy, with Harvey Bullock as special guest referee... even though he's supposed to be in the middle of a Hard-Bock Hostage situation.  Oh well!

In addition to that, we'll be going through all the Cataclysmic bits from the 1998 Wizard Batman Special!  Lots of fun (though nebulous) data and information to comb through... lots of food for thought and room for me to baselessly speculate on what might've been going on in the Bat-Offices during the build to No Man's Land proper!

Big thanks to Adam for hooking me up with the Batman Wizard Special.  Please check out WIZARDS: The Podcast Guide to Comics at https://www.wizardscomics.com/

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NML Crossing, Episode 011 - Batman Chronicles #12 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Eleven

Batman Chronicles #12 (Spring, 1998)
"The Contract"
"House of Cards"
"Trapped"
"A Bird With a Hand"
"Love Me 2 Times"
"Little Orphan Andy"
Writers - Devin Grayson, Chris Renaud, Rick Burchett, Klaus Janson, & Kelley Puckett
Pencils/Art - Marcos Martin, Chris Renaud, Alex Maleev, Rick Burchett, & Klaus Janson
Inks - Vince Giarrano, Bob McLeod, & Bill Sienkiewicz
Colors - Lee Loughridge, Ian Laughlin, Jason Wright, Grant Goleash, & Noelle Giddings
Letters - Ken Lopez & Clem Robins
Edits - Vincenzo & Gorfinkel
Cover Price: $2.95

Welcome to Anthology Land, where we can take a peek into how some of the non-Bat-characters are handling the "new normal" post-the verybadthing that happened at 7:03pm.  It's very much a 90s anthology... so, prepare for a very "your mileage may vary" experience!

Plus: A thought-provoking NMaiLbag

For those playing along at home, the rest of this week's books are:

• Nightwing #20
• Batman #554
• Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1
• Detective Comics #721

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NML Crossing, Episode 007 - Catwoman #56 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Seven

Catwoman (vol.2) #56 (April, 1998)
“Cataclysm, Part Six: Claustrophobia”
Writer - Devin Grayson
Pencils - Jim Balent
Inks - John Stanisci
Colors - Buzz Setzer
Letters - Albert DeGuzman
Edits - Jordan B. Gorfinkel & Denny O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.95

Putting the C-A-T in Cataclysm, today we find out where Selina Kyle was at 7:03pm when the verybadthing happened!

Plus: Another dip into the NMaiLbag!

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Nightwing #89 (2004)

Nightwing #89 (March, 2004)
"Avalanche"
Script - Devin Grayson
Penciller - Patrick Zircher
Inker - Andy Owens
Colorist - Gregory Wright
Letterer - Clem Robins
Editor - Michael Wright
Cover Price: $2.25

What if I were to tell you that we're about to discuss a comic that shows what happens when an oversized criminal kingpin discovers a costumed hero's secret identity... and uses that information to systematically take apart that hero's life?

You might say something like, "Hey Chris, I didn't know you covered Marvel books here!" or, "When did Daredevil join the DC Universe?"

Wellllllll.....

--

We open with Dick Grayson waking up at his ex-girlfriend Barbara Gordon's apartment... since they're no longer an item, and because his staying there might get kinda weird... she gives him the ol' heave-ho.  Dick hops on his motorbike, and heads back to Bludhaven.  Along the way, he recounts recent events... he's lost his girlfriend, his day-job on the Bludhaven Police Force... and Haley's Circus has been burned down.

We shift scenes to the big-bad... Blockbuster, Roland Desmond.  He's chatting up a couple of members of his gang, Giz and (don't call her Catwoman) the Mouse.  Worth noting, because why not... Giz has his trusty pet squirrel (named Goober) sitting on his shoulder.  Anyhoo, Rolly offers to double their pay if they make an upcoming... er, we'll just call it a demolition project... "memorable".

Dick returns to his Bludhaven apartment building, and runs into a fella named Yoska.  At this point, Dick was discovering his Romany roots... something that really seemed to irk many of the readers of the day, though I can't say for certain why this was such a big deal for them.  Granted, I never took the time to research either.  Anyhoo, Yoska refers to Dick as "Ryeka" and offers him an adorned bottle of wine perfect for "popping the question".  Dick mutters something about his current relationship status before graciously accepting the gift.

Dick then suits up, and heads out on a rare daytime patrol... he gets out just in time to see... his entire building exploded!

The building is literally gone in an instant... leaving nothing but a smoldering mess.  Nightwing rushes back to sift through the wreckage for survivors... and unfortunately comes up empty.

Nightwing discovers Yoska's body... and finds the beads that once adorned that celebratory bottle of wine, then... walking through the smoke... Tarantula?

At this point in time, Nightwing was acting as something of a mentor for this new female Tarantula.   She's been depicted as... let's say, unhinged (though, it's about to get worse), so Dick assumes that she's responsible for the blast.  He lunges at her... and she pleads her innocence.  She was only in the area because she knows that the original Tarantula (John Law) lived in the building, and she was trying to save him.  She also reveals that the baddie behind this tragedy is... Roland Desmond.

Then... Aaron Helzinger, perhaps better known as Amygdala bursts from the wreckage.  Ya see, Aaron's been released from Arkham, and has proven to be something of an ally and a pal (a pally?) to Nightwing.  He was also a tenant of the building, and right now, isn't quite in his right (gentle) mind.

The Bludhaven P.D. train their guns on Aaron... and Nightwing throws himself in front of the poor rampaging goof.  Captain Amy Rohrbach, Dick's former boss instinctively refers to Nightwing as "Dick"... and gives him a few moments to get control of the situation, which he does... by being brutally honest with Amygdala.

Rohrbach calls Nightwing over to see if he has any info... and he gives her the straight dope on Blockbuster.

Dick's taking this all as badly as you might imagine... and blames himself for the loss of life.  It's not yet clear whether or not he knows this destruction actually is a result of his living here... but, Dick's a smart cookie (and he's being written by that other D. Grayson)... so, I gotta imagine he knows what's up.  On his way out, he is approached by a very overzealous Maxine Michaels, who'd love an exclusive interview.  Dick punches her... cameraman...'s camera.

We wrap up with Blockbuster watching the news of his Bludhaven Bombing... and greeting the next member of his gang who is to continue running Dick Grayson through the wringer... Shrike!

--

So yeah... this is pretty much Daredevil: Born Again... again.

I must not have read "Born Again" before reading this the first time around, because I swear... I never noticed the similarities.  Then again, I've never claimed to be quickest on the draw when it comes to reading comprehension.

That said, it's not a bad story... but, then again, "Born Again" has gone on to become one of my all-time favorites, so I might be biased.  This story works really well... in a vacuum.

What I mean by that, is... I feel like we're supposed to forget that Nightwing might be the most well connected member of heroing community.  I mean, his "father" is Batman.  He's friends with Superman.  He's been a member of the Titans, Outsiders, and the Justice League of America.  What I'm trying to say is, dude's got this meta-powered army at his disposal... and he's going to spend the next several issues sweating Blockbuster?

I know a little while after this story hits we get Identity Crisis, that has a major focus on "mind-wiping"... so, maybe that's off the table (editorially) here... but, I mean... in the DC Universe, that's gotta be a go-to option in situations like this, right?  Hell, right around this time Batman told his entire "family" that he set up dummy identities for all of them, just in case word got out.  I dunno... maybe I'm thinking too hard... or, maybe this is a case of trying to force a square peg into a round hole story-wise.

Of course this all kinda culminates in that issue (which we've already discussed here)... so, I guess (if we throw this into that vacuum) taking Dick Grayson apart piece by piece kinda "sets up" that event from that issue.  It doesn't really excuse it... but, I suppose I can't argue that it puts Dick in a particularly vulnerable and "broken" place.

The apartment explosion here... kinda left me cold.  I feel like this was part of the plan for awhile, and so we were being introduced to more and more colorful tenants... forcing relationships between them and Dick.  They just felt like cannon fodder... which I guess, at the end of the day... they were.  Somehow, Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli were able to evoke so much more emotion when they blew up Matt Murdock's building... and (best I can recall) we didn't even know his neighbors.

Overall... I can't argue that this is an important issue... nor can I argue that this was a beautifully drawn issue!  It might be worth a look, I suppose it's a "Your Mileage May Vary" sorta deal.

--

Interesting Ads:

887

Titans #13 (2000)

Titans #13 (March, 2000)
"Fallout"
Story - Jay Faerber & Devin Grayson
Penciller - Patrick Zircher
Inkers - Andrew Robinson & Mark Propst
Colorist - Pam Rambo
Letters - Comicraft
Associate Editor - Maureen McTigue
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.50

Sticking with the Titans for another day... and, wouldja lookit that... it's one'a those covers.  What's that thing I was saying yesterday about Titans books "running in place"?

Times like this I feel like we need a "greatest hits" line of comics, so the ongoing books can actually... ya know, go-on.

--

We open in the Titans rarely-used conference room, wherein Nightwing is raking the team over the coals for their poor showing against the H.I.V.E. and... Tartarus.  Tartarus, if you're unaware, is like the anti-Titans.  Every member has a correlating baddie.  Starfire takes exception to Dick's outburst... and has one of her own.  The rest of the Titans just sit and wait for it all to be over.  Well, Roy has somewhere he'd rather be... and that's at the bedside of his... not gonna say "baby-mama"... Cheshire.  To which, Tempest mutters about having his own wife to return to.

At this point, Dick... really acts his name, and goes off on "marriages of convenience"... which, as you might imagine, triggers Starfire something good.  Can't really argue though, it seems like every time the Titans go "off planet" Starfire winds up with another husband.

The rest of the Titans kinda clutch their pearls... as if they'd never seen teammates fight before.  Vic, for no other reason than to remind us what happened nearly twenty-years earlier, mentions Terra... then, he quits the team.  Not so fact, kemosabe... it's not just that you shouldn't quit... it's that you're not allowed to!

Ya see, the whole mishagoss that started this volume of Titans was the JLA/Titans: Technis Imperative miniseries... in which, Vic was the main antagonist!  When the dust settled, the JLA wanted to send Vic to S.T.A.R. Labs... however, Nightwing was able to convince him them (okay okay, it was Batman) to release Cyborg to the Titans.

Amid the tension, Flash runs off to attend a JLA meeting.  This Flash... may or may not be Wally West... or, maybe it's just not "our" Wally West.  Either way, he jets.  Dick asks Jesse Quick to drag his speedster-ass back right away... so he can fire him from the team.

Nightwing then turns his attention to the rest of the group... and suggests they do a little soul-searching.  All of the "established" members walk out.

We pop over to S.T.A.R. Labs where Vic is looking for some answers... hell, at this point, he might be looking for the questions as well!  Either way, he's here to chat up his old friend Sarah (not from the Special School).  Unbeknownst to him, Gar tagged along for the trip... and to try and talk his golden pal off the precipice.

Back at the Tower... Donna Troy's room is bombarded with advice-seeking Titans... which causes her to lash out.  Remember, over the past few years, Donna's lost her fair share of things too.  Her son, her identity... her memories... and now, perhaps her boyfriend Roy.  She boots her teammates out, and suggests they find another listening ear to talk into.

Over at Manhattan General, Roy attempts to sneak in to have a look at Cheshire.  He gets the ol' heavy-ho.  His tagger-alonger is Damage, who witnesses the whole thing.

Then, over to the Titans Island docks... where Tempest sulks.  He is approached by his tagger-alonger, Argent... who tells him there's more than one brunette on the island he can talk to.

Inside the Tower, Nightwing works out his aggression on a heavy bag.  His tagger-alonger is Jesse Quick who... quits the team!  She ain't buyin' all the "we're a family" shim-sham, especially since she doesn't even know Nightwing's civilian identity... nor has she ever seen his face without the mask.

Back in the city, Roy fires an arrow into Cheshire's hospital room... with a note proclaiming his love for her.  That's kinda weird... I didn't think they were ever "in love".  Oh well.

Next stop, the Dockside Diner... where putting the team back together kinda went down.  Argent and Tempest are having some coffee... and are soon joined by Starfire and Donna.  Starfire insists that she brought Donna out to listen to her troubles, but I'm not buyin' it.

They are then joined by Roy and Damage... and they awkwardly sit in silence... until Donna asks where the rest of the team might be.

We close out by finding out where the rest of the team are... and a cry for help from our old friend Lilith Clay!

--

Now, I give this book a hard time every now and again... but, I gotta admit... I'm a sucker for this inter-titans drama.  Of course, much of this will be blamed on the freaking Gargoyle... but, at least for this issue, I think we can just try and enjoy it for what it is.

There's definitely a feeling of "been there, done that" to this book... which, by the second year into a run, should be over with.  I get "playing the hits" when a new volume is starting out... that's the honeymoon period... we want to see "the hits".  But, a riff on New Teen Titans #39... with barely a year's worth of stories under your belt?  I'm sorry... I just don't think this book "earned" that.

The more I revisit some of the post-Marv Titans, the more I see that... while a lotta folks love this property... and a lot of creators want to work on this property... once they've got it, they don't seem to know what to do with it.  And so, we get the "greatest hits".  Don't know what to do?  Break 'em up!  What next?  Throw a "traitor" on the team!

It feels like another property I love, the Fantastic Four.  The past several volumes of that series has been... break 'em up, spend a year bringing them back together... then, cancel the book and start all over again!  I'm not looking for anyone to reinvent the wheel... I mean, we saw whatever the hell the New-52! volume was... but, instead of just rehashing and reheating the past, maybe use the past to build the future.  That's not what we get here.

That said though... I didn't dislike this book one bit.  I felt that the characterization, while extreme in places, really worked.  There is a real feeling of frustration bubbling up here... and it makes your mind wander with all of the possibilities... that is, if you don't know about the Gargoyle.

And, while I still don't feel like this volume "earned" the Perez homage... this team definitely did need a "culling" of sorts.  There were definitely too many Titans... a cast this unwieldy lends to having half the team only appear in the background.  Trimming the fat is a good thing for this book.

I think my only real "ehh" bits here is Roy's devotion to Cheshire.  That doesn't quite sit right with me... also, Vic losing his cool.  I always see Vic as being hot-but-level headed.  I'd figure he'd understand what Dick had done for him... and appreciated it, at least on the level that he's not living the rest of his life hooked up to machines at S.T.A.R. Labs.

The art here is from another of my favorite guys, Patrick Zircher.  While I'm a big fan of Mark Buckingham (whose art opened this volume), I feel like Zircher is a much better fit.  There's really not a bad looking page in this book.

Overall... if you're a sucker for Titanic drama (like I am), you're probably going to dig this.  If you're tired of all'a that... you might wanna give this a pass with the knowledge that "the Gargoyle did it".

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Letters Page:

--

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Next Planet Over would only last about another year... news of their shutdown was reported in April, 2001 

870

Relative Heroes #1 (2000)

Relative Heroes #1 (March, 2000)
"Fate and Other Accidents"
Writer - Devin K. Grayson
Penciller - Yvel Guichet
Inker - Aaron Sowd
Letterer - Bill Oakley
Colorist/Separations - Rob Schwager
Assistant Editor - Frank Berrios
Editors - Jordan B. Gorfinkel & Darren Vincenzo
Cover Price: $2.50

Hey gang, wanted to open up today with a bit of housekeeping... but can't quite make the words "work" for me.  Guess I'll save that non-announcement for another day.

Today we're digging back into that weird-o box to check out a book that might go well with that The Human Race book we looked at not all that long ago.

Originally conceived as "The Weinbergs" (which sounds like something that just jumps off the shelves atcha, doesn't it?  I'm having Osborn flashbacks), Relative Heroes will follow a group of orphans across the country in a Winnebago.  So... let's get right to it.

--

We open in the middle of the story, where the kids we're about to meet are already on the road... being tailed by a group of costumed characters.  The one named Joel appears to be our narrator... and he takes us back to where the story began.  Ya see, just a few hours earlier these Weinberg kids' parents were killed in a car accident.

There are two "blood" Weinberg kids... Joel and little Aviva.  One adopted Weinberg, Tyson... one "cousin" Cameron, and a babysitter-who's-sort-of-like-family, Damara.  Upon seeing the news of their parents' fiery death... they all seem, I dunno... cool with it?!

Joel organizes the crew... and lays out their plan.  First they'll meet up with Grandpa and collect their inheritance money (so they can buy superhero costumes, natch), then they'll drive the Winnebago all the way across country to Metropolis so they can chat Superman up?

As they load into the Winnie... that's when the kids start to get antsy.  When they're antsy, they start to display their powers.  Tyson goes invisible, Aviva begins to surge with electricity... Damara, uh, emits pheromones that cause people to fall in love with her... and Cameron runs fast, flies... maybe both... maybe more?  For the minute, however, he talks to his plant, Chloe.

As they pull away from the house, Joel reveals that his father just introduced Cameron to the family... and introduced him as a cousin... even though, the Weinberg brats had no aunts or uncles.  A neighbor moseys up to the 'Bago... to which, Cam informs her that they're off to see Superman.  Totally normal reaction to the deaths of their parents.

Before leaving town, Damara tells her mother she's splitting for a bit to help the Weinberg family.  Joel stops at the comic book store for the latest issue of Hyperman... and to tell the dude behind the counter that, with his parents now dead... he's now got that "super-hero prerequisite" out of the way.  Wow, dodge dem tropes people!

On their way out, the kids stop at a convenience store to stock up on essentials.  I guess there was no food at their house.  While there, they run into a group of suited D.E.O. Agents... and find themselves ambushed by those costumed characters we saw at the open.

The D.E.O. group reveals that they're after "Project Cypher", which... as it turns out is young Cameron.  Guess that explains his powers.  Doesn't explain the rest of their powers, but it explains his!

The fight continues... the convenience store explodes, and the Weinbergs hustle back into the 'Bago... and we're right up to the point where we started.  With the authorities hot on their trail, Joel decides now is the time to start making a real jerk of himself.... really trying to rile his fellow Weinberg's up.  He then suggests they stop the chase, and go out and fight off the D.E.O.  And so, Damara and Aviva do just that.  Who says chivalry's dead.

When the D.E.O. forces are whittled down enough, the kids make their escape.  We pick up with them the next morning... where Joel asks Aviva if she wants some pancakes.  It's a creepy as hell panel, and I had to include it.

We wrap up with the introduction of... a water elemental, who claims to be the fiancee of Damara?!

--

Well, this was all over the place, wasn't it?

Not gonna lie, this was a difficult read.  Feels like they were trying to stuff a bag two-sizes too small here.  So much was going on that we didn't really get a chance to meet (and develop any sort of interest in) the Weinbergs.

The fact that so much of the "story" is told in narrative captions was kinda rough as well.  I mean, we've got Joel (and it took me multiple flips back and forth to make sure he wasn't Cameron) just listing names of his skatey-eight hundred brothers and sisters.  When we open an all-new story in the most confusing and difficult to follow way... it almost demands a reread.  Only the story isn't interesting enough to warrant one!

The storytelling, insofar as the art... didn't help.  The art itself looks okay however the panels don't have all that great a flow.  It's muddled... and, again... just too much.  We've got panels of the kids in street clothes... then costume... then street clothes... what is going on?!

The kids' reaction... or lack of a reaction over their parents' death... I mean... are we supposed to dislike these kids?  Is the big reveal going to be that these kids are jerks, and we shouldn't try and empathize with them?  Because that's how I'm feeling at the moment.  Several decades of comic-reading experience tells me that there's (hopefully) more to this story... but, as of this point... do I even care?  Not really.

I gotta mention that scene at the comic store.  Joel tells dude behind the counter about "dead parents" being a prerequisite to becoming a superhero.  This comic occurs in the DC Universe... is this a trope we really want to be "known" by the ordinary rabble?  I mean, I get that it's a "cute" reference that perks our ears up a bit... but, c'mon... it's a dumb line to say inside a DC Comic that occurs inside the DC Universe.

Overall... I can't say that you need the Weinbergs in your life.  It's decent for a "rookie" outing... but still something of a chore.  The most interesting part of this is that it was created in the first place.

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(Not the) Letters Page:

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Interesting Ads:

Psycomic DOT com now leads to a blank page...
I'd like to think this ad contributed to the fall.

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