Christmas With the Super-Heroes #2 (Deadman) "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot" Writer - Alan Brennert Art - Dick Giordano Letters - Steve Haynie Colors - Tom McCraw Editor - Mark Waid Dedicated to Otto Binder & Jim Mooney Okay Gang, today we're going to take a look at a most intimidating little story. I feel like, for many, this is the story of the issue. It's certainly the most discussed one... and not to put the cart in front of the horse, this is not only my favorite story of the issue... but very likely my favorite Deadman story ever. Let's get right to it! --
It's Christmastime, and Deadman is being kind of naughty. Ya see, he's been scoping out a rather rich fella by the name of John Turner Danforth. After taking possession of this dude's body, Boston goes about using his immense (and arguably, ill-gotten) fortune to send gifts to his old friends at Hill Brothers Circus. Pretty sneaky, pal. That's not the story we're going to tell today, however. No, no, no... this is a story about how during Christmas, Deadman is at his most lonely. All that "good will toward men" in the air gives him a bit too much idle time.
Boston spots a skater on the ice... and decides to take possession in order to feel what it's like to have the cold air on his face. After a couple of axles, he spots... a most arousing (his words, not mine) woman. He figures his next "stop" will be inside the body of her male companion.
The woman kisses him, because she doesn't realize she's, ya know, kissing a dead-man. Together, they head to a friend's house for a Christmas Party. Boston is greeted, and treated as though he belongs there. Again, this is because none of them realize that their buddy Paul is currently being possessed.
He loses himself in the fun, frivolity, and warmth of the occasion. He takes in the sounds of laughter, and smells of food. He reminisces about Christmases long long ago. But then, the harsh reality of the situation sets in. This isn't his Christmas... it's Paul's. And what he's doing is robbing him of a wonderful experience... and ultimately, wonderful memories.
After one more scan of the table, and one more look into Kerry's loving eyes, Boston decides to vacate. He's already taken too much from Paul, and doesn't feel right taking any more.
Outside, he curses Rama for his lot in (after) life before sitting down to sulk. The pity-party is interrupted by the arrival of a blonde stranger, who... oddly enough, can see Deadman.
She offers an unsolicited opinion, in that she suggests Deadman might be feeling the way he is because nobody can see all the good he's done. He's very much an unsung hero... righting wrongs without ever getting recognition or credit. Boston asks if anyone cares... to which, the stranger replies "Probably not." Ouch.
Deadman relates his feelings to when he was a circus performer. He was fueled by applause... something he certainly doesn't experience these days. The Stranger removes Boston's mask so she can look him in the eyes, and assures him that what they do isn't for recognition. They do what they do because no one else will. They act in the interests of the greater good... even if no one remembers they ever existed. Remember that last bit.
Deadman apologizes for his outburst, and tells the Stranger that she's right. After wishing our man a Merry Christmas, the Stranger goes to take her leave. Before she can, however, Boston asks for her name... to which, she replies "Kara"... buuuuut, she doubts that means anything to him.
We wrap up with Boston floating away letting the situation set in. He thinks to himself that Kara was right... that name didn't mean anything to him. He wishes her a Merry Christmas... whoever she is.
-- Okay, so we've got a little bit to unpack here, don't we? Before addressing the elephant in the room, I want to spend a few moments looking at the first-half of this story. Maybe I'm too much of a Christmas-Softy, but this scene really got to me. Deadman having the opportunity to take part in the love and warmth of a Christmas Gathering... with a woman who looks at him with nothing less than adoration on his arm. Sounds like a pretty good time, don't it? Until, of course... he lets himself think about what he's taking from the man who owns the body he's currently occupying. It's heartbreaking. I mean, again... this is coming from Christmas-Softy Chris, but... even taking the "Deadmannyness" out of the equation... it feels like every year we're gently dropped into the festivity and warmth of Christmas... family gatherings, neighbor after neighbor decorating and lighting-up their homes, reconnecting with friends... then, suddenly... it's over. We're yanked back to reality for another eleven months. Family and friends go their own ways, the neighborhood returns to normal... the warmth kind of fades. I think of that one line from Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas... one that never fails to move me. "Someday soon we all will be together - If the fates allow - Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow". So much of life can come down to "muddling through"... if we let it. Which brings us back to Deadman. He's doomed to work in anonymity... doing what's right for people who will never know he was there. It doesn't get much more "muddling through" than that... which is something that is all the more apparent during the "most wonderful time of the year". It's only in meeting a stranger named Kara, that he begins to make peace with that. I'm not blowing any minds here, and it's never said outright... but, "Kara" is pretty clearly meant to represent the pre-Crisis Supergirl. A Supergirl that no longer exists... and, in fact, never had! She can identify with Deadman, in that everything she'd ever done... or ever will do, will be done without anyone acknowledging her existence. This is also pretty heartbreaking. While I'm certain I'd have been more "moved" by this scene had I grown up in the pre-Crisis era, the poignancy and tragedy of this meeting was not lost on me. In a way, it reminded me of how I felt when reading those (mostly tepid) Convergence mini-series' from 2015. We were given a fleeting opportunity to say goodbye to "our" heroes... before returning to "muddle through" The New-52! When I read those series', I lingered on the final panels... realizing that this was very likely going to be "it". I was never going to see my Superman again... or my Titans... or my Outsiders. Of course, some half-decade later, I've got a bit of egg on my face... but, that's neither here nor there. I gotta wonder how this sorta-kinda cameo was received by folks back in ye old 1989? If you're reading this, and were around... I'd love to know how seeing your Supergirl again felt! Also, did you look at this character as Supergirl... or simply an "Easter Egg" of sorts? Overall... there's just a ton to love about this little story, and if you only read one from this 1989 Special, I would urge you to make it this one. Tomorrow: Wrapping up Christmas on Infinite Earths... in July, with the Compilation of Christmas With the Super-Heroes #2!
Teen Titans (vol.2) #12 (September, 1997) "Then & Now, Part 1 of 4" Story & Art - Dan Jurgens Finished Art - George Perez Flashback Art - Gil Kane & Dick Giordano Colors - Gregory Wright & Rick Taylor Separations - Digital Chameleon Letters - Richard Starkings & Comicraft/LA Associate Editor - Dana Kurtin Editor - Eddie Berganza Cover Price: $2.95 Going to give a little love to that "other" volume of Teen Titans... ya know, the one that doesn't get mentioned as often as the others. I feel like, if any of the Titans books flew under folks' radar, this is likely the one. I guess throwing a whole bunch of new characters on a team with a newly-teen-aged Atom might make more eyebrows furrow than raise with interest. Let's take a look at a time when the original Titans came a'calling... and also, the original Titans. Read on, it'll all make sense. --
It's the middle of the night when we open and Nightwing arrives in Maine. He's almost taken unawares by his old teammate Arsenal, however, since this is Nightwing, Roy's attempt at sneaking up on his old pal is unsuccessful. They chat briefly about what brings them here... turns out, their old "friend" Mr. Jupiter has been kidnapped. Ya see, Jupiter called Nightwing about reopening an old case... and when Dick arrived to speak with him, he was gone! This is also when Dick learned that Jupiter's now got himself a New New New team of Titans under his wing.
The next would-be sneaky-sneak is Garth. Of course, you can't sneak up on Nightwing... so, you probably shouldn't even try. Moments later Wally shows up... it's old home week for the founders!
Dick suggests they wait for Donna before getting down to business... to which, Wally reveals that she's not in the best place right now. This is just a little bit after Terry Long was run off the road... with their son Robert in tow. Dick sheds a single tear before we're off to the races.
As the Titans reconnect, it's clear that Nightwing will instantly emerge as team leader. This kinda gets under Roy's skin... but, Dick's got the data to back it up. He's already researched the facility they're about to infiltrate... and has the goods on the area. Well... mostly... more on that in a bit.
Where they're going is the Cardy Boarding School... but none of them are exactly sure why. No sooner does the Flash grab the door handle than a flood of memories overcomes them.
We flash back to a more innocent time, where the Teen Titans (the "founders", plus Lilith and Mal) were sent by Mr. Jupiter to... check out the Cardy School! No sooner do they land their Titans-Copter are they surrounded by adoring fans... the students of the Cardy School. One in particular appears to be their "leader", a young man named Jarrod. He promises to fill them in on some recent student disappearances.
While they head inside, Donna takes to the skies... er, trees. She comes across some nasty gray goop (or, ishy, gooey stuff if you prefer) on a tree branch. Robin suggests they analyze it later.
Back in the present, the Titans are greeted by a phantom headmaster...'s head. The head demands they report to class immediately. Knowing full well they're walking into a trap, the Titans follow.
And, indeed it is a trap! The Titans soon find themselves surrounded by the "Cardy Zombie Class of '68"! This gives the former Aqualad-now Tempest the perfect opportunity to show off his new powers. He kicks a conveniently placed sink off the wall... which is conveniently still connected to an active water main... and freezes himself a whole bunch of zombies.
Next stop, the school swimming pool... which stirs up another whole mess of memories of the last time they darkened the doors of the Cardy School.
Starting with Wally West... who finds himself attacked and mocked by Barry Allen.
Then Aqualad... who gets the same treatment from Aquaman.
Ditto Speedy...
And Wonder Chick...
And, finally Robin. Feels like we've read this story a few times by now.
Back in the present, the Titans all confirm experiencing a similar flashback... we're nearly going full-on Final Fantasy VIII here. Wally wonders just how much of what's going on is real... and fears he might actually be wandering around the Cardy School alone... and just imagining he's with his pals. That's a pretty terrifying thought. Anyhoo, they head back outside... and find their old Titans Copter!
Wally hops inside and finds... get this... the Mad Mod! Nobody really knows what to make of this... but it turns out that at this point, the Mod was a good guy... helping out (and, naturally, designing outfits for) the new Jupiter-led Teen Titans.
The Mod pleads ignorance... claiming he just "woke up here". I mean, dude is tied up in the back of a rickety old helicopter in the middle of Maine, so he's probably telling the truth. He reveals that one of Jupiter's New New Titans, Prysm, has already died... and the rest are missing... which Wally takes as an indictment on how well this new team is being led. Tempest finds a note on the floor with some coordinates on it. Nightwing deduces that they are the longitude and latitude for someplace in Wyoming. I just love how DC uses fake places! Whattayamean Wyoming's a real place?
Then... flashback time! The Teen Titans face off against their mentors at a nearby outcropping of rock. Speedy gets nyoinked into the drink by a giant tentacle beast... and Garth hops in to save him. I guess that killed a page. Anyhoo, what we're getting at here is... Robin accuses the Justice Leaguers of being phonies... and it turns out, they are! This has all been an illusion, courtesy of Haze and that "ishy, gooey stuff" Donna found in the trees!
Haze continues to mess with the Titans... having the Joker show up... causing Roy to aim arrows at himself... silly stuff. He then removes his skull-mask, revealing himself to be... that one kid Jarrod! Gasp! Jarrod's last name? Jupiter. Yeah, this kid is Mr. Loren Jupiter's son! A son who is jealous of all the attention his father is giving to the Teen Titans. I mean, I'm sure if Mr. Jupiter knew his son had these powers, he'd probably add him to the team... but that's neither here nor there.
After pontificatin' a bit, Jarrod falls off the outcropping and into the drink... yep, he's dead, folks. Anyhoo, after this "mission" Mr. Jupiter had Lilith hypnotize the Teen Titans so they'd all forget it ever happened! Minds-wiped!
Back in the present, the Titans try and process this latest flashback... Dick suggests they remain "on task" and head to Wyoming. He sends Wally ahead to scout the area and the rest load into the chopper. Not the Mod though, they tell him to stay behind. During the flight, Roy, Dick, and Garth have a pretty interesting "quarter-life crisis" type of chat where they recount their regrets... and wonder what the future holds for them. It was really well done... only makes me wish Dan Jurgens was allowed to do more with the "real" Titans during his tenure.
Meanwhile, in Wyoming... Wally gets clocked in the back of the head.
The Titans arrive just in time to see their latest threats... the old Teen Titans?!
-- First off... I love the way this whole issue is framed. It was a great idea to use two different art teams for the two different time periods... it really served to break up the narrative and help "place" us where we needed to be. Also, I know the term gets bandied about a bunch lately... but, this felt pretty "cinematic" to me as well. Keep in mind I'm a fella who can't sit still long enough to watch a movie... but still, I actually "felt" the movement in this one. Flashbacks hit at just the right times in order to make the issue feel "alive". The whole "facing your fears" bit is pretty old hat... whole thing felt like the fourth day of leftovers... you can reheat it as many times as you'd like... but, it's still gonna taste and feel like rubber in your mouth. It's just not as satisfying anymore. We get the Titans fighting their mentors... again. The fears they face are some of the broadest around... failure, and not living up to expectations. I mean, the Haze fella really did his homework... applying fears that 105% of the population has to taunt the Titans. It's funny... as I aggressively approach 40, the concept of a "quarter-life crisis" is positively quaint. What I wouldn't give to go back to a time where I could actively worry about being in my early twenties! But... back then, I know for certain I had a whole bunch of "coming of age" crises percolatin' and brewin' in my head. Seeing Dick, Roy, and Garth face those same quandaries is pretty neat. It especially hits home when you take into consideration that they were essentially the "Junior Justice League"... and at this point, the only Titans to "make it big" is Wally West... and he's only done so because Barry died! Hell, let's look at them on a case-by-case here... poor Roy was Green Arrow's sidekick forever... and after Ollie died, the JLA chose to replace him with Johnny-come-lately Connor Hawke! Then there's Dick... when Batman was out of service with his broken back, Bruce chose John-Paul Valley as his replacement! Tempest, despite being Aquaman's longtime partner... he isn't his son. Arthur's got a kid at this point who will likely be the heir apparent. What we have here is basically a "lost generation" of heroes. Never going to be able to step into the limelight... while at the same time, no longer the new kids on the block. They're just "there" holding up the middle. It's some great inner turmoil... and I wish they'd explore it more. Mr. Jupiter's mind-wipe... it brings a few emotions to the fore. We'll talk about that more as we continue with this story. What I wanna point out for now is... Lilith was the hypnotizer... so, she never forgot about this affair. It's going to be interesting when she is eventually confronted. Overall... this was quite great. It adds a pretty big retcon into the original Teen Titans run... but does so in a way that makes narrative sense. It will also serve this volume going forward... making it feel like the "true" successor to the Teen Titans title. I'd suggest checking this out... even if the "New New Titans" ain't your thing. This issue is available digitally. -- Letters Page:
Super Heroes Stamp Album #1 (1998) "Book I: 1900 to 1909!" Writer - Doug Moench Pencillers - Paul Ryan, Angelo Torres, Joe Orlando, Joe Staton, Dan Jurgens, Norm Breyfogle, Jim Aparo, Dick Giordano, George Pratt, M.D. Bright & Ernie Colon Inkers - Doug Hazlewood, Josef Rubenstein, Tom Palmer, Mike DeCarlo, Bill Sienkiewicz & Bob Smith Colors - Tom Ziuko, Rick Taylor, Patricia Mulvihill & Bob LeRose Letterer - Gaspar Saladino Postmaster General - Marvin Runyon Alrighty folks, today we have what might be one of the more bizarre... and boring books we're ever going to discuss here. This one was made in cooperation with the United States Postal Service in order to promote their line of Celebrate the Century Stamps. These were ten sheets of stamps, one for each decade of the 20th Century... with 15 stamps on each highlighting important events in semi-recent United States History. What this has to do with superheroes... well, you got me. Though, to be fair, it looks like Superman will get his own stamp in Book III. This line of comics was supposed to be an actual "stamp album", just like it says on the cover. You were supposed to collect the stamps, and put them in their proper spot inside this very book. We really got into that sort of thing around the turn of the century... ask anyone who collected the 50 State Quarters! Anyhoo, this piece will likely be a bit lighter on commentary than usual, because... there's no story here. It's just several of our late-90's DC Comics favorites dropping knowledge on us. As always, we'll do the best that we can! --
We open with Superman beginning our tour through the 20th Century. Are you excited? I know I'm excited. Hell, even Batman's sorta smiling! For our first stop, Superman "The Action Ace" introduces us to Theodore Roosevelt "The Action President". We learn of young Teddy's health problems, and his service with the Rough Riders. Also, the circumstances which led to his becoming President of the United States.
The next stop on our tour is hosted by Wonder Woman... and she's taking us to Ellis Island. She informs us that in the first decade of the 20th Century alone, nine million immigrants came through New York Harbor... with 4,000 passing through the Ellis Island Processing Point on an average day.
Remember Theodore Roosevelt? Well, we're not done with him yet. This time Robin tells us the story of the first Teddy Bear. Ya see, legend has it that Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear cub while on a hunting trip... he considered it "unsporting". When this story spread, a toy shop owner crafted a stuffed version of this bear to sell.
Back to Superman, and the story of the first World Series... well, after he shows off some of his powers for us, by cracking a ball into orbit... and speeding up to catch it. It was a best-of-nine series that took place in 1903, pitting the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Boston Pilgrims (later Red Sox). The Pilgrims would win it in eight!
Off to Muir Woods with Connor Hawke, where we learn a bit about preservationist John Muir. Dude quit his job and walked 1,000 miles across the country. He had founded The Sierra Club in 1892 in attempt to preserve the Yosemite Region from loggin and whatnot. He even became pals with the aforementioned (several times) Teddy Roosevelt.
Back to Robin for the quick and dirty on Crayola Crayons. Did you know that crayons are made out of chalk and oil? Well, you do now.
Over to Wonder Woman for a look at "the ideal woman"... and no, we're not talking about Diana. This is the Gibson Girl... a creation of an artist named Charles Dana Gibson that appeared in a humor magazine. Homeboy got paid, and her look became "the" look many women would aspire toward.
Next stop, Kitty Hawk... where Superman tells us all about Orville and Wilbur Wright's first flight. He's probably the most fitting hero to discuss these fellas, no?
Then Kyle Rayner tells us all about the first American blockbuster film, "The Great Train Robbery". Anyone ever see it? I haven't. Looks like it's only 12 minutes long... I guess it might be worth a look.
Okay, 12 minutes and 10 seconds. Anyhoo, Kyle informs us that movie-goers actually freaked out when the gunslinger in the film started firing off shots toward the camera. Imagine living in a time like that?
Off to St. Louis so Wonder Woman can tell us all about the 1904 World's Fair. Looks like there were a whole lot of important concepts and ideas introduced, including such mundane things as ice cream cones, iced tea, and hamburgers! What a time to be alive!
Batman then fills us in on the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act. A story that begins with an old favorite of mine, the Snake-Oil Salesman. Looks like these potions and tinctures weren't as harmless as you might think though... many were laced with stimulants. I'm sure that wasn't always a bad thing for the patrons, however.
Next, our man Steel tells us about William Edward Burghardt DuBois... which includes such concepts as Jim Crow Laws... and leads to race riots and the eventual formation of the NAACP. Steel ends his tale by informing us that, prior to his passing, W.E.B. DuBois renounced his American citizenship and spent his final days in Ghana, Africa.
Off to... maybe Metropolis, where Superman takes a break from attending to a city-full of crumbling skyscrapers to tell us all about Frank Lloyd Wright. All I knew about this fella was his more Arizona-centric dealings... and the fact that we have a major road named after him out this way. I used to work over the road, and had to visit his Taliesin West (which he used as a "winter home") several times. Unfortunately his vision didn't help Arizona all that much... as we're still very much "cookie cutter" as far as housing, at least in the major metropolitan areas.
Next up, the Flash tells us about the Model T Ford, and how Henry Ford launched the second Industrial Revolution in America. Wowsa!
The final stop on this tour is guided by Batman, as he slinks down the back alleys to tell us about Ash Can Printing. As comics enthusiasts, we've no doubt heard the word "ashcan" before... but this is a bit different. This is an art movement, where folks would paint "plain or ugly subjects"... gritty realistic images which may include things like "dirty alleys or garbage cans". In comics, I think we just call that the 1980's.
And so, we've made it through the first decade of the 20th Century! Are you excited for the next ten years? Well, Batman certainly is! Just look at that grin.
-- Well, that was kinda dry, wun'tit? It's difficult to really analyze something like this... so we're not going to. Upon reading this, I feel like these were neat little succinct looks at American History... which, I think any interested young person (or adult, I guess) could get something from. All told, not a bad package insofar as the delivery of the information. It was easy to read, and (just barely) more engaging than a textbook. Probably not the worst way to introduce a youngster to the material. The art... was kind of a mixed bag. Doesn't really feel like anybody involved on that side of the table (outside of a couple) really brought their "A" Game. I'm never really a fan of "jam" issues, however, considering what this book is all about, I suppose I could live with it. Overall... a pretty strange little novelty. It might not be worth your time to read... but, as an interesting piece for your collection, I'd say it might just be worth having. I definitely wouldn't spend more than a buck or two... though, I might nudge up if the book came complete with stamps already included. And so, we wrap up April... when you come back tomorrow, you might wanna wear shades because our future's so... well, you know. -- Interesting Ads:
