NML Crossing, Episode 032 - Batman #559 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Thirty-Two

Batman #559 (October, 1998)
“Dead City”
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Bob Hall
Inks - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gregory Wright & Android Images
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.99

As we approach the end of the Aftershock Era, things can't help but to go from bad to worse for Gotham City and its costumed protectors!  Hope continues to dwindle... almost as much as the Gotham population!  We're very nearly on "The Road to...", and boy, this road be bumpy!

Also: We check out the first official mention of No Man's Land in the pages of Wizard Magazine #83! 

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NML Crossing, Episode 031 - Batman #558 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Thirty-One

Batman #558 (September, 1998)
“Dying City”
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Jim Aparo
Inks - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gregory Wright & Android Images
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.99

It's time for a situation report!  Let's take a beat and catch ourselves up on all things post-Quake Gotham City... with an eye toward its uncertain future!

Plus: A dip into the comics journos of the day in Wizard #82, and a collector-focused installment of the NMaiLbag!

NML Crossing on Youtube

https://gothamquake.com

https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

NML Crossing, Episode 026 - Batman #557 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Twenty-Six

Batman #557 (August, 1998)
“Ballistic’s Evidence”
Writer - Doug Moench
Layouts - Vince Giarrano
Finishes - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gregory Wright & Android Images
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.95

Gotham City gets a visit from... a New Blood?!

The Bruce Wayne Batman has his first team up with the man called Ballistic... and, well... that's about the size of it!

Plus: A hoppin' NMaiLbag!

NML Crossing on Youtube

https://gothamquake.com

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weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

NML Crossing, Episode 024 - Batman #556 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Twenty-Four

Batman #556 (July, 1998)
“Help Trapped Money Rescue Ruins”
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Norm Breyfogle
Inks - Joe Rubinstein
Letters - Todd Klein
Colors - Gregory Wright & Android Images
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.95

Back to the flagship for a (relatively) quiet issue, where we check in on the man behind the mask(s), Bruce Wayne, to see how he's handling the Aftershock Era.  We get a bit of tacked-on action, but this is mostly (thankfully) a character piece!

NML Crossing on Youtube

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NML Crossing, Episode 020 - Batman #555 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Twenty

Batman #555 (June, 1998)
“Trapped Like Rats”
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - John Beatty
Inks - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gregory Wright & Android Images
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.95

The Aftershock Era rolls on with our titular hero doing a little search 'n rescue in the down below and running afoul of the Ratcatcher!  Lots of fun and interesting chatter to be had today!  Join us, won't you?

Plus: Even another extra-stuffed NMaiLbag! 

NML Crossing on Youtube

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NML Crossing, Episode 013 - Batman #554 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Thirteen

Batman #554 (May, 1998)
“Cataclysm, Part Twelve: Master of Destruction”
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Klaus Janson
Inks - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gregory Wright & Android Images
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.95

Aka. Remedial-Theoretical Geology!  Come for the Bat-Talk, stay for the (heavily abridged) tangent regarding Crustal Displacement and the belly-contents of the Woolly Mammoth!  We get a whole lot of information this time out suggesting that our Big Bad might not be able to put his quakiness where his mouth is!

Plus: A wonderfully fun stroll down pod-memory lane via the NMaiLbag!

https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

NML Crossing, Episode 009 - Batman: Blackgate-Isle of Men #1 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Nine

Batman: Blackgate-Isle of Men #1 (April, 1998)
“Isle of Men”
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Jim Aparo
Inks - David Roach
Colors - Pat Garrahy
Letters - Clem Robins
Edits - Vincenzo, Peterson, O’Neil
Cover Price: $2.95

Taking a look at the first (of three) one-shots tying into the Cataclysm event and finding out what happens at 7:03pm when the Verybadthing happens... at a prison full of violent, dangerous, and angry fellas!  Believe it or not, a humanoid bat-figure gets his land legs back and figures into things!

Plus: a very special NMaiLbag!

https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

NML Crossing, Episode 004 - Batman #553 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Four

Batman #553 (April, 1998)
“Cataclysm, Part Three: Lifelines”
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Klaus Janson
Inks - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gregory Wright & Android Images
Letters - Todd Klein
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.95

Cataclysm reaches our flagship book, and its titular hero's story takes a backseat to Barbara Gordon's attempt at herding cats!  It's not the GCPD's finest hour... but, at least they're under good leadership!

Also: some tangent-laden back issue bin chatter!

https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

MCP #4 - Master of Kung Fu

Marvel Comics Presents #4 (Master of Kung Fu)
"Crossing Lines, Part 4 of 8: Water"
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Tom Grindberg
Inks - Dave Cockrum
Letters - Michael Heisler
Colors - Petra Scotese
Assistant Edits - Michael Rockwitz
Edits - Terry Kavanagh
Chief - Tom DeFalco

Another evening visit with MCP here at the humble blog.  I say this as though when someone discovers this post sometime in the future, they'll care that this post was published in the PM!

Let's Shang-Chi!

--

We open with Shang-Chi, Reston, and Black Jack Tarr conferring to plan how they may go about rescuing the kidnapped (or, as they put it in this story "kidnaped") and newly one-handed, Leiku Wu.  They're assuming she was napped/naped by a one-handed fella called Argus.  It's a pretty contentious chat... with neither Chi nor Tarr really seeing eye-to-eye as to how they go about it.  Ya see, Chi wants to leave Tarr and Reston behind... which, causes Jack to flip out... it's really quite an annoying little scene that kills a few too many panels in my opinion.

Shang-Chi assures the fellas that, while he doesn't want them to accompany him, that doesn't mean he's going alone.  He's got frenemies (oof, I can't believe I actually used that word.  Stop me if I do so again) in low places... and so, we are introduced to Shen Kuei... the Cat.  I've never seen this dude before, but it seems as though he and Chi have had a tussle or two in their time... even had a few women come between them, one of them Leiko Wu herself!  Upon learning that she is in trouble, the Cat agrees to help out.

Speaking of Ms. Wu, we join her as she's been tied to a chair by... none other than Argus.  During her... uh, interrogation (?), she manages to break free... but is quickly kayoed with a (literal) right-hook to the mush.

We shift scenes to a boat (called The Junk), where Tarr is giving Chi and the Cat the quick and dirty on their mission.  He tries making it far more complex than it needs to be, but what it all boils down to is... Chi and Kuei are both Asian... and they're going to replace some Yakuza weapon-buyers in order to get in close to Argus.  Once they're inside, they'll assume the roles of "Red Wolves", whoever they are.

Chi and Kuei think the first part of the plan is solid... but, that second-half... they're not so sure.  They all board a little rowboat to head back to the docks from The Junk.  Just as they arrive on dry land, however, The Junk is blown sky-high.  Game on.

--

I have this little... hmm... problem with "Part 4's".  If you've listened to any of my audio exploits, I'm sure you've heard me mention it a time or two.  In today's decompressed comics landscape, "Part 4 of 6" pretty much means you're in for a garbage issue... full of poorly-told recaps, with the teensiest bit of momentum toward the climax.

Now, this chapter wasn't recappy in the slightest... but, it felt like quite the time-killer.  Which is kind of a shame, as I've been kinda digging on this story up to this point.  Hopefully this was just a lull... and next time out, we'll be back to business as usual.  I don't wanna be too hard on it, going by the "three chapters = one issue" model we've been using... I suppose this was decent enough "first third" of an issue.

Perhaps if I had any familiarity or attachment to Shang-Chi and his crew, I'd be a bit more excited seeing folks like The Cat.

Tomorrow: Fear Bug... take four!

MCP #3 - Master of Kung Fu

Marvel Comics Presents #3 (Master of Kung Fu)
"Crossing Lines, Part 3 of 8: Fish"
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Tom Grindberg
Inks - Dave Cockrum
Letters - Agustin Mas
Colors - Petra Scotese
Assistant Edits - Michael Rockwitz
Edits - Terry Kavanagh
Chief - Tom DeFalco

We're back at our... for whatever reason... most popular feature!  Not sure what it is, but for two-weeks in a row, Master of Kung Fu is really gettin' those clicks!  Whether these are actual readers or bot-squatters, I haven't the foggiest... but, in this game... we take what we can get!

Let's do it.

--

We pick up three days after the attack on Xiao's home and the abduction of Leiko.  Our man, Shang-Chi is pounding the pavement looking for answers... but ain't getting none.  He doesn't seem overly trusting of the Hong Kong citizens... nor should he, the answers he gets seem dodgy at best here.  He next heads up a hill to Xiao's final resting place.  Black Jack Tarr is there paying his respects... and openly questions whether or not he's got it in him to be a leader of this little group of anti-radicals, or whatever.  Shang-Chi takes a seat and they begin a weird, and somewhat contentious chat.  Tarr takes this odd tack of trying to get Shang-Chi to work for him... by more or less blaming him for everything that's gone down during the past couple of chapters.

Our hero doesn't really initially address the accusation... he's still lost in thoughts of Leiko.  Here, Tarr, finally gives us the meat-and-potatoes of this whole deal.  Ya see, Hong Kong will soon no longer be under British Protectorate... and, as such, rival terrorist organizations have combined forces to kind of stake their claim(s) on the place.  We also learn that Tarr n' the Gang are doing this job gratis.  Xiao came to them with a story... but no shekels.  Since these mercs really believed in this endeavor, they took the gig for free.

Shang-Chi doesn't agree to help just yet... but, they head back home anyway.  There, Reston... that geek who started smoking to look Hong Kong Cool last chapter, is a few bottles deep... and is wielding a pistol.  After nearly shooting Tarr and Chi, he reveals that someone dropped off a package for the latter.

In it... well, some fish.  Also... a hand.  Leiko's hand!  With Xiao's ring still on its finger!  Our hero is unphased, and rather than freaking out at the sight of the woman he loves' severed mitt, he just asks Tarr if Leiko and Xiao were lovers!  Dude's got tunnel-vision... though, I guess I "get it".

We wrap up with our hero finally deciding to at least hear out Tarr's plan.  He isn't "all in" with the mission... but, if their gig intertwines with his hunt for Leiko... they may as well have each others' backs.

--

A very "tawky" third chapter... but, I tell ya what... this story needed exactly this!

I remember early on in our Action Comics Daily coverage... when a given eight-pager didn't make much sense, I would try and wait until we got three-chapters in before making any sort of of sweeping quality-leveling judgment.  Way I looked at it, three anthology chapters were akin to a single issue's worth of a story.  24 pages, give or take.

Here we are, 24 pages (or one single issue) in on our Master of Kung Fu serial... and, ya know... this is pretty good stuff!  These three chapters would fit nicely into a single issue... get us through all the preliminary exposition... address the threat... give us some tension... set us a goal.  These together would make a fine first issue!  Unlike Man-Thing which sorta leaves us with more questions (and less interest in finding answers), Master of Kung Fu lays a firm foundation to build upon.

Shang-Chi's obsession with Leiko is interesting... and really helps to depict him as conflicted in his mission.  Really, as we open this chapter, he doesn't even have a mission, per say.  He's just looking for Leiko... and screw Black Jack's gig.  His inability to purge feelings of worry and jealousy aside to focus was really well done as well.  Feeling bad that Xiao was murdered... before remembering that he died at Leiko's bedside.  Seeing Leiko's severed hand... and only really being able to see Xiao's ring upon its finger.  Really good stuff here.

Overall... I'd be more than happy if the subsequent chapters of this feature took a similar "tawky" and "internalized" tone.  This was a pleasure to read... and I'm happy we finally got a little backstory to our setting.

Tomorrow: Revoltin' Developments wit' da Fear Bug...

MCP #2 - Master of Kung Fu

Marvel Comics Presents #2 (Master of Kung Fu)
"Crossing Lines, Part 2 of 8: Bait"
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Tom Grindberg
Inks - Dave Cockrum
Letters - Agustin Mas
Colors - Petra Scotese
Assistant Edits - Michael Rockwitz
Edits - Terry Kavanagh & Michael Higgins
Chief - Tom DeFalco

Hey, hey, hey... WHAT is going on here?  < / belding > We're only one issue in, and Doug Moench and Steve Gerber have already swapped features???

I already made that "joke", didn't I?  What can I say... I figured it probably went over so well yesterday, what's the harm of doing it again.  Also, I'm a rather uncreative fellow.

Today we're going to hop back into Shang-Chi's "return" to... wherever he's returning to, from... wherever he's returning from.  This feature was a surprise hit last week... garnering the most views out of any of the four MCP stories.  Not sure if there's any rhyme or reason for that... does ol' Shang have a Netflix series out or something?

Oh well, whatever the case... who's ready for some more fish references?

--

We open with Shang-Chi, having been reunited with some of his old running buddies, getting suited up.  Reston suggests that his new costume would do Bruce Lee proud.  Our hero hasn't the foggiest idea who "Bruce Li" is.  Is that funny?  I think that's supposed to be funny.  Anyhoo, once dressed, Black Jack Tarr gives us the quick 'n dirty on how he got into his new position.  Having zero familiarity with any of this, I suppose this is kind of helpful.  Then again, since I do have no familiarity with this, it comes across as pretty meaningless.  As Tarr bloviates, Shang notices how chummy Xiao and Leiko have grown... more on that later.

After Jack shuts his trap, Shang notices that Reston has taken up the old past-time of... smoking!  He questions him on this decision, leading to our fair-haired boy nearly hacking out a lung.  I think this was supposed to be funny as well.  Anyhoo, Tarr suggests that with Shang's return, everything will go back to the way it used to be.  This causes our hero to kind of flip out.  He didn't return just to repeat the past, you see.  He dramatically throws up his fist... then stomps out of the room like an eight year old girl whose parents wouldn't buy her a pony.

Shang hangs out in the courtyard... for like hours, it seems.  Thankfully there's a pond/pool out there, so he could make more fish references.  We definitely haven't seen enough of those yet!  After awhile, he grows tired of this... Lord knows I am... and decides to, uh... try and get a li'l alone time with Leiko?  She turns him down, promising to explain everything the following morning.  Shang-Chi... De-Nied.

We follow our hero to bed... where he's awakened by nightmares of demons or something... probably has something to do with his old title.  It's a darn good thing our man does wake up, however, because the compound is under attack!  Shang's friends are bein' sliced and diced... and so, he springs to action - but is held off by a ninja with a gun.

The baddies ultimately flee... and it looks like they've taken Leiko with them!  Tarr, Reston, and Shang reconnoiter, and we learn that Xiao did not survive the attack.  We also learn that Xiao and Leiko were recently engaged... ya see, Shang noticed that the ring Leiko was wearing (which we saw in that attempted booty call panel) was new.

--

Much like yesterday's Man-Thing chapter, I didn't love this... nor did I hate it.  Despite knowing next to nothing about them, I'm kinda digging these characters.  I guess where I'm struggling a bit is with the threat.  I don't know that's it's really been established properly... especially for folks who are new to this property.

Are we just to assume that Shang-Chi will be attacked by a group of ninjas every night?  Is there going to be some big reveal that the old man Tarr took over for is behind this?  If you're new to Shang-Chi (or even if you're familiar with his adventures), will that even "move the needle"?  I dunno.  It feels like the obvious route to take... but that doesn't make it any more interesting, does it?

For this story... I thought the character bits during the first half were pretty strong, especially those coming from Shang's sorta-kinda displaced point of view.  He gets this weird melancholy feeling that... despite the fact that he was "away", life for everyone else went on.  I've been in a similar situation as that... and, lemme tell ya, that's a tough pill to swallow.  The realization that the world, and even your friends' lives don't necessarily "revolve around you" is a humbling, and almost spirit-crushing sensation.

Shang sees that Xiao and Leiko have moved on... together.  Black Jack Tarr has taken over whatever the hell organization he's taken over.  Reston... uh, started smoking.  Life goes on... with or without our involvement.  Trying to reconcile that, with Jack's suggestion that, with Shang back, everything could go "back to the way it was", was too much for our hero to handle... leading to his odd (and, assumedly out-of-character) emotional outburst.  Sure, I had a little fun with it during the synopsis... but, it was very effective if you stop and think about it.

Overall... this was a bit of an uneven chapter... could've done without the ninja attack, though, it couldn't be avoided if we want to move the story along.  I'm sure we'll talk more about Xiao and Leiko as we move forward through the serial.  I'm definitely looking forward to more!

Tomorrow: The Captain America meets... Proto-Parallax!

MCP #1 - Man-Thing

Marvel Comics Presents #1 (Man-Thing)
"Elements of Terror, Part 1 of 12"
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Tom Grindberg
Inks - Dave Cockrum
Letters - Agustin Mas
Colors - Petra Scotese
Assistant Edits - Michael Rockwitz
Edits - Terry Kavanagh & Michael Higgins
Chief - Tom DeFalco

Now here's a character I'm kind of excited to learn a bit more about.  Covering Marvel Comics Presents this way affords me (and us) the opportunity to spend some time getting to know a who's who of the B, C, and D-List of the Marvel Universe.  Man-Thing, outside of an odd appearance here and there, is a pretty big blind spot for me.  Outside of a couple "dur-hur, Giant-Size Man-Thing" issues, I doubt I even own anything else with his name on it!

Welp... let's see what get here!  I'm getting Secret Six from Action Comics Weekly vibes here.

--

We open with Man-Thing rising from the muck, aware that something sinister this way comes.  These narration boxes are a little too purple for my tastes... really feels like they're chasing Swamp Thing here.  Then again, I'm not much of a Man-Thing aficionado, so for all I know folks who write this character were always a bit too pleased with themselves.  Anyhoo, this dark and desperate being draws near... and, it's a weird fibrous-looking fella.  Man-Thing bonks him on his head putting the creature down.  Suddenly a pair of men enter the scene... they're looking for this fibrous fella, as he was a "test subject" of sorts.  Upon finding what's left of him, this guy Zahner attempts to cut an implant out of the "corpse".  This does not go well, as when Zahner makes skin-to-yuck contact with the beastie, he gets a rather awful burn on his hand.

Man-Thing watches this entire deal unfold... and kinda just lingers.  Zahner and his partner Monteiro report in to a General that their subject went berserk and got away.  The General notices the burn on Zahner's hand, and is given a quick-n-dirty explanation how it came to be.  In learning this, the General suggests that this mission wasn't such a failure after all.  He excuses himself, as he has a meeting with the Senate in Washington, D.C., leaving our two heroes behind with a whole lotta... COCAINE.  Too bad "Dave Chapel" is in the Wolverine story and not this one!

Zahner and Monteiro load the coke on a boat... making sure to keep a little for themselves, before being attacked by... another weird shambling corpse just like that crispy critter from before!  They open fire... naturally, this winds up being quite futile.  At this point, Man-Thing (annoyed by all the FEAR in the air) decides to intervene... and winds up getting shot full'a holes himself... not that it matters all that much.

Man-Thing and the Subject wind up getting sorta intertwined... with the former actually winding up impaled on the latter.  Man-Thing considers this the worst pain he's ever felt.  Amid the skirmish and confusion, our two heroes make a break for it.

We wrap up with Man-Thing and the Subject briefly merging... before Man-Thing expels the strange creature, seemingly killing it... while perhaps absorbing a bit of it as well.  The victory does not appear to be without injury, however... as it looks as though our Muck Monster is barely holding himself together!

--

I dunno.

This wasn't a bad story... but, man... those narration boxes.  Are Man-Thing writers always so up their own butts?  I mentioned it in the synopsis, but it really feels as though they're trying to keep up with what Alan Moore was doing with Swamp Thing over at DC.  Trying to make this more "sophisticated" than perhaps it ought to be?  I dunno.  It's only one chapter at this point, but... this did not win me over.  We've got time though!  God help us, we've got another eleven weeks of this!
So, whatta we got?  It's, say it with me, a "Chapter One"... which, for me, says we shouldn't be expecting all that much.  We meet our bad guys, we meet the even badder guy they're working for... and we get a bit of an idea as to what they're trying to do.  Well, maybe not exactly what they're attempting to accomplish, but we know it involves test subjects!  That's something, right?  Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll learn more as we go.

I think, if not for the very flowery narration... I probably would have enjoyed this a whole lot more.  Not a deal-breaker by any means... but, just kinda cringy... and, if it is chasing Alan Moore, it's not doing all that great a job (in my opinion).

Let's look at the art.  I really liked it!  Tom Grindberg is an artist who, for the longest time, I assumed was a pen-name for a fill-in penciller.  I mean, "Grindberg" just sounds too much like a name you'd give to a fill-in artist who's in a rush, doesn't it?

Anyhoo, the art here was pretty fantastic... it almost gave me an R. Crumb/underground comix sort of vibe.  Really great stuff.  Probably the best part of the story, if I'm being honest.  I do look forward to future installments, and am optimistic that it'll all come together (famous last words).

Tomorrow: Mastering Kung Fu, the Shang-Chi way!

Detective Comics #554 (1985)

Detective Comics #554 (September, 1985)
"Port Passed"
"Crazy From the Heat, II: The Past is Prologue"
Writers - Doug Moench & Joey Cavalieri
Pencils - Klaus Janson & Jerome Moore
Inks - Bruce Patterson
Letters - Todd Klein & Bob Lappan
Colors - Shelley Eiber
Edits - Len Wein
Cover Price: $0.75

Hey, well there's a pretty interesting cover, eh?  It's almost like we saw its polar opposite a li'l while back...

Read on...

--

We open at Gotham Harbor, where Harvey Bullock has been called in to check on some weird activity concerning an ocean liner.  He is greeted by a pair of officers who report that it's from Castellammare in Palermo, Sicily... and they claim to be importers of olive oil... and, get this, that they'll blow up the bay if anyone gets close!  They've decided to quarantine the entire tub, just to be safe.  Just then, from outta the drink, rises a panicky individual.  He's fresh off the tub, and attempts to warn about a pair of fellas who overtook the freighter... he refers to one of 'em as a "f-frog", before succumbing to his wounds.  Ya see, he was stabbed in the back.

We shift scenes to Stately Wayne, where the man of the house and his new-ish friend Jason Todd are having themselves a game of chess.  Bruce wins, naturally.

Before Jason can appeal for a rematch, the night is interrupted by the illumination of the Bat-Signal.  The dynamic dudes leap to the call... with Robin, especially, really anxious to see some action... but not in his more psychotic post-Crisis sort of way.

A quick seventeen-minutes later, Batman and Robin arrive at the Harbor... and, upon hearing a stirring, itchy-rang-finger Robin hurls a projectile into a pile of crates... whacking poor Harv' in the noggin!  Whoops.  Batman suggests Robin reel in his impetuousness... though, really doesn't have an answer when Robin asks "What if it were a thug?".  Well, check-mate, Boy Wonder.

Bullock fills the boys in on the going's on, all the while getting an eyeful of Robin.  He thinks to himself that the last time he saw a kid in the red and yellow, he seemed a fair bit older.  We're going to keep playing with that line of thought for the next little bit...

Commissioner Gordon arrives shortly after, and everyone tries to decipher the dead guy's warning.  The GCPD assumes by "Frog", the fella meant there was a Frenchman.  Batman, however, has a different idea.  He figures the warning was about a "frogman", as in a scuba diver, Naturally, Batman's right... 

They decide to divide and conquer, with Robin teaming with Bullock to board the boat... and Batman dipping into the drink to cover them.  In a cute bit, Bullock starts giving Robin the ol' "twenty questions" treatment... trying to figure out anything he can about this new-kid.  Tiring of the treatment, Robin tips the boat depositing ol' Harv into the wash.

Batman bides his time underwater, watching as the clumsy oaf of a detective and fresh-faced dumb kid board the dangerous freighter.  Seems like a pretty bad idea, dunnit?  Anyhoo, Bullock climbs up... and immediately attempts to arrest the armed and dangerous boat-jackers.  Dumb.  Robin hops into action, winging a 'rang (his only 'rang) to disarm one of the baddies.

At this point, the "Frogman" hops overboard... and finds himself being tracked by the Bat.  While the chase is on, Bullock asks their baddie about the explosives.  He gets no answer.  Batman notices that Froggy's got a speargun, and immediately deduces that the explosives must be in the tip!  That's one helluva deduction, innit?

Batman gets in close to the Frogman, under the assumption that he won't fire the bombed-up spear... lest they both perish in its blast radius.  What he doesn't consider, however, is... there's more than one way to wield a gun!  Froggy nails him with the butt of the thing... and the wrestle for a bit.

Both men, Bat and Frog, rise to the surface... and, it looks as though the latter has grown quite desperate.  He doesn't seem all that concerned firing the bomb... even if it costs him his own life!  Batman uses a light-gimmick on his utility belt to blind the baddie, then gives the barrel of the speargun a kick.  The trigger is pulled, and the bomb is fired... right into the freighter!

Batman kayos the Froggy, and after a quick check of the smoldering tub, reports back in to Gordon.  He presents the Commish with a waterproof box he'd found on board.  Inside it, is... a passport?  Yup!  We learn here that this freighter wasn't looking to smuggle anything into Gotham, but was trying to smuggle someone out.  Joseph Torrelli... a man who had been sentenced to deportation back to Naples on that very Ocean Liner.  Whoops.

Okay, with our main feature out of the way... we can take a look at our "cover feature", and honestly... the reason we're doing this book today.  Now, we're all more than a little familiar with Action Comics Weekly (take a shot every time I bring that series up... on second thought, don't!), right?  If you're new, don't worry... I'll link ya to the pertinent articles.  From that run, there are... maybe a handful of "iconic" covers.  Okay, maybe just one or two.  One of them was, Action Comics Weekly #609... complete with Black Canary setting fire to a very gaudy outfit.

And... it's not just a dramatized cover.  Dinah actually does burn that costume in the issue... it's like a major plot point.

When we discussed that chapter, we talked a little bit about how this cover and the scene within... reeeeeeally shouldn't have been able to go down quite like that.  Thing is, the Black Canary Action Comics Weekly arcs were written by someone who didn't seem all that interested in things like continuity... or, if I'm being honest, making sense in the slightest.  Well, let's stop vamping... and get right into it, so we can meet: 

This back-up feature opens with Dinah Lance in bed checking out some articles her mother (the original Black Canary) saved from the Gotham Gazette.  They feature a villain called Pyra... who is a Pyra-Maniac, geddit?  Notably, none of these articles refer to Dinah's mom, the original BC... and so, our gal decides to dig into her mother's diaries.  Here, she learns that the run-in with Pyra was the only time her mother failed.  She reflects on this... and, relates it to her own recent failure with another (present day) fire-themed baddie, Bonfire!

Dinah realizes that, due to the weird hoodoo between she and her mother... it's a long story, that we dug a bit into back in the long ago.  The short of it is, Dinah's mothers memories are sorta-kinda "imprinted" on her... as such, any residual fears her mother had... are now hers as well.  And so, if Mom's scared of fire... so too, will Dinah.  So... does Dinah fight fire with fire?  Well, no... she's going to fight fire with... a brand-new fireproof costume.  Hey, ACW cover, ya listenin'?

The next night, Dinah makes her debut in her all-new, all-different, all-gaudy gear!  Puffy sleeves and leggings have gotta be helpful in a fight, right?

Black Canary heads over to a neighborhood that she believes will be the next to go up in flames.  There, duh, she runs right into Bonfire!

Dinah dives through the flames... and plainly states (via thought balloon) that her "new duds" are, in fact, fireproof.  She enters a room, and finds that Bonfire has taken a squatting hobo hostage.

Bonfire fires another blast of flame in Dinah's direction... which she's able to walk through without taking damage.  Then... a fight is on!  Dinah wrestles with Bonfire... while being haunted by visions of Pyra.  Finally, she lets out a sonic scream (of "MOM!") which knocks the baddie on her butt.

Dinah wins the day... and is shortly joined by Green Arrow, who makes some snarky remarks about her "new look".  We learn that the "hobo" is actually the city Fire Chief... which, I mean... does that really matter?  Anyhoo, that's that!

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Sometimes when I discuss a book, I wonder what sort of reaction sharing my article online will get.  Today, I'm pretty sure when I share this, I'm going to get folks, who won't bother to visit the site or read the piece, replying with... the cover to Action Comics Weekly #609.

Anyhoo...

Where do we start with this one?  I suppose we can get the Batman and Robin story out of the way first.  I had a lot of fun with it, however, I can't help but to feel as though something here went over my head.  Not exactly sure what the deal with the deportation was... does this mean that the GCPD messed something up?  I mean, we're hitting the mid-80's here, where certain Comics Code Authority rules were being relaxed... which is to say, it's now okay to show police officers as being inept, or downright corrupt.  Is this a case of just showing Gotham's Finest as failing to cross their i's and dot their t's?

Maybe I'm thinking on it too hard.  Nah, that doesn't sound at all like me, does it?  Before I spiral even deeper... let's talk about some of the fun particulars of this piece.  I loved the back and forth between Jason and Bullock.  I thought this was an absolute blast, with Jay just being a snotty, sarcastic kid... and Bullock playing the clumsy "straight man", trying to follow up on his "sneaking suspicion".

I have very little experience with pre-Crisis Jason, so seeing him in his more "bantery" and lighthearted, Dick Grayson-lite persona was a real treat.  I'm only really used to him being a hyper-violent sociopath.  This was a refreshing (though, admittedly somewhat jarring) change of pace.

Klaus Janson's art was... mostly good.  Some pages, however, felt sort of like I was looking at Colorforms, ya know?  Like there was a background, and they just stuck some posed characters onto it.

Now... the "main event", The Canary's New Clothes!

I've wanted to cover this one for awhile... and, honestly, it was one of the first non-Action Comics books I was planning to cover as part of the (sadly, unloved) Action-Plus feature.  I realized, however, if I were to post it as an AP, nobody would read it... and so, here we are.

The Dinah/original Black Canary "mind/memory-imprint" deal is... kinda weird, but I can't help but to dig it.  I feel like this is a great way to sort of "play" with continuity... and keep certain bits in pieces, that might otherwise have been forgotten, in the forefront of people's minds.  Connecting Bonfire to Pyra-Maniac) (who I'm not sure was an actual original BC baddie) was pretty cool... and facilitated the shift to the weird (though sorta timely) "Jazzercize" costume.

Now, the entire reason we're looking at this is... silly.  It's to point out the inconsistency between the origin and the ending for the gaudy gear.  Fireproof... to ashes.  Now, I'm no Fire Chief... I'm not even a hobo posing as one, so I couldn't tell ya exactly what "fireproof" means.  It might just mean it takes longer to actually burn... but, again... I ain't signin' my name to that.

I just find it interesting that the new costume's only stand-out feature (besides it's gaudiness) is that it's fireproof... and it found its end in... a fireplace.  If I had to guess, I'd say Sharon Wright (the writer of ACW Black Canary) never read this... and was just looking for a dramatic way to deep-six the gear.  And, heck... the Brian Bolland ACW #609 cover is definitely one for the ages.

Overall... this was a really fun pair of stories to look at and dissect.  It is available digitally, and has also just recently been reprinted as part of DC's Dollar Comics line... which, might just be the only "current year" DC stuff worth reading!

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