The Fly #11 (1992)

The Fly #11 (June, 1992)
"Which Way Out"
Writer - Len Strazewski
Pencils - Mike Parobeck
Inks - Paul Fricke
Letters - Bob Pinaha
Colors - Rick Taylor
Editor - Paul Kupperberg
Inspired by - Joe Simon & Jack Kirby
Cover Price: $1.25

From the Mixed-Up Files of C.M. Sheehan, I bring to you... The Fly?  Yup, felt like just grabbing any old book to discuss today... and just reached into one of my many "Misc. DC" longboxes... and, here we are!  And hey, it's by our friends, Len and Mike... the Justice Society of America creative team!

Lookit that oddly-written cover copy... "This Girl's Life--Do You Care?"  C'mon, lose the attitude, cover... I don't know the girl!

Will we know her... and/or care about her after reading this issue?  Let's find out!

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We open with young Jason Troy about to be jammed into an iron maiden by an SS-suited woman and her hunchbacked assistant.  Wow, we're starting off hot!  Only... not really, so much.  This is just a doodle the real Jason is drawing in class.  Yeah, we've all been there!  Anyhoo, he is interrupted by his teacher, who tells him to save that kinda thing for art class.  Gotta say, I feel bad for any kid who draws an iron maiden these days... they'd probably be expelled.  They'd at least be sent to therapy.  Anyhoo, we can see that one of Jay's classmates looks pretty bummed out... we'll come back around to her later.

The teacher goes on to give a lecture on the story of Samson and Delilah... which is interrupted by the arrival of, some goofy kid called Boober.  He's got a slip for young Master Troy, it would appear that the counselor wants to see him.  Wow, word of the iron maiden doodle traveled fast!

Anyhoo... in Ms. Kriz's office, Jason is chatted up by Lieutenant Odell.  Counselor Kriz seems surprised that they already know one another.  Odell is here to talk to Jason about... The Fly!

Ya see, Jason's mother had called the police to tell them that Jason had gone missing for two days.  Then The Fly allegedly brought Jason home, and reported to the police that the young boy helped him out on a mission.  If you haven't figured it out yet, Jason is The Fly.  Just wanna make that clear.

Jason begins weaving a tale, starting with the fact that The Fly is actually a friend of his grandfather.  Anyhoo, The Fly had asked for his help, and together they had one heck of an adventure... even involving the other heroes of the Impact! line of comics, The Crusaders!  Long story short, they lost track of time, and before they knew it... two days had passed.  Bingo-bango, Jason was dropped off at his doorstep.

Odell appears to be satisfied with this story... but then, the other shoe drops.  He asks Jason if The Fly did anything... uh... inappropriate with him... as in, did he force young Jason to do anything he didn't want to do.  And, well...

After this, Jason is dismissed.  Kriz and Odell contentiously chat for a bit.  They're both almost positive that Jason's story has a few holes in it... and Kriz blames Odell for scaring Jason into lying.  And so, he leaves.  As he goes though, we can see that the next file on Kriz's docket is that depressed-looking girl from earlier.

We rejoin Jason as he wonders whether or not the growed-ups bought his story.  Ah, you sweet summer child.  Either way, this facilitates a quick and dirty look at how he became The Fly to begin with... so, that's a good thing.  Turns out, it's sort of a Captain Marvel deal, where a young fella turns into a super-powered adult.

Outside, Jason has a run-in with some bullies... and winds up getting tossed right into the depressed girl from earlier, sending the contents of his and her respective binders all ova da place!

We (or at least I) learn that this girl's name is Rachel... and her behavior has changed severely over the last few months.  She went from being the head of the school newspaper, to a short-tempered loner... who actually quit the paper by chucking a garbage can at the editor!

Later on, Jason is going through his binder when he realizes that he has some of Rachel's papers... including, what looks to be a rough draft of ... a suicide note!

Jason frets over what to do... and decides to ask his mother.  Unfortunately she's still ticked off about his disappearing act, and doesn't even let him finish his question before exiling him to his room for two-hours of study time!  Worth noting, his mom looks a lot like that girl who told us about Rachel a couple of pages back... only without the headband.  Anyhoo... Jason "Fly's up" and heads out.

Shortly, he arrives outside Rachel's house... where it looks like she's being plied with wine by her step-father.  He overhears that Rachel's mother is out of town on business... and won't be back for a few days.  This is the recipe for... a really bad time.  Nothing is said outright... but, it's pretty clear where this is headed.

The Fly... uh, flies away before being detected by dirtbag-daddy, and happens across a high-speed police chase.  He figures, while he's here, he may as well make himself useful.  He wrangles the crooks and gets home just in time for dinner.

The following morning, Jason arrives at school... and he's got some mixed emotions.  He knows he probably should talk to Ms. Kriz about Rachel's suicide note, yet at the same time, he doesn't want to "rat her out".  That decision is just about to be taken out of his hands, however...

Ya see, Rachel locked herself in the bathroom, and isn't responding to any of her friends.  Jason sneaks off to suit up... then returns to bust into the bathroom.  He finds Rachel curled up on the floor... with her wrist slashed!

He flies her to the hospital, and they are able to save her.  The following day, Jason and her classmates are having an old-fashioned "rap session" with Ms. Kriz.  They all question whether or not they should've (or could've) done more to help her.

It ends pretty high on the melancholy scale... plenty of tears, and almost a fourth-wall break, where Ms. Kriz addresses the reader directly... imploring us that, if we're in a similar way (or know someone who is) not to wait to tell someone.  Total missed opportunity to include a number to a hotline.  It's 1-800-273-8255 by the way.

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So... this sure got dark after the staples, dinnit?

I'm having trouble even deciding where to start... I guess we should probably work backwards.  So yeah, attempted suicide... a pretty heavy (and emotionally charged) subject.  One that totally turned this issue on its ear.  It came out of nowhere, which, has got to have been by design.  I mean, as a human who crosses paths with many other humans on a daily basis, how often to we stop and consider what other people might be going though?  Not very.

I feel like this was the case with Rachel.  People who don't know her (like Jason) just think she's a jerk with a bad attitude.  Her friends... well, they know she's changed over the past little while... but she's withdrawn from them, and they haven't exactly been doing their best to find out why...

... we readers, however... know exactly why.  It's heavily alluded to here (so much so, I hate leaving it at "alluded") that Rachel is the victim of sexual abuse from her step-father.  It's handled here very well... nothing graphic, but it's abundantly clear what's going on.

Does the story "land", though?  I'm not sure.  The drastic shift in tone, which... again, might've been on purpose, really takes the "oomph" and sense of urgency out of the situation.  It feels almost like a Degrassi Junior High story happening on Saved by the Bell... if that makes any sense?  Like, it's serious... and "issue of the monthy", but there's still this kinda innocence and hokeyness to it.  Ya follow?  It might just be me projecting... Mike Parobeck's art really doesn't make me think of "darker" subjects.

Continuing to work backwards... Jason talks to Kriz and Odell about his adventure with The Fly.  The subject of abuse is brought up there too... but, again... it's hard to take it as serious as it should be given the art style, and lemme tell ya, Jason saying "Are you asking me if The Fly is a pervert?" made me actually chuckle... which, in retrospect... is probably not the intended reaction.  I swear I heard a "laugh track" though.

One more thing... I joked about it above, but... I gotta imagine that if, these days, a kid drew a picture of a Nazi tossing a kid into an iron maiden at school... they'd get, at the very least, a "talking to".  Growing up, I used to draw all sorts of comic booky pictures during class.  No straight-up gore or anything, but I'm sure there were plenty of Liefeldian firearms and blades on my binder covers.  I know I drew superhero battles and probably even had the Red Skull getting his butt kicked a time or two as well.  I'm sure if I was a kid today, I'd be in so much therapy... or expelled... or both!  Weird times, gang.

Overall... this was an interesting issue.  It was also my first ever issue of The Fly (it's been sitting in a longbox unread for probably twenty years now)... and I was actually able to follow it!  Remember, this is back from when writers felt that sort of thing was important.  I'd say it's probably worth a look...

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Comet #1 (1991)

The Comet #1 (July, 1991)
"First Flight"
Story/Art - Tom Lyle
Script - Mark Waid
Colorist - Tom Ziuko
Letterer - Tim Harkins
Editor - Brian Augustyn
Cover Price: $1.00

I've never really sat down to read through the !mpact Comics books I've (somehow) come into possession of.  Seems like a lotta folks my age have a stack of these, and I'm no different.  Haven't the foggiest idea how and why I have them... but I do!

I remember when they were first announced, I was mildly interested... after all, they were bound to launch with "valuable" #1's!  When they actually hit the shelves... I dunno.  I took one look at them, and thought they seemed... for lack of a better term, cheap (plus, they weren't part of actual DC continuity... which was apparently something that bugged me even as a kid!).  I still thought the characters looked cool... especially the Fly, but not enough for me to actually plunk down my buck... after all, there were X-Men just beggin' to be bought.

So, after a... ay yai yai, quarter-century... I'm finally going to give this line a shot.

*Note, the blogger label I'm going to use for !mpact comics is just going to be impact comics to avoid confusion/to assuage my (questionable) sanity.

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We open with our man the Comet preparing for his first case at St. Helen's University... which, is kiiiiinda underwhelming.  What we've got is a quartet of geeks (calling themselves the "Tech Wizards" who really aren't ready for prime-time.  Their flustered back-and-forth is rather humorous... you can tell they're just not up for this, it's almost endearing.  Comet waits for them to break-and-enter before swooping in to dazzle them with his superheroic prowess.  They take a few shots... 

... but they're not all that successful, or is that... not successful at all?  Comet snags one named Charles, who from the looks of it, is attempting to affect an olde-English accent... "verily".  Comet tells him to cut it out with the purple prose, and snatches the disk the geeks were trying to swipe.  Of note, he takes a look some of their weaponized inventions and suggests that they're wasting their talents on petty theft... which is true!

The police show up, and Comet introduces himself while handing over the reclaimed loot, and learns that it's... a computer game?!  Ay yai yai.  Our man muffles some laughter while ingratiating himself to an officer.  It's funny, the cop immediately accepts him as an ally... seems almost adorably naive, but it's neither here nor there.  Comet asks how they found them so quickly, and is advised that the serial-slasher Applejack has struck again right across the campus... this time his victim is a girl named Vicki.  Comet is immediately concerned, as that's his girlfriend's name.  Luckily (for him), it's a different Vicki.  His Victoria (Johnson) is currently reporting on the tragic event KNOQ News.

And so, we shift to Ms. Johnson.  After delivering the report and the cameras turn off, she asks her detective friend Ben if he can share some more information about Applejack... ya know, "off the record".  He says no... but does anyway.  Well, at least he tried to keep confidential information... confidential.  We learn that Applejack has a sort of macabre "calling card", wherein he leaves a note next to the victim... written on skin!  Upon seeing the handwriting, Victoria produces a note that had been left for her, from someone claiming to be Applejack.  Looks like somebody's got a crush...

We rejoin Comet as he flies over Evergreen, Washington... luckily he's feeling nostalgic because it provides him the impetus and opportunity to recall the events of his super-hero origin!  Picture it, Alaska... I dunno, a little while ago... Rob (the soon-to-be Comet) arrives at his parents' research facility.  He plans to break the news that he'll be leaving Alaska in order to try out for the Quintook Mariners, a Triple-A ball club.  Unfortunately he doesn't get the opportunity, as his parents are nowhere to be found, and the place has been left in shambles.

Rob checks the entire area for signs of his folks, without finding diddly squat.  He tries to radio out, but there's no signal... and so, he decides to climb up a radio tower to futz with the satellites... at which time, it explodes!

When he comes to, he finds himself trapped under the twisted steel of the radio tower.  Attempting to push it off his person, he begins to panic... which somehow triggers his new kinetic blasty super powers!

Freed from the wreckage and after a "test flight", Rob accidentally causes another explosion.  Later, the authorities arrive... however, they seem more interested in what Rob's parents were researching, and less with the fact that they appear to have been abducted!

Once the interrogation wraps up, Mark decides to fly back to Evergreen to try and wrap his head around this strange event.  His first stop is his girlfriend Victoria's place.  She's upset that he has been gone for ten weeks and never wrote her once... which confuses him, as he'd sent letters every week.  Hmm.  Anyhoo, they have a brief and somewhat uncomfortable chat, during which Rob sorta hints that he'd like to stay with her... but she shoots him down.

And so, Rob heads... home?  I thought he needed a place to stay... didn't expect him to have a giant empty house he could use.  While home he reads up on the Applejack murders... and decides, hey... I should maybe do something about him.  And so, the next day he heads back to Victoria's to a) apologize, and b) announce his intentions.

She is, understandably incredulous... and so, he decides to show her his all-new powers.  She is, understandably freaked-out... but they're able to power through.

We shift to later that night, with Victoria in bed.  Her phone rings... and the machine gets it.  It's Detective Ben, and he is calling to tell her that in light of the Applejack note she'd received, the PD has set her up with two patrolmen to keep a watch on her place.  At that very moment, someone enters the room and leaves... another note.

We jump ahead to the next day's news program.  Victoria reports that the two patrolmen watching her home... were killed!  Oh, and some nut left her another note.  Well, to be fair... she refers to Applejack as a "twisted menace".

... and, speak of the devil... it turns out that this news report is being watched by... Appleja-- eh?  Waitasec, this is Applejack?!  Bwah-ha-ha-ha... what a goofball!  I'm sorry, this dude looks ridiculous.  Anyhoo, that's a wrap!

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This was pretty good!

I'm surprised I dug this so much... it wasn't at all what I was expecting, though I can't put into words exactly what I was expecting.  I dunno, I guess I just expected it to feel kinda flimsy and dated before its time... but it didn't!

During my initial flip through, just from looks alone it felt like a Marvel comic... no big surprise considering the Tom Lyle art.  I've always dug his work, so that was a welcome sight.  It wasn't much of a surprise to see Mark Waid listed as scripter, as I recall him being a part of the (semi) recent Red Circle relaunch over at Archie Comics... but, again... another welcome sight!

The story we get here is quite well told.  It's always something of a challenge (re)introducing an established character to new or lapsed eyes.  It's a fine line between going with 22 pages of origin retelling/revamping... or attempting to intermingle an actual present-day narrative, while providing at least a passing mention of how our hero became... a hero.

What we get here is a great introduction... followed by some reflective exposition... then a cliffhanger ending that kinda pulls it all together... all peppered with breadcrumbs for future revelations.  Great!  I think there were some convenient facilitators in the mix... like Rob deciding to take on Applejack out of nowhere, but no biggie, it moves the story along.

I think if I were to pick a single nit... hoo boy, Applejack looks ri-damn-diculous.  I mean, woof.  I was expecting like a play on Jack the Ripper... not a dude carrying a spooky staff and wearing a noose for a tie.  He might as well be wearing a shirt that says "EVIL".  Now, to be fair... we do learn that Applejack was a slasher from a century ago, who was hung back in 1898... so, I think we can assume that some of his "fashion sense" is in tribute to the original... or, perhaps he's possessed or something.  Either way though... he just looks silly.  The rest of the characters, and The Comet especially, look pretty great though.

Worth checking out?  Sure, I'd say so.  It's a comfortable read with storytelling that feels like a mixture of 1980's Marvel and DC, and I think a lot of folks would enjoy it.  Am I motivated to continue a read-through?  Well, I'm motivated to fill in the holes I have in the line and give it a fair shot, so... yeah, I guess so!  From the looks of it, this has not been collected and doesn't appear to be available digitally... so it's single issues (not floppies) only.  Luckily, the !mpact line is a cheap-o bin staple, and this shouldn't be terribly difficult to stumble across.

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