Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #239 (May, 1978)
"Murder Most Foul"
Plot & Layouts - Jim Starlin
Plot Assist & Dialogue - Paul Levitz
Finished Art - Josef Rubinstein
Letterer - Ben Oda
Colorist - Cory Adams
Editor - Allen Milgrom
Cover Price: $0.60
Gonna try a bit of "Legion Learning" today with a Bronze-Age whodunnit.
--
We open with Ultra Boy walking the streets of the seedy-as-hell looking planet of Rimbor. He is heading to the Hotel Orion to meet with a former lover, An Ryd, who had summoned him. He considers how his life has changed in the years since he'd last seen her... joined the Legion, started a relationship with Phantom Girl. He inquires which room she might be in, and heads upstairs. He finds her seductively posed on a couch in her room... looking trashier than he'd remembered. After she makes with the sweet talk, it's revealed that she'd lured him here in order to sell him!
Jo is struck by a blast from off-panel and lays kayoed on the floor. An Ryd turns to the gunman, and informs him that she's ready to be paid. For her troubles, the gunman nails her with a fatal blast.
Time passes, and Ultra Boy fumbles back into consciousness. He finds himself sitting in an unfamiliar spacecraft, and without his Legion flight ring. One look at the sky tells him he's not on Rimbor anymore... and he fears wherever "here" is, it's where he's going to be stuck forever.
As "luck" would have it, as he makes his way out of the craft, he is greeted by some very familiar voices... it's Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes! Jo is pleasantly surprised, thinking they'd come to rescue him... his tone changes quickly, however, when they reveal they are here to... arrest him, for the murder of An Ryd!
He pleads his innocence, but it's to no avail... the other Legionnaires just ain't having it. Well, all except for his current "better half" Phantom Girl, that is. The others feel that the evidence is far too compelling... Jo was the last person to enter her hotel room before the body was found, there were Ultra Boy-specific energy signatures on the scene... and perhaps the most damning (and really, kinda dumb if you think about it) Ultra Boy's Legion flight ring was found on the corpse. Rather than face trial, Jo decides it might be best to escape his captors and find the real killer himself! It's rough-going, but he's eventually able to out-muscle, out-speed, out-smart, and out-maneuver his teammates to get away. This certainly doesn't aid in his innocence, but it looks pretty cool!
Before leaving, he swoops in to tell Phantom Girl that he's going to prove his innocence. He then flies into the Legion spacecraft and takes off. As the Legion recover and lick their wounds, we learn that a nerve hold that Jo used on Dawnstar would keep her out of commission for an entire day... a wise move, considering she'd be their best bet to track him. We rejoin Ultra Boy nearing Rimbor, where he 'splodes the Legion spacecraft to avoid being traced. He hits the surface, and grabs a costume that had been stashed during an earlier adventure. Wearing the hooded tunic of an undertaker, he heads back to the Hotel Orion to investigate.
After using his Penetra-Vision, Ultra Boy deduces that there are no clues left in the hotel. He decides to crash for a bit at his friend Si's house. Inside, he is met by Chameleon Boy... disguised as a gaudily colored couch!
Chameleon Boy's all "sell me on your innocence"... but isn't quick to believe Jo's story. He reminds Jo that running away surely didn't help his claims... but concedes that there might be a frame up going on. Their discussion ends in a really cool way. Jo asks what "we" do now. Chameleon Boy goes "Me, I'm gonna research... You? You're a fugitive... I suggest you run." Ice cold.
We shift scenes back to the Legion, who are onboard a spacecraft. Legion adult liaison, Marla is calling for Ultra Boy's head... while Superboy tries to get him to settle his tea kettle. Wildfire pipes up suggesting that Ultra Boy most likely went back to Rimbor... as it's the only place he'd be able to clear his name. It's pretty conflicting, as if they were 100% certain of his guilt... what could he hope to find back to Rimbor?
Meanwhile, Chameleon Boy conducts his research... he rules out the possibility of an impostor being among the Legion, because everyone's physical IDs match up. He then considers that it was an "inside job". He checks the computer files, and finds that they were not tampered with. This (and a whole lot of trusting his gut) is somehow enough for him to suss out who is behind everything... all he's gotta do is prove it, and not die in the process!
The Legion arrives in Rimbor orbit, and Superboy and Mon-El are tasked with using their x-ray vision to scan the entire planet. After a few hours, Mon-El is able to locate a shielded location near the Hotel Orion... they know that's gotta be where Jo is holed up. At the same time, Jo is using his Penetra-Vision... and he knows he's been caught. So, using his one-superpower-at-a-time, he flees out of the city...
... where the Legionnaires are already waiting for him! He tussles with Timberwolf, and outmaneuvers one of Wildfire's blasts... only to find himself socked in the mush by Colossal Boy's over-sized fist.
Jo is thrown for a loop... but comes back with a super-powered punch of his own. He then kayos Sun Boy, and steals his flight ring... this way, he'll maintain the power of flight, and also be able to use another superpower. He thinks things might finally be going his way when... he runs right into Superboy and Mon-El, which is all she wrote for poor Jo Nah.
With Ultra Boy captured, Wildfire is quick to call for his head. Superboy again expresses the need to exercise patience. Grown up guy Marla says it's a matter of the courts... however, before he can finish his though, he is interrupted by Chameleon Boy. He reveals that a traitor stands among them, and it's... Wildfire! To be clear, it's a robot posing as Wildfire.
The Legionnaires make short work of the bad-bot, but make sure to save its head so that they might hook it up to the computers and study who might have sent it. Chameleon Boy reveals that the robot was not the killer, but just a way to help frame Ultra Boy. The real killer is still out there. He continues... saying he found the real Wildfire locked in his quarters, held by a force field. The reason all of the physical IDs matched was because the real Wildfire doesn't have a body! Chameleon Boy suggests he knows who the real killer is... but is not ready to name names.
We wrap up with the hooded killer watching Ultra Boy and Phantom Girl embracing on a monitor. He reveals that this little endeavor gave him all the information he was looking for... and promises that next time things will go his way for sure.
--
Okay. I really liked this. Like, really really.
I always think of Legion stories as only ever taking place onboard a spaceship... which is part of my disconnect with the franchise. That, and the far-flung future angle. It makes it hard for he to really care for the characters, or see any sort of urgency in their plights. This issue, being (relatively) more "grounded" really helped to convince me that there's something more to the Legion.
At its core, this is a mystery story. The fact that it all went down on the gritty planet of Rimbor made it all the better. It felt down and dirty, and perfectly fit the tone. Probably the closest I felt to seeing a "real" locale in my (very) limited Legion Learnin' experience. The strong focus on characterization here really helped to... especially Ultra Boy (obviously) and Chameleon Boy. I can see myself really digging a no-nonsense, tell it like it is Chameleon Boy. His "You're a fugitive, you'd better run" and "See you when they catch you" were excellent lines... that portrayed him as both thoughtful and sorta disconnected toward Ultra Boy's plight.
This mystery came with layers, which is also great. I can't claim to know who is really under the hood... but, just in reading this issue, my eyes darted from Legionnaire to Liaison and back again wondering who might have motivation to frame Ultra Boy. I thought for sure that Marla would be a part of it, considering how quick he was to condemn poor Jo... but now I'm not so sure. The Wildfire reveal worked well enough, however some of the "oomph" was lost on me when I needed to have it explained that he doesn't have a physical body underneath his uniform. I think knowing that going in may have given me a sort of "Aha" moment... but that's definitely not the fault of the story. I'd never slag on a serialized story for expecting its readership to have an understanding of the characters within...
I will say that the Wildfire reveal does make sense out of "Wildfire's" suggestion that Ultra Boy might be back on Rimbor attempting to prove his innocence. That should have raised a red flag for the other Legionnaires who were convinced of Jo's guilt. If Jo was guilty... why would he ever return to the scene of the crime? Wouldn't he just go on the run forever? I really like this little detail... which only really becomes clear after the big-bot reveal.
I really can't say enough how much I enjoyed this. I never felt completely out of my depth (though, I did have to check the DC Wikia for some code names). One of the things keeping me from the Legion was (and is) it's sprawling cast. It feels like there are hundreds of colorfully clad "-boy" "-girl" "-lad" and "lass"-es to keep track of... which felt just so daunting. Here, we had a crew of less than a dozen. Far more manageable for a "Legion Learner" like myself. The focus being primarily on Ultra Boy really helped me as well. This felt like a true "toe dipping" into this wacky and (perhaps) wonderful franchise... and I'm really looking forward to more.
Overall... this issue is definitely recommended. I believe that longtime Legion fans and newcomers alike could get something out of this. As luck would have it, it is available digitally.
--
Letters Page:
--
Interesting Ads:
Batman #430 (February, 1989)
"Fatal Wish"
Writer - Jim Starlin
Penciller - Jim Aparo
Inker - Mike DeCarlo
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Assistant Editor - Dan Raspler
Editor - Denny O'Neil
Cover Price: $0.75
Hey, it's more Starlin Batman! Love this run, but I'll save my usual "begging for a trade collection" for after the synopsis.
Before we do hit the synopsis, however... I wanted to mention that today was supposed to be a requested review... for a book I was about 98% certain that I owned. You probably know where this is headed... I went to grab it this morning and lo and behold, I don't have it! I'm going to procure it this weekend, and make good next Friday. Sorry Jeremy, barring extraordinary circumstances, I'll have it up in seven days time.
--
It's morning rush hour in Gotham City... 5:10 AM to be specific. Tim Conrad arrives at his familiar place of employment... and seems to be a bit preoccupied, not even noticing a co-worker/friend/dude who knows him giving him a friendly greeting. He takes the elevator as high as it will take him, and from there proceeds to take the stairs to the roof entrance. Once outside, he opens up his briefcase... assembles his sniper rifle... and proceeds to take aim and murder a woman walking on the street below.
He's not done yet, however... it's open season on Gothamites this morning. He takes out several more over the next few moments. Forty minutes pass before Batman arrives on the scene. He is given the quick 'n dirty from Commissioner Gordon. Evidently, our shooter was recently fired from the Banking Firm in that very building. The casualty count is at five, with the wounded at three... there is also a woman currently trapped on the street.
Batman decides that he will create a diversion in order to allow Gotham's Finest to rescue the woman. Before he heads into danger, Gordon asks if Robin is with him. Now, let's remember that in the issue before this, Jason Todd was murdered by the Joker. This is Batman's first mission since the loss. It's a pretty powerful little scene, Aparo's faces here are really quite well done.
Batman charges in, dodging sniper fire with nearly every step. This allows the GCPD to save the trapped woman. As Gordon and company watch, one officer asks why Batman would continually put himself in danger for people he doesn't know. Gordon's answer is quite intriguing... he says he has "suspicions" but no "proof". This lends to the theory that Gordon knows Batman's dual-identity... which, well... I'm not sure how I feel about that. I think it's only natural that he'd know... but at the same time, I kind of hope he doesn't.
Back with Batman... he's now inside the building, and tracing Conrad's path up to the roof. Our sniper is ready for him though, and fires a few rounds through the roof-access door. Thankfully, Batman instinctively stopped before getting there. From here, Conrad begins ranting about how nobody deserves to live... even going as far as saying "I wish you were all dead!", which is important...
... because it triggers a flashback sequence! Batman exits the building through a window, and begins scaling up to the roof. While doing so, he is overcome with memories of his childhood. He thinks about how he was not unlike a Prince, wealthy, carefree... living in the moment. His flashback focuses on a particular day in which his father Thomas' stocks weren't doing so hot.
Young carefree Bruce persisted in asking his father to play catch with him rather than stew over the ticker tape. Hell, he's just a kid... he doesn't know what they represent. Thomas, not having the best day, strikes Bruce... slapping him across the face. He almost immediately shows remorse for losing himself in the moment.
After giving Thomas a tongue-lashing, Martha chases after a fleeing Bruce. She tries to instill in him that his father didn't mean to slap him, and that he still loves him. Well, young Bruce ain't havin' none'a that. He not only says he doesn't love his father anymore (c'mon kid, it was just a slap!), he in fact hates his father and... get this, wishes he was dead!
Batman reaches the roof and begins creeping across the ledge. The flashback continues... to later on during the day of the "slap". Thomas is able to make Bruce understand... and to make up for his behavior, he even suggests a night... uh-oh... at the movies. I hear Zorro's playing! We know the rest...
Anyhoo, back to the present. Conrad catches Batman out of the corner of his eye and fires a shot. Batman is able to dodge a number of shots, and manages to get close enough to kick the baddie in the mush. To help "even the odds", Batman drops a few smoke pellets.
Batman closes in and throws a wild punch... which misses! Conrad stumbles back and fires another shot... which also misses! Unfortunately for Batman, however, the muzzle flash from the gunshot blinds and disorients him. From here, Batman stumbles around sort of like a wounded or frightened animal... his movements are erratic and panicked. Such a great sequence.
As the smoke (and blindness) clears, Conrad backs up to the edge of the roof. Batman suggests he step away from the edge... which seems to be lost on the shaky and disoriented sniper. A member of the GCPD on the roof of a nearby building sees he's got a clear shot, so...
... and, so...
... and to the close. Batman, still perched on the rooftop thinks about how, despite all the bad Conrad did that day, he did not want him to die. He considers the power of a phrase like "I wish you were dead", reflecting on how he uttered those words on a very fateful day. Just the power of those words... and the thought that sometimes wishes come true, despite one's truest intentions. We leave with Batman... well, Bruce... because this is definitely Bruce's thoughts... wishing he could have apologized to his father for having said it.
--
Okay... let's get it out of the way. This run is quite good and really ought to be collected. If anyone from DC somehow stumbles across this site... and this post in particular, please pass along that Jim Starlin's contribution to the Bat-mythos extends past A Death in the Family and Ten Nights of the Beast. Give the entire run a nice chunky volume that we might place on our Bat-shelves.
Now, on to this issue.
I suppose I could complain a bit that this issue takes us back to "that night"... but that would be silly. Seasoned Bat-fans know that anytime they crack open a Bat-book, there's... what, a one-in-three chance that there will be a nod to the night the Waynes went to see Zorro. Complaining about that would kind of be missing the point.
Plus, I'm a big "lore" guy, and if a story can add to the existing lore of a history we are already familiar with... more the better. I appreciate Batman hearing something of a trigger phrase and flashing back to a cataclysmic event in his life. It illustrates to the reader that Batman can be effected... can be shaken... hell, can even perhaps take his eye of the ball for a moment. Especially when we take into consideration that this is Batman's first mission following the death of Jason Todd.
Gordon's scene(s) here were great as well. I thought it was interesting that he would notice Robin not being alongside Batman... and actually inquire about it. You'd figure maybe we'd get a thought bubble from a confused Gordon... but for him to actually voice the question was interesting. It also led to a wonderful sequence where Batman sorta-kinda has to process the question. The bit where Gordon notes that he has "suspicions" about why Batman is an all-around altruistic dude was pretty great as well. It really plays up questions that had been raised since Year One as it pertains to just how much Gordon "knows".
I also dig that the big-bad here is just a man who has nothing to lose. This is one of those things that speaks to me as a reader, and as a flesh-and-blood human. A character like Tim Conrad can be far more terrifying than the Joker or Penguin... simply because Tim Conrad could be anybody. These are the kind of stories I love to hate... or hate to love... because they keep my wheels spinning. I try to connect dots and process what might have driven him here. I would figure/hope it was something more than simply losing his job. Ya take enough Forensic Psyche, it's sometimes hard to just see something as a story... whattayagonnado, eh?
The art here is Aparo... and, what can I say... Aparo is definitely among my "definitive" Batman artists. He's always just so good! The sequence where Batman was scrambling around blinded by the muzzle flash... wonderfully done! He's acting not unlike a scared animal... jumping, falling... just totally disoriented. Great bit!
Overall... duh, read this one. It's Jim Starlin... what's more, it's Jims Starlin and Aparo... and if I'm not mistaken, this is Starlin's final issue. Helluva swan song, eh? I think we're gonna have to start a letter-writing campaign or something to get this collected. Remember gang, we want this and Prez turtlenecks! Luckily this bugger is available digitally, if that's your scene. Well worth checking out.
Oh, by the way... if we trim that poignant final page to just be the top half, we've got the pic that keeps on giving!
--
Letters Page (and 1989 Movie news!):
--
Interesting Ads:
Batman #424 (October, 1988)
"The Diplomat's Son"
Writer - Jim Starlin
Penciller - Doc Bright
Inker - Steve Mitchell
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Assistant Editor - Dan Raspler
Editor - Denny O'Neil
Cover Price: $0.75
This is one of those issues I'd been looking for off and on. Not one that I have in my "white whale" list or anything... just one I'd heard a lot of good (and interesting) things about.
Thankfully, it's odd-Colorforms cover (thanks, Joe!) makes it easily and immediately identifiable... when I was shuffling through the cheap-o bin at Half-Price Books, it just jumped out at me! I think if the cover was more conventional, I might have passed it by assuming I'd already had it.
Let's check in with the second Boy Wonder, and see how he deals with a baddie getting away with some reeeeally unsavory behavior.
--
We open with Jason Todd responding to a woman's cry. He crashes through the window of an apartment, where he finds young foreign socialite, Felipe Garzonas stumbling out of a bedroom. Jason is all about punching first, asking questions later... and so, he gets to punching.
Felipe's calls to an associate named Juan for aid, and he wastes no time coming at Jason with a bowie knife. It doesn't look good for the Boy Wonder, but as luck would have it someone Juan's "own size" has arrived to even the odds... the Batman. This doesn't end well for Juan.
Batman scolds Robin a bit for his brashness, and questions what might have brought him to this place. Jason tells him about the woman's cry. He enters the bedroom only to find a beaten young woman who is fearing for her life.
The dynamic duo take Felipe, Juan, and the young woman down to the Gotham City Police Department. Here we learn that the woman's name is Gloria, and she had been kidnapped (at Felipe's behest) by Juan. This is the second time such a thing happened to her, though she never reported him the first time out of shame. Robin assures her that she is safe, this is all behind her...
... but, it's not. Commissioner Gordon enters and shares that Felipe and Juan have corroborated a story in which Gloria arrived uninvited, and was only there to cause trouble because Felipe broke things off with her. They blame her black eye on her falling into the door knob... likely story, right? Doesn't matter... Gordon knows it's bogus, but there's nothing he can do. Hell, even if he could... the kid's got family in high places, and so he has diplomatic immunity... Felipe is untouchable. Gloria, as you might imagine, does not handle the news well.
Later on we join Batman and Robin on a roof. Robin is noticeably ticked off. He wants this guy... he wants him bad. Batman quite matter of factly says "Well, you can't have him." Ouch. He continues, sharing that he has a plan to take Felipe down... another way. Felipe's father is Jose Garzonas, the Ambassador of Bogatago, which is a country currently working with the United States to eradicate the coca fields within its borders. He points out Felipe's behaviors at the time of "arrest"... and deduces that he was stoned... probably with a nose full of cocaine. If they can catch him at a most opportune time, the State Department will request a recall... deporting Felipe back to Bogatago. Jason feels this punishment doesn't quite fit his crimes... and I kind of agree.
Over the next few days, Bruce and Jason keep tabs on Felipe. Bruce is really taking his time here... he wants to make sure they nab him at the most advantageous time... he wants to make sure whatever they get him with sticks. Jason... well, Jason's getting a bit antsy.
Lucky for him... he doesn't have to wait much longer. Batman notices Felipe leaving his apartment flanked by a pair of bodyguards... he knows something's about to go down. They follow him to a run down apartment building... which Batman describes as screaming "Buy your dope here!", which is pretty great. They wait for the transaction to begin... battering ram the door... then, they go to town beatin' baddies left and right!
With the riff-raff out of the way... the only fella left is Felipe. In a really cool scene, Batman turns his back... tells Jason "He's all yours." Jason then BEGS Felipe to resist... sadly, he doesn't. Really such an excellent scene.
This time, down at the GCPD, Felipe is booked. He doesn't stick around long... but everyone knows it's only a matter of time before he's sent packing to Bogatago. Before he leaves the station... in full view of Batman and Robin, be makes a phone call... to Gloria. He promises that he'll see her soon... which causes Jason to absolutely lose it... Batman has to hold him back. I'm with ya, Jason... this dude's got it coming.
Commissioner Gordon fetches Gloria's phone number from their records to call and make sure she's okay... to let her know that they will protect her. Robin makes the call... but there's no answer. Batman and Robin head to her apartment... and, well... they find her. After receiving Felipe's call, she committed suicide. Batman calls for an ambulance, during which time... Jason disappears. Batman has a pretty good idea where he's headed.
We shift scenes to Felipe's apartment... he's toasting to his good fortune, and knowing he's about to be sent home, bids farewell to Gotham. He steps onto his fire escape... and is soon joined by a colorful young man.
The next (and final) two pages are perhaps definitely what this issue is known for. We see Felipe falling from the fire escape to his death. Batman arrives... and asks what just happened, further he asks if Felipe fell... or if he was pushed. A somber Robin informs Batman that he slipped before swinging away. Dang.
--
Welp, that went pretty much the way I expected it to... and it was great!
I can't help myself but to gush whenever I read a Jim Starlin Batman issue. I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again... I never expected to read such great non-cosmic stuff from him. This is a run that definitely deserves being collected in trade... hopefully one'a these days it will be. Lord knows almost everything else with "Bat" in the title has been.
For the issue itself... this is probably the best Jason Todd-centric issue I've ever read. It's here where we learn that he might be just a bit more than "rough around the edges". He's in very ends justifying the means mode here... which not only fits with his upbringing, but helps give a fairly striking differentiation between him and the Robin who came before.
I feel like we sort of had this dynamic following Batman RIP, where Dick was a more jovial Batman to Damian's all-business Robin... but this is different in that Jason had a different kind of baggage than Damian... and appears to have his own twisted sense of justice rather than "programming". You've gotta wonder what was going through his head during this issue... watching as Batman just looks on at Felipe's activities... watching as Commissioner Gordon shrugs his shoulders.
This case really affected Jason... whereas it was "just another day" for Batman and the Commish. Even when Batman suggested his "plan" to have Felipe sent back to his home country, Jason comments that deportation is "not much of a punishment". This speaks more to his more extreme sense of justice... and perhaps also speaks for a contingent of the readership. In seeing what Felipe had done to Gloria... on more than one occasion, a reader might be right there with Jason... wanting a more "final" resolution. Something we can truly draw a line under.
Gloria's end is tragic, to be sure... and Jason discovering the body makes it that much more. Jason at this point... if I'm not mistaken, believed his mother dead... and he'd discovered her body as well. Gloria's death is one that could have been avoiding... had justice been done. I think that's probably the worst of it. Felipe instilled enough terror in her that she'd rather die than go through what he'd put her through before. Jason knows that. Jason knows that sometimes justice will not be served... not by the police, and not even by Batman. It's here where he knows he needs to take matters into his own hands... he needs to cross the Rubicon, and become something more than Batman's colorful sidekick.
Now... did Jason kill Felipe? Did Felipe slip? Does it matter? Jason sure doesn't think it does... and to be honest, I don't think it does either. There's enough ambiguity here... and enough twisted motive, that anything could have happened. Felipe was a drug addict... he could've been high. He might've seen Robin and thought he was a four-headed demon for all we know. Maybe Jason was telling the truth, and Felipe just became startled and fell... or... or... maybe Jason pushed him. It seems pretty clear that's what Batman thinks happened... though he doesn't come out and accuse him, necessarily. If I had to guess... I'd say, yeah, Jason killed Felipe. Right or wrong... that I cannot say.
Shifting gears a bit... the Felipe "story" is the kind that I'm surprised doesn't come up more often. Diplomatic immunity is just such an interesting obstacle for a superhero to contend with. Hell while I'm thinking about it, just a couple of issues from here The Joker becomes the United Nations Ambassador for Iran! It seems that diplomatic immunity was going to be a thorn in ol' Jace's side until the day he tragically passed.
Before we go... just a few words about Jason Todd's time as Robin. In acquainting myself with these Starlin issues, it's refreshing to see Jason treated with such a level of depth, conflict, internal turmoil... instead of just being the Robin that happened to be a jerk. This is a character that deserved a better legacy than he had (prior to Superboy-Prime's reality punch, of course). Growing up when I did, I never had time for Jason... I came a few years too late... and all I'd ever heard was he was "the Robin everyone hated"... hated so much, the fans killed him. Oh well.
Definitely recommended... and available digitally for your convenience. Well worth the read... and the hunt, if physical is more your thing (as it, ahem, should be).
--
Letters Page:
--
Interesting Ads:
