X-Men Vignettes, Chapter Forty-Four (1990)

 

X-Men Vignettes #44 (1990)
"Her First & Last"
Writer - Ann Nocenti
Pencils - Kieron Dwyer
Inks - Hilary Barta
Letters - Joe Rosen
Colors - Glynis Oliver
Edits - Edelman, Harras, DeFalco
From: Classic X-Men #44 (February, 1990)

Somebody queue up Kenny Loggins, cuz... This is it! Today is the final chapter of X-Men Vignettes... well, sorta.

Thanks to the tip from our great friend, Chris U, I now know that there was supposed to be a back-up story in Classic X-Men #45... which, all we fake-ass X-Historians know... didn't appear there. Well, I didn't know nothin' bout any'a dat! What's more, I didn't know that the story meant for Classix #45 would eventually see print in the pages of Marvel Fanfare #60 (January, 1992)!

So, with this newfound information, I took to the mean streets, added around 150 miles to my odometer... and, came up with bupkis! Ya see, what I didn't realize about Fanfare #60 was, a) it was the final issue and evidently, rather underprinted, and b) it has Black Panther on the cover, who just so happens to be one of the more exploitable Marvel characters of current year!

So, what's a fella to do? If you've been with me for awhile, you'll be familiar with many of my hunts... the Lady Cop issue of 1st Issue Special, Vartox's appearances in the pre-Flashpoint Power Girl, DC's New Talent Showcase... there've been a bunch. Well, here's what I did... I asked one of the guys at a nearby comic shop if he might have a copy "in the back". Now, "in the back", as it pertains to comic book back issues, is a pretty nebulous locale... as it could mean several things. Maybe it's literally in the back room of the shop... maybe it's off-site not yet rotated in to the shop's stash... maybe they've got a warehouse, or at the very least a storage unit... maybe it's their own personal collection... or, maybe they'll just find it on eBay and sell it to me for twice what they paid for it? I don't ask for the specifics... cuz, honestly, it doesn't really matter to me, so long as I get the thing in my hot li'l hands.

All this to say... I'm about 85% sure that I've procured a copy of Marvel Fanfare #60. Just waiting on a call to swing in and pick it up. So, while this is the end of the Vignettes "proper", it ain't the end of our time cuttin' it up here together. Be on the lookout for the "missing" Vignette in the coming days!

Now, this does leave us with a question... it's that usual "end of a project" question. What's next?

Well, it's time for my usual "end of a project" answer... which is to say, I dunno...

What I do know is that I've gotta get back behind the mic for a bit. For folks who've been with me from the start, you'll likely be somewhat familiar with my content creation "origin story". Well, of late I've been in discussions with... and ultimately welcomed back into the Weird Science family -- where I'll be doing a bit of X-Content, including coverage of this summers A/X/E: Judgment Day crossovent. That said, I'm going to have to "get current" on "current". As it stands now, I'm around a dozen or so shows (and books) behind where X-Lapsed needs to be... and so, I gotta start spittin' again.

That's not to say we're done here... not by a longshot (and, no, I'm not about to start covering Longshot... yet). There's still plenty I wanna write about -- got some long abandoned blogging projects that may need some love and attention... and, of course, I'm always down to discuss any of the "forgotten" Vignette-y X-Men stories. We already covered a few Wolverine solo ditties from Marvel Comics Presents... maybe an X-Focused return to MCP could be our next thing?! We'll see, eh?

Anyway, that's enough vampin' from me -- thanks for joining me on this odd little trip thru the X-Men's Days of Forgotten Past... I hope you enjoyed!

--

Today's story is Rogue-centric... and it opens with her hanging out with her buddy/pal/sweetheart, Cody. Err, he's "Freddy" here, but... c'mon, we know it's Cody. Rogue plays tough... kinda like one of the boys... and just as our visit begins, she's thrown from the handlebars of CodeFred's bike. She lands gracefully, "Good as a cat", sayeth our slackjawed friend. He chases her, scoops her up... and goes to give her a kiss. Naturally, she fights him off, giving him a good judo toss to evade the lip lock. Her "mother" sees this all play out, and is not at all pleased. CodeFred tells Rogue that "Kissin's fun", before hoppin' back on his bike and pedalin' on down the road.

Mystique approaches Rogue to warn her that she's gotta be more careful. Ya know, skin-to-skin contact is kind of a no-no for her... hence the odd bodysuit she's wearing. Funny, Codefred didn't seem to care, or even notice, that his gal-pal is covered neck to toe in fabric. Anyway, rogue stomps off, claiming that she wants to play and have fun... and she's done doing "missions" with her weird parents.

On the porch, Mystique is joined by Destiny... who advises caution in how to deal with Rogue. Ya see, she's not like them... and she will leave them when it becomes clear that their Brotherhood has "darker ways" of doing business. Further, Destiny suggests that Mystique might be jealous of Rogue. Jealous of what, exactly? The uncontrollable powers that keep her isolated? The fact that she's barely a teen-ager and already has white hair? Her slackjawed boyf? I dunno...

From here we jump to a nearby cliff, where Rogue and CodeFred are taking turns defying death by swinging on some rope that's dangling over the edge. Sounds like fun, eh? Our boy once again attempts to force himself on Rogue... and gets swatted away. He's starting to become frustrated, and asks her why she won't do this one thing. Now, I know this is a "coming of age" story of romance... but, I swear "current year" must be majorly effing with my mind, cuz now I think I've been trained to see this as the early stages of a sexual assault. Oy. Anyway, CodeFred decides that he's got one last ace up his sleeve... he's going to DARE HER to kiss him. Well, he probably should'a lead with that, cuz that was all it took! Rogue plants a kiss on our boy.

And the next three pages are a collage of everything Rogue sees in CodeFred's life. His experiences, his fears, his joy... ya know, his everything. Things Rogue wanted to know... but, not the way she wanted to find it all out. She's been robbed of a proper courtship... she wanted CodeFred to share these things with her willingly... not have them (literally?) sucked out his mind.

Rogue runs off while our boy is still a bit dazed. He was kayoed for a bit, but doesn't end up in a coma. I guess that was a late addition to add a bit more trauma to Rogue's story...

From here, Rogue rushes back home... where it would appear she's had an entire change in attitude. She's suddenly gung-ho to go out on the next Brotherhood mission... and gleefully jams down a pile of chocolate chip cookies (wow, are these home-baked?). This is where we leave her... and the Vignettes project!

--

A somewhat "lighter" story to wrap up the Vignettes Initiative... especially when compared to the last few chapters, which were positively dripping with angst. I quite liked it. I feel like this hits the "sweet spot" in as far as how these backups should be treated. We're adding to a characters' backstory in a way that doesn't break any of the (then) current-day toys. It's a profound moment in Rogue's life... but, doesn't... I dunno "insist upon itself". Definitely not a day Rogue would forget... but, also not a day she'd talk everybody's ear off about. Does that make sense?

This is a story I think many of us seasoned X-Fans are at least tangentially familiar with. I mean, it even got play in the Animated Series. I think the telling might've been a little bit different -- like that her powers actually manifested at the time of the kiss... and the kiss leaving poor Cody-Freddy in a coma, but at its core, it's the same little ditty... and it's well-told.

I appreciate how Rogue's change of demeanor was presented. Having just seen firsthand what her powers can do... she kinda buries her grief and sadness. She knows that she's been robbed of an experience she was really looking forward to in learning bits and bobs about Freddy as their relationship grew and developed. She cried out in the beginning of the issue that she wanted to be "normal". Now, more than ever, she realizes that... that's just not in the cards for her. It's heartbreaking. And so, rather than dwell on it... or, at the very least not tipping off Mystique that she dun goofed -- she becomes very enthusiastic about the Brotherhood's next mission. Red flags? Sure... but, to a confused pre-teen/teen-ager, she's not thinking about any of that.

As far as the "mission" is concerned... well, since the Nocenti-Rogue story that appears in Marvel Fanfare #60 is called... "The Mission", maybe we can assume that there's more to tell? I suppose that's something we'll find out together... in, hopefully, just a few days!

Oh, last thing before we put a pin in this one -- I do wanna say that I really dug the art. I feel like it suited the story quite well.

Action Comics #721 (1996)

Action Comics #721 (May, 1996)
"The Fortune Plague"
Writer - David Michelinie
Penciller - Kieron Dwyer
Inker - Denis Rodier
Letterer - Bill Oakley
Colorist - Glenn Whitmore
Separations - Digital Chameleon
Assistant Editor - Mike McAvennie
Editor - K.C. Carlson
Cover Price: $1.95

For today's hop into the world of #Action100, we're going to discuss an era of Superman I don't talk about a whole heckuva lot... the few years following The Death and Return has long been one of my blind spots.  I guess hopping in on the Man of Steel at the most urgent of times, lends to anything short feeling a bit... blah.

Add to that the "ehh" paper stock.  This was the era of "deluxe" comics, an early attempt at goin' glossy... and man, it just doesn't do the art a whole lotta service.  I'm scared to touch any of the pages for fear that I'm going to smear the inks and colors... it just looks so "piled on".  I've said it before, but I was rather pleased when they rolled back to a better quality/less glossy stock while they worked on glossy that would actually work.  Though, I think I'd still prefer newsprint... but, I'm kind of an idiot.

Another reason we haven't discussed many of these here is... my beloved Triangle Numbering.  I mean, I love it... but, it doesn't really lend itself to reviewing just one comic... especially if your review-blog was focused on say... just one of the ongoing-Superman books at the moment.

Well, let's get to it...

--

We open in Centennial Park where a man is trying to hold up a woman for her lottery tickets.  He taunts her with a broken bottle... but is stopped by the arrival of Superman.  The fella takes a run for it... and Superman just lets him go.  He can tell that the would-be mugger wasn't a bad guy... just a desperate one.  Well, that's certainly not a slippery slope, is it?  Anyhoo. to show her appreciation, the lady peels off a lotto ticket for the Man of Steel... which he begrudgingly takes.

Back at the Planet, Clark gifts his ticket to a guy named Ted... and has an uncomfortable brush-up with Lois.  This was during the time that the engagement was called off... which is one of those times I know about, but always seem to have a tough time placing.  They part company before the winning lotto numbers can be read.

Wouldn'tcha know it... everybody wins!

Well, they all think they've won anyway... turns out everybody heard different winning numbers being read!  Sounds like some fifth-dimensional stuff might be going on.  As you may imagine, this leads to quite a bit of mayhem on the streets of Metropolis!

Back at the Planet, Perry sends Lois and Clark off to look into the madness.  Lois whispers to Clark that she'll cover for him... so he can do the "super" work.  This is an interesting little piece of the puzzle.  I mean, Lois and Clark are broken up... but she still knows.  Glad they included this bit.

On the streets... it's still riot-town.  Even at the Ace of Clubs... where our man Bibbo has to deal out some swift and stern "Why I oughta's".

It's not just the lottery that's causing the world to be hinky... outside, a man is celebrating that he won a brand-new car at the church raffle... because everyone else bought lotto tickets.  Well, I guess this is still tangentially lotto-related... anyhoo, his car gets smashed by a giant coin!

The coins continue to fall, almost crushing another fella... Superman winds up saving him... twice!  Before imploring him (in four languages) to get his butt home.

We shift over to join Jimmy Olsen... who's looking less freckle-faced and more... I dunno, toadish?  Anyway, he's wrapping up a date with his mom Dana, when suddenly he's rushed by a group of women all wanting nothing more than to jump his ginger bones.

After stopping yet another falling coin from derailing a train, we hop into a couple's brand-new apartment.  The fella here's wearing a "Property of Alcatraz" sweatshirt... which is kinda silly.  Anyway, he wishes that their new pad had a river view... which causes the building to sprout legs and start walking toward the river.  Hmm...

Superman's still saving folks when he notices that the walking building is about to crush the Annual Sons of Ireland picnic at Centennial Park.  He manages to bring all the "Sons" to safety just in the nick of time.

Elsewhere, Rob Troupe and Lucy Lane have a chance meeting on the street.  Lucy mentions how lucky they were to run into each other, which causes Ron's spidey-sense to tingle (after all, the entire day's events have been predicated on "good luck turning bad")... he yells at her to stay put, just as a gas main explodes a few feet in front of her.

Superman wraps the walking building up in steel cables to halt its progress... leaving our happy couple with a pretty lousy view.  We also learn that a little apartment in Metropolis goes for $2,000 a month!  Yikes.

We wrap up with Clark returning to his apartment.  He hears the shower running and his first thought is that Lois decided to come back.  Well, no... it's not Lois, and it's not even Bobby Ewing... it's, well, the fella we all knew it was gonna be, Mr. Mxyzptlk (and boy is it disturbing)... might have to mark this entry "Not Safe for Work".

--

This was a neat little throwaway... which is kinda how I look at most Mxy-centric stories.  Overly silly, and without much real consequence... Mxy stories kinda tough to look at objectively.  I mean, his whole schtick is a gimmick... soon as things start getting silly in a book, it's just gotta be Mxy.

That said... what can one say about a Mxy story?  Not a whole lot, I'm afraid.  It's suitably silly... and the antics look to be getting under Superman's skin.  The use of a lottery to foment the riots was an interesting approach... and even drummed up a fair bit of tension.  Of course, when giant pennies started raining, and buildings began doing the two-step, we kinda knew the deal.  I admit, I became a bit deflated at that point.

It kinda reminded me of old Twilight Zone episodes... where they start off with so much potential and suspense (luck, good or bad is a neat subject to explore)... but end, pretty much exactly how you thought they would.  As for the art... I already said it above, but this early glossy paper really doesn't do anybody any favors.

Overall... if you're a fan of Mxy and Mayhem, you're probably going to dig this.  This issue is available digitally.

--

Letters Page:

--

Interesting Ads:

771

Batman #454 (1990)

Batman #454 (September, 1990)
"Dark Knight, Dark City: Part III"
Writer - Peter Milligan
Pencils - Kieron Dwyer
Inks - Dennis Janke
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Assoc. Edits - Dan Raspler
Edits - Denny O'Neil
Cover Price: $1.00

Alrighty... let's get straight to it...

Of course, if you need/want to catch up, you can check out the previous two chapters here and here.

--

When last we left Batman, he was about to perform a tracheotomy on a newborn.  Armed only with a dirty butcher's knife and his wits... he cuts a hole in the baby's throat... before rushing out of the sewer and delivering him to the hospital... where he would lay on life support.

Batman meets up with Jim Gordon at the hospital, and we learn that the baby is named Michael and is only eight days old.  On his diaper was pinned yet another clue...

Only one left, a little boy crawler...

You'll find lots of him, though shorter and taller...

Well, my mind went straight to fun house mirrors, howsabout you?  Batman has the same idea in mind... though he humors Alfred's attempt at referencing a Thomas Pynchon novel.  When Cooney's Circus Land is popped into the Bat-Map, the locations of the last several riddles appear to be an unfinished question mark, hmm... When Batman proactively "finishes" the question mark, he believes the Circus is just one stop before the final showdown... Stockman's Square.  Hey, where have we heard that name before?

Oh yeah... back in 1793, we visit with our old friend Jacob Stockman... he's busily jotting away into his journal.  His mind keeps going back to "that night"... no, not the one where he and his parents went to see Zorro... the night when him, Thomas Jefferson, and some other wigged goobers locked a poor woman (who'd undergone preparations to become a "human bat") in the cellar with the daemon Barbathos.

Back in the present, we join Batman at the circus.  He heads straight into the Hall of Mirrors... where he finds himself standing before the baby and... a goat?  A confused Batman is then shot with a flamethrower by one of Riddler's men.  He narrowly avoids the flames by engaging in some aerial antics.  When the smoke clears, Batman finds himself alone with the goat... and the final (unharmed) baby.  He sits in a disturbing silence looking his surreal surroundings... shattered mirrors, a baby... and a goat.

Batman hands the tot off to a passing squad car and, remembering that the question-mark labyrinth on Gotham City map ends at Stockman's Square, makes haste.  Minutes later, he finds himself standing outside of Q&A Storage.  Inside, the Riddler's goons are surprised when Batman leads with a goat!  In the distraction, Batman swoops in and kayos one of the henchmen but good.

This must be a pretty old building... Batman's batline breaks one of the rotting beams near the ceiling, and he crashes to the ground.  Just before the Riddler's flamethrower goon barbecues the bat... the Riddler shoots him in the gut.  If it hasn't been made clear already... he needs Batman alive.

Some time later Batman wakes up.  Before him stands the Riddler, who is wearing some sort of robe... and reading from an old tattered book.  We pan out and come to find that Batman has been tied to an altar... and there's some symbols on the wall behind him.  Riddler explains that the book is in fact the journal of Jacob Stockman... the same journal we've been visiting on and off throughout this tale.

He explains to Batman about the sacrificial ritual that was never completed... even going as far as showing him the skeletal remains of the poor young lady from our flashback bits.  He continues, telling Batman that the young lady had been prepared... prepared to become a "human bat".  She completed several trials, willingly, to be the sacrifice... we learn that all the hoops Batman has been put through over the past several chapters were fulfilling those same requirements.

The first step... kissing the lips of a hanged man... which Batman unwittingly did when he gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the hung security guard at the Gotham University Library.

Next, bathing in blood... which Batman did at the transfusion center.  Third, taking part in a danse macabre... which occurred at the Gotham Military Cemetery when the zombies attacked.  Fourth, slaying a wild dog (hopefully not that Wild Dog!) with a silver knife... which happened when Batman stabbed the attacking pit bull terrier.  Next, and perhaps the most disturbing slitting the throat of an unbaptized child... which Batman had little choice but to do when that child is choking on a ping pong ball.  Finally, a "Black Sabbath Dance" (I... am... Iron Man) which is when you dance before the devil (in the pale moon light?)... which is a bit of a stretch here... Batman did acrobatic maneuvers to avoid flamethrower fire... in front of a horned goat?  Ehh, why not?

Now, Batman is fully "prepared" to be sacrificed.  Before the Riddler does the deed, Batman asks him what's going on.  In a really neat bit, he plays to his rationality... offering that he always thought they had a kind of respect for one another.  The Riddler, however, ain't buying it... just as he's about to plunge the blade into Batman's chest... a "presence" makes itself known.

The Daemon Barbathos begins speaking to the pair.  He mocks the Riddler, claiming he was nothing more than a means to an end... what it wanted was the Batman.  The Riddler frantically beats a hasty retreat... and re-boards up the underground temple, leaving Batman to die alongside the poor sacrificial woman from two centuries prior.

Barbathos turns its attentions to Batman, who by now has freed himself from his bindings.  It shows Batman the events of that tragic night in 1765.  Stockman, Jefferson and the whole gang all flee like cowards... and leave the young woman behind.  We watch her scratch at the door until her fingers bleed.

We learn that the bat-shaped figure that swooped into the unholy temple was... get this, just a bat.  These geeks ran away from a normal bat.  Barbathos uses the skeletal remains of the bat as a means to communicate with Batman.  It laments the fact that it has been trapped in this underground temple for 200 years... and demands that Batman finally free the young woman, and in so doing... free Barbathos.

Batman and the woman, who we come to find is called Dominique share a moment's conversation.  They feel a sort of kinship between them... almost as though they share a bloodline.  As they chat, smoke starts billowing through the cracks in the hatch.  The Riddler has set the building on fire!

A few panicked moments later, the hatch opens.  Alfred has saved the day!  Batman takes Dominique in his arms, covers her with his cape... and runs out of the burning building.  Outside, when Batman opens his cape, we find that he was carrying Dominique's remains.

Time passes, and we join Batman at the Wayne family crypt... where he'd had Dominique interred.  On her plaque, she is referred to as "My Sister".  We learn that the baby, Michael survived... and may just get a visit from Mr. Wayne the next day.

--

What a crazy story!  This is one of those gems that it's so fun to revisit once every bunch of years.  As I think I'd mentioned previously, it's been about a decade since I last read this... so, most of the finer points of the story were forgotten.  I had a blast experiencing this bugger again.  The main thing I remember from my last read through was that I walked away from it satisfied.  It was a tight, well-paced, beautifully rendered tale that made sense and ended with a pay-off.

I know there'd been mention of Barbathos during Grant Morrison's run on Batman & Robin before Flashpoint, which isn't much of a surprise.  I remember hearing that before taking over the Batman-ship, so to speak, Grant Morrison read every single issue that came before.  I could definitely see this Peter Milligan story catching his eye... I can't remember just how deep the mention went, and I would have to dig through many longboxes to find the answer.

It was interesting that Batman was sorta-kinda given a sorta-kinda sister at the end there.  I cannot find any reference of Dominique "Wayne" following this story... but I think it was a pretty neat addition to the mythos.  If I were to guess, I'd figure there may have been an "Easter Egg" or two referring to her the the subsequent decades... but I cannot say for certain.  Maybe one day we'll get another visit to the Wayne family crypt and see if she's still there.  Do the Waynes have a crypt?  I always thought they just had a grave site... hmm...

I suppose I gotta mention the man of the hour... The Riddler.  Wow, what a take on this classic character.  Truly disturbing... and a fun approach to Nigma.  I really appreciate how the entire event was weaved through riddles... I would say that the Riddler would be an odd fit for such a dark and occult tale, but given the circumstances, I really dig it.

Even though I just spoiled the entire thing... this one should definitely be tracked down.  There is such a wonderful flow throughout these three issues, that I'm sure my spoilery synopses didn't do proper justice to.  This is a story all Bat-fans should experience!

That's gonna wrap up our impromptu Bat-Week... we'll do something special for Independence Day tomorrow... and then...

Christmas on Infinite Earths... in July???

--

Letters Page:

--

Interesting Ads: