Plastic Man #17 (1977)

Plastic Man #17 (April-May, 1977)
Story - John Albano
Art - Ramona Fradon & Bob Smith
Cover Price: $0.30

Figured on the eve of our ONE-THOUSANDTH DAILY DISCUSSION, we'd stretch our legs a little bit with some Bronze-Age Plastic Man.

Got butterflies in my belly about tomorrow's piece... I hope you all stick around for that!

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We open with... a quick and dirty retelling of Plas' origin story which, I suppose is most helpful if you're unaware of where he came from.  If'n ya don't know, he was originally a safe-cracker named Eel O'Brian, who nearly got caught while he and some pals were knocking over a chemical plant.  His associates left him behind... he was shot in the back, and fell into a vat of acid.  He'd survive the dunk, and soon realize he'd manifested rubber-band properties... with which he would "fight the kind of rats" that left him behind.  not exactly "I am justice, I am the night", but it'll work.  Also, he has a pal named Woozy.

To the present... a pair of Communis... err, anti-Capitalists plan to bomb a "Capitalist-owned" Department Store (well, gee, that narrows it down), to... uh, I dunno, scare them, I guess?

Wouldn'tcha know it, their plan goes off without a hitch... the place goes boom, leaving two people dea... err, "seriously injured".  C'mon Plas, you don't cover up "injured" people like that.

Anyhoo, before pursuing the baddies, Plas decides to pop in on his lady love, Dolly.  He tells Woozy to go grab a bite to eat while he waits... and so, the penniless goof attempts to steal some kids hot dog.  This doesn't turn out well for him (and makes him look like quite the predator).  Inside, Plastic Man finds his beloved Dolly... with (dun-dun-dunnnn) another man!

Plas leaves... and even takes his puny bouquet of flowers with him.  Moments later, those two Commie... er, Anti-Capitalists bust into Dolly's apartment.  Ya see, her father, Willie Wile, is a renowned (and reformed) bank robber, and a man the Anticaps need for their next outing.  They figure, they steal the dame, her daddy'll do whatever they ask of him.

Oh, they also toss her gentleman caller out the window.  Plastic Man makes the save... but it doesn't look like it was all that pleasant a landing either way.

Then, Plastic Man hops into action.  He approaches the would-be Dollynappers, however, since they are holding a gun up to her pretty little head, there isn't much he can do.  They load her into their boogeyvan and drive off.  Somehow they don't realize that Plastic Man will simply follow them from a safe distance.

Meanwhile, Woozy Winks decides to rush off to the Police Station to tell them what just happened.  I'm not sure if this is a running gag or not (though, I presume it is), but he's already been scooped by an' old bitty named Miss Snoopbone, who saw the whole thing through her telescope.  Whatta bummer.

We rejoin Plastic Man as he locates the van.  Peeking inside, he doesn't find Dolly... but, her father Willie is there.  The Anticaps twist his arm with threats to his daughter, and he agrees to take part in their next outing.

Plastic Man sits back as the baddies disguise their van as that of the Police Bomb Squad.  Once that's done, he removes one of the tires, and takes its place himself.  Adding insult to discomfort, he takes a few stiff kicks to test his psi.  Good thing they didn't use a gauge... I'd hate to think where they'd stick it!

The trio head to the bank, and convince the guards to... get this, evacuate the entire place.  They claim that they received word of a bomb threat, and were here to check it out.  Nobody asked for credentials... which makes me thankful I keep all of my money under my mattress.  After robbing the emptied bank, they leave claiming the entire thing was a "false alarm".

Later, the goons bring Willie back to the woods, and release his daughter.  Of course, it's not going to be that easy... since, they figure he's outlived his usefulness, they'll just kill 'em both.

Well, not so fast, kemosabes... because Plastic Man saw the whole thing.  He bowls over a baddie, and even Willie gets in on the act.  Together, they're able to neutralize the Anti-Capitalist threat.

The Police show up, and they all have a good laugh.  Dolly gives Plas a peck on the cheek, and he asks if they can have a dinner date tonight.  She's all "nope, already have a date"... okay, so what about tomorrow... "nope, that's another dude's night".  Wonk wonk wonnnnk.

We wrap up with Woozy rushing off to the Daily Globe, hopeful that he can break the story... only to find out he's been scooped yet again!

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Okay, this was a fun one!  Weird and silly... just a neat little story.

This is the kind of, I dunno, "episodic" storytelling that younger Chris would have turned his nose up at.  Whatever stakes there are, are confined to this issue.  I'm not expecting any of this to effect things moving forward... though, I'd assume "running gags" like Miss Snoopdogg or whatever scooping Woozy, and maybe Dolly's numerous suitors, might continue.  Very sitcommy.  As a kid, this would've turned me off... today though, I find it sort of refreshing.

Not every issue needs to shatter our senses, or "break the internet".  It's cool to just be able to read a fun story, and not worry about what bits and pieces we need to commit to our memory... or worry about cross-referencing it with whatever filing system we have in our brains.

Couldn't discuss this issue without giving a sizable nod to the wonderful art.  Ramona Fradon is pretty awesome... Plastic Man is one of those characters perfectly suited for her pencil.  We've covered a few more Fradon works here... I believe there was an Aquaman and a Metamorpho story... perhaps even a Super Friends.  She's great.  This issues doesn't look overly cartoony... it walks that line between "regular" comic book and far-out crazy Plas, and does so wonderfully.

It's funny... my main takeaway from this issue is that one panel after the Department Store explosion... ya know, with the "seriously injured" people.  This one:

I mean, those people are almost certainly dead... right?  I'm no paramedic, but I don't think you cover the faces of folks who are still alive, right?  Heck, I suppose I could be wrong.  I'd bet they were originally intended to be fatalities though... probably had to "soften" it for the Comics Code Authority.  The CCA had softened post 1971... but, perhaps not to the point where we can show actual dead bodies in the pages of a book like Plastic Man.

Overall, heckuva good time here.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's been collected nor made available digitally.  Maybe one day!

Before we check out, another reminder that tomorrow... that is, Friday, October 26, 2018... is the day of our ONE-THOUSANDTH DAILY DISCUSSION.  Be there or be... somewhere else!

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Plastic Man #1 (2004)

Plastic Man #1 (February, 2004)
"Rebound"
Written & Illustrated - Kyle Baker
Editor - Joey Cavalieri
Cover Price: $2.95

Here's one that caught my eye while flipping through the ol' library.  Never was much of a Plastic Man fan... I know I watched the cartoon when I was younger, and sorta-kinda dug him as the oddball in the JLA, but never thought about reading his solo exploits.  This issue comes from the tail-end of my stint as a DC completionist.  I would grab one of everything they put out, regardless if I had any interest in the character(s).  At the time I had a decent job, no real responsibilities, and my wallet must have just been too damn heavy to lug around (that has all since changed).

It's quite interesting for me to revisit this point in my fandom, as back then I did not separate the wheat from the chaff.  I just bought, and bought, and bought... even if I wasn't really reading.  I suppose I have something of an obsessive streak in me, which makes me an easy mark for most of the comics industries gimmicks and sales ploys.  I also paid full price for all of my books... like I felt it was my civic duty to keep my local comic shops in business.  Caring more about their bottom line than my own, I spent, and spent, and spent.

What a difference a recession makes, eh?  Today we're gonna find out if Plastic Man was worthy of my hard-earned three bucks.

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Down at the docks, a pair of mooks try and concoct a plan for their latest caper.  They huddle around a curiously colored table and plan.  One of the goofs spills a shaker of pepper all over the table... ultimately causing it to... sneeze?  That's right, it was not a table at all... it was the hero of this story, Plastic Man.  The ne'er-do-wells empty their pistols at Plas, which proves to be as ineffective as one may imagine.

With the help of Woozy Wink's backside Plas makes short work of these lugs, and hauls them off to the police station.

We get a brief look into Plastic Man's current lifestyle, he is surrounded by pretty women and is considered a local hero.  Even though everything seems great, he cannot shake feelings of loneliness that gnaw at him.  As he goes to bed for the evening, he hopes he doesn't dream.

Unfortunately for him (though fortunately for us) he does dream.  As he lulls to sleep, his face contorts to that of Eel O'Brien, his former, more crooked self.  He dreams how his transformation occurred.  He was doing one last job, at the Crawford Chemical Works.  He and his gang sought to loot their safes and make off with one last take.

A security guard happens by and attempts to chase Eel's boys off.  As they flee, O'Brien suffers a both gunshot wound in the shoulder and getting splashed with acid.  He manages to get away, though his gang drives off without him.  He struggles to maintain consciousness, however, his injuries prove too severe.  He stumbles through a swamp, and rubbery-legged, collapses.

He wakes up at the Rest Haven Monastery, where a monk had nursed him back to health.  It is here that Eel realizes that he's "turned into plastic".  He sees this as an opportunity to turn over a new leaf and perhaps use his new found powers for good.

Back in the present, Plas is shaken from his slumber by a ringing phone.  It is the Police Chief, who informs him there'd been a homicide.  Plas hops into the phone's receiver and pops out the other end.

As they investigate the crime scene, erstwhile bum Woozy wanders in.  He observes a wallet on the ground, and attempts to pocket it.  Plas excitedly announces that Woozy has found a clue causing him to drop the wallet right into the hands of the Police Chief.

The Chief believes the wallet belongs to the murderer... and it just so happens to belong to one, Eel O'Brien.

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This volume of Plastic Man just feels special.  It's unlike anything from its vintage.  Remember wandering into an arcade or a bowling alley during the mid 1980's?  You'd see all the normal video game cabinets... then off on the periphery, you'd see Dragon's Lair.  Kyle Baker's Plastic Man was the Dragon's Lair of the mid-2000's comic book shelf.  It just demanded your attention... it was almost as though you were powerless against it.  You may not have bought or played it (as the case may be)... but, if you saw it, you remembered it.  It stuck with you.

 One of these games is more likely to draw your eye... at least initially

In reading, it's a fine story.  A great introductory piece for Plastic Man and a bit of his supporting cast... okay, just Woozy Winks.  The origin segment in this issue is inspired, and actually plays into the overall narrative of the piece.  You actually begin to feel for Plas/Eel as he is seemingly haunted by his past.  The cliffhanger is quite interesting, and makes you want to come back for the next issue.  The opening bit was a little hokey, however, it served its purpose well.

The art?  Are you kidding?  This issue looks like a collection of animation cells... and makes it work beautifully!  The art style is what makes this book special... it fits the character and concept almost perfectly.  The only aesthetic complaint I have is in the book's lettering.  The lettering looks like a like a poorly calibrated typewriter... it kind of pulls me out of the story.  I feel that a more traditional lettering style would have served this issue far better.

Is it worth checking out?  Hell yeah.  This series ran for 20 issues throughout the mid-aughts, and was a fun ride throughout.  This issue was part of a collection, Plastic Man: On the Lam, and the entire series is available digitally at DC Digital.  Definitely worth a look-see, even for just the novelty of the amazing art.

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This issue also featured a DC Focus (remember that?) Promotional insert