DC Universe Holiday Special '09 (Doom Patrol)
"The (Beast) Boy Who Hated Christmas!"
Writer - Sterling Gates
Art - Jonboy Meyers
Colors - Chuck Pires
Letters - Travis Lanham
Editors - Adam Schlagman & Eddie Berganza
Something really cool about this Holiday Special is the fact that we're not only going to be getting stories from the "Magnificent Seven" or the strictly A-List characters... we're going to get some real weirdos moving forward (heck, we're gonna be talking B'wana friggin' Beast in a few days!). It's been a while since I've written about the Doom Patrol, so today's is gonna be fun!
Let's get right to it!
--
We open way back in the long ago, with the Doom Patrol victorious in battle over... I wanna say the Brain. It's a giant robot, with what appears to be a brain exposed on top. Might just be some artistic license... might be another baddie altogether. It's not really important here. What's important at this juncture is... it's Christmas Eve! And Beast Boy really isn't the biggest fan of the Holiday Season. The narration only backs that up. The Doomies ask Gar why he's so down... and he's pretty evasive. He basically tells his teammates to "stick it" before morphing into a bird to return home to his caretaker.
Rita decides to follow and try and get to the bottom of what's the matter with Gar... and so, she tracks him back to the motel where his guardian, Mr. Galtry is holed up. Upon return, Gar is immediately scolded and put to work. Rita is beside herself... and reports her findings to her husband, Steve "Mento" Dayton.
She then makes a suggestion... a plea, even. Considering that Gar is only fourteen, that means he'll be stuck with this jerk guardian for another four years. Rita beats around the bush a bit rather than flat-out asking the question rattling around in her head. Steve, however, smells what she's cookin'... and shoots her down.
We shift ahead a little while, and rejoin Beast Boy as he's reading a Christmas story. He's interrupted by his Doom Patrol communications device calling him into action! He rushes out, only to find, not an emergency, but Steve and Rita... and they really want to talk.
Rita reveals that she, like Logan, hated Christmas. Being a strictly career-minded individual as an actress, she never had any use for the Holidays. She never prioritized family, and was actually annoyed by those who did. Now, though... things are different. She has a husband in Steve, a support system in the Doom Patrol... in fact, there's only one thing that's missing. And, considering that that is unable to have children... that one thing is likely to remain elusive. That is, of course, unless Gar allows she and Steve to legally adopt him as their Son.
Well, that's all our Beast Boy needed to hear... he is 100% on board with this idea! We wrap up with the revelation that the anti-Christmas narration we've been reading was not coming from Beast Boy... but Rita all along.
--
Another great little story!
Being a sucker for "lore", I appreciate any time where established continuity can be used in service of another story. Rita and Steve adopting Gar is an important (and oft-cited) part of that early Doom Patrol run... and, I'll admit it's been awhile since I last read that stuff... so, I don't remember exactly how this went down back in the long ago.
But, that doesn't really matter here! This is just a neat little heartwarming Christmas story. I really dug the little switcheroo we got with the narration. It was easy to assume that the anti-Christmas sentiment was coming from the (Beast) Boy Who Hated Christmas... so, it was neat and clever when we found out it was actually Rita!
Gotta mention the art... it's pretty spectacular. I first (knowingly) encountered Jonboy Meyers during his time on Spawn... and, he's the kinda talent where, when you see his work, you know you're looking at something special. I was so psyched when he was tapped to provide art for the Rebirth era Teen Titans... and was super-bummed when it all fell through! Excellent stuff... beautiful characters!
I was going to save this reveal for the end of our DC Universe Holiday Special '09 discussion... however, since that will wrap up on Christmas Day, it's going to be too late. As of this writing, you can head over to DC Digital and grab this entire issue... for FREE!
Give it a click... and add these stories to your Holiday Reading Rotation! Tell 'em Chris is on Infinite Earths sentcha... if they ask, which they won't!
Tomorrow: Kon-El crashes the Party!
Superman: New Krypton Special #1 (December, 2008)
"New Krypton, Part One"
Writers - Geoff Johns, James Robinson & Sterling Gates
Pencillers - Pete Woods, Gary Frank & Renato Guedes
Inkers - Pete Woods, Jon Sibal & Wilson Magalhaes
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Steve Wands
Associate Editor - Nachie Castro
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $3.99
New Krypton hit during that strange and ugly time where I was suffering from a bout of interminable unemployment. Every now and again during this horrible year, in between losing almost everything, I would pop into comics news sites. I couldn't afford to actually read anything, but I enjoyed "keeping up".
Toward the Fall of 2008 the news broke that Superman would be... leaving Action Comics and Superman! I remember thinking, as a younger fella, that it would be cool if maybe Superman did a storyarc in Detective Comics while Batman did one in Action Comics, and thought this might be what was going on. Alas, it wasn't to be... instead, Superman's adventures were going to move to the World of New Krypton maxi-series, being replaced by Mon-El and the team of Nightwing and Flamebird in his "home" titles.
This wasn't the news I wanted to read... and I pretty much wrote off the titles. Not that I could afford to support them in the first place, but figured... if I could, I wouldn't. And this held true, until my obsessive tendencies kicked in a few years later.
They say time heals all wounds... and it's been a very long time (and multiple reboots) since I've actually tried reading this, so let's see how an older and mellower Chris receives this...
--
We open during the funeral of Jonathan Kent. Pa had passed of a heart attack at the end of the Brainiac storyline which led up to the rediscovery (and resizing) of Kandor... and thus, the (re)introduction of a hundred-thousand Kryptonians! It looks as though Clark is giving something of a eulogy... though, it's worth mentioning that the first several pages are silent. What follows is a pretty violent fantasy (I'm pretty sure it's a fantasy and not a memory) wherein Superman beats the holy hell out of a defenseless Brainiac.
Clark remains in Smallville, and pops into the family barn to go through some of Pa's belongings and reflect. He comes across an old kite, a hat reading "Happy Father's Day" in Interlac from the far-flung future, and finally a horseshoe Clark had burnt a father's day message into with his heat vision.
We shift to a military installation and find a commander chatting up... holy cow, Codename: Assassin!? I think we know who is responsible for writing this bit (if it's 1st Issue Special, it's gotta be Robinson). They are discussing the arrival of the Kandorians and it is revealed that they currently have Brainiac hooked up to a whole bunch of machines in hopes that they can find out what he's got in his head.
While he's poked and prodded he awakens... and goes a bit berserk. He breaks free of his bindings and proceeds to thrash the Docs and researchers, demanding to know where his cities were taken. His rampage lasts long enough for Agent Assassin to get involved and flatten him with some power blasts.
Back in Smallville, Clark is talking with Ma. He offers to remain in Smallville for the foreseeable future, but she tells him he's needed elsewhere... also, the folks of Smallville have shown an outpouring of love and support for the Kent family. He jams out... and heads to the Antarctic where Kandor has been embiggened.
Upon arrival, he meets up with his Aunt and Uncle, Alura In-Ze and Zor-El. They are proud of the man their nephew grew into, and are thankful for his aid in rescuing their people from Brainiac's clutches. Superman suggests the Kandorians make themselves more acquainted with Earthen culture and customs... which Zor-El doesn't appear to be completely on board with. He asks why Kal-El would want his own people to learn to be "less Kryptonian". Hmm. Superman tries to clarify, however, the chat is interrupted by the arrival of his cousin (and their daughter) Kara Zor-El... Supergirl!
We hop over to Washington, DC where Lois is leaving a bouquet of flowers at her father, Sam Lane's grave. He was killed during Our Worlds At War, but don't cry for him just yet. Lucy Lane arrives, and the sisters have a fairly contentious conversation. Lucy has joined the military to honor her father... and talks about how pathetic she used to be, characterizing herself as "Lois Lane's sister". She continues... accusing Lois of loving Superman more than their father... and attributes that to his death, which is a low blow... and really doesn't make sense... but whattayagonnado?
Back in Kandor, the Kryptonians begin displaying meta-human powers. Up until this point, their powers have been few... now, they're all flying! The first thing one of the Kandorians do it... kill a(n endangered) blue whale! Whoops. The Kandorian felt it was a threat... and punched it. It feels like it's this point where Superman realizes that he's got a tough row to hoe.
Superman uses this to back up his stance on the Kryptonians adapting to Earth culture... and turns to Zor-El to aid in leading their people. Zor-El clarifies that he and his wife may lead the city... but they don't control the people. He assures Kal that before long the Kandorians will prove to be friends of Earth. Hmm.
We briefly pop back to Smallville... and witness a pretty heartbreaking scene of Ma Kent dining alone. It's scenes like this that always remain with me.
Back at the Daily Planet, Lois and Jimmy are talking. It's weird, Jimmy's calling Lois "Ms. Lane", which I would've figured they were beyond by this point. He mentions seeing a strange man during Superman's battle with... Atlas, (Heyyy... another 1st Issue Special alum!). He discusses a Cadmus facility in the desert called Warpath... that is amassing weaponry in order to "defeat Kryptonians"... in light of this perceived "invasion". But who could be behind this?
Glad you asked, because as we wrap up we visit Stryker's Island... more specifically the cell of Lex Luthor... but he ain't the guy we're talking about. He's been in prison since being booted from the White House, and is madly scribbling all sorts of plans on his cell walls... and floor! He finds himself visited by... well, the man behind the whole shebang (and Kryptonian invasion paranoia), General Sam Lane?!
--
Well, I guess it's true... time does heal all wounds, at least for me. I really dug this issue this time around. We've got a bit to unpack, so let's get to it.
Now my main takeaway my first time through was that New Krypton made Superman less special. There's a point of view that Superman should always be the most fantastic part of any panel he's featured in. Putting him among 100,000 Kryptonians made him far less special. In reading this back, I can already see that they're building this story to illustrate that even among his own people... Superman is still special. His Kryptonian powers along with his Smallville upbringing make him stand out. I can dig that.
Speaking of the Kryptonians... there's a lot of potential for conflict here. I will admit that I've never read this epic tale to completion, so I don't know how this pans out (outside of General Zod having some part in it). I found it interesting... subtle even, that Zor-El was confused (and perhaps insulted) by Kal's suggestion that they familiarize themselves with Earth cultures and customs. I look forward to seeing if/how this pans out.
I do love Superman's face upon seeing the dead blue whale. It's as though he hadn't considered the negative potential for Kryptonian mass Earthen-immigration. Somehow punching a whale in the face still comes across as somehow subtle. Interesting that Zor-El kinda shrugs the whole thing off too. I dig where this might be headed.
The Ma Kent scene was one of the more powerful. Amid several beautiful and majestic looking two-page spreads, we get a quiet page of Ma dining alone. I'm unsure if the juxtaposition was intentional, but the hopelessness in her page was almost tangible. I mean, the pages of the Kryptonians flying were so impressive you could almost hear an orchestra beginning to play... then, Ma Kent in sitting at the table in her (silent) darkened kitchen.
Quiet scenes like that always get me. It's even worse than the funeral, or the actual death. It's where you must come to grips with the fact that life does go on... albeit in a drastically (and painfully) changed form. I'm reminded of a particularly painful scene in All in the Family following Edith's death. Archie returns home and sees a pair of her slippers... and he goes to yell at her for leaving them out as a reflex... but then the stark realization hits him. It's a scene I've only seen once, because... dammit, I'm not going to put myself through that twice... so, my memory might be a bit off.
The reintroduction of Sam Lane was interesting... or would've been had I remembered that he had died in the first place. I guess it would've been more impactful had I recently read Our Worlds At War. Putting Luthor back on the table as a threat is also a neat touch... it makes sense for the guy who always warns about the danger of "the alien" to team up with an anti-Kryptonian task force (of sorts).
I appreciate the nods to 1st Issue Special throughout this issue (and the Robinson run). He's clearly a big fan of the short-lived seventies oddity. I love anytime obscure characters are given a bit of a shine... I mean, DC (and comics in general) has so many one-off characters with potential... and it's nice to see 'em get some screen time every now and again. Plus, it gives obsessives like me something to mark out over.
The art here was really good, with the caveat that a few of the Gary Frank bits made the characters look a bit... let's just say, emaciated. Faces were kinda sucked in, and the mouths/teeth looked especially "off". Otherwise, great work throughout. If I remember right, Guedes and Woods were the regular artists on Superman and Action Comics respectively going forward.
Also... we've got triangle numbering! Whoo-hoo!
Overall... I'm not sure how long New Krypton will hold my attention... or how long it would hold yours, but I would suggest that this introductory special is worth checking out. It's been collected as part of Superman: New Krypton, Volume One and is also available digitally.
--
DC Nation:
--
Interesting Ads:
565
Superman: War of the Supermen #0 (June, 2010)
"War of the Supermen, Prologue"
"Filling in the Blanks"
Writers - James Robinson & Sterling Gates
Pencillers - Eddy Barrows, Julian Lopez, Aaron Lopresti, David Finch, Gary Frank, Cafu, Ethan Van Sciver & Diogenes Neves
Inkers - J.P. Mayer, Bit, Joe Weems & Vicente Cifuentes
Colorists - Rod Reis, Blond
Letterer - John J. Hill
Assistant Editor - Wil Moss
Editor - Matt Idelson
Free Comic Book Day
Today we're gonna look at one of my, relatively-recent Superman blind spots... and I'm going to complain about contemporary Free Comic Book Day offerings.
--
We open with a rather peeved off Superman bursting through a wall. He has arrived at a Kryptonian Military Installation located one mile below the surface of New Krypton. He's there to... you guessed it, talk to Zod. Can't have a Krypton story without him... unfortunately. To fill us in a bit, Zod was made General of New Krypton's army (seems a stellar idea, don't it?)... and Superman had left Earth for a time to serve in that army... and make sure Zod doesn't act all Zoddy.
Speaking of acting "Zoddy", Superman is here to confront the big Z has because he's declared war on Earth. The two exchange punches for a bit, until Ursa (who I initially mistook for Zaora) slashes Superman across the chest with a Kryptonite knife! She claims it hurts to even hold the thing, but the satisfaction wielding it brings outweighs the pain.
Superman blasts the knife away with heat vision before once more, stepping to Zod. Zod's having a grand old time, and brings Superman up to speed, advising him he was about to surrender... and I am pleasantly surprised and thankful Robinson and Gates didn't resort to using this to shoehorn a "hilarious" "Kneel before..." reference. As Superman approaches, he is crushed from above by the body of Non (who I mistook as Quex-Ul). Zod always seems to have one big dude and one lady as his seconds.
With Ursa and Non holding Superman at bay, Zod reminds him that on New Krypton, he's no "super" anything... he's simply one of one-hundred thousand... all with the same powers.
He continues running through his justification for the war declaration. It appears General Sam Lane and his spies were responsible for the death of Supergirl's father, Zor-El. Zod's own spies claimed to have uncovered Earth/Sam Lane's own plans to declare war on New Krypton... before they were killed. It all feels very he said/he said... but whattayagonnado? Zod does wrap up his monologue by ensuring Superman that this isn't just about New Krypton's safety/sovereignty... it's also personal. He hates the House of El, and is still looking for revenge. If he can destroy Kal-El's adoptive home, and kill everyone he holds dear... well, that's all the better.
Superman breaks free, swearing to stop Zod before he can initiate the plan. As Ursa and Non tackle our man again, Zod just laughs and goes all Ozymandias on us... ya can't stop what's already happened, Clark... everybody knows that.
Our back-up is framed around Lois Lane writing a story for the Daily Planet... nothing we haven't seen before. This is pretty good stuff though... it serves to fill all of us Johnny-DC-come-latelies (and, read-this-stuff-so-long-agos,-we-can't-remember-what-happeneds) in on the New Krypton clusterschmazz. Of course, we open with a page telling us about that fateful day a rocket was sent from Krypton with a "baby on board" placard. Seems we can't go more than an issue and a half anymore without reading about that.
We jump ahead years later to Superman and Supergirl rescuing the Bottle City of Kandor from Brainiac. Upon enlarging it, they discovered 100,000 new Kryptonian brothers and sisters. Humans would invade the city (Which apparently wasn't destroyed-to-dust upon enlargement like the first time this story happened) and Supergirl's father Zor-El would be killed. This led to Zor-El's wife Alura creating a new planet for the Kryptonians... a New Krypton, if you weeeeell.
For protection, these New Kryptonians would turn to... no, not Superman... General freaking Zod. Ya kinda get what you deserve sometimes, right? I don't understand the logic of grabbing a fella you imprisoned... for e-ter-ni-ty... and asking him to protect you. Gotta figure there might be some sour grapes there, no? Anyhoo, this is where Superman decides to move to the new planet, and join its army.
While away from Earth, Superman made arrangements for his adoptive home to be protected. This crew includes, Kon-El, Mon-El (and, I just realized their names are only one letter apart!), Steel, Krypto, the Guardian, and Nightwing and Flamebird.
Lois next discusses Project 7734, which is a military black-ops organization focused on countering potential alien invasions. It is being run by her father, ol' General Lane. She talks about some of the operatives, which includes some 1st Issue Special love in Atlas... also, Lois' own sister Lucy Lane is now somehow a "Kryptonian killing machine" going by the name Superwoman. I don't remember that at all.
She begins to wrap up her article, discussing the death of her pal and co-worker, Jimmy Olsen! It appears he "got too close" while investigating Project 7734, and was found at the bottom of the harbor. If only that were true... because a few panels later (a still wet?) Jimmy arrives with all the information Lois was looking for. He claims that Natasha Irons rescued him and kept him out of sight (but not dry). Now, Lois can learn the whole truth about her father.
--
Man, whatever happened to DC Free Comic Book Day issues that meant a damn? All we get these days are garbage reprints with zero context aimed at people who only go to the comic shops one day a year... if they remember "which Saturday in May" they get free crap handed to them.
This is how ya do it! What a great way to kick off a story... a free issue front-loaded with prologue, and back-loaded with everything you might need to jump into the impending event. Both stories promise "to be continued... in four days". If you wanna get readers (new, old, lapsed, whatever) interested and excited, this is the way to go. You don't promise something "in thirty days" or "Summer 2017" or with a nebulous "Next", you give them less than a week. You remind some of them that comic book shops are open more than one day a year... and you also catch shop regulars who may not necessarily be into Superman... but decide to give him a go after checking this out. It's crazy, it's almost as though DC thought this one out!
For the story itself... well, it's called a prologue and that's precisely what it is. We learn of our threat... and it ramps up to the point where it's about to boil over. A great bit of storytelling that sets the stage for whats to come. I'm still no fan of Zod... I find him kind of a bore. I'm just thankful there were no requisite cutesy "Kneel before..."s in here.
The backup was really well done, even if framing a story with "writer writing about something" is a bit tropey. I suppose things become that way for a reason. This worked well for me, as a lapsed reader... who, if I'm being honest, walked away from the Superman books early/mid-New Krypton... so a bunch of this was new to me.
The art throughout the issue was another high point. Another really good use of the platform (and opportunity) that Free Comic Book Day can (and should) be. I hope I'm not coming across too angry (or old-manny) sounding here, I just feel pretty strongly about using things like FCBD as ways to promote comics and comic shops... not whatever movie might be coming out. Contemporary "throwaway" offerings, like an issue of Suicide Squad without context or a half-decade old (and no longer in continuity) issue of Action Comics are part of why I sometimes refer to the event as "Pretend you care about Comics Day".
Overall, if I were to have read this during that weekend in May, 2010... I'd be totally psyched to check out the War of the Supermen and the entire New Krypton schmazz. Having read it in 2017... I only wish I had the time to! If you're interested in checking this one out, you've got no excuse not to... it's available digitally FOR FREE!
--
Interesting Ads:
513
