Chris is on Infinite Earths: tom mandrake

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Wednesday, February 12, 2020

NTS #2 - Sky Dogs

New Talent Showcase #2 (Sky Dogs)
"A Magic Carpet Ride"
Writer - L.B. Kellogg
Art - Tom Mandrake
Letters - Phil Felix
Colors - Shelley Eiber
Edits - Marv Wolfman & Ernie Colon

Welcome back to New Talent Showdays... where it looks like the order has changed! Rather than popping back in on Forever Amber (who "headlined" the first issue), we're going to check back in on the Sky Dogs. Forever Amber will actually anchor this issue... so, we'll catch back up with her in three days.

Hmm... ya know, it feels like we might've taken too much time away from New Talent Showcase... I can hardly remember where we were! I'm thinking we're going to have to reevaluate this "triple feature" thing I've got going on for more reasons than "Ain't nobody give a rip 'bout Wasteland"!

--

We pick up with Captain Kidd and his Mystic inside the Great Mogul's place. While holding the Man of the House at knifepoint, the latter is able to open a hidden panel on the wall... which reveals the Crown of Siva. With that, all they'll need now is to find those Seven Jewels of Power. Looks like we're in for a long quest! Well, we'll just put a pin in that for now. Just then, through a window in the ceiling, our Sky Dogs (and Mullah Whatshisface) soar in on a Magic Carpet!

Captain Hawke hops off the ride and fights his way through the baddies (like, literally "though" them... despite the lack of bloodshed) on his way to confront the nefarious Captain Kidd.

Meanwhile, Ndemba and Mullah share a little Odd-Couple banter on the carpet... before the latter dumps the former to the ground below. Speaking of which, Princess Zelaleddin is still aboard the Moonjammer, acting like quite a brat. She demands to be taken into her daddy's palace... and so, the Sky Dogs oblige... by just tossing her off the side of ship! I mean, these goofs just committed a murder, right?

Well, as "luck" would have it, Zelaleddin lands right on top of Captain Hawke. If that's not bad enough for the Dogs, just then Kidd's Mystic chants an incantation or something at Mullah which crashes the Magic Carpet. Looks like the baddies have got the upper-hand.

The Mystic heads over to the Crown of Siva... however, before he can put it on... he's stabbed in the back by Captain Kidd himself! Ya see, Cappy ain't keen on sharing the booty. Speaking of booty, he also grabs a fainted Zelaleddin and tosses her over his shoulder. Turns out, though, she might not be as "fainted" as she appears.

The scene then shifts to Captain Kidd's ship... and I swear, this was probably supposed to be a whole nother chapter... it's just way too jarring. The Sky Dogs catch up to Kidd... and ram the skip (from the sky) but good. With just a swoop, Cap'n Geoff manages to rescue the Princess. Feels like that should've been a bit more difficult, no?

Back ashore... it would appear as though Kidd's Mystic survived being stabbed through the heart! He concocts a wicked tempest, and vows vengeance against both Captains.

We wrap up with Kidd... apparently having given the Dogs the slip? Like, he's just gone. Our heroes lament the fact that he got away... and also, that he got away with the Crown of Siva. Well... not so fast, kemosabes... if you're an observant reader, you'd have noticed when Zelaleddin was "feigning unconscious", she was actually rooting around in Captain Kidd's pockets. How she managed to steal a friggin' crown from the dude's pants without him noticing, I'll never know... but, she did! Annnnd... that's the end. Like, really... this story is over(... for now?).

--

Sooo... that's it, then? Like, really? Okay.

I've already mentioned a time or two in the New Talent Showdays coverage that I'm purposely remaining ignorant on the direction(s) of these features. It isn't often enough that I get to be surprised about where things go and/or how (and when) things end. I feel like that'll just be part of the "fun" in this endeavor. I'm likely projecting, but I feel as though many who come across these posts will also either not know or not remember many of these tales... so, it'll be something we'll all experience "together".

I gotta say, I was quite unprepared for Sky Dogs to wrap up after just two chapters. Now, that's not to say that it won't return as we work our way through the volume... and, it's also not to say that it definitely will. I just don't know... and, while that is a good thing in the way of "mind percolation" and thinking about all the ways that this could continue, it puts me at a disadvantage as to how I oughtta cover this two-parter in a "vacuum". Do we discuss this as "Arc 1 (of x)" or as a completed "package", ya know?

I suppose, not knowing if/when the Sky Dogs feature will return, it's probably wisest to look at it as a "done deal". Especially when we consider just how disjointed and rushed this one became toward the end. It really feels as though we received more than one chapter's worth of story here... but, in such a way that it had very little impact.

Let's look at the main beats... Captain Kidd "kills" his Mystic, who turns up alive just a page or two later... as if it was some big reveal. Cap'n Hawke just swoops over Kidd's ship and rescues the Princess... which, for what should be a moderately big deal, feels like it was a complete afterthought. Like, just something they had to "fit" into the eight-pages they were allotted. And, while we end on an up note... it's still something of a cliffhanger. The only thing missing here would've been a note saying "If you'd like to see more from Cap'n Geoff and the Sky Dogs... write to 666 Fifth Avenue". What I guess I'm trying to say is... this could've been paced better, and... while I'm certainly no fan of decompression... Sky Dogs might've needed a third chapter in order to give us a less-rushed ending.

I do want to say, however, that I absolutely loved the art here. Mandrake gives us some amazing-looking faces, and excellent scenes of action. Those faces though, definitely the highlight of this feature for me. Just so emotive, and well done!

Tomorrow: Class is back in session

Sunday, February 2, 2020

NTS #1 - Sky Dogs

New Talent Showcase #1 (Sky Dogs)
"Sky Dogs Away"
Writer - L.B. Kellogg
Art - Tom Mandrake
Letters - Andy Kubert
Colors - Shelley Eiber
Edits - Marv Wolfman & Ernie Colon

Welcome to Day TWO of New Talent Showdays... now that I've given the project a "name", I suppose you ought to expect a dedicated page coming to this here site sometime within the next couple of months.

Today we're going to meet some Pirates... but not just any Pirates, these be Sky Pirates!

--

We open on the Indian Ocean, where a Pirate Vessel is fleeing from a brutal raid they'd performed in Bombay. Their number fears being tracked down, I assume, by Indian Authorities... or, ya know, just the angry people from India they'd just robbed... but, those are not the people this ship-o-fools ought to be wary of. For, they're about to be boarded by the... Sky Dogs! So, more or less, Pirates from the Sky.

These folks, if the fella who I assume to be their leader, can be trusted... are kind of the Robin Hoods of the Seven Seas. They have no problem stealing from those who "prey upon the innocent". And so, the Sky Dogs engage in battle with the baddies.

The leader of the Sky Dogs, this Captain Hawke, shares in some sorta-kinda competitive banter with a compatriot named Ndemba, before bursting through into the... uh... "living quarters" of the ship? Inside, he happens to find... if you pardon the vernacular, wenches!

Hawke immediately pours on the charm... introducing himself as both a Gentleman and an Adventurer. Sounds pretty romantic... maybe I ought to add that line to my business card. One of these "wenches" claims to be Princess Zelaleddin, the daughter of "The Great Mogul", which makes her the Princess of all of India. I guess we'll just have to take her word for that... frankly, I'm not interested enough to Google none'a that. Hawke swoops her into his arms, and promises to rescue her... he also informs her that, where they're going, they're not going to need roads... err, water, as his ship, the "Moonjammer" flies overhead.

On board the Moonjammer, Hawke introduces Zelaleddin around... and also explains just how this rig manages to stay afloat. He claims that this was among the discoveries of one Mullah Ka Khwaja (I'm never going to be able to spell that without cheating). Speaking of words I have a hard time spelling, our friend Ndemba overhears this chat, and interjects that Ka Khwaja is nothing more than a faker. Uh, dude... you're currently on the flying boat.

Hawke suggests that Zelaleddin just meet Ka Khwaja herself and make up her own mind, because, as luck would have it... he's on-board too! We find him, naturally, gazing into a crystal ball. He shows the Princess a vision of... her father's palace being infiltrated by the fearsome pirate, Captain Kidd. He wants to know about the Crown of Siva and some Seven Jewels of Power. When the Court Astrologer reveals that he hasn't the foggiest idea what Kidd's talking about... he is killed. Also, Kidd's packin' his own mystic... who can tell they're being watched... and so, the "transmission" is cut.

Zelaleddin begs Hawke and Company to aid her in saving her kingdom... and promises to give him "anything" in return. I get the feeling that Hawke's crew thinks this means "a whole lot of money", while the Captain himself feels as though he's about to get lucky. Anyhoo, the Moonjammer Gang decides to throw in with the Princess... and it looks like Captain Kidd's days might just be numbered.

--

Hey, not bad! This story didn't so much "move" me, but it didn't make me tune out either... which, for a dude who really only reads superheroes nowadays, might be saying something!

I don't particularly find Pirates to be all that interesting, but I definitely appreciated the little bits of characterization we were able to see here in this opening chapter. Captain Geoffrey Hawke seems like a fairly charismatic protagonist... and, I really enjoyed his playfully contentious back and forth with Ndemba.

Having the Sky Dogs sort of be of a Robin Hood bent... ehh, perhaps a bit cliche, but I'm cool with it. I mean, we're less likely to root for actual pirates... right? I think this could probe interesting going forward... with Hawke dealing with the dissonance between altruism and pirating. Though, I might just be thinking too hard about how "deep" this little story might go. Heck, at this point (and by design), I couldn't even tell ya how many parts it has! For all I know, it ends next issue.

Captain Kidd is an interesting choice of antagonist... and I'm wondering if this is supposed to be the actual William Kidd... who was executed for being a pirate after a trip to... the Indian Ocean. Hmm... perhaps? Far as I can tell, we didn't exactly get a "timestamp" in this issue, though we can probably assume it was quite a while ago. Hopefully this will blend some more real and fantastic elements as we proceed.

The art here was really good... and comes from a fella (I'm assuming) we've all actually heard of! Speaking of which... let's meet our makers:

L.B. Kellogg comes from the world of fanzines... he actually co-created one called First Flight (1975) with the very same artist he worked with in this here feature! Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate a whole heckuva lot about First Flight online... but really dig the fanzine-to-comics "pedigree"... especially back in the long ago. Kellogg's comics credits are limited... just Sky Dogs, some Star Trek, and a couple issues of World's Finest. Worth noting that he had a character named after him in X-Men comics... apparently a local sheriff in a story was named in his honor.

Across the table, Tom Mandrake... a fella who we've seen several times here already. He is probably the most prolific of all the "New Talent" we've looked at here so far... and, lemme tell ya, his credits are numerous! His work has spanned several decades. Worth noting, he married fellow comics pro, Jan Duursema... and, check this out, their wedding actually happened in "the backyard" of the Joe Kubert School('s original location)! Pretty wild!

Overall... I'm feeling optimistic about Sky Dogs... and am looking forward to seeing where it's headed!

Tomorrow: Mr. March Searches for Answers...

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

ACW #634 - Nightwing & Speedy

Action Comics Weekly #634 (Nightwing & Speedy)
"Rocks and Hard Places, Chapter Nine: The Circle Closes"
Writer - Cherie Wilkerson
Art - Tom Mandrake
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Barbara Kesel

Hey, it's the final Nightwing & Speedy chapter! You know what that means? I no longer have to keep track of which Nightwing & Speedy "trade dress" I'm using from week to week!

... uh, in case you didn't notice, I use alternating Nightwing & Speedy "trade-dresses" every week. Sometimes it's Speedy/Nightwing, other times it's Nightwing/Speedy. Aw hell, nobody but me cares...

Let's do this!

--

We pick up right where we left off... Speedy and Nightwing are about to be arrested for "stealing" a file from the C.B.I. Headquarters. Now, rather than attempting to explain their situation, our heroes comment how embarrassing this all is before... proceeding to beat the hell out of the rent-a-cops?! I mean, these poor dudes are only doing their job... c'mon! After the hub-bub dies down, and by that I mean, once the cops are kayoed... Dick and Roy are called into an adjacent room by a C.B.I. Agent, presumably one of the "good ones".

Inside the darkened room, she welcomes Speedy back to the C.B.I., but warns him not everyone is happy to see him back. Yeah, no kiddin', lady. She explains that her gig is keeping a watch over C.B.I.-C.E.O.s who have "gone astray". She then informs the boys that, get this, Sepulveda's on the take! Whaaaaaa? Yeah, yeah, I think most of us figured that out like eight weeks ago, but whattayagonnado?

She's just about ready to proceed with a "bust", however, is unsure who Sepulveda is reporting to "on the outside". Nightwing's like "duh, it's totally that Danvers jerk.", which... is actually all our Agent needs to hear! I mean, she doesn't ask for proof or anything! Thank God Dick didn't say any of our names!

Speedy wonders aloud how Hunter (our friend from the Train Turlet) figured it all out... and just like that, our stinky pal stumbles out of the shadows to explain! It's all tied up in the F.O.E.s (betcha forgot all about them... I know I did).

Well, at least now our Agent has a bit more to go on than the hearsay of a masked man, and so... she proceeds with the bust. We see Sepulveda being frog-marched out of his office... some dude freaking out in his office... and Lord Danvers being arrested at the airport. The wheels of justice sure move swiftly... when you're running out of pages to tell your story!

We jump ahead to learn the fates of our antagonists... Sepulveda gets thirty-years in prison... "Teflon" Lord Danvers manages to have all charges dropped... and, uhh, Mr. Monroe has his bail set at two-million dollars. Mr. Monroe? Who the hell is this guy? Have we met him? Is my memory really so bad that I can't remember meeting one of our prime antagonists?! The hell?

Back at Roy's apartment, he's steaming mad that Lord Danvers "got off", but is soon calmed down having received quite a pleasant missive from Moira and Button back in Belfast. Everything's going great for them. Also, Hunter just sold the rights to his story, wrote a book, and is making a bundle.

We wrap up with the revelation that Lord Danvers didn't actually get to go back to life as usual... he found himself caught up in some sex scandal... and hung himself. Welp... all's well that ends well...

--

If you listen real close, it's almost as though you can hear the *crunch* of truncation with this one. Everything gets wrapped up nice and tidy here... and with the quickness!

I know I've harped on how uneven the back-half of a lot of our features have been of late... ya know, moving into the all-too-brief "next evolution" of Action Comics Weekly (post-Crash), but... I mean, where there's smoke there's fire, right? Maybe I'm imagining it... maybe I'm projecting... I dunno. There's no way to "double-blind" this sort of thing, and there's no such thing as a "comics placebo"... so, preconceptions are just part of the gig! I feel like there was some wonkiness behind the scenes... and, unfortunately, I'm judging these stories as though that is 100% true.

So, whatta we got here? Nightwing and Speedy beating up some security guards/officers who were... ya know, just doing their jobs. Hell, even if our heroes get cleared on the file-stealing issue, shouldn't they have to face up to punching out innocent people? Am I just not supposed to think of that? I mean, this is a (relatively speaking) "grounded in reality" sort of story... shouldn't this sort of thing be addressed? Hell, even in a throwaway line where Roy complains about having to pay a fine or something?

From there, the heroes meet a "good" C.B.I. Agent, who is willing to take them at their word without question. That seems like rather slipshod "secret-agenting", doesn't it? It's hard for me not to blame this on the perceived "truncation" of this story. Ya see, this story had a relatively strong first half... meandering a bit, yes... but, it felt like Wilkerson was invested in "setting the table". Here though, the rapid-fire results we're getting? It's just so tonally different and oddly paced that it feels completely out of place.

Then, the arrests go down... possibly introducing us to a brand-new character? If he isn't new, and I'm just too dense to remember, he certainly wasn't featured prominently enough to fit here. Was he just the "fall guy" for Lord Danvers? I feel like that shouldn't even be a question... if he was, we/I should know immediately!

I dunno, you guys... came into this arc a bit lukewarm, but it won me over. Then, something happened. Not sure what exactly, but around the second-half... third-third, the worm definitely turned. Pacing was tossed out the window, and it was just a mad-rush to get to everything tied up so this can end in time for The Crash of '88!. It's too bad, really.

Well, Nightwing and Speedy's story it now behind us... but, have no fear, Speedy will be returning post-Crash with his own solo feature. Oddly enough, it won't be written by Cherie Wilkerson... who, for much of this story, seemed to want to write only about Roy anyway!

Tomorrow: The darkest day yet... the final Blackhawking!

Monday, September 23, 2019

ACW #633 - Nightwing & Speedy

Action Comics Weekly #633 (Nightwing & Speedy)
"Rocks and Hard Places, Chapter Eight: Behind Closed Doors"
Writer - Cherie Wilkerson
Art - Tom Mandrake
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Barbara Kesel

Another Day... another Penultimate Chapter! Lotsa "near-finality" headed our way!

--

We open with Dick and Roy returning to the States. They are immediately greeted by a fella from the C.B.I. and ferried into a waiting car. Inside. Roy is met by Mr. Sepulveda... in case you don't remember, and I wouldn't blame you in the slightest if you didn't... Sepulveda is the C.B.I. big-wig who canned Roy all those many weeks ago. Meanwhile, our friend from the Train Turlet (Hunter), has also arrived in the U.S. of A. He hops into a cab... only to find that Lord Danvers is waiting for him. After a bit of "prompting" (by a pair of over-sized goons), Hunter agrees to the ride-share.

In the first car, Sepulveda assures Roy he only fired him out of concern that he was about to blow a two-year undercover operation... so, nothin' shady goin' on ova hea'. Well, except for, ya know, all the shadiness. While they chat, a red sports car sidles up alongside the ride, and attempts to run them off the road.

Next thing we know, Dick and Roy are in their "work clothes"... so... hmm, does that mean they changed into costume in the car, while Sepulveda and his driver watched? That doesn't seem smart, now does it? It's really the only realistic way these scenes can flow together, right? Annnnnyway, Nightwing and Speedy are met by some very, very, very inexperienced (and nervous) "freedom fighters", who they handily wipe the floor with.

We learn that these geeks are members of The Sanas... or, at least, they claim to be. They're fighting for Ireland's freedom, and I must say, they're doing one heck of a job. A-hem. By now, Sepulveda and his driver have split the scene... probably attempting to get Bruce Wayne on the phone this very moment with an "offer he can't refuse". After having The Sanas arrested, our heroes decide to use their own damn two legs to carry them the rest of the way into D.C.

Meanwhile, in the other car, Hunter makes his move. This fella is somehow able to out-muscle Lord Danvers'... well, muscle, and commandeer the ride. Ya know, this little bit right here might be the toughest for me to suspend my disbelief and "buy into".

As luck would have it, Hunter is driving right by Nightwing and Speedy, and so he pulls over and offers to drive them the rest of the way. Upon arrival at C.B.I. Headquarters, Speedy meets with Sepulveda and manages to convince him to hand over a manila envelope. As the heroes go to leave, Sepulveda is informed that Lord Danvers is there to see him. Oh, and this "Lord Danvers"? He's got ties to the F.O.E.'s. I'm not sure if that's been made clear to this point, but... that's his story.

Nightwing and Speedy walk right past Lord Danvers on their way out... and find themselves getting stopped at security. The guards ask about the manila envelope... which Speedy assures them they didn't steal. Well, get this, Sepulveda set them up! Whaaaaaa? This chapter ends with our heroes being arrested!

--

Okay, two things.

First... and my memory may be just plain cloudy, but... have we ever met this Lord Danvers before today? I mean, he's pretty forgettable, but... I really feel like we (or I) should've known who this guy was? Especially if he's going to be one of the "big bads" of the arc! Again, maybe I'm just forgetting... I suppose I could just re-read the discussion pieces, but, ehh...

Second, and this is a biggie... Did Roy and Dick really change into their crime-fighting costumes in the back seat of Sepulveda's car? I mean, general discomfort with some old fella watching you change clothes aside, this is just an all-around bad idea! I don't think Sepulveda's the sharpest bulb in the shed, but even he might be able to put two and two together, and seeing Dick change into Nightwing, play "two degrees of separation" to deduce that maybe, perhaps, Batman is really Bruce Wayne. Just weird. You'd think some thought would go into that.

There was a fair amount of convenience strewn through this... even moreso than usual. Really reinforcing my (likely misguided) belief that things went a little editorially-sideways during these mid-late weeks of Action Comics Weekly. I mean, if we were to go back to the opening chapters of this arc... they were aimless, meandering, and even a little bit dull. We spent way too many weeks dealing with Moira and Button... and, now... it's like we're just blowing through the story at breakneck speed. Very uneven... however, since there was so much (editorial) change in the air, I'll give the creative team the benefit of the doubt, and assume they were just rolling with the punches.

The cliffhanger ending? Well, it was cliffhangery, I guess... though, why Speedy and Nightwing took Sepulveda (a dude who has screwed them over a number of times... including earlier the same day) at his word. Seeing them get arrested prompted a...

... instead of any actual, genuine surprise. I guess we might be able to blame that on the "behind the scenes" machinations that I've already projected into this as well! Here's hoping it all comes together in next weeks final chapter!

Tomorrow: Beam Me Up, Supey!

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

ACW #630 - Nightwing & Speedy

Action Comics Weekly #630 (Nightwing & Speedy)
"Rocks and Hard Places, Chapter V: Attacks"
Writer - Cherie Wilkerson
Art - Tom Mandrake
Letters - Agustin Mas
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Barbara Kesel

Okay gang, I'm going to break one of my own rules today. I never really give hard-facts about "the numbers"... as in, how many people are still visiting and/or care that this site exists. I'll make random mentions that the numbers "aren't what they used to be" since starting Action Comics Weekly, which is true... but, the truth of the matter is, and to be completely frank... the numbers just plain suck.

This was never a widely-read blog, or a "destination" for the online comics community, but over the past several weeks especially... things have been, again, quite frankly, embarrassingly bad. Site visits, social media engagement, whatever the metric... it's bad. All-time bad.

I can usually stop myself from lighting the candles on my pity-party cake by reaffirming that this site is some sort of a "resource"... something that future comics enthusiasts/researchers might use down the line... and that if this entire endeavor helps a single person learn a single new fact, that it'll have all been worth it. Usually, that works.

Lately though, it hasn't. I'm a fairly busy guy. I work, go to school, have a family, and a number of other projects. When the simple notion that my little blog isn't doing so great starts to creep into those other aspects of life, I feel like it might be time to reevaluate exactly what it is we're doing here.

And therein lays the problem. Since this blog is daily... and has been for nearly four years, we don't get so much time to stop and reflect. I don't want to give up the ghost on this thing just yet... but, it's become a rather frustrating situation wherein I'm actively comparing my daily time investment with the fulfillment I get from writing... and, that's never been what I wanted for this project. I'm still enjoying the creative aspects of this... it's just everything else that's killing my buzz.

I guess we'll just play it by ear. For the handful of you who are still reading and sharing, just know that it means an awful lot to me.

Now, with that navel-gazing nonsense out of the way... let's check out our third or fourth Nightwing-less installment of Nightwing & Speedy!

--

Picking up where we left off last issue, Roy's new Belfast digs have just been firebombed. Fortunately, he's already in costume... complete with quiver of trick arrows. He fires a sort of collapsible umbrella-arrow through a nearby window so the kids can attempt to escape the flames. Button manages to get to the outside, where she rushes over to the Train Turlet guy. He consoles (and extinguishes) her, before handing her off to a pair of police officers. Here's the t'ing, though... these cops are the very same people who tossed the Molotov through Roy's window! Button overhears them openly discussing this fact, and so they decide, this kid's gotta disappear.

While Button is being gagged and tossed into a squad car, Train Turlet bee-lines it to Roy's house... only to find that the doors have been boarded shut. Inside, Speedy grabs Moira and Lian and makes a desperate leap from the attic.

Roy's none too pleased to see Train Turlet, and mentions that anytime there's trouble... dude seems to be there. He asks for Button, and is directed to the spot where a cop car had been parked a few moments prior. Whoops. If it ain't one kid Roy's losing, it's another. We soon learn that she'd been taken to a Friends of the Empire (F.O.E.) office... where they hope to use her as their "ace in the hole" if Speedy survives.

Inside the burned out husk of a house, Speedy is informed that he "lucked out", the fire didn't cause any structural damage. I wanna note here that Roy is decked out in his red and yellows during this entire exchange, and nobody's even raising an eyebrow. He does eventually change into his civvies, however, as Moira isn't comfortable around him in "uniform". He gets a call, assumedly from Train Turlet... where he is informed that the F.O.E.s have Button.

Roy is pointed to a nearby train yard, where sure-nuff, Button is being held. The F.O.E.s are looking to use her as bait... kill Speedy upon arrival, and blame the entire mishegos on the Sanas (forgot about them, didn'tcha? I know I did!). Well, here's the thing... the Sanas are there... and they storm the station! Speedy snares the F.O.E.s in a net-arrow and snags Button with a line.

Well, almost. One of the F.O.E.'s manages to cut the rope and reclaim the tot before hopping into a train. Roy then hops onto that same train... which we now see is rapidly approaching a car full of dangerous explosives!

--

Not a bad chapter... and, while I've enjoyed our time alone with Roy up to this point, I think it's about time we call in Nightwing. I commented that I'm looking forward to the upcoming Speedy solo feature... which, I was surprised to discover (as I was "getting ahead" on creating Action Comics Daily-covers) wasn't written by Cherie Wilkerson!

I know I've said it as a joke, a time or two, but damn... Speedy loses kids an awful lot, doesn't he? I mean, even just making the observation... it's like, every single time out, he either hands a kid to a stranger, or just flat-out loses one! That's some wild and weird stuff.

What are our other real takeaways here though? We know that the police are in cahoots with the Friends of the Empire... and that the Sanas and the F.O.E.s are at-odds. I get the feeling it's more a "race to the bottom" with the two organizations, and we're not supposed to be rooting for either one, and that works fine. It is a neat bit of complexity for your standard superhero story... and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

So yeah, another fine outing... downright strong when compared to the overall more "meh" features we've been getting during this stretch of Action Comics Weekly. I will say, however, that the art sometimes makes it look like Speedy is still on heroin... sunken eyes, sallow features... just not too pleasant to look at. Not outright bad, but, it's been better.

Tomorrow: Mr. Blackhawk Goes to Washington

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

ACW #629 - Nightwing & Speedy

Action Comics Weekly #629 (Nightwing & Speedy)
"Rocks and Hard Places, Chapter IV: New Friends, Old Enemies"
Writer - Cherie Wilkerson
Art - Tom Mandrake
Letters - Augustin Mas
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Barbara Kesel

Hey Gang, welcome to a very un-Super Bloggy installment of #SuperBlogTeamUp! I say that because, for the first time ever, my #SBTU offering will be coming in the form of an episode of the podcast and not as a blog post!

If you're interested in hearing what I have to say about both takes on DC Comics' Resurrection Man (as well as talk about tiny birds who may or may not be attempting to bring you to your "Final Destination", ill-fitting 2XL polo shirts, and Angel Love), you can click'a the audio below:

For all of the other lovely and talented Super-Bloggers, I'll be including a list'a links at the bottom of this very post... So, if you've got some free time, maybe bask in the glow of immortality and make a day of it!

But for our "business as usual", we're going to check in with ~~Nightwing and~~ Speedy, to see how Life in a Northern Town goes!

--

We open with Roy and Lian about to enter their new Belfast digs, when suddenly they are attacked by... well, a little kid who'd been squatting in the place with her little sister. The lights switch on, and little sister, Button (who doesn't look completely unlike Alfred E. Neuman) is wondering just what big sister, Moira has gotten herself into. When the kids see that this interloper is carrying a tiny tot, their demeanor immediately changes. Moira reaches out and takes Lian from Roy's arms... and Roy, who to this point has been handing Lian off to anyone who might wanna hold her is perfectly okay with this. Is it any wonder she goes missing so often?

Just then, there's a knock at the door. Moira (who, for just this single panel, is not holding Lian) pleads with him not to answer it. She admits that they're squatting, but they're doing so out of self-preservation. Peeking out the window, she refers to the man as a member of The Sanas. Not sure what that's supposed to be, but I'm guessing he's not part of the South African National Accreditation System. She, Button, and Lian rush out of sight before Roy answers the door.

The fella introduces himself as Sean McMullen, and appears to be a pretty affable dude. He welcomes Roy to the neighborhood, and invites him out to the pub some evening. Once he's gone, however, Moira fills Roy in on Sean's true colors. She claims that Sean killed her father... but doesn't care much to elaborate. We jump ahead to Roy at the pub, throwing darts (naturally) with McMullen and the lads. He then asks just what in the heck "The Sanas" are.

The lads don't much cotton to this stranger's line of questioning... and like it even less when he accuses them of killing Moira's father! Roy gets his butt-kicked... and is summarily tossed into a back alley. There, he runs into that dude from the Train Turlet again! We learn that his name is Hunter, and he warns Roy to be careful... and maybe not ask questions about the F.O.E. (Friends of the Empire). Not in a threatening "You bettah stop axin' questions, see?" sort of way... more, with an actual concern for Roy's mortality.

We shift scenes to a darkened office. There, a pair of folks are talking about The Sanas versus the F.O.E.s... something, something, drug smuggling. Something, something, weapons caches. Oh, and also there's that American who just moved to Northern Ireland who must be attended to. I feel like there's a bit of a lapse in equivalency there: Drugs? Okay. Weapons? Sure. That red-haired single dad who just moved in? Mayyyybe not such a big deal?

We rejoin Roy walking home while licking his wounds. Thankfully, he says what we're all thinking... F.O.E.s? The Sanas? All these shadowy agencies, he's going to need a scorecard pretty soon. Anyhoo, by the time he gets home, Button has gone through all of his personal belongings and found his Speedy costume. Clutch-secret identity-keeping there, bro. Realizing he's been outwitted by a three-year old, Roy decides to just change into costume right there.

Button freaks the hell out at the sight of our garishly-clad archer. She's afraid that all "heroes" are actually killers. Before Speedy can calm her down, he hears the drumming of... well, large drums. Looks/sounds like the Orange Day Parade is getting primed. Moira tells Button to head to bed... although, it looks like it's day time outside... although, Roy just spent the evening at the bar... ehh, who knows, we'll just play along. We'll just chalk it up to a "Midnight Sun" scenario.

It's here that Moira gives Speedy the full-deets on her folks. Ya see, Dad was a Protestant and Mom was a Catholic. The Sanas didn't dig this, and so, they covered Dad with gasoline and lit a match. Mom, then met and became romantically involved with that same Sean McMullen we met earlier... that is, until she overheard him talking about being complicit in Dad's death. She then hung herself.

Roy hugs Moira, and Button comes back downstairs complaining that she couldn't sleep. Though in fairness, it does still look like it's the middle of the day. We close out with a Molotov Cocktail being hurled through the window!

--

If you were to ask me to guess the direction this feature would go quality-wise once Marv Wolfman stepped away... I'd have probably made a toilet-flushing sound-effect. That, would have been quite wrong! If anything, I feel like the quality of this arc has improved quite a bit since his name disappeared from the credits!

Sure, we don't get Nightwing (and haven't in a few weeks at this point), and there are some minor flubs in panel-to-panel continuity... but, there's a pretty good story here! I had to do a little bit of research on Ms. Wilkerson (her name doesn't come up all that often), and came to find out that she was working on the Ruby-Spears Superman animated series that was coming out around this time. Interesting stuff!

Now, for the chapter... is this an I.R.A. riff? I suppose I really ought to put a little bit of actual "real world" research into this, so I don't have to keep asking that. I feel like it probably is... but, ya know what they say about assuming. Bound to be more interesting than our normal diet of "shadowy secret agencies" that abound in comics.

Roy here is... well, he's an idiot. Don't much care for how he acts... yet, at the same time, I can't say that he's being written out of character. He can be kind of a dunce. I mean, mouthing off to a bunch of brawny Irishmen in a bar? That ain't smart. Also, leaving his costume... and arsenal (!) somewhere a precocious toddler might find it? C'mon, dude...

Overall though, (outside of the first chapter) this has been a really strong arc! Looking forward to more... and, after these past couple of weeks, I'm even looking forward to our solo-Speedy feature that'll be coming up as we enter the home stretch of Action Comics Daily!

Tomorrow: The Final Fate of Marcia Whatsherface!

But first, be sure to check out...