Wasteland #4 (Chapter Two)
"A Safe Place"
Writers - John Ostrander & Del Close
Art/Letters - William Messner-Loebs
Colors - Lovern Kindzierski
Edits - Mike Gold
Today's piece... is a weird one. It's the kind of story I want to see more of in the pages of Wasteland. A real "thinker", which gives you a lot to think about. Let's get right to it.
--
Our story opens in an airport terminal. A woman, our protagonist, is bound and gagged... with a gun to her head. The place has been taken over by terrorists who swear they'll slaughter all of the "political prisoners" of Flight KL753. Before this "Comrade-in-Arms" is able to squeeze the trigger, however, the authorities burst in and shoot 'em all down. Our girl, Mary Elizabeth is un-blindfolded, only to discover that she was the only survivor. All of the other passengers have been killed.
We next go inside Mary Elizabeth's psyche... she is laying in the fetal position, while voices assure her that she's safe... and attempt to prompt her to return to reality. She ain't feelin' it.
Next, still inside Mary Elizabeth, our girl is running down a crooked and crazy hallway... as though she's being pursued with urgency. Behind one of the doors... are demons! Worth noting the demons beating on the door make a "Doom, Doom, Doom" sound... so, they may very well be related to Doomsday... or Calypso from that old Todd McFarlane Spider-Man story.
From here, we join Mary Elizabeth in a Psychologist's office (or, maybe he's a Psychiatrist... I didn't see his degree). He's doing most of the talking... which, isn't the way I learned to counsel... but, whattayagonnado? He, naturally, suggests that all of her issues stem from sexual problems. Again, not exactly outta the ol' Psyche texts... but, that's all most people think Psychologists say. Mary Elizabeth opens her maw, and... uh, a great big tentacle-tongue emerges from her gob. The Doc opens his, as though to, uh... "receive" it? This is actually quite foul.
Now, we're back inside Mary Elizabeth... and we get the exact same page as the earlier "fetal position" scene.
In the "real world" (I think), Mary Elizabeth leaves Munoz Hall... going to assume we're on (or near) a college campus? So, this likely a flashback.
It's late in the evening, and Mary Elizabeth heads toward her car. She begins to panic... feeling as though she's being chased. She runs toward the safety of her car... only to be caught by those same Demons.
Our story wraps up back... inside Mary Elizabeth. Those same voices attempt to, again, assure her that she's safe... and prompt her to return. Ol' M.E. has decided the only way to truly be "safe" is to remain catatonic. And so, she never comes back.
--
I... hmm... both liked this a lot, and kinda hated it. This is very interesting piece.
I think it's safe to say we've got ourselves a PTSD story here... and for the most part, I'd say it was very successful in depicting Mary Elizabeth's circumstances, plight, and struggle. Giving her subconscious/psyche a visible and (arguably) physical form allowed us insight as to her emotional state. In her own mind, she's in a defensive (fetal) position... and, we learn that it's the only place she truly feels safe.
The Demon symbolism is quite apt, and I appreciated the (I assume) flashbacks. Mary Elizabeth survived a terrorist attack... in fact, she appeared to be the sole-survivor. We also get the impression that this wasn't the first time she was a victim. The hallway scene and the Munoz Hall scene imply that she had suffered at least twice before.
I don't fully understand the need for the "Shrink" scene. I suppose it got us where we needed to be, if we use our imagination and make a few assumptions regarding the Munoz Hall flashback... but, still... it felt like one of those "weird for the sake of it" scenes. The tentacle-tongue was borderline obscene, and feels like it was only included because they felt the story wasn't "weird enough" as-is. It also gave the writers the opportunity to depict a Mental Health Pro as a sex-focused Freudian... so, there's that too.
If I make assumptions based on that scene and that exchange, it very much darkens up what just might've happened on Mary Elizabeth's walk to her car. It might be safe to make that assumption, but, as always... we err on the side of caution.
The ending was pretty sobering. Rather than rejoin the "real world", where poor Mary Elizabeth has been victimized time and again, she decides to remain in a catatonic state. She has mentally "shut down" due to the trauma she's experienced... and from her internal dialogue, again, it's clear that this is a choice she is making. Not to get too far into the weeds, catatonia was (at the time this story was written) sort of it's own thing... "catatonic depression". Nowadays, it's seen as a sorta-kinda co-morbid ailment, that presents in addition to, among other things, post-traumatic stress disorder.
I think perhaps the most interesting bit of this was the implication that catatonia is a choice. As mentioned above, it's really rather sobering a concept, isn't it? For all we know, it might be true in some instances. Even if we dismiss things like malingering, or faking... it's definitely some weird and wild "food for thought". It's stories like this, that make you think... and make you want to comb through all the information you're provided, that make Wasteland a pretty special series. More like this... less like Shakespeare.
Wasteland #2 (Chapter One)
"That's Entertainment"
Writers - Del Close & John Ostrander
Art - William Messner-Loebs
Colors - Lovern Kindzierski
Edits - Mike Gold
Welcome to the Wasteland, gang!
For the foreseeable future, this little horror-ish anthology series will be anchoring my offerings here. New Talent Showcase and Wasteland, interspersed with Bizarro Breaks (and Binges) will be the "format"... at least for the next eighteen/nineteen weeks... and/or, as long as I can keep this thing going!
Now, we've already discussed the first issue of Wasteland here... wayyy back in the long ago. Back when I was more of a wide-eyed "Aw shucks, just happy to be here" sort of blogger. I considered re-reviewing the first issue as part of this little project, but... ehh.
Anyhoo, I hope this will be an interesting few months of stories... if you have any ideas on what to "name" this project, please pass it along, cuz I haven't the foggiest!
--
Our story opens with Dr. Dracula's performance troupe broken down on the side of some desolate road in Kansas. Del asks the Doc to teach him how to eat fire... but, the Drac don't dig the idea of sharing. Del then prods him on how he can swallow razor blades without carving up his mouth, to which, the Doc replies "I heal fast". Del is relentless, and keeps on badgering.
Finally, the bum wheel on their rig is changed out, and they're headed to the next stop... Clay Center, Kansas. Hold on to your heads... The Horror Show is coming to town.
That night, Dr. Dracula and the "Chasm of Spasms" is headlining at the State Theatre. The Doc himself drops off a reel of film for the Projectionist to run during the performance... but first warns that it is made of Nitrate Stock. This means that the stock is both likely ancient... and extremely flammable! Nitrate film is notorious for its ability to create its own oxygen as it burns... and is even said to keep burning even under water! So, this is a pretty risky deal. The Doc forks over two American dollars for the fella to look the other way... and it looks like that was enough.
The audience begins to shuffle in, including a broad-shouldered fella who is told he's gotta check his "hog-leg" before entry. Now, that is a euphemism... but, not for what I was expecting. He just needs to leave his gun with the ticket-taker.
The show kicks off... and, ya know, it's a theatrical magic show. No bigs. In one of the acts a woman is placed behind a screen, where she appears to transform into a beast. It tears through the screen and lunges toward Doc Drac... who shoots it dead!
The show continues... and the lights go out. From the ceiling, worms begin pouring into the crowd. This freaks out that big "hog-leg" fella so badly that he... messes himself. Whoops. Turns out these "worms" are just cooked spaghetti.
After the show, Del and the Doc are confronted by the pants-pooper... who has, in the interim, reclaimed his hog-leg. Ya see, he doesn't take to being humiliated in public... and intends to perforate whoever it was that threw the "worms".
He unloads his pistol... right into the Nitrate film!
The explosion causes some major damage to the theatre... and the Doc winds up having to fork over 20% of the take to keep the Projectionist's mouth shut.
--
Well...
In case you're unaware... or have never listened to any of my audio offerings... I might be known as a fella who can drone on when attempting to telling a story. Last Summer, I spent a good dozen or so episodes of Chris is on Infinite Earths sharing some of the more seminal events in my life. Stories ranging from dealing with weight issues, addiction, poverty... near-homelessness. A lot of personal stuff, that I'm not sure is interesting to anyone but me.
Sometimes these personal stories follow a linear narrative format... other times, they take the form of a series of semi-connected vignettes. Along the way, there were plenty of moments and events that popped into my head... things I thought would be interesting to share. However, the more I thought about it, the more these "events" in question began to feel like "No Occasions"... which is what I call those stories that don't need telling. And so, I'd ultimately leave them out.
Now, I'm sure Del Close had lived a wildly interesting life... chock-full of amazing and engaging stories. This... was not one of them. This is a "No Occasion", which Del even admits might've been embellished in the telling. You'd think that sort of thing would make a story even more interesting... but, you'd be wrong. This might be a great story to tell your pals while bellied up to the bar a few drinks deep... but, as a piece of sequential art... eh-eh. Not all that great.
I think we're going to be getting one "semi-autobiographical" piece from Del in every issue of Wasteland... and while I didn't outright dislike this one... hopefully, we only go up from here!
Tomorrow: Genghis Sings?!
Legacy of Superman #1 (Sinbad)
"Funeral Pyres!"
Writer - William Messner-Loebs
Pencils - Curt Swan
Inks - Josef Rubenstein
Letters - Bill Oakley
Colors - Glenn Whitmore
Assistant Editor - Jennifer Frank
Editor - Mike Carlin
Shazaam! Today we're going to talk all about my main man, Sinbad!
Oh, not him? There's another? Hmm... ohhhhh, the kid! Yeah, I remember now. Been a heckuva long time since I read the short "Sinbad Saga" in the Superman comics... I don't think it left all that much of an impact on me. If I'm being honest, I was surprised to be reminded that he got himself his own little chapter in this here Special. In flipping through it (today is the first time I've gotten to it), I just assumed this was a Lex Chapter.
Probably would've been able to give y'all a better "cover logo" if it were a Lex Chapter... there ain't all that much in the way of clean Sinbad logos out there... especially not for someone so inept at image manipulation as I!
Anyhoo, let's check it out!
--
We open at LexCorp, where Lex, Jr. is arriving for the day. He's greeted by his bank of receptionists, secretaries, employees, and assistants... which includes a certain sister-of-Sinbad. She thinks to herself how lucky she is to be working for the "nice" younger Luthor. We follow Lex-da-Second into his office, where he dictates some notation into a very of-its-time tape recorder. Ya see, he knows that this certain secretary is, in fact, Soraya Nassur... the sister of Davood Nassur, who is... ya know, Sinbad. He laments the fact that, without Superman, there's been something of a "power vacuum" in Metropolis... and there are a group of bad guys calling themselves the "TerrorMasters" trying to establish themselves as that power.
Soraya leaves for lunch, where she is literally "picked up" by her brother. Here's the thing... the people of Metropolis have been led to believe that Davood has been depowered, and has retired the Sinbad alter-ego. We see here that, that's not entirely the case.
Davood and Soraya have themselves a picnic in the sky... which, I dunno, is that a little "on the nose"? Ehh, nevermind. The Nassurs chat about Davood's Sinbad powers... and it would appear that they're back, and better than ever. While they dine, Davood offers Soraya some Tahini... like, an entire bowl of it. Hmm. Okay then. Anyhoo, they talk about how nobody should know that the Sinbad powers are back. Davood is confident that the secret is safe, however, since Luthor is involved... it should come as no surprise that that's not the way this story is going to go.
Soraya returns to the office, just as a bunch of packages have been delivered. Her friend, Clarice is attending to the boxes, and is preparing to open 'em up. Just then, a group of old dorks burst in... and hold the office up! These must be... those dang TerrorMasters! These goofballs are wearing these tiny domino-masks... I mean, that's their entire disguise. What's more, one of them, the guy with the Cincinnati Reds cap, loses his mask during the robbery! Anyhoo, they shoot Clarice thrice, and steal the packages.
Soraya wonders what was so important about these packages... and we learn that this Lex was continuing his father's weapons research... and those boxes contained what he refers to as "the most terrible weapon ever developed". Welp... you'd almost assume someone would have to sign to have such a thing delivered, no? Oh well, Lex laments the fact that this research has cost a human life... but, it's worth noting that he's smiling broadly when he says this. Weird. As this is going on, our man Davood is being fitted for an all-new super-hero costume, complete with a domino mask and cape!
That night, we join Sinbad and Soraya to a rather dumpy area of Metropolis where those "TerrorMasters" usually meet up. I mean, TerrorMasters? For real? Okay. Anyhoo, as they look on, that one dude whose mask fell off during the robbery saunters in... and they realize they're in the right place. Inside, the baddies are assembling "the most terrible weapon ever developed" on a pool table. Cincinnati Cap takes a look through the scope, and reveals (via thought balloon) that he's actually working for Lex Luthor. Hmm...
Reds-Cap fires the blaster... resulting in blowing holes in several walls... kind of like you might see in a cartoon. Then, just as they bad guys are celebrating the fact that nobody can stop them... Sinbad shows up! And boy, does he look like a nerd or what?
Sinbad informs the bad guys that they're "all under arrest", which is just adorable. He nails one of the baddies with an energy blast, however, forgets to protect-his-neck... and suffers a shot from "the most terrible weapon ever developed", which sends him flying out of the building!
Just then, like a Genie (Shazaam!), Lex Luthor's visage emerges from the barrel of "the most terrible weapon ever developed". He informs the goofballs that they've now fired off two shots... which is all he accounted for them needing to take care of "whoever he gulled into attacking them"... and so, they've now outlived their usefulness. Three-seconds later, dey go boom.
We wrap up with Sinbad, all safe and sound... having been knocked clear of the explosion. He and Soraya leave the scene... however, Davood isn't entirely pleased with how everything went down. While he doesn't seem especially bothered by the result, he's certain that Superman would have handled it far differently... and without casualty. Fair enough!
--
Not bad!
I certainly wasn't expecting much from this one... but, found myself quite enjoying it! Ya know, I think I gave this entire Legacy of Superman Special a pretty bad rap in dismissing it all these years. So far, it's been really very good! Really digging this new perspective on Metropolis as a city without Superman.
Let's look at Lex. Dude seems... kinda bored without Superman around. He still has to be the sort of puppet-master of the city, but since he's the "good" Luthor, can't be quite as overt about it. I appreciate the lengths he goes to here in order to "wield power from the shadows". While, it requires quite a few "happy accidents" to go as planned, it was still pretty satisfying that it did.
He had to "take care of" the, ahem, TerrorMasters... and spun a pretty good web to trap 'em in. He knows their game... and their designs, and used them to his advantage. Lex also doesn't mind young Davood winding up in the crossfire... the kid don't mean anything to him. Just another casualty... in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
The "TerrorMasters". Yeesh. These old goofs look like they'd be more likely to be regaling people about that one time, back in high school, that they scored four touchdowns in a single game! They don't exactly look up to the task of taking over the Metropolis underworld, do they? I mean, they probably need to stop for multiple TUMS breaks during a given firefight.
Sinbad... not exactly the most stylish superhero, right? Very dorky "costume"... if we can even call it that. This would actually wind up being his fourth... and final appearance, ever! That wasn't supposed to be the case, however... he was originally slated to make an appearance during the dirt-worst Superman story of all-time... Superman: Grounded!
Davood was supposed to make an appearance in Superman #712 (2011), during Chris Roberson's attempt at salvaging the Straczynski garbage-fire. Davood was going to be all grown up and take the name "Sharif", which is a name with many meanings... I'm no expert, but from my research, those meanings include "honorable" and "noble", so a pretty great name for a superhero!
According to Roberson, this story had been turned in and approved by DC Comics. The story, would have to do with Superman (still on his ridiculous walk across America) in Los Angeles, meeting with Sharif, who finds himself with quite the quandary. He's a hero, who the public aren't completely keen to accept due to the fact that he is a Muslim. Yeah, it's kind of "torn from the headlines", which I'm not always a fan of... but, this could make for an interesting chapter. Certainly would have been more interesting than the Krypto story DC jammed into the schedule in its place!
DC got themselves some cold feet, and decided to pull the story... even though they'd already approved it! What's more, according to the creative team, DC Editorial kind of dragged their feet about informing them all of the change! Who'dathunkit? DC Editorial not being forthcoming with information? Perish the thought! Though, in fairness... they (Editorial) probably didn't even have the foggiest idea that the Grounded storyline was still going on. Clearly, they hadn't actually read an issue of Superman since JMS took over. If they had, and still allowed Superman #701 to happen... they all deserve to be fired and black-balled from the industry.
Wait, where were we? Oh yeah, Sinbad! Even after DC decided to pull the story... they didn't even bother to change the solicit (barring the new Krypto cover). Even more evidence of the right hand not knowing what the left hand's doing? Here, take a look:
And, the letters page from Superman #711... the issue right before Sharif was set to show up!
Oh well, what could'a been. Figure, for completion's sake, we'll wrap this up with Davood's Who's Who entry...
Overall, a good story... and a real shame that Davood/Sinbad/Sharif never showed up again.
Tomorrow: Linearity
Christmas With the Super-Heroes (Flash & Green Lantern)
"An Old-Fashioned Christmas"
Writer - Bill Loebs
Pencils - Colleen Doran
Inks - Ty Templeton
Letters - Albert DeGuzman
Colors - Tom McCraw
Editor - Mark Waid
Here's one I'd considered just calling "Christmas with the Justice League"... even mocked up a JL cover image... but thought better of it at the eleventh hour. This isn't really a Justice League story... this is about two old friends spending Christmas together, and trying to help a new friend capture some of that Christmas magic. I hope our little mid-Summer excursion into the holly-jolly is helping you all find some Christmas Magic too!
Let's get into it!
--
We open, and it's Christmas at the JLA Satellite. Not only that, it's a pre-Crisis Christmas, because our featured players here are Hal and Barry. The latter is on monitor duty, and the former is keeping him company, while lamenting the fact that Ollie bought him yet another copy of Das Kapital... I think I'd feel the same way. Anyhoo, the pair become restless and have a hankering for an "old-fashioned Christmas", and so... Hal zaps them to a quiet burg where they might be able to find one. Naturally, this doesn't quite work out the way they'd hoped.
Just then, they come across a man being mugged. After making short work of the baddies, Flash and Green Lantern are introduced to C.B. Fenster (yes, that C.B. Fenster... apparently). C.B. tells them they should've just let him die... which begs the question as to why he was calling out for help not four panels earlier. Anyhoo, this coot has issued a challenge to his hoi poloi pals: He'll give five-million bucks to anyone who can prove that Santa Claus exists.
Well, that's all our fellas needed to hear. Before we know it, Fenster is decked out in red, and flying above the city in a one-Flash construct sleigh.
Ya see, Flash, GL, and C.B. are going to go all around the world giving gifts to all the good girls and boys. Their first stop... well, it goes alright, but our Santa is definitely lacking in the "Ho, Ho, Ho" department... he even makes a child sign for a teddy bear!
Their next stop is in a rather posh neighborhood, where Santa Fenster meets a newly-single mother who is struggling to put together the bicycles her late-husband bought for their children. He offers her a hand... and might be starting to learn a thing or two about "good will toward man".
Another stop... I think we're in Germany now... and Santa meets a very lonely guy, who is just looking for someone to talk to. Fenster hands over a teddy bear... which, I suppose is better than a sharp stick in the eye.
After hitting every house (on the planet), Hal and Barry return Fenster to where they found him (I think...). They came up one house short... ya see, this one family... the Harpers, they just weren't able to track them down. Their last known address was just a "burned-out house". The heroes apologize for wasting the millionaire's time, and leave.
Fenster notices a nearby car, and knocks on the window... ya see, this is where the Harper are now living. Mr. Harper exits the car and tells C.B. about some of his family's recent struggles... while assuring him that they'll be okay. Fenster asks Harper to let him help.
Here's the thing... Fenster himself was the Santa he'd been searching for. The millionaire goes to hand over a five-million dollar check, which Hal refuses. Yeah, that doesn't seem in character. I guess Christmas will make people act in strange ways.
We wrap up with Fenster throwing a big party for all the pals he just met... and Hal wishing Barry a Happy Hanukkah?! I swear, I never knew that Barry was Jewish! I guess that's why he gets stuck with Monitor Duty on Christmas!
--
Sometimes, especially of late with our Action Comics Weekly "duties", when I find myself reading an "anthology-length" story, I kinda get lost in it. I forget that I'm reading an eight-pager, and by the time I'm done, I could swear that I'd just read an issue-length epic. This is certainly one of those times.
So, whatta we got here? Two old pals trying to have themselves an "old-fashioned" Christmas. Worth noting, I don't think this story is actually titled that, but it's what the internet calls it... and that's good enough for this guy.
What they find is a fella whose lost that "Christmas feeling". He's a rich guy, so naturally, doesn't know anything about the "real world"... and so, the heroes take him on a (literal) world tour so he can ultimately discover that there's a little Santa Claus in each of us. It's cliche, yes... but, it works... and I quite enjoyed it.
It was, at times, touching... also, a bit funny. Can't ask for much more than that for this type of story. Art comes to us from Colleen Doran, and despite the Harper children looking more like the offspring of Terry Long, it's really very nice. I'd recommend seeking this story out.
Tomorrow: Probably the story of the issue. It's a Wonderful Life... for Deadman (and a very special guest)
