JLA #90 (2004)

JLA #90 (January, 2004)
"Perchance..."
Joe Kelly - Writer
Chriscross - Penciller
Tom Nguyen - Inker
Chris Sotomayor - Colorist
Nick Napolitano - Letterer
Valerie D-Orazio - Asst. Editor
Mike Carlin - Editor
Cover Price: $2.25

Happy Valentine's Day, here's one to read with that that special somebody... or, alone, I don't discriminate.  Today's issue discussion not only features a pair of superheroes who are struggling with their feelings for one-another, it is also a book that have subconsciously tied to Valentine's Day, for whatever reason.  I know I was feeling a bit of burn-out from Joe Kelly's run on JLA and perhaps I managed to neglect to read this one a few months after publication, which would drop my first experience with it to right around Valentine's Day 2004.

This was the year that my girlfriend (now wife) and I started something of a Valentine's Day tradition.  She was still in college, and I was working... struggling to make ends meet.  Neither of us could really afford anything nice for the other as a Valentine's gift, so rather than buy something just for the sake of it, we would grab a cheap pizza at Hungry Howie's and a half-dozen Krispie Kreme donuts and call it good.  Here in Arizona during the mid-2000's, you couldn't swing the proverbial dead-cat without hitting a Krispie Kreme donut shop, so on my way home from work that evening I picked up six "chocolate iced creme filled" donuts.  Hungry Howie's is, I think, a local(ish) chain of pizza places, whose prices were akin to Little Caesar's (read: cheap) though, in our opinion, much tastier and higher in quality.  Our entire romantic dinner cost me around $10-15, we were both happy, and decided our poor-man's Valentine's dinner would be "our thing".

Fast-forward a decade (plus one, 2015)... after a couple of years of neglecting our tradition (mostly due to the fact that just about all of the Krispie Kremes in Arizona closed down), we finally decided to revisit "our" Valentine's meal.

Well, talk about sticker shock... the entire meal, the same one we considered laughingly cheap, cost us over $30.  Our cheap-o pizza was over twenty-bucks, and the donuts were nearly ten.  I couldn't believe it, but, this was about our tradition... so I plunked down the cash (or swiped the card... or whatever I did).  Not only was the meal more expensive, the quality of both the pizza and the donuts was incredibly disappointing.  I think, sadly, our Valentine's tradition is now behind us... and now, I might actually have to... plan something.  Terrifying thought, there.

How's that for a tangent?  All to say that this issue of JLA is one that I think of when I think of Valentine's Day, 2004.  Is it a good read?  Well...

--

Batman and Wonder Woman had shared began to have feelings for one another, even sharing a kiss during the Obsidian Age story line.  Both characters were unsure what this meant for their potential relationship.  Batman calls Wonder Woman in on a gig he's working on, just so they can talk.  Wonder Woman tells him he could have simply called her if he wanted to talk.  Batman disagrees, stating the only time they ever get to talk is "on the job".  This tells us that Wonder Woman may be a bit trepidatious about a potential romantic relationship with Bruce... if they have trouble interacting "off the job", there is surely some uncertainty on at least one of their parts.

On the JLA watchtower, there is a brief scene between Manitou Raven and Manitou Dawn that is overheard by Wonder Woman and Faith.  They discuss the love the Manitous appear to have for one another, and Faith asks Wonder Woman some rather timely questions about "dipping her pen in the company ink".  Wonder Woman laughs it off, and begins twirling her hair between her fingers, perhaps a physical manifestation of her nervousness or uncertainty.  She reflects on her relationship with Batman... how he makes her work harder in battle, how she finds him both brilliant and terrifying.

To further explore her feelings, she takes to the JLA's Transconsciousness Articulator with the help of the Martian Manhunter.  It is through this machine that Diana can view her subconscious in attempt to truly define how she feels toward Bruce.  She finds herself participating in a series of living dreams.

Her first dream features herself alongside an older, paralyzed Bruce Wayne.  They appear to be married, and Diana still looks young.  They are on Paradise Island, where Bruce tells her that he feels he is ready to die.  He promises Diana that all of his remaining days belong to her, and jokingly makes her promise not to find love with Clark after his passing.

The second dream features Diana as Batman's crime-fighting partner, Batwoman.  She is wearing an amazing amalgamation of a Wonder Woman/Bat-Woman costume.  She is very ends justify the means in her crime fighting, having severed the arm off of a man who abused his wife.

The next several dreams are short vignettes, featuring Diana uncomfortable at a black-tie dinner with Bruce, then Bruce uncomfortable at a dinner with the Gods.  Bruce then wakes Diana out of the Articulator, and tells her that her dreams don't matter, only reality does... the two kiss, and it is revealed that this is yet another dream.

The Next dream features Diana, now Queen of Themyscira charging into battle with Batman at her side.  This scene leads to the next dream.  The Joker has killed Batman.  As he lay dying, Batman tells Wonder Woman not to let the Joker push her... not to cross the line.  Diana loses her cool completely, and drives the Joker's head into a brick wall, apparently killing him.

The final dream features a crying Wonder Woman being approached by a Batman who does not wear a  cowl, but a much brighter, armor-like costume.  He appears to be wearing face paint in the shape of a bat covering his eyes.  Diana is upset that they will never be able to have children.  Bruce tells her that it's okay, and even though they will not have children, it is apparent from the people and cities they protect that they are "damn good parents" nonetheless.

Wonder Woman wakes up to find Bruce watching over her.  It's reminiscent of her earlier dream, however, this is reality.  Together they decide it is better for them not to pursue a romantic relationship, and to remain friends.  Bruce asks Diana what she say in her dreams.  She lies and tells him "it was terrible".

--

Pretty offbeat issue of JLA here.  It's decent enough, though, the entire Wonder Woman and Batman romantic entanglement always seemed a bit "off" to me.  It was a JLA-only story line, if I'm remembering correctly, and always struck me as odd... almost as though I was reading something out of continuity.  A story such as two-thirds of the trinity exploring a romance feels like it should be a much bigger deal.  Though, I suppose they were trying to keep it a secret.  I don't know, just don't like it.

Joe Kelly's JLA was a bit middling to me, I came in as Grant Morrison was going out.  I enjoyed much of Morrison's run that I had read in the early JLA trade paperbacks.  The Mark Waid run that followed was also top-notch.  When Kelly came on, I found myself losing interest pretty quickly... I feel his strengths are in humor and witty dialogue (though, what do I know?  I just know what I like).  This is, if I'm not mistaken, Kelly's final issue of JLA, and I suppose it is fitting he go out on a character piece, even if I don't necessarily enjoy the characterization employed.

The art is provided by Chriscross, an artist I enjoyed thoroughly during Peter David's Captain Marvel run, though I don't really dig it here.  Some of the faces, Wonder Woman's especially are very, I dunno, severe(?) in certain panels.  Diana's Batwoman costume, however, is awesome.

"Come kiss your Auntie Diana.  Why are you running away?"

All in all, an interesting look at a potential Bruce and Diana romance... and though I don't personally recommend it, it is still something of a novelty.  It is available via comixology for $1.99 (which strikes me as a bit high), and it is a constant presence in local cheap-o bins.

--

Interesting Ads:

The ads of the 2000's do not have any of the charm of those of the 80's and 90's.  Nothing here but Gamecube/PS2/X-Box era video games.  This one is rather cute, however:

The People's Choice!

--

Quotes:

Faith: "Oh, so no one then?  I mean... not even Superman?"
Diana: "HA!"
Diana: "Oh, I'm sorry... heh... I'm sorry, Faith.  No... Superman and I are very very good friends and that's all."
Faith: "Heard it before?"
Diana: "More times than you can imagine."
Faith: "Makes sense.  I may be a romantic, but like they say... don't dip your pen in the company ink.  Nothing but trouble."
moments later...
Diana (twirling her hair): "Nothing but trouble..."

--

Again, Happy Valentine's Day.  Hope anybody who unwittingly stumbled upon my blog have a great day... what the hell, everyone else can have a great day as well.

Angel Love #2 (1986)

Angel Love #2 (September, 1986)
by Barbara Slate
Editor - Karen Berger
Cover Price - $0.75

After starting this blog oh so many... days... ago, I found a few serendipitous moments had presented themselves to me... I got to do the Green Lantern Superbowl book on Superbowl Sunday, I got to review the sorta-kinda Deadpool appearance in Superman/Batman on the day of the film release... now, I sit kicking myself that I didn't save my review of the first issue of Angel Love for Valentine's Day (weekend).  Oh well, what's done is done... and, hell... Angel Love ain't no one-shot, so why not see what issue #2 has in store for us.

--

Questions from last issue are addressed, Angel had turned down Don's offer of cocaine.  She is terribly conflicted as to whether or not to continue seeing the "first guy in months who turns [her] on" due to the fact that "coke turns him on".  She confides in her small group of friends, Wendy the space-cadet and Everett the cockroach killer from issue #1.  Wendy offers little help, thinking when Angel mentions "coke" she is talking about the soft-drink.  Everett, however perhaps more street-smart, advises Angel to steer clear, as a user will find any reason to use.

Angel decides to break it off with Don, which is all well and good until Don rings her up.  She is powerless to resist Don's invitation to have brunch at Lagalla.  Everett attempts to warn her that she isn't thinking clearly, and she really should "stay away from that creep".  The discussion becomes contentious, and Angel storms out.

Sometimes you need to just stop and smell the birdies...

Wendy is in Central Park wearing her Sunday best, including a floral hat.  She has taken something Angel said earlier to heart.  Something about stopping to smell the flowers, and watching birds learn to fly (or was that, smelling the birdies or watching a flower learn to fly?).  So, here she is... trying to teach a small red bird to fly.  It really is an adorable scene, as are most Wendy-centric bits.  Ultimately, just as the bird is about to fly, it gets run over by a bicycle... leading to one of the most shocking, vital, and important full-page spreads in DC Comics' 70-odd year history...

We learn a bit more about Everett this issue.  He is fleshed out far better than the guy who was paid $10 to kill a potentially pregnant cockroach.  Everett is a musician, or at least he is known to have a guitar in his lap from time to time.  He also has a girlfriend.  She is a rapper, and is none to happy to hear he's been hanging around Angel and Wendy's apartment (earlier we learn that Ev's air-conditioner has gone kaput, and he's just hanging out until it gets fixed).

Wendy bursts in, injured bird in tow, crying out for an ambulance.  Everett calms her down (somewhat), and Wendy calls the A.S.P.C.A.  Not before this bit tho...

Yeah... I laughed

With all of the fun out of the way, we finally join Angel on her brunch-date with Don.  As Don's sole personality trait is his cocaine use, he immediately excuses himself to use.  Angel confronts him, and tries to gauge just how serious his addiction may be.  He claims to just be an occasional user, however, from the way he describes the various enhancements cocaine brings in to his life, Angel sees through what he's saying.  To spare herself from falling harder for him, she walks out.

Back to the fun!  Wendy is playing nurse to a baby bird.  We watch her apply hydrogen peroxide to the bird's wound, and grind together a mush consisting of boiled egg, chop meat, and wheat germ (which she luckily happened to have on hand).  With Everett's help, they manage to feed the bird.

Everett's girlfriend calls to give Ev' an update on the rap she had written for him.  I would just transcribe it, but... I think it would be missing a certain something... so here you go:

I mean, really...

Wendy changes into her nurse outfit, cap and all... and places the injured bird into a bed, that looks as though it were a converted tissue or shoe box.  She ties a string and bell to its leg... so it can ring in case of emergency.  The Wendy scenes are truly amazing.

Wendy is truly the Amazing Character Find of 1986.

The fun police... I mean Angel, returns home.  She tells Everett he was right, and receives a call from work.  Her friend Cindy asks if she can fill in for her that weekend.  Angel accepts, and following Cindy's hang-up, stays on the phone pretending that she is talking to Don, to mess with Everett.  Everett goes into lecture-mode, Angel looks coyly at the reader and [we are out].

--

I know I may have been a bit tough on the Angel scenes this issue, and while they did drag a bit, I feel they were necessary.  Wendy's silliness would become a touch to saccharine and irritating without cuts to Angel's living-breathing after school special.  Angel's character, it seems, is one that may not have much experience asserting herself... looking out for her best interests.  She is a transplant into the city, from the much smaller Scranton, Pennsylvania.  It is interesting to watch her reactions to what many folks may have perceived city life to be.

I grew up in New York City and from an early age we were instructed to fear and expect a few certainties about life in the big city, including drug-use, gangs, and AIDS.  If you were to ask a six-year-old me (which is the age I was when this issue was released), I would likely think that all grown-ups (and teenagers for that matter) that I didn't know either used drugs, was in a gang, or had AIDS.  They had us so wound up, many of us were scared to even use the school bathrooms for fear of being forced to do cocaine, beaten up by a gang, or injected with AIDS while in there.

The Wendy scenes, we silly and fun.  They were the perfect distraction from Angel's relationship crisis.  I'm glad this series came out when it did, as I'm sure today Wendy would be a "Youtube Superstar" or tattoo-covered selfie-taking cipher.

Despite the serious undertones of Angel Love, there is still something of an innocence to behold here.  There's fun, colorful delusion to get lost in and enjoy.  I just checked comixology, and I am absolutely not surprised to see that Angel Love is not among their offerings.  This is still a tough one to recommend... on one hand, it is unique, novel, and fun... on the other hand, it's still most definitely not for everyone.  I, personally, am enjoying it... though I cannot decide if my enjoyment is predicated on quality or novelty.

--

Interesting Ads:

Ad for the mini-series that changed it all!

Sounds legit.
"Zack Morris is a blonde Tom Cruise..."
"Zack Morris is a ten..."

--

Hope you read this one with someone you love... Happy Valentine's Weekend!

Superman/Batman Annual #1 (2006)

Superman/Batman Annual #1 (December, 2006)
"Stop me if you've heard this one..."
Joe Kelly - Story
Ed McGuinness, Ryan Ottley, Sean Murphy, Carlo Barberi - Pencils
Dexter Vines, Cliff Rathburn, Sean Murphy, Don Hillsman II, Bob Petrecca, Andy Owens, Rodney Ramos - Inks
Guy Major - Colors
Rob Leigh - Letters
Jeanine Schaeffer - Asst. Editor
Eddie Berganza - Editor
Cover Price: $3.99

"Hey you ever read that issue of Superman/Batman that had Deadpool in it?" said the guy behind the counter at one of my local comics haunts sometime in 2009.

"the hell are you talking 'bout?" was my reply, head wrinkled, eyebrow cocked (though "hell" may be the PG version of what I had actually said).

During the mid-2000's I found myself with a very serious debilitation, it was one so heinous and extreme that I would find myself violently ill, and cursing the fact that I'd even woke up each day... I had... a mortgage.  It was almost a full-blown case of adulthood, for which there is no cure.  Well, at least not a socially acceptable one.  That having been said, I trimmed much of my perceived "comic book fat" from my weekly hauls... dropping from about $50 a week to about $50 for an entire month.  I had to make many difficult decisions in regards to my pull list, and one of the books I found myself dropping was Superman/Batman.

Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable book.  Ed McGuinness' art is never a let-down for me, and contrary to what the current fashionable internet hive-speak is in regard to Jeph Loeb, there's very little of his work that I don't like.  Superman/Batman started out big and bombastic, it was like reading a summer blockbuster cartoon in comic book form, if that makes any sense.  It was just a book that, when push came to shove (and it did) that I could drop without feeling too many pangs of collector-guilt.

I have since revisited the series, finding it a fun romp through the latter part of the post-Crisis/pre-Flashpoint DC Universe, and almost a sanctuary from some of the ultra-violent, ultra-serious books of the New 52.  This issue is a perfect example of such a romp, and it's got Deadpo... er, Deathstroke the Terminator's Earth-3 counterpart in it to boot!  I figure to commemorate the opening of the Deadpool live-action movie, I figure it would be a good time to revisit some-guy's lone sorta-kinda DC Universe appearance...

--

Billed as a Re-Imaginary story, Superman/Batman Annual #1 takes us back to a time where Superman and Batman did not know each other's secret identities.  They work together as partners from time to time, and seemed to view their attempts to discover each other's secret ID's as something of a game or contest.

The two, in their civilian form, find themselves aboard the same cruise to the Bermuda Circle, Lois Lane in tow only to find that the ship had accidentally booked Clark and Bruce into the same cabin.  The dynamics between Clark and Bruce here is something that absolutely must be read.  Bruce is 100% billionaire playboy jerk, and Clark is 100% mild-mannered.  They clash upon check-in, and their conflict only intensifies from there.

During dinner, Lois (who at this point does not know the secret ID, and is wildly curious) and Clark are sharing a dance.  Clark timidly asks if he can share her cabin, rather than stay with Wayne.  Bruce then cuts in, much to Clark's chagrin, swooping Lois to his table for them to dine.

While all of this is going on, Deathstroke the Terminator is preparing to make an attempt on Bruce Wayne's life.  He was hired in the opening pages, and I believe this is written to be his first "costumed" outing.

Bruce and Clark retire to their room for the night, where the attempt is made.  A dart is fired, and bounces off Clark's neck.  Batman and Superman put two and two together, and come to the realization of just who they are sharing a room with.

Suddenly Deadpo-- er, some guy barges in to save Bruce Wayne's life, just before he can say his name, he is shot multiple times in the chest.  I am assuming this is intended as Deathstroke's Earth-3 counterpart, due to some characters that show up in a few pages.  He is very clearly intended to be... well, another Wilson, who's first name rhymes with "Slade".

Okay, screw it... joke ain't funny anymore (if it ever really was)  It's clearly intended to be Deadpool.  Writer, Joe Kelly and artist, Ed McGuinness were the creative team for the first bit of Deadpool's first ongoing series in the late 1990's (highly recommended, by the way, and has been collected in an Omnibus), and have rekindled a bit of that magic in this here issue of Superman/Batman.

Lois notices the silhouettes of Superman and Batman on deck, and begins to make some connections herself in regard to their secret identities.  She is shocked to find that she wasn't seeing Superman and Batman... she was seeing Ultraman and Owlman of the Crime Syndicate!  She is taken hostage, and is kissed by Owlman, who is surprised to find out that this Lois Lane is not Superwoman.

Meanwhile, Superwoman is below deck fighting with "our" Bruce Wayne.  With lasso tied around his neck, and little hope of survival... Wayne is saved, once again by Deadpool!  Right before 'pool can introduce himself, he is stabbed through the head by Deathstroke.  This being Deadpool, he naturally does not die.

The Bruce Waynes fight, and Lois overhears some discussion that tips her off to Owlman's (and by proxy, Batman's) secret identity.  Just before she can verbalize it, Bruce (our Bruce) gives her a nerve pinch, and puts her to sleep.  Owlman is about to shoot Bruce, when he is once again saved... by Deadpool.  Bruce is able to escape, jumping overboard to a Bat-Submarine he had placed down below.  'Pool is again about to say his name, when Superwoman breaks his neck.

The World's Finest team fights their Earth-3 counterparts, while Deadpool narrates.  It is all very entertaining, and wildly overblown.  Thanagarians and Blackhawks in a beak-on-beak dance, Ambush Bug beating Darkseid in a game of chess, even Green Lantern, Mogo (who was not usually brought up during this time) gets a mention.  The ending of the battle is a bit out there, and concerns a space-time rift.  Ultimately, the Earth-3ers are sent home, and the day is saved.  Our mystery man gets one more opportunity to introduce himself just as he's about to blink out.  As far as we now know, his name is "Deaaaaaa--"

As we close, Lois is just about to confront Superman and Batman on their secret identities.  Before she can, Clark undressed them both at super speed, and redressed them in their civilian clothing.  Their secrets are safe, for now... plus Clark was able to get one last dig in at Bruce, saying he had found him "cowering in his closet".

The final page shows who took out the contract on Bruce Wayne.  It was Mr. Mxyzptlk and a Bizarro Editor.

--

Insanely fun issue.  Definitely recommended.  Books this fun are a rarity, especially of those published since the turn of the century.  The writing is actually funny, which, it being Joe Kelly should be no surprise.  The art, fluctuates from fantastic to passable.  There are four pencillers on this over-sized annual, and for the most part there is consistency... there are, however, a few more staggering pages to behold.  The only thing that would have made this issue better (beside having Ed McGuinness draw the entire thing) would have been the addition of colorized word balloons for the Deadpool-alike.  In his Marvel books, 'pool has yellow dialogue balloons.  Perhaps that would have been a bit too on the nose for a DC publication to include, however, I don't think it would have caused all that much harm (but what do I know?).

Mile High Comics has this issue listed at $12.00 for a near-mint copy (though, there are none in stock).  This appears to be the going rate for hard-copy online.  Comixology is offering the digital version for $2.99.  If digital is your thing, this is well worth a purchase*.

--

Interesting Ads:

Was never financially secure enough to "invest" in Legos, though
I suppose the Lego Batman video games were pretty fun (at first).
I had forgotten about these "Secret Files and Origins" pages

I remember folks being rather excited for this.
I have still never seen a single Superman movie.

Justice League America #34 (1990)

Justice League America #34 (January, 1990)
"Club JLI"
Keith Giffen - Plot
J.M. DeMatteis - Script
Adam Hughes - Art
Gene D'Angelo - Colors
Bob Lappan - Letters
Kevin Dooley & Andy Helfer - Editor
Cover Price: $1.00

I was introduced to this version of the Justice League with issue #69 as part of the Death of Superman story line.  I was surprised that the vaunted and fabled Justice League featured such... I dunno, second stringers, I suppose.  That wasn't the Green Lantern I know... Fire and Ice?  Blue and Gold?  It seemed so bizarre that these, to my young Marvelite mind, nobodies made up the elite DC Comics superhero team.  Gritting my baby teeth, and pushing through the indifference (I just wanted to get to the Superman and Doomsday stuff, you see), I actually found myself really digging this team.  So much so, that I picked up the next few issues... only to be terribly disappointed when they shook up the roster in issue #71.

My picks of the team were the Blue and the Gold.  Yeah, I know... totally novel opinion there, right?  I would try and pick up older issues of the JLI that featured them whenever I could.  This was the early-nineties, and due to the somewhat increased interest the Death of Superman story line brought the title (along with the steady supply of speculators in the market) such a venture was not cost efficient to my lunch-money fueled budget.

I revisited this endeavor some ten years later, and have since completed my collection.  This run is something of a "comfort food" to me.  This, along with the Peter David Incredible Hulk are runs that I read through, probably once a year... much to my ever-growing back-log's dismay.  This era of Justice League is one that I hold a fondness for, and I never seem to tire of (until around the General Glory arc).  Needless to say, the current Justice League 3001 is one of my favorite contemporary DC Comics offerings.

Every several months or so, I check the Internet for a podcast dedicated to the Giffen./DeMatteis JLI run, and I am always disappointed not to find one.  It is stories such as this that makes me hope one day there will be...

--

The Blue and Gold Entertainment Group, fully sanctioned (unknowingly) by Maxwell Lord has opened the Club JLI.  On the Pacific isle of Kooey Kooey Kooey, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle have opened a casino and Justice League-themed resort.  Using the talents of current JLI contractor/consultant Kilowog, who built the entire resort in three days, and the entirety of the JLI bank coffers, Booster and Beetle believe they are well on their way to insane riches.

Justice League foes (and Justice League Antarctica members) Major Disaster and Big Sir, now destitute are trying to find ways to make some money (Major Disaster's current finances include a piggy bank containing $7.56).  Disaster observes Big Sir counting cards and shortly after notices the the Club JLI offers the opportunity to gamble legally.

Maxwell Lord discusses Booster and Beetle's latest antics with Batman and Martian Manhunter, and when Batman raises the question of how a couple of broke bums were able to pay for such an endeavor, soon discovers that all of his JLI bank accounts have been completely emptied.

Major Disaster and Big Sir make their way to Club JLI through the club's teleport tubes, and are guided to the casino.  They proceed to absolutely break the bank, to the point where the club needed to empty the slots and soda machines just to pay them off.

As if that isn't enough, Aquaman arrives to inform Booster and Beetle that Kooey Kooey Kooey isn't just an island... it is sentient.  Due to the the disturbance caused by the resort construction, she (yeah, she) has dislodged from the ocean floor and begun to move.  This causes an earthquake which results in both the resort falling apart, and Major Disaster losing all of their newly gained winnings.

The issue ends with the Kooey Kooey Kooey Chief, who "worked" the deal with Booster and Beetle admitting to his associate that he always knew that the island was alive.  With the knowledge that Maxwell Lord is heading thataway to deal with Booster and Beetle, we are [to be continued...]

--

I must sound like a broken record by now... but, this was a fun issue.  This era of Justice League is somewhat akin to a superhero soap opera/sitcom, and is for lack of a better term, a very comfortable read.  This is not to say that Giffen and DeMatteis kept their entire run soft and fluffy, they did know when to wrangle in the bwa-ha-ha and bring the action.  Stories such as Kooey Kooey Kooey are in such stark contrast with, say, the Return of Despero story line, that they afford the reader the opportunity to see this team dealing with all sorts of circumstances.

I've seen reviews of this story line being a low point of the Giffen-DeMatteis run, though I disagree.  Maybe it's silly, arguably too silly... but it's just so hard for me to think poorly of it.  For me, this run did end on a bit of a low point, with the General Glory and Breakdown arcs, however, Kooey Kooey Kooey is still among my favorite Justice League side-stories.

This issue gets a recommendation, and is now available in collected edition.  Justice League International, Volume 6 features the Kooey Kooey Kooey arc in full, along with a bit of what preceded it.  I'd recommend the whole story, so the trade may be the best option for this one.

--

Not too many 'Interesting Ads' this time, however, there was this gem!

Three bucks?  A bargain at thrice the price!

--

Trivia:

This issue features an Easter Egg featuring characters from a non-DC book:

From this issues' letters page
I think we're up for the challenge
Jennifer Mays and Gabriel Webb from The Maze Agency
Written by Mike W. Barr with art from this issue's Adam Hughes

                 

--

There are too many great quotes in this issue, and I fear that they should be read in context for full appreciation.

New Titans #71 (1990)

New Titans #71 (November 1990)
"Beginnings... Endings... and (we promise) New Beginnings?"
Marv Wolfman - Writer
Tom Grummett - Pencils
Al Vey - Inker
John Costanza - Letterer
Adrienne Roy - Colorist
Jon Peterson - Editor
Cover Price: $1.75

The Titans turnaround of 1990 can be summed up in two words... Titans Hunt.  Interestingly, here I sit over a quarter of a century later... reading a monthly title, which by all accounts is looking to reinvigorate the Titans, called Titans Hunt.  Apparently, the current title is shedding a few of its issues, dropping from a twelve-issue limited series to a mere eight, though it appears to be leading into the Rebirth event, and will bring us a new ongoing New Titans title.  I figure it is as good a time as any to revisit this old favorite for a reread.

The Titans were considered somewhat stale as we enter the 1990's.  I was a Marvel kid, and felt that most of DC's output looked and felt rather dated.  They were the books that older fans read.  They were the books that I would never find interesting no matter how much praise they get.  How times change, eh?  The feeling at this time, from letters columns to various ancient Usenet posts I have been able to scrounge up is that the Titans were a bit stagnant.  This is usually attributed to creative team burnout, which is more than understandable.  Writing the same characters for a decade can definitely lead to a bit of fatigue.

A taste of how people felt toward The New Titans at this time.
From this issues' "Titans Tower" letters column.

--

Fresh off their latest adventure, the Titans are gearing up for their big (ten-year in "real world time", not sure how long in "comics time") anniversary party.  This gives Wolfman the opportunity to let the characters reflect... see how far they'd come, and analyze their relationships with one another.

Of the team, Speedy (Roy Harper) and Troia (Donna Troy) announce they will, regretfully, not be able to make it to the party.  Roy is heading back to California, while Donna (and... Terry Long) are off to the Grecian island of Dianata in attempt to both find the source of Donna's current nightmares and so that Terry can do research for a book he is planning to write.

Ugh

The team splits out, with the intention of seeing each other later on at the anniversary soiree.  Our main focus, and point of view character here is Nightwing.  We watch him reflect on how he came to meet each of his current teammates, giving the reader insight to the various origins of the main roster (even briefly thinking of his own).  These bits are interspersed with seemingly random violent outbursts around town, which an individual Titan attends to.

This is really nothing new to introducing a reader to an ensemble team, however, the twist here is that each of these occurrences were a meticulously planned trap by Titans' foe, the Wildebeest.  One by one, the Titans, Starfire, Cyborg, Jericho, and Changeling are abducted by the 'beest.  As we draw toward the end, Nightwing arrives at, much to his surprise, an empty restaurant where the party was to be taking place.  He waits several hours for his dinner-mates to arrive, only to be attacked and nabbed by the Wildebeest.

We close on Changeling's guardian, Steve Dayton having to call on the definitive Titans foe for assistance in finding and rescuing the team, Deathstroke the Terminator.  Going as far as offering him money, though Deathstroke agrees to help without pay, as his son Jericho was also taken... this time, it's personal... and we are [to be continued...]

--

All in all a fun issue, and a great start to the Titans Hunt story line, which unfortunately in my opinion grows gradually weaker by the chapter.  This issue, however, offered not only a fantastic narrative, it also provided a perfect jumping-on point for new and lapsed readers.  If this book was published today, I have zero doubts that a #1 would be plastered on it, and it would have at least a dozen variant covers.

I may be completely biased here as I'm discussing an all-time favorite, but Marv Wolfman is a master of storytelling and characterization.  His voice for the Titans characters is, as always, wonderful.  He makes these extraordinary characters relatively easy to relate to, and gives them a tremendous amount of heart.  When discussing superhero teams, it is cliche to refer to any given team as a "family".  The Fantastic Four are literally a family, yet this team of Titans appear to be one even more so.  Gar and Vic bicker like brothers, but you know they also love each other like brothers and will always have each others backs.  Dick, while the same age as his teammates is very much the patriarch of this group.  You can see how he feels a measure of responsibility for his teammates, and feels their safety and comfort is as important (even more so) than his own.

The addition of Tom Grummett as penciller was a great way to maintain the caliber of art on this title, while making it feel more contemporary.  I hate attributing things to their decade of origin, though there is something of a line separating art of the 1980's and art of the 1990's.  Tom Grummett has all of the technical brilliance of any number of great comics artists, and breathes new 1990's flavored life into these wonderful characters.

Definitely recommended.  If you have any interest in the Titans, this is most definitely one of the highlights of their publication.

--

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Justice League America/International is one of my "comfort food" reads.
I usually read it in its entirety at least once a year.
It is around this point that it start to feel kind of like a chore...

House Ad for the first Robin mini-series.

There was ONE kid in my junior high school that had a Lynx.
He would bring it to school, and play it at lunch...
He seemed like he changed the batteries out daily.

Is this the first mention of The New Titans: Games graphic novel?

This comic featured a fold-out Predator 2 poster, that really taxes the strength of the issues' staples.

Robin #1 (1991)

Robin #1 (Janurary, 1991)
"Big Bad World"
Chuck Dixon - Writer
Tom Lyle - Penciller
Bob Smith - Inker
Tim Harkins - Letterer
Adrienne Roy - Colorist
Dan Raspler & Denny O'Neil - Editors
Bob Kane (and Bill Finger) - Character Creators
Cover Price: $1.00

This is one of those books that felt like it went immediately from the shipment crate to behind the glass case at my local comic shop.  Growing up, there were several instances where books never seemed to find their way onto the shelves.  I can think of three examples off the top of my head, Infinity Gauntlet #1, Youngblood #1, and the issue to be discussed today... the first issue of the first Robin mini-series.  I can't honestly say that my local comic shop didn't put these books on the shelf for a day or two before jacking the price up (except for Youngblood #1, which was tagged at $5.00 on its day of release... suppose that's a story for another time), however, I know we visited the shop several times a week, and never had the opportunity to pick them up at cover price.  This was ultimately a mid-2000's quarter-bin find.

That being said, I suppose I had attributed some sort of mythological importance to this book that upon reading today is noticeably (and unfortunately) absent.  There had to be some reason why this issue in particular was (almost) immediately placed under glass, surely?  Well... it's a fine and fun issue, and it comes with a poster, so I suppose there's that... but nothing terribly earth-shaking or senses-shattering to be found.

--

We open on a discussion between Robin (Tim Drake) and Batman.  They are discussing Tim being sent to Paris for some training, all the while Tim is expressing feelings of doubt, insecurity, and a fear of not being worthy of the Robin name or costume.

Confusing paragraph incoming... I suppose I would be remiss not to mention that according to the current DC Comics post-Flashpoint continuity, Tim Drake was apparently never Robin.  He hopped straight into the Red Robin persona... though I believe it was mentioned in an early issue of Teen Titans that he had in fact been Robin... which, I suppose they changed their minds about, and amended for the collected editions to state that he hadn't... either way, I suppose this story may still fit into New-52 era continuity with a change to Tim's costume and code-name.

Tim is also depicted as being much older here than he would be during Young Justice and his various Teen Titans stints.  Looking at the awesome Brian Bolland cover, Tim could pass for drinking age.  This reminds me of pre-Generation X Jubilee.  She was always depicted as being somewhere between 16 and 18, once Generation X started up, she was suddenly written and drawn as though she were 12-13.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, Lady Shiva is given a contract to locate a man who calls himself the King Snake.

Tim packs and travels to Paris, where he meets both his master, Rahul Lama and Shen Chi, a student (and grandson) of the master.  Shen Chi is certainly a character of his time; he has a spiky mullet with the sides shaved, and has quite a bit of early nineties 'tude.  We observe some of their training, after which Shen Chi decides to take Tim out on the town.

Shen Chi is cooler than most.

While out and about, Tim runs into a young woman named Ling who appears to take an immediate liking to our young hero.  They go for a stroll and wind up before a street gang, the leader of which has a special interest in Ling.  Tim suffers a stiff kick to the face, and a threat of worse if they meet again as Ling is dragged away.

Tim returns to the dojo, dons his Robin gear and heads out in pursuit.  He comes across a building where the gang has a man held captive and bound.  They are beating him.  Tim drops in to try to even the odds, and is introduced to something of an ally in Clyde Rawlins.  Lady Shiva watches the brawl from a nearby balcony, and we are [to be continued...]

--

All in all, a fun issue which was definitely hindered by my unwarranted high expectations.  Chuck Dixon is a great writer, and it truly is a shame that he is no longer involved with DC Comics (for whatever reason).  I thought for sure Dixon would have penned at least one of the Convergence Batman titles from last summer (2015), and was disappointed not to see his name on any of the solicits.  When I think of 1990's Batman, my mind immediately goes to Chuck Dixon.  He was responsible for so much great Bat-related stuff... Nightwing, Robin, and Birds of Prey among them.

Tom Lyle's art is also great, however, I always kind of file him under "Marvel style artist" in my head.  This book has a very late-eighties/early-nineties Marvel feel to it, art-wise.

Not much to be said, insofar as a review.  This was a very boilerplate "Part 1 of 5" type of tale.  Threats are established, side characters are put in place, and we get a vague motivation for our hero.  Not bad by any stretch (quite good, in fact), just very well-worn road.

--

Interesting Ads:

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Just a little bit creepy, no?
Gotta wonder if "Sherry" is on a watch-list somewhere... 

This Starman series was great fun.
Criminally under-rated and well worth a read!

--

Quotes:

Clyde: "... What's your name?"
Robin: "Call me Robin."
Clyde: "Rockin' Robin, huh?"
Robin: "No, just Robin."
Clyde: "Well, get rockin', Robin!"

--

Now, I didn't yank the poster out of my copy.  However, in the interest of completion-ism, here's a scan I found of it online:

[Bin Beat] Used Bookstore 2/6/2016

When I decided to finally stop thinking about doing a DC Comics blog, and actually put digital pen to digital paper, I wanted to not only share stories that I had read... I wanted to share my collection stories.  These stories are somewhat unique to comics enthusiasts, and I feel that comics fans have an uncanny ability to place themselves into the gestalt of when and where they were when they bought and/or read such-and-such story... though, perhaps I am projecting... just a bit.

I am an admitted back-issue bin junkie.  I am aware of my addiction, and I have no intention to stop.  I won't go to any meetings, and I don't want a support group.  This blog can be my support group.  Now my skin doesn't itch when it's been a few days since my last "hunt", though I must admit I always get the butterflies when I start flipping through a cheap-o bin.

These days the bins... while lonelier, are also so much more fun!  Growing up, and getting into collecting in the late 80's/early 90's... the back-issue bins were something of a forbidden fruit.  Books that were just weeks (sometimes merely days) old were bagged, boarded and were stickered with a price usually at least double that of cover (don't get me started on the prices of supposed "key" issues).  Don't get me wrong, that was a fun and exciting time to be a comics fan... however, I must admit I get tickled when I come across multiple copies of Image Comics #1's in the dime-bins.

In my town, we have about a half-dozen decent sized comic book stores.  Most of them realize that the back-issue market only appeals to a certain type of clientele, and price their wares accordingly.  Given the ubiquitous nature of digital versions of these books... legally or otherwise, if a person wants to read a given back issue... they can... quickly, and perhaps even without paying for it.  There are, however, a couple of shops that maintain the 90's era pricing... That issue of Action Comics that came out last month?  Yeah, that's in the bins... for $6.00.  Dial H #1?  $10.00 sounds about right... it is, after all a number one.  There's also the shop that leaves all of their books un-priced, and then checks the going eBay rate on their phone before "quoting" you a price... yeah, we don't talk about those guys here.  I'm buying Robin #0, not a used car.

Now, digital books?  That's not my scene... Overpriced back-issues?  Yeah, I don't dig that much either.  I have taken to broadening the horizons of my hunt.  Used bookstores... used record stores... anywhere offbeat enough to perhaps carry comics... anywhere that the folks working there will care so little about the comics that they don't check eBay or the Overstreet guide, and usually just tag them all at 25 cents, 50 cents, or a buck.  These are the places I've made some of my best finds over the past few years.

Uncanny X-Men #141 & 142 (Days of Future Past) $1.00/each
Uncanny X-Men #266 (First Gambit) 10 CENTS
Avengers Annual #10 (First Rogue) $1.00
Amazing Spider-Man #238 (First Hobgoblin) $1.00
Omega Men #3 (First Lobo) $1.00
Superman #423 (Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow) 50 cents
Batman #575-578 (Year Two) 30 cents/each
Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (First Nightwing) 33 cents

I don't list these to brag, I do so to encourage people to look in places they ordinarily wouldn't to find comics... to fill in collection holes... to grab some key issues you could never afford if they were priced "properly".  I also list them to keep myself motivated... there are still some key issues that I seek, most notably New Teen Titans #1 and #2... I hold out hope that I will one-day come across them at a reasonable (or better yet, a steal of a) price.

--

This past weekend, the wife and I visited a semi-local used bookstore, and I made had a rather modest find.  This store in particular is an odd one, some days I can walk out without buying a thing... and there have been days where I'd snagged up in excess of 50 books.  On this day, I found ten.

The eight pre-Flashpoint books were 35 cents each, while the New-52 era books were $1.50 each.

Superman and Green Lantern are among my collection "priorities" (if that is such a thing) at the moment.  I have been listening to a few great podcasts, most notably From Crisis to Crisis and Just One of the Guys.  From Crisis to Crisis discusses, reviews, and analyzes (all of) the Superman books from the immediate post-crisis all the way up to Infinite Crisis.  It is a hell of an endeavor, and is always a fun listen.  They do so on a month to month basis, and have given me an excuse to read, or reread my post-crisis Superman... and fill in whatever holes my collection may have.  Just One of the Guys covers the 1990 volume of Green Lantern (along with the Guy Gardner series).  This is a completed podcast, and is always a great listen as well.  It has "forced" me to fill in some of my GL related collection gaps.  The New-52 books I snagged were just ones I had missed out on during my great "screw DC Comics" temper tantrum post-Flashpoint.

While at this bookstore I did come across one of my "white whales"... New Teen Titans #2 (first appearance of Deathstroke the Terminator) was there... behind glass... for $100.00.  I can't go for that (no can do)... it was neat actually seeing it in person, however.  I am confident that one day I will nab it.

I don't plan on doing these types of posts too often.  I know that they can come off as braggy or just plain annoying (I have unsubscribed to many a blog or Youtube channel that became all about the "hauls").  I just want folks (who are interested) to know that there are always good old comics within reach, and you often don't need to pay an arm and a leg to get them.

I know snagging things up digitally or in collected format is easier, takes up less space, and can sometimes be acquired without paying... but single issues (please don't call them "floppies") are special.  They are products of their time... from the paper quality, to the smell, to the ads; these books afford the reader a very unique opportunity to actually "travel" back to when these books were current.  You can see what else is going on in culture, music, video games, movies... hell, what else is going on in your respective comics universe(s) too!

I can honestly say I've never walked away from a cheap-o comic bin disappointed... and if you dig the old and offbeat books too, I'd wager you wouldn't either.  Even a cruddy read can be fun when you don't feel like you overpaid for it.  Though, I suppose I might just be projecting again...

Thanks for reading.