Chase #6 (1998)

Chase #6 (July, 1998)
"Girls' Day Out"
Plot & Script - D. Curtis Johnson
Plot & Pencils - J.H. Williams III
Inks - Mick Gray
Color & Separations - Lee Loughridge
Lettering - Clem Robins
Associate Editor - Dana Kurtin
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.50

During the late 1990's, DC Comics offered a smattering of offbeat experimental titles.  It was a really fun time to be a fan... you never really knew what you were going to get.  There were titles like Young Heroes in Love, Major Bummer, Chronos and the title we're going to look at today... Chase.

(Cameron) Chase worked for the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO) as an agent.  I believe currently she is set to (or already has) appear in the new Rebirth volume of Supergirl.  Today we're going to see if we can't get to the bottom of what makes her tick.

--

We open at the Department of Extranormal Operations offices.  Sandy Barrett is going about her daily duties, and we learn that our titular agent Cameron Chase will be returning to duty the following Monday.  She had been out several weeks due to having a wall fall on her while she was watching over the Teen Titans during their action figure launch.  This was the Teenage Atom-led version of the team that included folks like Joto and Argent.  Ms. Chase was comatose for a time, but as mentioned... she'll be back tout suite.

Monday is still a few days away, so Cam and her sister Terry are enjoying a day out in the city hitting the shops.  Terry wants to head up to the top of the World Trade Center... Cameron agrees, with the caveat that they drop off all their purchases at her office along the way.  Before going DEO-bound, Terry pops into a convenience store to pick up the latest issue of Herotab... which is like the superhero equivalent of the National Enquirer.

At the offices, Cameron deposits their new chachkies in her office while Terry gets hit on by a "superhero" named Ivan.  In her office, there's a JLA themed bouquet of balloons waiting for her along with a note from "Bear", who I'm assuming is Ms. Barrett.

After dropping off, Cameron rescues Terry from Ivan... by telling him the object of his flirtation is currently dating Lobo.  Really funny stuff here.

The sisters load into an elevator and prepare for their twin-tower trek.  Moments later there's a rumbling... it feels like there's an earthquake... and the elevator comes to a sudden halt.  Terry's mind immediately goes to Gotham City, who during this era had just experienced a cataclysmic quake that led into the epic No Man's Land storyline.  Cam calls Barrett on her cell, and learns that there'd been an incident on one of the upper floors concerning a tentacled test subject that broke free.  She tells Terry it's just a power outage, and there's nothing to worry about.

While "sitting tight" Terry cracks open her new copy of Herotab... which sports a cover hinting at a romantic relationship between Booster Gold and Firehawk.  Deeper inside there's a story about a girl who accuses her father of secretly being a supervillain.  This story appears to bother big sis, and she asks her to kindly not talk about it.  Whether out of true interest, or just to be a jerk Terry does the exact opposite until Cam nyoinks (er, fwaps) the rag out of her hand.

Terry can't figure out that hub-bub is all about... can't understand why her sister would react in such a way to just some "goofy story" in a tabloid.  Well folks, sometimes stories like that aren't so goofy... when you've lived something similar.  It's story time...

Turns out that Terry and Cameron's father was a costumed crime fighter... the Acro-Bat.  During the 1960's, the Justice Society of America was more or less in semi-retirement.  The baby-boomer generation began filling the holes left in the hero... and villain communities.  The Acro-Bat led a group of heroes called the Justice Experience.  I love the way this is all described.  It seems as though these costumed folk were just bored... and so they decided to become either heroes or villains.  Very interesting take on vigilantism and villainy... just playing the part to combat boredom.

At first Terry is reluctant to believe anything Cam tells her.  It just sounds too ludicrous to be true!  Their old man was a school teacher... nothing more.  Big sis insists what she says is true... she's even got a fat DEO file upstairs to prove it.  Terry gets excited thinking that perhaps she has superpowers, and begins thinking about how their father passed.  She assumes he died saving the world.  If only...

Ya see, once there was a man... Larry Trapp.  He was gifted and brilliant... though unfortunately suffered deformities at birth.  One day he met a woman who saw through his less than aesthetic visage and fell in love with him.  She was Caroline Anders... and sadly, she was caught in the crossfire of a super-battle between the Justice Experience and the villainous House of Pain.  The authorities levied no charges on any of the "heroes"... so Trapp made it his mission to exact his own version of justice.

He placed the blame for the death of his lady love at the feet of the superhero community... and as such, they became the object of his scorn and the target of his vengeance.  Who better to start with than the leader of the Justice Experience, Acro-Bat?

Cameron found her father's body in their living room.  Trapp had already left for his next target.  The police dubbed him Doctor Trap because he would booby-trap each of his lairs, so that when they were discovered those who found it would be in a fair amount of peril.  He would wipe out the entire Justice Experience, along with many of their friends... and even enemies.  This dude was a force to be reckoned with.  Ultimately, a handful of JSA retirees were able to capture Trapp.

Terry is not reacting to this new information all that well, feeling as though she'd been lied to her entire life.  She begins lashing out at Cameron, asking if she's only in this line of work to "get back" at their father.  Before Cam can explain, the power resumes, and the elevator doors are pried open by the rescue team.

Once out, Barrett approaches Chase about her next assignment.  Normally she would be cool with this, however at the moment she has more important things to attend to.  She says it'll have to wait until her "official" return to work, and heads over to Terry.  She is able to get across the point that she kept that information from her to protect her, and the sisters appear to be pals once again.

We close with Barrett entering the office of DEO head Mister Bones.  She tells him Chase was wiped from the goings on that day and the upcoming Gotham City gig would have to wait until Monday.

--

I said it in the preamble, and I'm saying it again... the late 1990's were such a fun time to be a comics fan.  It was when the old tricks stopped working... a company couldn't just slap a foil cover on a book and expect it to sell in the six-figures.  Fans and speculators alike were tired of stunts and fatigued from events... the big two (and the rest) had to actually buckle down and "get creative".  I wish something like this would happen today... but sadly, people just seem to eat up the variants and events.

Reading this issue of Chase felt very much like experiencing one of those excellent "Tales of Times Past" from the James Robinson Starman.  Everything from the tone to the artwork is evocative of those swell tales.  I love anything that adds to the lore of the universe... and as I have a bit of a blindspot as to what occurred between the Justice Society's heyday and the start of the "modern" age of heroes, this story was most welcome.

Lets discuss the superhero malaise of the 1960's.  How cool is it that this new generation of costumed folks only become so because there's nothing better to do.  Chase talks about the goofy "deathtraps" the supervillains would come up with... which really speaks to some of the campier elements of that decade, like the Adam West Batman stuff.  I really dig that this is described as basically the adult version of "cops and robbers"... where groups would just "decide" whether they were the heroes or the villains.  Such an interesting approach... that actually fits when you think about it.

Doctor Trapp's story is pretty intriguing.  Here's a fella who has had a real rough time of it.  He was born deformed... and when he finally finds someone who can get past it, he loses her.  It's enough to drive anybody nuts... not saying it justified or excused his actions... just saying that it's a really good origin for a villain.  If I'm not mistaken, this issue is his sole appearance.  I'm kinda surprised he never surfaced during the reemergence of the JSA near the turn of the century.  I think he would have made a great addition to their pantheon of baddies.

The sisterly dynamic between Cameron and Terry was neat.  You get the feeling that Cam really takes it upon herself to overburden herself with responsibility.  You also get the feeling that this is not a new character trait... probably something she's dealt with for most of her life.  Something that has affected the way that she deals with others... including those in her own family.  Assuming that she is the judge of what information her sister would be able to handle, not only says a bunch about her... but also how she views Terry.  Terry appears quite immature... however, it can be questioned whether or not she truly is... or if she's living down to her big sis' expectations.  Really good stuff here. 

I'm not sure why Dan Curtis Johnson doesn't have more creator credits to his name... this series is fantastic. This is procedural before procedural became cool.  This is before there were books like Gotham Central and Marvel's Alias (later The Pulse).  Definitely ahead of its time... and overall, a great time.  The art is wonderfully moody when it needs to be... and as I said earlier, very evocative of the work on Starman.  Excellent stuff here.

Luckily, and surprisingly... this entire ten-issue series is available digitally and in trade paperback.  That is issues one through nine, with a #1,000,000 for good measure.  Definitely worth your time if you're looking for something a little bit different... but still adds to the tapestry of the post-Crisis DC Universe.

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Action Comics #961 (2016)

Action Comics #961 (October, 2016)

"Path of Doom, Part Five"

Writer - Dan Jurgens

Penciller - Stephen Segovia

Inker - Art Thibert

Letterer - Rob Leigh

Colorist - Arif Prianto

Associate Editor - Paul Kaminski

Editor - Mike Cotton

Group Editor - Eddie Berganza

Cover Price: $2.99

I realized I've covered all of the Rebirth issues of Superman (vol.4) and have yet to write anything about his other book!  Let's fix that.

--

We open in Metropolis with Super Lex taking care of business in the wake of Superman and Wonder Woman heading out.  While he stabilizes a building, a familiar face pops into frame... Clark Kent.  Luthor and Kent share some pleasantries, all the while Clark holds fast that he is not Superman.  During the fracas, the blue blur of Superwoman makes an appearance... which makes our green-cloaked observer rather curious.

Meanwhile, upstate Doomsday and Wonder Woman are going at it.  Diana gets knocked away, and the real steel deal "tags in" while Lois and Jon attend to the fallen Amazon.  Superman and Doomsday exchange blows for awhile, and again... we see our enigmatic observer.  He commands the "gate" be prepared, and declares that "now is the time".

Wonder Woman shakes the cobwebs and hops back into the melee, lassoing Doomsday with the golden perfect.  She ain't getting much truth outta the beast, in fact, he slips out of his bindings and begins choking Superman out with the gilded cord... that is, until young Jon unleashes a blast of heat vision into Doomsday's ugly mug.

As one would imagine, Doomsday doesn't react well to this.  He turns his attention to Supes Sr. and begins walking toward the tot.  Not a smart move, big guy... turning your back on Superman.  He's knocked into next week by our man, and in the few moments he just bought, he asks Wonder Woman to take his family to safety.  He claims that nowhere on Earth will be safe... guess somebody's getting a satellite ride...

After the tear-filled goodbyes among the Whites, we pop back in on our observer.  He is standing with a figure in a full face mask.  Apparently the "gate" is ready... and they're currently awaiting orders.

Superman and Doomsday continue their battle while Lois and Jon arrive on the Justice League satellite with Wonder Woman.  The fight continues until a group of men in full face mask arrive on the scene and proceed to relentlessly blast Doomsday with laser beams!

--

Just a few months back I would have never figured I'd be writing about a contemporary release that was numbered in the nine-hundreds.  Outside of some "wacky" "special" Deadpool and Wolverine comics, nothing even came close to these kinds of numbers.  Boy am I happy to have this title... and this character back!

It really feels like coming home again... even if that home is sporting an unfamiliar shade of paint.  This is probably not the best issue to start reviewing this title, as it's a part five.  What's more, and I said this in my Superman vol. 4 review a week or so back... it feels like a "part five".  I'm really hoping that after the first "for the trade" storyline, we maybe shake things up a bit.  Make things a bit less formulaic.  Maybe return to a time when subplots grew organically over long periods of time... rather than fitting everything into the six-parter format.

The writing and art are great!  This book just oozes of quality.  You can tell just by looking at it, that it's a book earmarked to "matter".  Even the coloring gives it an odd "event" look to it... which probably doesn't make any sense... it's just the impression it gives me.  Story wise, it feels as though all the pieces are starting to come together, and we'll have some of our questions answered pretty quick.

Like I said with Superman vol. 4, I am looking forward to some solo-Superman stories.  Not that I don't like the family, because I do... I just want to see a Superman-on-his-own story again... featuring this Superman.  I love that he's got a family, because to me Superman was never somebody I wanted to be, he was someone I could look to for protection.  He was always a fatherly presence to me.  I didn't need him to be a young swingin' single to "relate" to him.  Even with that said, I'm really hoping to see some stories that don't revolve around the "Smiths".  Maybe I'm just impatient... to be fair, I've never claimed to be anything but!

Overall... this is still the book that's on the top of my "to read" pile on the weeks it comes out.  I find myself with very little in the way of free time to read many books for "entertainment" (ie. something I'm not planning on writing and/or ruminating about)... this book, however, always has my attention.  Jump aboard as it rolls on toward issue 1000... and, hopefully (though I'm not convinced) issue 1001 and beyond.

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Catwoman (vol.2) #1 (2002)

Catwoman (vol.2) #1 (January, 2002)
"Anodyne, Part One of Four"
Writer - Ed Brubaker
Penciller - Darwyn Cooke
Inker - Mike Allred
Colorist - Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer - Sean Konot
Assistant Editor - Nachie Castro
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $2.50

Was filing away some books I'd snagged in the cheap-o's a few weeks back, and came across this most excellent volume of Catwoman.  I love coming across parts of my collection that I'd (almost) forgotten about.  Been too long since I've read this one... let's read it together, shall we?

--

We open with a... working girl soliciting a ride from a fella.  We'll call him John Brian.  When asked for her name she bites her lips and lies.  It's no bother though... Brian ain't here to talk anyway.  She hops in and they get right down to it, locking lips.  She pulls away after getting a look at his face.  He seems to get self conscious and yells at her to stop looking at him... from there it's academic.  He bashes her head through the window and proceeds to pound on her... likely until she passes.

From there, we enter into a hellish dreamscape.  Selina Kyle is surrounded by animated Catwoman costumes.

Turns out she's explaining her dream to Dr. Leslie Thompkins.  The Doc gives Selina some basic TV psychoanalysis, and tells her she's well on her way to getting "better".  She analyzes the dream as a subconscious battle for identity.  Selina claims to have not worn the costume for the past six-months.  Doc reinforces that any change Selina wants is in her hands.

On the street, Selina passes some seedy pushers and ignores their advances.  She heads to her current residence, which is a safe-house she's kept ever since her days as a working girl.  It was a place she shared with her "sisters", a sanctuary for them to go to when it was needed.  For the past six months, Selina herself needed it... apparently, she is supposed to be dead.  Having not read the end of the previous volume, I can't speak to that... I'll just take Ed/Selina's word for it!  As she settles in, we get a quick 'n dirty rundown of her costumed career... which, if I'm not mistaken, includes a nod to Batman: Year One.  Love stuff like that!

From out of the window, arose such a clatter... Selina popped her head out to see what's the matter.  Outside, there's a violent scene going on.  Batman is in the midst of a battle with the Riddler and his gang.  She spies Batman just about to take a bullet to the back, and so she chucks a brick at the gunman's noggin just in the nick of time.

After this, Selina decides to blow off some steam by doing some rooftop parkour.  As she goes, it's more than just her legs that are running.  Thoughts run through her head... she's still trying to place herself.  She's not right... she's not wrong... she's that space between.  She's come to a decision.

She returns her pad, and retrieves her costume.  The purple one.  She gives it one look before chucking it into the garbage.

From there, she puts together the ensemble most contemporary Catwoman fans are familiar with.  From the "letters page" that follows the story, we learn that Darwyn Cooke created this thing from soup to nuts... er, goggles.  It really is an amazing design... so simple, yet so detailed.  Definitely an outfit that can look great no matter who draws it... however, under Cooke's pencils... it really is amazing.

She takes to the streets on her first patrol in half a year.  Of course... she runs into Batman.  They chat a bit.  She wonders why he's always been there for her.  He tells her that he's never had any doubt that underneath it all, she's a good person.  It looks as though they might embrace, but Catwoman playfully pushes off his chest, launching herself in a beautiful dive.  Ya see, these two can be on a rooftop together without "doing it".

Selina returns home... to the sanctuary.  She's snuggling with her cat when she hears a jostling at her front door.  Thinking it's some lock-picker, she heads to the door to "greet" them.  Much to her surprise, it's a young lady named Holly.  An acquaintance from her "old life".  Holly knew about the sanctuary... and needed a place to crash.  Seeing Selina there, she assumes she's back in "the business", so she gives her the warning... there's somebody killing "us" out there...

--

This series always reminds me of candy.  Not sure if that makes any sense, but it's really the best way I can describe it.  The first couple of years for this title were amazing.  Not sure if it kept up the quality level... it sadly fell under my "ax" around mid-2004 along with a whole bunch of titles I was following at the time.

I was always hesitant to pick up Catwoman during her previous volume... seemed like just a lot of big hair and big boobs.  One of those books that I'd kinda be embarrassed if my mother saw me buy.  I've since learned that a lot of that series was actually pretty damn good, and have since written the aesthetic off as just being a product of the times.

This Catwoman volume just looked immediately inviting... even with limited "experience" with the character, this issue does a fantastic job of dropping the reader into the moment with Selina.  It's a turning point in her life, and we are given the opportunity to watch her choose the direction her life is going to go.  All good stuff.

Dr. Leslie Thompkins does some decent "TV" psychotherapy... good enough for a superhero story, and helps get Selina from point A to B.  She usually makes for a good storytelling device... a good sounding board, allowing for natural character progression rather than reading thought balloon after thought balloon of expository hoo-ha.

This is a rather mature story... however, it is handled well.  Ya know, Selina's got a backstory... it's, questionable, depending on your mileage... but it's there, and it's nice to see it addressed here.

I've always really dug Ed Brubaker's DC work, and this is no exception.  Darwyn Cooke's stylistic pencils are a most welcome addition to this book lending to its unique and inviting aesthetic... I love his Riddler... really cool!  Great start to a great run.  The whole shebang is available digitally, so definitely give it a look-see if you're so inclined.

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It took me well over an hour to even get to my first random encounter
Still fun tho...

Starman #1 (1988)

Starman #1 (October, 1988)

"Grassroots Hero"

Writer - Roger Stern

Penciller - Tom Lyle

Inker - Bob Smith

Letterer - Bob Pinaha

Colorist - Julianna Ferriter

Editor - Robert Greenberger

Cover Price: $1.00

Here's a fun one that I don't see enough of online... 

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We open in a building in Western Utah.  Inside a man, Doctor Melrose is conducting experiments on human subjects.  Ya see, he's a bit disenfranchised with the post-Crisis DC Universe and is trying to manufacture superheroes that he feels are worthy of the title.  Hovering above Earth there is a satellite, Stellaron-5.  It absorbs space radiation and concentrates it into a beam which is fed into Melrose's place (heh).

Now what happens when some space debris collides with the satellite?  Well, the beam it emits goes a bit ca-ca.  The image of the collision makes it look as though the beam has gone all akimbo... however, we find that it just moved one state east, and hit a random clearing in the Colorado Rockies, where a young man happened to be on walkabout.

A couple happens upon the poor soul who appears to have been hit by lightning if the dead Earth surrounding him is any indication.  What they don't understand, however, is how the man's body appears to look no worse for wear... well, besides being dead and all.  The corpse is delivered to a cliff side morgue (whatta view!), where the coroner and an officer are discussing this strange case (and the stiff's odd tan).  They must have been talking loud enough to wake the dead... cuz, they kinda do!

Our bearded dead guy sits up, sending the coroner into shock.  The officer returns and draws his gun... c'mon fella, you think a gun's gonna kill a dead guy?  Beardo shifts left to dodge a potential bullet, however... and this is really cool, he winds up underestimating his agility and strength... so he dives through the window!  Remember I said this was a cliff-side "boutique" morgue?  Yup, looks like he's about to meet his maker... again, until he realizes he can fly!

He lands on a passing by eighteen-wheeler, and is surprised to see that he can dig into it's metal roof with his bare hands.  He hops off at the next truck stop and pops in to a greasy spoon for a bite to eat.  While there, the waitress comments on his rosy-hue, and our man finds out that while he went camping in mid-May, it is now somehow the end of June!  He's lost himself a month of his life...

He leaves, and begins running everything through his head.  We learn that his name is William Payton and he's 25.   Lost in thought, he happens upon a bank robbery.  One of the robbers, upon seeing him... fires a slug into his shoulder... or at least he would have, if our boy wasn't bulletproof.  Will's surprised too... and angry.  He begins emitting a super bright light, blinding both the robber and the getaway driver.  They draw their guns, and Payton melts them, again with his bare hands.

The police are quickly on the scene, and Will flees by flying away.  A boy thinks he just saw a member of the Green Lantern Corps, but the officer, having heard about the not-quite dead fella at the morgue, is convinced he was just touched (or talked to) by an angel.

We shift to later on that day on the outskirts of my current stomping grounds, Phoenix Arizona, where we meet a young woman who really dig the Police (we're talking Sting here folks).  She strums on her guitar telling whoever is around not to stand not to stand not to stand so close to her, when Will just wanders onto panel.  We learn that this young lady is Will's sister Jayne.  She is ecstatic to see her brother... having not heard a peep from him since he went camping some six-weeks ago.  She runs in for a hug, and in a fun bit (that may have been unintentional, Will tells her not to get too close to him!  He's afraid that, with his powers he may hurt her.

He demonstrates his new arsenal of abilities, and rather than being freaked out... Jayne thinks it's really cool!  Hell, she's got a bonafide superhero in the family!  Will ain't feelin' all'a that, and so they return home... to a nondescript Phoenix suburb, heh.  When these stories take place in New York, all the towns get named... notsomuch for Arizona.  We'll just say she lives in Mesa, howzatsound?

Once home, Will shaves his face and we see that his reddened complexion is quite uneven under the fur.  He first tries to cook up some sunlight in his hand to even it all out... but gives himself a Homer Simpson beard instead.  Now we're introduced to one of Will's more important powers... just by thinking about it, he's able to change the color (and shape) of his face.  He's back to his pasty self just in time for his mother to come home.

Mrs. Payton is happy to see her son, who, for all she knew had died a month and change back.  That's one thing that's weird here... neither his sister nor his mother thought to look for him after not hearing from him for so long... I guess it's easy to think that way in our current "everybody's got a cellphone" age... but still, it's weird.  Anyhoo... after x's and o's, Mom lambastes her boy for not having a job.  Will promises he's got "leads" and he'll be making calls the following day.

And so, the following day... nobody wants to hire Will.  Maybe he can do freelance photography for a local newspaper... hmm... of special interest during this scene, Will is in his backyard... which is green.  Like there's big billowy bushes and lush grass... If there's a single house like that in the Phoenix Metro area, I gotta see it!  What's more, there's a hose left on the ground... in June!  That bugger's gotta be 200 degrees right now!  I wish my backyard looked like that... and not just a mess of rocks and dirt.  Anyhoo, Will gets ticked and not realizing his own strength, destroys his mom's phone when he slams it.  Jayne pops in with her sketchbook, ya see, she's still intent on her big bro donning tights, and she's designed some outfits for his approval.  He's still not quite there yet.

Later on, Will is presented with his new Starry costume, and we are presented with his bare bottom.  He's still pretty steadfast that he's not gonna be a superhero, and it looks like Jayne has finally given up.  The television is on, and the news shows a terribly accident at a local construction site... with a man pinned under a crane.  Will looks at the set, and looks at the costume.  He knows what he has gotta do.

Moments later, a purple and gold clad man who... kinda resembles our boy Will arrives on the scene of the accident.  He shows off his strength by bending an I-beam and settles in next to the fallen crane.  He lifts, pressing so hard he begins to sink into the ground (no small feat during the Arizona summer... the ground is so hard and dense here, if it rains for more than five minutes, there's a flood!).  He's finally able to lift it, so the man pinned underneath can be pulled to safety.

As soon as the man is clear... the crane crashes back to the ground, with Will underneath it.  The newscasters are all too quick to "call it", claiming this mysterious man "died a hero", when suddenly he pops out of the ground fresh as a daisy.  A man among the crowd calls out to him... calling him "Starman".  The news wants to speak with him, but Will's all "nope."

Back at the house, Jayne is flipping channels and seeing what a hero her brother has become.  Will arrives home, and we see his facial (and vocal, apparently) switcheroo... which is a really cool device, I really like it.  Jayne is overjoyed that Will's gonna be a superhero... but, alas, Will says this was a one-time-only deal.  Jayne continues rattling his cage some more, and finally gets a bit Will to wiggle.  He'll be Starman... but it's gonna be on his terms.

We close where we started... Utah.  Melrose is reading the paper, and sees the news of Starman.  He's a sharp fella, and almost instantly suspects that this new hero somehow received the superpowers he'd intended for his subjects.  To be continued...

--

A fun issue, and a real nice introduction to Will Payton and company.  I was going to say that I usually associate Roger Stern and Tom Lyle with Marvel's Spider-Man... and, when you read this... it almost feels like a Marvel book.  We've got a hero with an imperfect civilian life... struggling to find a job... reluctant to be a hero.  Very Spidey... Hell, we end the issue with him having to lift something heavy over his head, which immediately made me think of The Final Chapter (ya know, the good one... the Ditko one).

We're introduced to our likely big-bads in that Commie-hatin' Dr. Melrose... who, eh... kinda looks like J. Jonah Jameson... just sayin'... Anyhoo, I like the way this all opened.  We know Starman is likely not gonna physically fight the Doc, but we also know that Melrose is conducting experiments trying to create his very own superheroes.  That opens up a whole lottta possibilities for adversaries for our Will.  That's really an awesome way to "leave the door open" for a bunch of new threatening characters.  What's more, it doesn't feel cheap in the slightest.

Will's origin?  Great.  Got no problems with it.  The poor fella was struck by what may as well have been a bolt of lightning (in the form of the power beam) while out camping.  It was great that Stern had him hiking the Rockies, where I suppose it would be quite easy to go missing... or at least not be stumbled across for a spell.

All in all... this is an amazingly fun book... I usually lump it in with books like Firestorm and Blue Devil.  I haven't read it in its entirety in quite some time, but I remember thinking at least the first couple years worth were some great comics.  I usually think of Will changing his costume as my "jumping off" point.  That's where most of my "reading projects" petered out.

As far as I know this hasn't been collected... likely DC wouldn't want to confuse folks who may be expecting the (incredible) James Robinson/Jack Knight Starman.  A quick search at DC Digital shows that this series is missing from that avenue as well.  Luckily (and sadly) this series is kinda sorta the very definition of cheap-o box filler.  Shouldn't be terribly difficult to procure if you are so inclined.  Definitely worth your time... inoffensive, top notch writing and art... and fun!

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