Wednesday, November 2, 2016

DC/Marvel All Access #3 (1997)


DC/Marvel All Access #3 (Late February, 1997)
"In the Doctor's House"
Story - Ron Marz
Pencils - Jackson Guice
Inks - Joe Rubenstein
Colors - Lee Loughridge
Letters - Bill Oakley
Separators - Digital Chameleon
Associate Editor - Chris Duffy
Editor - Mike Carlin
Guiding Force - Mark Gruenwald
Cover Price: $1.95

Welcome everyone to Super Blog Team-Up #9 MAGIC!

 This is usually where I engage in a bit of self-depreciation about how my stuff will probably pale in comparison to the other great folks taking part... but I'll spare you all this time around.  So, no self-depreciation this time, got it?

 So, this week it appears we've got yet another comic book movie that I'm not going to see opening in theaters.  Anyone who has followed my blog for any amount of time knows that the flicks ain't my thang.  I'm all about the comics, however, if you dig the movies... that's cool.  I really hope you enjoy Dr. Strange.

 Speaking of the good doctor, today we're going to be discussing a run-in he had with a certain Caped Crusader of Gotham City.  This occurred during the All Access series that spun out of the Amalgam Universe clusterschmazz.  If you wanna get up to speed on this one, I did discuss the issue that came before it a few months back.  Long story short, Access... the only (to my knowledge) DC and Marvel co-owned character, has the power to travel between the universes.  He has been tasked with keeping them separate, as for whatever reason, they really seem to want to merge.  During this series, the universes appear to be doing just that.  Marvel characters are popping up in Gotham City, and DC characters are making the leap as well.

 What follows is my normal spoilery synopsis, a review, a smattering of interesting ads from the issue, and finally a listing of all the other great blogs taking part in the "hop".  If you've found me through one of them, I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to check me out... and I hope you enjoy, and decide to pop back in from time to time!

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Picking up where we left off at the end of last issue, the Scorpion looms over Robin and Jubilee... Access is there too, being just as useful as we've come to expect.  Lucky for the tots, Batman just happened to be swooping by.  He knocks Scorp off his feet, and proceeds to engage in some Batmanny tough talk.

Scorpion, having not ever seen a Batman before, isn't terribly impressed.  If he knew any better he wouldn't come at the Bat with sass... but, he doesn't... so he does.  To quickly take him out, Batman THAK!'s him on the head with a batarang.  Makes me glad this didn't happen post-2000, or else the 'rang might have sliced the top of his head off... or at least cost him an eye!

With the threat neutralized, Batman looks to his sidekick to find out just what in the hell he walked into.  He lectures Tim a bit on engaging Two-Face all by his lonesome before turning his attention to the garishly dressed mutant girl and the shoulder-padded goofball who brought her here.  Access gets all "hommina hommina" and tries to tell Batman that folks have been appearing in the wrong universe.  Batman... wishes him luck figuring it all out.  Wow, that's cold Bruce.

Access pleads with Batman to help him get to the bottom of this... claiming he needs a detective rather than a powerhouse.  His appeal is met with... well, zero resistance.  Batman decides to throw in with our hero.  He informs Jubilee that it's time to go... but she don't wanna... she asks for just a moment of privacy with Robin... and makes Batman (and Access) turn their backs.  Okay, that was pretty cute.

What follows really makes me feel bad for Jubilee.  I mean, she's really hung up on the Boy Wonder, and he... well, he just doesn't seem all that into her.  Anyhoo, they kiss... though, I think Robin's just being polite.  To further drive the point home, a flyer for the Gotham City Playhouse production of Romeo & Juliet blows by in the breeze.  Oy...

Okay, with the goodbyes said... it's time to go.  Batman has Access transport him into the Marvel Universe.  Upon arrival, Access offers to take Jubilee home, however, she has another destination in mind.  We get a pretty neat shot of Batman thinking he's seen Catwoman... but it's really just the Black Cat.  Wonk wonk.

Access returns and shares with Batman the story of the Amalgam Universe.  Batman doesn't remember... which makes sense, because as far as Access can tell, he himself the only one who knows.  He tells Batman about the most powerful being in the Amalgamated Universe... Dr. Strangefate!  Now, Strangefate was so powerful that he was actually aware that the Amalgam U wasn't supposed to exist!

Access thinks to himself, and recalls recognizing the window of a certain Bleecker Street dwelling... and so, he escorts the Batman there.  Batman being the master detective and all-around shadowy fella that he is... decides to crash through that very same into, right into the home of Doctor Strange!

The two prepare to engage in spiritual and physical warfare.  Batman informs him that he believes Strange to be the key to saving both of their universes.  Before a single punch or magical blast is thrown/fired, Access pops his head in to ruin all the fun.  Jeez, this dude is a buzzkill.  

He shares his suspicion with Strange... but Steve is steadfast in his innocence.  Batman tells Strange that he's "comin' with him" back to the DC Universe for further observation.  The Doc really ain't feelin' that.

There is a sudden burst of light... and we find that the X-Men are now on the scene.  Not really sure which X-Man has the power of teleportation in this scene... but, we'll just allow it.  Batman tries to plead his case, but Cyclops has another plan in mind.  Jean Grey, the Phoenix can see if Strange is hiding any nefarious secrets.

Strange is cool with this option, and allows Jean into his mind.  She read him... and gives the "all clear".  There is nothing sinister lurking in the good Doctor.

Access is shocked!  Shocked, I tell you!

Batman takes Access' surprise as evidence that this mind-reading wasn't quite as extensive as he'd like.  He still insists on bringing Strange back to the DCU.  This ticks off Bishop, who throws a punch... and gets his be-hind knocked out for his troubles.

We've now got Batman vs. the X-Men... kinda.  Cannonball launches in Batman's direction, despite Cyclops' command to the contrary.  Batman uses Sam's momentum against him, and sends him flying directly into Storm.  It isn't long, however, before the numbers game catches up to the Bat.  He soon finds himself staring into the business end of Bishop's guns.

What the X-Men (and me, as the reader if I'm being honest) didn't notice was that during the fracas, Access left to seek reinforcements.  What he returns with is the JL-freaking-A.  This is the magnificent sev... well, six... and they ain't happy.  Clearly, this is... [to be continued...]

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 Well... this sure was an issue of a comic book.

 Ya see, I purposely didn't read this one until this past week.  I wanted to save it for the Doctor Strange film release... imagine my surprise when, despite being prominently featured on the cover... Doctor Strange is only in this issue for a handful of pages!  Despite my own X-Men origins, it's still sometimes hard to remember a time when they were so prominent in Marvel events.

 As we've come to expect, Ron Marz' script is quite good, and Jackson Guice's pencils are very nice as well.  Anyone who has been with me for a while knows my dislike for the coloring of this era.  Just so muddy... and really does a disservice to the pencils underneath.  Looking at any given page of this book, it looks as though I can drag my finger across it, and come up with color.  In my opinion, this glossy paper/digital coloring marriage came far too soon to look good.

 Now the "stars" of this issue.  Being a big 90's comics fan, I never felt as though we were clamoring for a Batman/Doctor Strange crossover.  I mean, last issue's Robin and Jubilee, I get.  The combos for DC vs. Marvel (or Marvel vs. DC) all made sense, and helped solve several comic shop arguments... while igniting a whole bunch more... but this just seems kinda random.  I mean, I get that it progressed the story the way it needed to go, just didn't do a whole lot to tickle me "what if?" itch.  Let's look forward to the next chapter... the JLA vs. ... the X-Men?  I mean, the Avengers are right there (relatively speaking)!  Now that's a team-up/battle we wanted to see.

 Overall... not a bad issue, but one that's hard to recommend.  It's an issue that... if you missed it at time of release, you probably don't need to seek out... however, if you were there in late 1996, you were likely foaming at the mouth for it.

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 No Letters Page... but we've got CREDITS!

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 Super Blog Team-Up Continues Below...
Between the Pages Blog
The Wondrous Worlds of Doctor Strange

The Crapbox of Son of Cthulhu
The Makings of a Sorcerer Supreme:Optimism and Sacrifice

Coffee & Comics Blog
Review: Dr. Strange #84

Longbox Graveyard
Doctor Strange vs. Dracula

Superhero Satellite
Strange Magic

DC in the 80's

The Unspoken Decade
The Daily Rios

Chris is on Infinite Earths
Batman Visits the Sanctum Santorum
Heyyy, that's me... you made it!

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Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Booster Gold (vol.2) #5 (2008)


Booster Gold (vol.2) #5 (February, 2008)
"52 Pickup, Chapter 5: No Joke"
Writers - Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz
Penciller - Dan Jurgens
Finishes - Norm Rapmund
Colors - Hi-Fi & Lee Loughridge
Letters - Nick J. Napolitano
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Cover Price: $2.99

Been saving this one for after the big Boo Haunted Blog "event".  Hope anybody who stuck with me dug it.

 Reggie and I discussed this issue on The Cosmic Treadmill a few weeks back (Episode 94 for time-travelers).  We had a great time going over not only this issue itself, but all the controversy surrounding its source material.  I was really proud of the way it came out, so definitely... if you are interested, please give it a listen.  You should listen to the whole show, but if you're just wanting to hear the Boosterific bits, it starts at time-stamp 6:47:12.

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We open some years back.  Batgirl, Barbara Gordon is dealing a finishing blow to the Scarecrow atop a Gotham City building.  A bit later, we see her talking to Commissioner Gordon.  She almost slips and calls him "dad".  She quickly corrects herself, and refers to him as "detective", which he's not... but that doesn't matter all that much.  He appears to be rather taken with her... which tells me he either knows she's his daughter... or that things might get a bit weird.

Back in the present, we visit Rip Hunter's time lab.  Here Rip is keeping a man who referred to himself as Rex Hunter prisoner.  I'm assuming they'd caught him in an earlier chapter.  What's awesome about Rip's lab is the cryptic notes scrawled across his several chalkboards.  Each one is a potential hint about things that are about to happen in the DC Universe.  I remember being obsessed with these things.

Rip tells Booster that he's got another time-gig for him.  This time he is to stop Barbara Gordon from becoming paralyzed at the hands of the Joker.  It's funny... for such a huge event in not only Bat-history, but comics-history... they're both pretty nonchalant about this.  It's like... "Okay, save Babs... no big."  Anyhoo, Rip promises that as soon as Barbara is saved, they can turn their attention toward bringing back Ted Kord.

Booster gets Quantum Leaped, leaving Rip to interrogate his "brother" Rex... and by interrogate, I mean poke and prod him with all matter of pointy things until he cracks.  Rip Hunter don't mess around when it comes to procuring information.

Booster arrives at the carnival from The Killing Joke.  He confers with Skeets until some oddly-shaped shadows appear.  Before he can act, he gets jumped by a clan of carnies.  They hit him with a paralysis dart before pummeling him, de-masking him, and kayoing him with some gas.

Now, for something completely different... we join the current Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes as he takes in a lucha libre show with Mr. Smith.  Before they get too comfortable, the Black Beetle appears a row behind them, and advises Jaime that he is needed.  They both vanish in a burst of light.

Back at the carnival, Booster returns to consciousness... that's the good news.  The bad news is, the Joker is standing before him.  The Joker doesn't appear to recognize Booster... which is kind of the joke of this volume... and decides to dispose of him by having one of the, ahem, larger carnies drive a novelty rail-car into him.

We rejoin Rip and Rex.  Rex looks much worse for wear at this point... but he's still not talking.  Well, except for threatening to go back in time to snuff out Booster in the crib.  Rip fears that someone may have found out Rex's real name, and refers to him as Jason.  Just when it appears that he may be getting somewhere, Rex vanishes.

We shift to somewhere... and somewhen... the Ultra-Humanite, Per Degaton, and Despero... who appears to be the pre-Crisis variation are standing in a nursery.  It appears as though they just snuffed out a child... named Jason... in the crib.

Booster wakes up hanging in a cell.  Skeets cuts him down, but it's clear that he is likely too late to successfully complete his mission.  At that very moment, Barbara Gordon is serving a tray of coffee for her and her father... and the Joker arrives at an apartment building.

What follows is an incredible take on "the" scene from The Killing Joke.  Dan Jurgens absolutely nails Brian Bolland's style... and the panels are juxtaposed with Booster's (failed) attempt at rescue.  Barbara still gets shot... and goes through the glass table.

Although he's too late to save Ms. Gordon, Booster still jumps into action.  He makes quick work of a pair of Joker-cronies... but the man himself gets the better of him.  Just when the Joker is about to blow Booster's brains out, he gets pulled back to the present.  As Reggie pointed out during the podcast, the Joker does pull the trigger here.  This wasn't just him taking aim.  He would have killed Booster, had he not "leaped".

Booster wakes up back in Rip Hunter's lab.  He is informed that the mission was a failure... and so, he begs for another shot.  What follows are several more shots... each failing in different ways.

He returns to Rip's place again... and this time, Rip refuses to send him back.  Ya see, he was doing this to make a point.  There are just some moments in the past that are "fixed".  They will never change no matter how hard Booster tries.  He was doing this to inform him that Ted Kord's death is, in fact, irreversible.

Booster shoves Rip... he quits the time-mastering biz and proceeds to walk out... and then... the Black Beetle, Blue Beetle... and even the original Blue Beetle arrive in the lab... they have need of Booster... the mission: Save... Ted Kord?

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 Just like we discussed on the Podcast... this was one hell of an issue.  Such a great way of using the Booster character... and the current Time Mastery gimmick.  Really felt like this series "mattered", even though it didn't make any sweeping changes to the continuity.  Booster's tagline of being "The Greatest Super Hero You've Never Heard of!" is wonderfully fitting during this era.

 This is probably the closest thing to a dream team for me creatively.  I don't think Geoff Johns nor Dan Jurgens have disappointed me yet.  I've enjoyed just about everything they've done.  Gotta say, Jurgens doing Bolland was incredibly impressive... looked awesome!

 Like I mentioned on the show, I appreciated that this used The Killing Joke to illustrate that there are fixed points in time that simply cannot be changed.  Granted this is at least a continuity ago... but, dammit... it was my continuity, and as far as I'm concerned it's still the "real" one.

 Booster and Rip's relationship... which, at this point in time was still on the nebulous side.  There were hints here and again as to a familial link between them, but if I'm not mistaken, no cats were let outta the bag just yet.  Seeing Booster being led by the carrot on a string of bringing back his best buddy is pretty heartbreaking.  We get the impression that it's all he can think about.  It's been some time since I've read Countdown to Infinite Crisis, but I seem to remember their last words to one another weren't terribly cordial.  I believe Ted was hot on the trail of the OMAC Project, and Booster was too wrapped up in his own sponsorships and what-not to give a brother a hand.  Gotta figure the guilt is driving him mad.

 As for The Killing Joke itself... I feel it's a... story.  It's not my favorite... but I don't hate it either.  I have some problems with it... especially the way it ended.  It may not be a popular opinion, but I really dislike that Batman laughed at the Joker's joke.  I'm not sure if that was some Moore-ian symbolism that I missed, but I didn't dig it.  Now for the Batgirl-to-Oracle facilitation... I don't have any problem with it.  I quite like it, in fact.

 To me, Barbara Gordon was never more heroic than when she was Oracle.  This best illustrates her strength and character.  She overcomes a debilitating injury, and somehow turns it all around to become the most inspiring and vital character among DC's pantheon of heroes.  Again, it may not be the popular opinion, but I feel that returning her to the Batgirl togs did her a true disservice.  She's now just another costumed hero, when we all know she can be and has been so much more than that.

 I guess I'll leave it at that... just so I don't grow this tangent to planet-sized status.  Suffice it to say, there's still a ton of things we can discuss about this... but, this is a Booster piece... I'm sure The Killing Joke will raise its head again at some point.  This is an issue that, regardless of where you stand on the source material, gets my highest recommendation.  The post-52 Booster Gold volume was... well, gold.  It's been collected and is available digitally if you are interested.

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Monday, October 31, 2016

Action Comics #531 (1982)


Action Comics #531 (May, 1982)
"The Devil... and The Daily Planet!"
"no time off for Heroes!"
Writers - Marv Wolfman & Bob Rozakis
Pencillers - Joe Staton & Alex Saviuk
Inkers - Frank McLaughlin & Vince Colletta
Letterers - Ben Oda & Shelly Leferman
Colorists - Gene D'Angelo & Tom Ziuko
Editor - Julius Schwartz
Cover Price: $0.60

 Heyyy, Happy Halloween!

 I was originally going to close out this horror-ible month with a comic that featured one of the few things on this planet that scares the bejeezus out of me.  Not the taxman, not even morning traffic... cannibals!  Was going to cover a mid-nineties Vertigo one-shot featuring a family of travelling cannibals.  Well, that got pretty grim... pretty fast, and I didn't wanna wrap up our Boo Haunted Blog special with anything too heavy... so I decided to go back to old reliable Action Comics.

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We open in the midst of an afternoon meeting at The Daily Planet offices in the Galaxy Building.  The deal is, Morgan Edge has decided to sell the flagging paper to the President of Maxman Publishing, Mort Waxman.  He believes that nobody reads the paper anymore because it's got too much "news" and not enough "sexy secrets".  If it were up to him... and it soon will be, headlines like "Superman Captures Brainiac" would be replaced by "Superman's Six Sexy Secrets".  Ooh la la.  Anyhoo, the meeting is adjourned, and at the same time a strange ethereal fog fills the subbasement... which houses the Planet's printing presses.

Our favorite gang of newsfolk hop in the elevator and head down to the lobby.  There's something amiss in the electrics, and the elevator jams for a bit.  When it starts up again, it bypasses the lobby and deposits them into the Records Room below.  Gotta figure there's oodles of microfiche stashed down there!  Jimmy notices a framed copy of the first edition of The Daily Planet, and brings attention to the printer's apprentice, Jeremiah Odets who is notable for writing the first Planet headline... and for dying on the job when a paper roll made him all flat.

We shift back upstairs and find Morgan Edge and Mort Waxman having similar elevator woes, before returning to the gang.  They are confronted by a ghost who informs them that the "Planet will never die".  Back upstairs, Edge and Waxman start on their eight-story trek down the stairs when they too find themselves before the same apparition.  It isn't long before the bosses meet the staffers down below.

Lois and Clark start chatting.  Lois asks Clark why he always acts so cowardly... because, she happens to know that deep down, he's not.  She asks him what his secret is... however, before he can answer... a Frankenstein-esque monster arrives on the scene.  Lois is quickly kayoed... or faints, it's not clear which.  Using the sudden privacy to his advantage, Clark changes into his "work clothes".  The monster turns his attention to the Man of Steel, and performs a mighty hand-clap which sends him flying.  Superman concludes that this Frankenstein must have powers based in magic.

We shift to Jimmy and Perry who are having a conversation about just what the paper means to them, taking into consideration their disparate generations.  They hear a cry... or a moan... and head off to check it out.  What they discover is a beautiful woman.

They are then swarmed by demons!

Superman is back in action, and is taking in all of the strange events occurring.  A plume of smoke begins curling around him.  He fights it for a moment, but decides perhaps his best bet would be in allowing it to carry him away.  After his "flight", his mind is left at ease.  He recognizes all of the critters as fictional characters from gothic literature.  He deduces that they are not there to hurt the Planet staffers... they are instead, there as a presentation for Mr. Waxman.

Well, Waxman ain't buying it... because he's an ass.  Even though he sees all this supernatural hooptydoo, he's still all about that sweet cash.  The monsters vanish... only to be replaced by a ghostly form of a young man.  The ghost apologizes for frightening them before turning his attention to Waxman... a man with a soul corrupted by greed.  He threatens to keep rising from the grave if Waxman spoils The Daily Planet... and the rotund baddie promises to leave and never come back.  Well, that was easy!

The ghost boy leaves... and suddenly Waxman is ready to talk business once more.  It is left to Morgan Edge of all people to tell ol' Mort to shove off once and for all.

The story wraps up with a printer delivering a "tear sheet" that had just come off the presses... and he wanted to know who printed it.  The headlines reads "Daily Planet Saved" and the byline reads Jeremiah Odets!

Our backup story stars the Atom, Ray Palmer.  We open as he and his wife Jean Loring are boating off the shores of Curacao.  Ray mentions that Aquaman had just left... and suddenly a whirlpool forms below them.  Ray is knocked into the water where he comes face to face with a bunch of glowing miniature nuclear reactions.

The whirlpool disperses, and Ray rises to the surface.  He hops back on the boat, and shortly he and the Mrs. arrive at their island destination.  After they come ashore, Green Lantern zaps their boat away for safe keeping.  We learn that the Palmers are here to attend a Nuclear Physicist Convention of some sort... though Jean would much rather spend her time shopping.

The Palmers run into Ray's friends the Nardellos.  Here we get a shocking twist... or at least it's treated like one... It's Mrs. Madeline Nardello who's the brains of that family.

The couple heads to the floating bridge "Queen Emma", where they find themselves in the midst of a police action.  A pair of thieves run off with a dufflebag, and so Ray "Atoms" up to give chase.  He asks an officer to throw him at the crooks... and so he does.

After taking care of business, Ray opens the bag... only to find it's storing a nuclear device!  What's more... it's been activated!  Uh-oh.

--

 This was a pretty good time.  Not socks-rocking or anything, but decent enough.  I can definitely see how folks were getting bored of Superman comics during this era, however, there is a certain novelty to reading them after growing up post-Crisis.

 That said... it was pretty much a nothing story.  The ghost of an original Planet staffer haunts the joint to stop a takeover from a man wanting to report dirt and sensationalism rather than actual news... so, he kinda wanted to make it into what news sources turned into anyway.  Ol' Waxman was truly ahead of his time!

 That was pretty much it, however.  Nothing special... felt like pure "can fit in anywhere" time-filler/killer.  I will say it was interesting to see Morgan Edge being a "good guy" here.  That isn't something I expected, though it was a welcome element.

 The Atom backup story was another... "just kinda there" story.  Not offensively bad nor notably good.  I guess it was cool that it was a story featuring a different hero, rather than the inventory-seeming Superman shorties that usually wrap up issues of Action Comics and Superman of this era.

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