Action Comics (vol.2) #2 (December, 2011)
"In Chains"
Writer - Grant Morrison
Pencillers - Rags Morales & Brent Anderson
Inkers - Rick Bryant & Brent Anderson
Colorist - Brad Anderson
Letterer - Patrick Brosseau
Associate Editor - Wil Moss
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $3.99
They say never to judge a book by its cover... but, have you ever... just by looking at a cover, been able to instantly tell which books you would soon be tripping over in the cheap-o bins?
No sooner did I see this cover... probably in a solicit, did I know that this book would be clogging quarter-bins all over the place. And wouldn'tcha know it, just a few months later that's exactly where I began seeing them pop up!
Perhaps there is a measure of region specificity to it... and maybe I just unwittingly have my finger on the "pulse" of the Phoenix fandom... but, this is the one issue of Action Comics (volume 2) I see in nearly every single discount bin I flip through.
Has this happened to anybody else? Am I just losin' it?
Oh well... let's quit looking at the cover, and get to the chewy center.
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We pick up a little bit after where we left off with Action Comics #1. Superman stopped that rogue train... but it caused him to be captured by Thunderbolt Ross... er, General Lane. He is strapped to an electric chair... and is being tested by Dr. Lex Luthor. Did he have a Doctorate in the pre-Flashpoint continuity? I don't recall. The other science-types aren't terribly comfortable with the idea of torture... even if they're doing it to an alien. I guess that's a good sign. A Doctor Irons (hmm) busts in and tries to put a stop to the proceedings. When Luthor refuses, he quits the project.
Elsewhere, General Lane is having Superman's cape tested... by having it shot hundreds (thousands?) of times over. As the smoke clears, we see that the cape is unaffected. Hell, by the looks of it, it might even be tougher than the New-52! Superman himself!
Lois Lane shows up to the base to chat up her father. She is trying to track down this "Superman" for a story. The General almost coyly admits that he has Superman... and that he's "safe".
Back inside, the tests continue. Superman has woken up at this point... and is presented with... like a goat or something. He is asked if his "natural state" is something similar to that of the goat. Superman laughs... and laughs. Which angers Luthor... and causes me to shrug.
Back outside, General Lane takes all the information Lois had gathered thus far on Superman... and heads back inside. He has his flunky Glen Talbot... er, John Corben keep her occupied. Turns out he (John) has the hots for her... so, he's pretty easily manipulated.
Back inside, Superman is losin' it! He's broken out of the electric chair and is wrecking the place. He busts through the thick door to the observation area and grabs Luthor, using him as a human shield of sorts. After whispering some sweet nothreats into his ear, he drops him to the ground and takes off.
Not before grabbing his indestructible cape, of course. I mean, wouldn't you? From his bloody and beaten face, it's clear that the thing is more resilient than he is! He rushes into the next room and finds... a rocket! Upon touching it, it changes into a crystalline form and begins "speaking" to him.
Superman tells the rocket that he will be back for it... before continuing to flee. Soldiers chase him up a flight of stairs and toward an elevator shaft. By now, Lois has made her way inside... and she's pretty surprised to catch Superman in the act of his great escape.
We wrap up with a couple of pages of epilogue. First, John Corben volunteers to take part in the top-secret Steel Soldier project... that was once under the purview of Doctor Irons. Irons... Steel? Ohhhhhh. Welcome to the All-New, All-Different DC Universe, folks!
The second epilogue features Lex Luthor on the phone from with... an alien?
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Ehh...
I feel like every time we discuss these early New-52! Superman books, I have the same reaction... this feels more like "Ultimate" Superman than anything that should've been pushed as the "real" Superman.
I mean, we're two issues in... actually... we're not even two issues in when we are introduced to "Doctor Irons". That feels so much like an Ultimate move. This is part of the reason why the whole reboot bugged me so much. It's like... "It's all new... except for all of these names we're going to drop to keep you on the line". I mean, if we're going "all-new", why not just make some new characters? Just feels like a case of DC wanting to eat its cake, and have it too. For whatever reason that really got to me during the initial months of the New-52! initiative.
While we're looking at characters... I know I joked about it above, but when did Sam Lane become Thunderbolt Ross? He comes complete with a Glen Talbot-like lackey in John Corben... I mean, dude's even got the Glen Talbot mustache! That's gotta be on purpose, right?
For the story... well, Superman can withstand torture. Is that worth your four dollars? I mean, you and I already knew he could withstand torture... so, we didn't exactly learn anything here. All we get is... Lex Luthor is an a-hole, and the military is working on a Steel Soldier project.
I think it was with this issue that the "new normal" set in for me. There was no longer that weird anticipation/excitement around seeing what a brand-new #1 would bring... now, it was just "the next issue" of Action Comics. Without the excitement and uncertainty, I feel like it fell to this issue to really deliver something special... and it didn't! Hell, they had to use a second penciller... which tells me how much of a priority this was for those involved. If they can't stay motivated two months in... why in hell should I?
The "back-up" feature... remember, this was one of the few New-52! books that didn't "draw the line at $2.99"... was a complete waste. Really, we get no more out of this than we would've in a CBR interview... it definitely didn't warrant adding a dollar to the cover price. Should've dropped the "feature", and the price for this issue. Luckily... if you are interested in checking this out, it isn't likely you'll have to shell out four-bucks for it... as mentioned during our preamble (at least in my neck of the woods), this bugger is in just about every buck-n-below bin I come across.
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"Inside the Action" Featurette (aka. the reason why you expected this story to run a few more pages):
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Damage #1 (April, 1994)
"Damage"
Writer - Tom Joyner
Penciller - Bill Marimon
Inker - Tom McWeeny
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Buzz Setzer
Assistant Editor - Chris Duffy
Editors - Archie Goodwin & Jim Spivey
Special Thanks - Bill Kaplan
Cover Price: $1.75
Well, well well... figure it's about time I stop dragging my feet and see what this "New Age of Heroes" is all about.
Whattaya mean, "wrong Damage"? You mean to tell me there's more than one series with that title? What is the world coming to?
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We open with our man Damage in his superhero togs... but that's not where we're starting. We're actually going to jump back one day prior... to Grant Emerson's first day at Nathan B. Forrest High School in Marietta, Georgia. Which... wow, that's a pretty unfortunate name, ain't it? A bit of Google-fu learns us that Nathan B. Forrest was not only a Confederate General... but the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan! Ay yai yai. Anyhoo, upon introduction to Grant, we learn that his family moves a lot... and so, he now lives by a few (simple) rules for fitting in.
He immediately breaks Rule #2 (make friends, not enemies) by out-racing Brad Fetter, the Big Man on Campus (this surprises even him). Then, he breaks Rule #3 (don't even think about girls) when he sees some sweet thing named Mandra (not Mandy) sitting in the stands. For competionist's sake, Rule #1 (go out for a team) is the only rule he's followed so far.
After school, Grant tries to make a bit of time with Mandra (not Mandy)... and it would appear that she's at least somewhat into him. Yeah, Rule #3 didn't stand a chance. He walks her over to her sister's car... and as they pull away, our man is confronted by Fetter and the boyz. Before things can become too heated the Coach pops his head outside and tells them all to "move along". Angry, Grant punches the hood of a nearby car... and destroys the thing!
At home, Grant breaks Rule #4 (never tell your parents anything), when he... well, tells his parents everything. They assure him that he's overreacting... and there's no possible way he destroyed a car with his fists. Grant throws a bit of a tantrum, and punches the wall... and, surprisingly... doesn't destroy it!
He's grounded to his room for the night for this display. Outside, his "folks" claim that he won't be their problem anymore tomorrow... and his "dad" makes a call to report that Subject Telemachus has become "active". Telemachus, if you're wondering, was a character in Homer's Odyssey. Worth mentioning, Grant has a pretty sweet Wizard Magazine calendar in his room!
We jump ahead to the following day, where... while sitting in (third period) American History class, Grant is attacked by... Metallo?! Man, Metallo's so swollen it looks like he fell into a beehive or something.
Grant manages to push his new schoolmates to safety before getting BAFOOMed out of the building by a wild punch. Grant lands on the other side of the campus... and is shocked to find that he's A) still alive, and B) no worse for wear.
Metallo joins him, and the fight continues. All the while, it feels like Metallo is trying to reason with the boy... insisting that it's "just business" (and maintaining his reputation). He still plans on killing the lad, but he seems to really want him (and us) to know that he isn't getting much pleasure out of it. He then punches Grant into a school bus.
That bus must've had one of them Altered Beast "power-up" orbs in it, because when Grant emerges, he has inflated a great deal! He actually picks up the busted bus and hurls it in Metallo's direction!
The fight continues. Just when all hope seems to be lost, Grant musters all of his energy into a single punch.
And it is a doozy! So big, it causes him to not break Rule #5 (never be afraid to make a name for yourself). Well, just like Meatloaf said... two outta five ain't bad!
Turns out this spectacle has really freaked everybody out... and, duh... it totally should've! Well... that's not completely true, our new love interest Mandra (not Mandy) seems genuinely interested in seeing how her new friend is. He pushes her away and runs off into the nigh... er, afternoon... fearful that he might accidentally hurt her.
We wrap up with Grant arriving at home... where he is greeted by some... oi, awful looking characters.
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Heyyy, this was more fun than I expected! Definitely not something that would've "moved my needle" back in 1994... but, there's some perfectly decent "coming of age" teen-superheroics here.
The way we were introduced to Grant was pretty cool. I like the idea of an outsider trying so hard to fit in... or fly under the radar, that he'd actually made himself a list of "rules". Whether or not he actually followed them is immaterial... he's a kid, he's not supposed to. I do appreciate that he seems to feel that he's the only person he can count on... that might serve him well as the series progresses. We're not going to go into the Devin Grayson-era Titans reveal about him... because... well, that would make for a far-longer post than I'm interested in writing today.
It feels like we're going the "shadowy organization" route... which, is... ya know, played out. I'm sure it was even played out back in 1994. There're are only so many "Department H's" we can be introduced to before we completely lose interest, right? I suppose it facilitates the story... so, we gotta allow it. Just wish we could put a moratorium on that sorta thing... like, forever. There've got to be other ways to launch a superhero book... right?
The use of Metallo is pretty smart... it really allowed Grant to go "full damage" without actually killing a flesh and blood human. Not that Metallo's actually dead... but for all intents and purposes, I think we're supposed to think he is. Hell, maybe he was supposed to be dead... this was the mid-90's after all, nothing was really sacred!
The art here feels like Marimon doesn't want to fully commit to the 90's style. There are some really nice pages here... and the work only seems to suffer when a given panel is full of 90s-ness (like that last page). I really do hate referring to things "by decade"... it just feels so lazy and dismissive... but sometimes, that's all we've got!
Overall... I dug this! I think many'a comics fan would dig it too. Can't yet compare it with the new Damage, as I haven't read that book yet... I couldn't even say if there were any sort of link, though I very much doubt it. Surprisingly, this is available digitally! I figured it wouldn't be so folks wouldn't get as confused as I'm pretending to be. Either way... it's pretty fun, not likely to rock your socks... but there's a good time to be had here.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Superman #283 (January, 1975)
"Superman's Mystery Masquerade!"
"One of Our Imps is Missing!"
Writers - Cary Bates & E. Nelson Bridwell
Penciler - Curt Swan
Inker - Bob Oksner
Editor - Julius Schwartz
Cover Price: $0.25
Ya know, we've dedicated so much time to celebrating Action Comics of late, that I think I've kinda neglected the other Superman books.
Just came across the one we're going to discuss today... sometimes that's just the ticket for the humble blog. Find a new and crazy book... and immediately cover it here. It keeps things "interesting"... at least for me. I mean, I couldn't have bet any amount of money that we'd be chatting up Chris Delbart, the Wolf of Wall Street today!
So, let's do it!
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We open with Superman flying toward the penthouse of a Dr. Vandt who Lois Lane is currently interviewing. One quick-change later, and they are joined by Clark Kent. Our Dr. Vandt is either a NASA bigwig or just a big fan of space exploration... either way, he's irritated at the lack of funding the organization has received in recent years. After the interview ends, Lois and Clark take their leave. As they walk, Clark picks up the sound of a ticking bomb with his super-hearing... and so, he distracts Lois with some super-ventriloquism so he might get a closer look.
Following his (super) ears brings him to the Rudd Aircraft Company... where the ticking seems to be coming from a stainless steel sculpture of a jet atop the building. He goes to whip himself around the jet in order to contain the explosion... and is shocked to find that it wasn't a bomb... but a fireworks display!
Worried that this might have been a trick in order to draw Superman into the open, he retires for the day... and into a brand-new alter-ego! Ladies and Gentleman, I give you... Chris Delbart, the Wolf of Wall Street! We watch "Chris" as he goes through his daily routine.
The next morning, he's back to being Clark Kent... and is meeting with a very irritated Lois Lane. His disappearance the night before led to Steve Lombard filling in for him on the evening news. Lois storms out, and just then... another firecracker goes airborne. Clark "supes up" to check it out, and is surprised to find that this one has a message especially for him!
It's from our Dr. Vandt... and so, Superman goes for a visit. Okay... pop quiz: We're reading a Bronze Age Superman comic book... and he's been contacted for a one-on-one meeting with a angry citizen. Is there any possible way Dr. Vandt didn't figure out his secret identity?! Well, if you've been paying attention... it shouldn't surprise you to learn that's exactly what we're dealing with here! Dr. Vandt knows Superman's alter-ego...
... well, sorta. He believes Superman is really Chris Delbart, the Wolf of Wall Street! And with that knowledge, he plans to blackmail the man of steel to do some of his bidding. Ya see, he wants to take a trip to Mars, so that he might plant some "alien" evidence, in hopes of increasing NASA funding for space exploration. This is where I kinda have a disconnect... I mean, isn't one of Superman's pals a... Manhunter (from Mars)? I don't think it's lack of "belief" that's keeping the funds low there Doc!
Well, Superman knows when he's beat... or, ya know, just wants to play along... and so, he agrees to take the Doc to Mars. He blindfolds him for the trip, so his eyes will be shielded from the Sun... and plops him down on Mars. Superman tells the Doc that he's on his own... because it's unsafe to return him to Earth since he knows "the secret". Vandt is then attacked by a Martian Monster! He flees and winds up outside?! Well, ya see... he was never on Mars, this was just "Metropolis Mars Land", a soon-to-be amusement park. Wonk wonk.
We wrap up with the big explanation. Superman had felt himself being scanned during the first fireworks display, and decided to throw whoever was trying to track him for a loop. He took the Delbart name... used super-ventriloquism to make it seem like people were talking to him... then stayed at Delbart's apartment, knowing they were out of town for a few days. Last thing we see is Dr. Vandt knocking on Chris Delbart's door... and learning that the "real" Chris is an older lady named Christine. Wonk wonk wonnnk.
Our back-up story is... oi, Mxy. An alarm goes off at the Fortress of Solitude... the Diary Room to be more precise. Instead of his regular entry, he finds a message from the 5th Dimension. It seems Citizen Mxyzptlk has gone missing... last known whereabouts: Earth! I mean, what else is new? Does he ever go anywhere else?
While Superman mulls, a news feed kicks on... it seems all of the statues in Washington, D.C. have come to life. Well, that narrows down the search quite a bit, I'd say. Superman arrives... and wouldn'tcha know it, Washington is a madhouse... more so than usual, of course.
Superman tries to reason with the Imp... but, that never works. Mxy then sets his sights on the Lincoln Memorial, and brings the Honest One to life.
When Mxy asks why anyone thought Lincoln was so great, Superman sees his opportunity to send the Imp back. He has Mxy read the inscription on the monument... after altering it, of course. Mxy says da magic woid, and if sent away for six and seven-eighths time cycles.
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These crazy old Bronze Age Superman books are the perfect cure for burnout! It's weird... there's definitely a different "feeling" if you compare Action Comics and Superman from the 70's. I feel like with Superman, they can let their hair down... be a bit sillier.
And lemme tell ya, sometimes "silly" is just what the doctor ordered.
What we have here is yet another story with Superman's secret identity being jeopardized (at least in theory). It's crazy how the secret often trumped actual crises during the Bronze Age... at least that's how it seems, anyway! Feels like every other Bronze book we look at has a central theme of "protecting the identity".
With this issue, it gets a bit subverted. Superman pretty much gives it away... via misdirection and use of "super ventriloquism", of course. It's certainly a clever way to go about it... if ya squint. All joking aside, I cannot deny that I had a lot of fun with this. Could you imagine if they put out an issue like this today? People wouldn't have the foggiest idea what to think.
Love the Chris Delbart identity too... it might be the 'stache, but he just looks so sleazy. Like he should be making shady deals with Matches Malone or something. Hell, there's an issue of World's Finest we never got!
For the back-up... ehh, it's a Mxy story. Wackiness ensues... then he gets tricked... rinse and repeat. Nothing new, but some really fun visuals.
Overall, I'd say this fun little story is definitely worth your time. Unfortunately it doesn't appear to have been collected... nor (somewhat surprisingly) it has not yet been made available digitally. I mean, I'm not a "movie guy"... but didn't we just recently get a movie called The Wolf of Wall Street? Ya'd figure DC would throw this up digitally, even just for the gag! Single issue shouldn't break the bank... the silliness within is worth the hunt!
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Letters Page:
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Action Comics #999 (May, 2018)
"What Would Superman Do?"
Writer - Dan Jurgens
Artist - Will Conrad
Colors - Ivan Nunes
Letters - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Andrea Shea
Editor - Paul Kaminski
Cover Price: $2.99
As we rapidly approach Action Comics #1000, I figured it might be a good idea to take a look at the latest... and final (barring eventual renumbering) triple-digit Action Comics issue. Well, come to think of it... if they ever do renumber, it's not likely it'll ever hit even 100 again... so this almost definitely is the last time we see an issue of Action Comics in the three-figures!
This is probably the last new issue of Action Comics we'll be looking at here at the blog for a very long time. I'm thinking I'll hold off on discussing #1000... because, if my calendar-reading is correct (heh), this humble blog will be hitting its 1,000th daily post on October 26 of this very year. If we're still a'rollin' at that point (which is questionable), I couldn't think of a better book to discuss to commemorate the event.
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We open with Jon Kent opening a door and inviting in... his grandfather, General Sam Lane! He enters, and immediately begins arguing with Lois. It's kinda passive-aggressive... and uncomfortable, perfectly fitting for what it is. Meanwhile, Superman (using his Exile oxygen-mask) is in space.
He is set to break up and divert a mile-wide asteroid that is headed straight for Earth. He does so with the quickness, though stops to admire the crystalline minerals within.
Back in Metropolis, the Lanes continue to argue. Sam doesn't trust Superman... he knows Lois and Clark appear to be enamored with him (Superman, that is)... yadda yadda yadda. News comes over the wire that Superman saved the Earth from an oncoming asteroid... but that's not even enough to sway the General. He argues that while Superman is trustworthy today... that doesn't mean he will be tomorrow. For all anyone knows, Superman might just decide to take over the world someday. Valid fear, I guess.
At that very moment, Superman arrives at the Fortress of Solitude. He thinks about the fate of Hank Henshaw... and appears to finally understand the inhumanity of Phantom Zone Exiling... and so, despite the Cyborg Superman's rap sheet, he is freed!
Henshaw immediately attacks! Superman tries to calm him down by explaining his plan. He is finally able to convince him that he has Henshaw's best interests at heart. He brings him to a containment unit, and hands him a Kryptonian crystal shard with which he can relive all of the good moments in his life. It's still a prison, but far less cruel than an exile to the Phantom Zone.
He leaves Henshaw with the crystal... and the Cyborg immediately starts reliving the "good times".
We wrap up back at the Kent apartment. Clark returns just as Sam Lane is leaving... and they finally bury the hatchet... at least for now.
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Ya know that last cookie in the bag? Or the last spoonful of ice cream? Or maybe "final" things that people who aren't obsessed with sweets use as analogies? That's this issue for me.
No matter how good it was... and it was good, it was tempered by the fact that this is... it. This is the last non-Bendis issue of a Superman comic for the foreseeable future. This is also the last Superman comic without the "Bendis tax"... If I were a betting man (and judging from the The Man of Steel solicits) I'd guess the Superman books will be up to (at least) $3.99. Funny, we've got creators like Scott Snyder who publicly celebrate when DC lowers the price on his book a buck... and then, there's Bendis.
This trepidation is being brought to you by an actual Bendis fan. I discovered him back on Sam and Twitch... loved Powers, thought he was born to write Ultimate Spider-Man... and even defended his Avengers run when everyone else seemed to have grown tired of it. When he started messing with the X-Men... well, that's a story for another time.
It took me a very long time to finally ween myself off from Marvel... despite having stopped reading their stuff, it just felt wrong for me not to buy it. When I finally lowered the ax, one of my consolations was "No more Bendis" (among other Marvel-onlys, of course).
I'm a bit unsure about what's to come. Can't say that I'm all that excited... I mean, how many damn times do we need to read another take on Superman's origin? Didn't we just do that? As dangerous as wild speculation can be, I'm really unsure about how he'll handle Lois. Seems that instead of writing "strong women" Bendis falls into the trap of writing "snarkbots". While Lois has always had an edge... I'd really hate for her to become Bendis-Snarkbot Number Whatever.
Anyhoo... enough about my wild (and unfounded) speculation. For all I know, this might be the best few years of Superman we've seen in a long time. Fingers crossed, I guess! I'll be there either way.
Now, this issue... kinda feels lost in the shuffle, don't it? Doesn't really feel like a capstone for the Jurgens run. It ties up the Cyborg Superman... kinda. It reintroduces General Lane... and he and Clark sorta-kinda bury the hatchet. I dunno. While I enjoyed it, it did feel a bit "lame duck", just buying some time for #1000. I mean, the quiet-ish Sam Lane-centric story bits might've made a good back-up for #1000.
I'm also not entirely convinced it's going to "stick". It wouldn't surprise me one bit if a year down the line, Sam Lane is back at it... hating Superman, and estranged from his daughter and her family. More wild speculation... but, I dunno... feels like we've ridden this ride before, ya know?
His arguments on whether or not folks can trust Superman? It's all well-trodden soundbites at this point. Sure, Superman could become corrupted... he might one day decide it's "his way or the highway". Valid fears, sure... but doesn't really bring anything new to the table. You get the impression that this is the same argument that Lois and Sam have over and over again. While that feels "real", it isn't necessarily something we need to keep seeing. Perhaps, as a long-time reader/fan, I'm looking at this in the wrong context. This might be brand-new information for a new(er) reader.
The Cyborg being "rescued" from the Phantom Zone was pretty neat, as was the acknowledgement that the Phantom Zone is, indeed, a fate worse than death. Surprised it took this long, but better late than never! Feels like a revelation that should be followed up on further... but I'm not holding my breath.
Maybe this is the start of Superman turning a wing of the Fortress into a human Super-Prison of sorts. That could be interesting... especially the more full it gets... and when it finally gets to the point where everyone within breaks out!
Ya see... I'm coming to the conclusion that it might've been a bad idea to look at this one. I'm really having a hard time separating the issue itself from my feelings on the "great unknown" before us. Maybe I'd be more optimistic if we haven't been burned (or Byrned) so many times before. I guess I'll leave it with... this was a good issue. In a vacuum, a really good issue. Worth picking up.
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No sooner did I see this cover... probably in a solicit, did I know that this book would be clogging quarter-bins all over the place. And wouldn'tcha know it, just a few months later that's exactly where I began seeing them pop up!
