Chase #2 (March, 1998)
"Letdowns"
Co-Plot/Script - D. Curtis Johnson
Co-Plot/Pencils - J.H. Williams III
Inks - Mick Gray
Colors/Separations - Lee Loughridge
Lettering - Comicraft
Associate Editor - Dana Kurtin
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.50
No real preamble today... just taking a brief detour from our #Action100 endeavor to continue chasing Chase!
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We open outside of a pyramid near the Peruvian/Bolivian border... inside sorta-kinda Giger-esque robots speak to one another in broken English, code, and binary. Before they can activate... something (I think), the JLA arrives to take care of bidness.
We shift to Cameron Chase's apartment... and we can see that her boyfriend Peter has arrived. He's crashed out on the couch... and she decides against waking him before leaving on a D.E.O. trip to South America... which, we might assume has something to do with that pyramid/temple... because it totally does.
At the office, Chase is assured that this trip is "hers"... as in, she's running the show. It appears as though the elusive "Director" has been impressed with her work so far. Cam and Sandy enter the briefing room where they are... well, briefed... by Amanda Waller. The Wall fills them in on the goings-on by the Peru/Bolivia border.
Chase flashes back to an argument she had with Peter a day or two prior. He's not terribly pleased that she's working for the Department... and even less pleased that her next assignment will be in South America. He badgers her about the identity and motivations of this "Director" that speaks so highly of her... and she assures him everything is on the up and up.
Back in the "present", the Wall is still laying out the assignment. Cameron is tasked with... clean-up, basically. Taking out every piece of hardware in the pyramid/temple before members of the Shining Path Tribe start salvaging... and she's not going to be doing so alone. It's time to meet our new Suicide Squad.
Sixteen hours later, Chase and the Squad are hovering in the air above the jungles in a chopper. While the Squaddies try to make Cam feel as uncomfortable as possible, her mind begins to wander again... back to her argument with Peter. This time the subject is Chase's nebulous metahuman "talent". Things get heated, as a) she doesn't understand it herself, and b) there are laws in place for those with the "talent" (there are?)... and so, she needs this to remain a secret.
The helicopter lands... and the team is greeted by a young local named Paolo. Well, actually Copperhead attacks and threatens to eat him... but, he assures the gang that he is their guide.
And so, he guides them... for several interesting hours. This is a really fun page... it even has Bolt trying to get the "real news" on Roswell from Cam... she tells him that it was just a crashed Dominator craft, but he's sure that's just the "cover story". I mean, what? Isn't a Dominator craft bad enough? Very funny stuff in the context of a fantastical world.
The crew is frightened by the sound of movement... but it's just a rat, that Copperhead is more than happy to eat. Chase's mind wanders one more time... the argument continues, and now they're talking about Peter not having (or being interested in) a job. Cam insists that she'll drop a resume at the Department's Computer Ops... but he ain't down with working alongside freaks.
In the present, the Squad arrives at an overlook. Down below, the Shining Path confer. Paolo is able to listen in, and translates what they're saying. It would seem they already know about the Temple... but also, that there are already people at the Temple! People in armor, even!
The Suicide Squad kinda shrugs it off... and says if they can't complete their original mission, then they ought to move to Plan B... which involves escaping... and maybe, just maybe killing Cameron Chase.
Chase is all "b-b-but your collars", to which Bolt shows her a "jammer" he whipped up to solve that problem. Sledge appears to be the only member of the Squad who doesn't want to kill Chase. Copperhead, Bolt, and Killer Frost seem to be all about it.
Copperhead lunges toward Cam... sending them both off the edge of the overlook. The both manage to hang on... and Paolo begins to pull Chase back up. Copperhead insists that Paolo let Chase fall... otherwise he'll just kill her with venom. Cam tells Paolo to do what the snake-man says... and just let her fall.
And so... he does!
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Another really good issue of Chase. I mean, we've covered just about one-third of the entire series here... and haven't been let down yet! That's a pretty good sign, right?
I really dig the way this story is being kinda "weaved" together. We're getting story threads via flashback which really lend flavor to what is going on in "the present". Chase letting her mind wander and not being completely focused on the mission at hand is a very human way to be.
The flashback-argument scenes that her mind was wandering to were also incredibly well done. Johnson has done a terrific job merging real-world bones of contention into the unreal-DC Universe. The argument(s) felt incredibly real... and while we only saw a brief snapshot... it was more than enough to understand both sides.
Speaking of "real", I thought the page illustrating the several-hour jungle trek was pretty great. Just odd conversation... Bolt asking if anyone minds if he sings... that was pretty funny. The Roswell "cover-up" chat... also really good.
This new Suicide Squad... well, I suppose it could've been worse (though, I think that was kind of the point). I really want someone to punch Copperhead in the face, that's for sure. I dig that Sledge is kind of conflicted... he seems a-okay with escaping, but doesn't see any point in killing Cam. Gotta wonder if he'll play a more heroic role down the line.
Overall... one heckuva package here, words and art alike... all top-notch! A series definitely worth your time!
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Action Comics #445 (March, 1975)
"Count Ten Superman--and Die!"
"Find Black Canary, Dead... or Alive!"
Writers - Cary Bates, Elliot S! Maggin & Mike Grell
Pencillers - Curt Swan & Mike Grell
Inker - Kurt Schaffenberger
Editors - Julius Schwartz & E. Nelson Bridwell
Cover Price: $0.25
Well, there's an eye-catching cover...
I, like many of us I'd assume, am a sucker for any of those "Flash of Two Worlds"-esque... especially when they come from an era before "homage covers" were a fashionable thing... and of course, from an era where every book didn't come with (at least) two covers.
And who knew Nick Cardy drew such a striking Lois? I only wish he was doing the interiors here too!
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We open with Superman helping out a demolition crew by bursting a tunnel through a mountain. He doesn't hang around long to soak in their appreciation, however, as he needs to return to Metropolis tout suite for Clark Kent to attend a lecture, to be delivered by... Superman?! Well, yes and no. This fella giving the speech is actually Gregory Reed, an actor who portrays Superman in TV and movies. He shares the story of an accident which left him terribly disfigured... and how (the real) Superman was able to use some "super surgery" to give him back his movie star good looks.
After the lecture, there is a little meet and greet in the courtyard, and Lois attempts to get an interview with Mr. Reed. Everything seems to be going well... until Reed is blasted by an invisible ray, which knocks him into a fountain. This might just be a job for (the real) Superman!
We shift scenes to an alien craft hovering far above the Earth. Inside a trio of geeks from the Superman Revenge Squad celebrate blasting the Man of Steel with their magic ray. Until they realize that they got the wrong guy. Ya see... this is the Bronze Age, which means the Superman Revenge Squad knows... the secret! Yes folks, they know Superman and Clark Kent are one and the same. It's starting to feel like the the "investigative reporters" from Daily Planet were the only ones who didn't know!
Back on Earth, Superman (the real one) "arrives" at the fountain to help Gregory Reed. While he is scooping him out of the drink, he too is hit by the invisible ray!
So now, what in the hell is this "ray" all about? Well, get ready for this, because it's pretty dumb. The ray filled him with a "Puls-Flow", which would grow stronger and stronger with every "super feat" he performs. Upon completing his tenth "super feat", the Puls-Flow would poison the Man of Steel... killing him. Makes perfect sense, don't you think?
We jump ahead a little while, and Superman saves a trio of skydivers who, unbeknownst to them, had their gloves glued together so they couldn't pull their ripcords (It's just a prank, bro!). Superman yanks their cords (not like that) and their day is saved. Going by the Superman Revenge Squad count, this is his fourth "super-feat".
We next join Lois as she is visiting a recovering Gregory Reed. Much to her surprise, Clark Kent is already at his bedside... and boy howdy does this seem to be "getting" to him. Clark is a blubbering mess... which we soon learn is due to the growing Puls-Flow inside him. Guess it really messes with ones emotions before killing them!
Time for more "super-feats"... including dancing (I sure hope that's dancing) with a shark, putting out fires, and saving a crashing airplane.
Then we come to probably my favorite scene in the book. Clark is getting ready to leave work for the night, when Steve Lombard (with date) passes by... and he starts riding our man for being "Mr. Square". Due to his heightened (and fragile) emotional state... Clark starts sobbing! Lombard ain't sure what to make of it... and gets all apologetic. Meanwhile, his date pulls away from him for being a jerk-ass.
Then... another day and all the super-feats that come with it. Just as it looks like Superman completes his tenth (saving a little boy), he stumbles and falls to the ground.
The Superman Revenge Squad celebrates, but they aren't aware of... the rest of the story. Ya see, Superman gave Gregory Reed a super-power pill (yeah... really) which allowed him to perform half of the super-feats... so, the Real Steel Deal is still a-okay.
Well, okay... that's all well and good, but how could Superman know that he needed a "stunt double" to perform five of his ten final feats? Well, duh... he totally saw the Superman Revenge Squad in the reflection from the fountain earlier! From there, he delivered a Superman mannequin to the hospital as to not tip the baddies off. Oh, and also... in the time it took for Superman to explain all of this... the Puls-Flow (somehow) left his body. Perhaps it's best not to ask questions.
We wrap up with the Superman Revenge Squad Goons being shot down by their own base for their folly. That be one darker-than-expected ending, I tell you what...
But... We're not done, folks! We have some Green Arrow-flavored "Action-Plus" waiting for us. I get the feeling that these would be much more fulfilling reads if they weren't squished into six-pages... you're about to see why. This one opens with Ollie meeting up with a woman named Cherry Noler. He needs her help because Black Canary has been kidnapped... and very well may have been killed. That's actually three of the six pages right there... half of this back-up is recap!
Anyhoo... Ollie asks Cherry to enter a gambling den and cause a distraction so he might sneak in and check things out. She gets inside and calls him with the "all clear"... only, it's not! Upon entry, Ollie is attacked by a man wielding a 2x4... maybe it's a 2x2... either way, it's a big ol' plank of wood.
Ollie fights his way downstairs, throwing goons all along the way... perhaps even killing a couple! They do fall quite a distance. He busts into an office to find... Dinah, still alive!
He then pins the "Big Enchilada" Max Lucker to his seat with arrows and demands answers. Turns out Lucker's just a middle man... who answers to, well wouldja lookit that... it's Cherry!
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This issue is a pretty good example of my enjoying a story in spite of it being full of some undesirable (at least to me) tropes.
First... the threat here is... just some aliens. Sure, they're part of the "Superman Revenge Squad", but really... they're just fodder of no real significance. Superman may as well have been facing a lizard-man or a living daffodil. I've said it before, despite the excellent cast of villains the DC Universe has, it was because of "threats" such as this that I stayed away for so long. I mean, even Marvel's Z-list villains had more "character" than "rando-alien-trio".
Also... there's that whole thing about everybody knowing that Superman and Clark Kent are the same guy. Why were so many stories in the Bronze Age so focused on that? Weren't there other stories to be told? I mean, it's fun from time to time... but, it just seems like every time we discuss a Bronze Age Superman book here... somebody knows or learns "the secret"!
Then... there's the ending. Everything's okay, because Superman says so. "Oh, that plague I was injected with? It's gone now." Well, thanks very much... that was a thrilling conclusion that made total sense!
Then, there's the back-up. I'm really not a fan of these Action-Plus stories.. because they never feel like they have enough time to "breathe". I mean, we get six pages here... and three of 'em are recap! I couldn't imagine following this story month to month... it must've been maddening. Despite its brevity, it wasn't half-bad, and it was damn sure pretty to look at!
Now... in spite of the past several paragraphs of complaints... I can't say that I didn't enjoy this! It was silly... and ultimately pointless, but there was a lot of fun to be had here! Clark crying when Lombard was bullying him? Awesome! Superman working his way through the feats (including a very risque shot with a shark)? Great!
Overall, I'd recommend this for the cover alone... the fun story within is just gravy. It doesn't appear to have been collected... nor is it yet available via DC Digital... no matter though, I think if you want this one, the single-issue (not floppy) format is best... just for that Cardy cover!
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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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