Teen Titans (vol.3) #2 (October, 2003)
"Child's Play"
Writer - Geoff Johns
Pencils - Mike McKone
Inks - Marlo Alquiza
Colors - Jeromy Cox
Letters - Comicraft
Associate Editor - Tom Palmer, Jr.
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.50
Over the past couple of weeks, Dan Didio's name has come up a bit more than usual. In certain corners of fandom, it seems like he's almost being given the "blame" for the events of (the first issue of) Heroes in Crisis. Funny, how a writer gets to sidestep it all... so long as they're active on social media, ain't it?
Now, these Didio-directed barbs... they're not without cause. It's been clear from the start that he has a "vision" for what the DC Universe is/was going to look like. Case in point, the book we're going to be looking at today.
One of his first (publishing) moves was the cancellation of both Titans and Young Justice. The former, a zombified husk... the latter, a wonderfully fun book, and (at the time) one of my favorite monthly reads. Both books, regardless of quality, felt aimed at a wider audience. Standard superheroics... and humor. You wouldn't worry about a young tween picking up an issue of either book.
Then... the darkness came. Now, let's not get it twisted... right now, I think Outsiders (vol.3) is a whole lot better than Titans was... and, I'm at a point in my life where I can reread this era of Teen Titans all day long... yet, struggle to get through even half an issue of Young Justice. The point is, there was a definite darker turn, and... for lack of a better term, "maturation" of the young heroes in ye old 2003. A darkness that, if books like Heroes in Crisis are any indication, is still with us... and, for better or worse, ain't leaving any time soon!
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We open with what appears to be a conversation between Slade Wilson and his ever-loyal bosom buddy, Wintergreen. As the "camera" pans out, however, it's made perfectly clear that this was just a one-way chat. Ya see, Wintergreen's head has been stuffed and mounted on Slade's wall. Wow... Didio didn't waste a second, did he? Just wait though... we're nowhere near done yet!
We head over to Titans Tower, where Robin can't shake the idea that half of Superboy's DNA was provided by Lex Luthor. Kon, who is just finishing up a few laps in the pool doesn't want to discuss it. He's certain the whole thing is a cruel prank. He tells Tim to cool it with the speculation... and most important, do not get Batman involved. As he leaves the pool area, he drops his towel... Robin finds a single hair on it.
Elsewhere in the Tower, Gar and Bart fight over control of the TV remote. Gar wants to watch the Discovery Channel to learn about new and exciting animals he could transform into, while Bart would prefer zoning out with some 'toons. They wrestle around, and wind up destroying the television, so the whole thing is moot.
Starfire breaks up the brouhaha... and then, a few moments later, Cassie walks into the "living area"... and quits the team! Ya see, she never asked for any of this... yadda, yadda, yadda. Bart chases her out of the Tower to beg for her to reconsider. He tells her that they "need" these Titans weekends. She suggests that he doesn't really know who she is. Bart tells her that she's how he found out he liked girls. Okey doke... creep her out, why doncha?
Suddenly, they're surrounded by the rest of the team... and, naturally... they all want Cassie to stick around. Then... an explosion! This Titans Tower is in San Francisco, right on the water... and so, when a bomb goes off on Alcatraz, they've kinda got a front-row seat. They head into action... Cassie included!
En route, Starfire starts giving orders... which Cassie contradicts, and starts giving her own. As you might imagine, Cassie's make more sense... ya see, we gotta pump up the rookies at the expense of the vets. And so, over the next few pages, the Titans evacuate dozens of tourists off the island and onto a boat.
Then, to put out the fire... Gar transforms into an elephant, and starts spraying away. Kon uses his tactile telekinesis to find a water line under ground... only, he accidentally yanks a gas main instead. Whoops.
Luckily, Cyborg is on the scene. He protects the Titans in a sort of static-electrical bubble. He then officially welcomes Superboy into the Teen Titans.
We wrap up with Bart having a look around the abandoned prison to see if there are any more civilians. He hears a voice... a rather taunting voice... and suddenly finds himself walking smack-dab into Deathstroke...
... who kneecaps him!
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So yeah, that took a pretty dark turn, didn't it?
Now, it's hard to really take myself back to 2003... and, I mean... looking at this today, with how much darker things have become in comics overall... this looks charmingly quaint. I mean, this very story is sitting on a shelf at Walmart (as part of Teen Titans Giant #2) as I type this.
I do recall that this left me with a little bit of... I dunno... culture shock? It was the first time that I felt like comics were changing from what I knew them to be. I mean, we (or I) lived through the Image revolution, where every third book had the word "blood" in the title... but, this was different. DC was kinda the "old reliable"... and with books like this, I suddenly felt, I dunno, "unsafe"?
I mean, Bart being kneecapped is going to pass in a flash... and lead to some great character development... but, man... what an image! Such a dramatic cliffhanger, having a Speedster (literally) taken out at the knees! Add to that the sight of Wintergreen's head stuffed and mounted in Slade's trophy room... and, yeah... this definitely ain't Young Justice anymore.
But... is it any good? Well yeah! I'd go so far as to say that the Teen Titans book hasn't been this good... since the mid-2000's! There are things I don't quite enjoy... such as having Cassie override Kory... but, that's just something that's going to happen. Wonder Girl was the leader of Young Justice, so it stands to reason she'd be comfortable giving orders... and being more tactically-oriented than Starfire. It's just that, in 2018, I find I identify more with the vets than the rookies... so, maybe I'm a bit more sensitive to that scene than I was as a pup.
The art here... I can't deny that it's really good, but it doesn't really speak to me. There's a certain looseness here that I struggle to get past. I mean, even the cover... I rather dislike it. There's no reason to... but, I dunno... there's just something about it.
Overall... although most of this discussion might come across as negative... I really do love this era of Teen Titans. I'd recommend it to anyone really... Titans fans or Titans-curious. This is probably the most accessible run of Titans from the past quarter-century... it's probably also the best. It's been collected any number of ways... even in the (still on the shelves) Teen Titans Giant #2 Walmart exclusive. It is also available digitally.
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Green Lantern (vol.2) #188 (May, 1985)
"Decent Exposure"
"Mogo Doesn't Socialize"
Writers - Steve Englehart & Alan Moore
Pencils - Joe Staton & Dave Gibbons
Inks - Bruce Patterson
Letters - Helen Vesik
Colors - Tony Tollin
Edits - Andy Helfer & Len Wein
Cover Price: $0.75
Here's one I've wanted to talk about for a while now. It's an issue with a pretty important "back-up feature"... one that has grown in legend in the several decades since.
When a story is of a certain "status", I become a bit trepadacious about covering it here. First, I mean... what more can I say that hasn't already been said. Second, I feel like I put additional pressure on myself... like I'm "rising to the occasion" or something. It kinda takes me out of my comfort zone.
That said... let's try and look at this as a regular issue... and not a seminal episode in Green Lantern lore.
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We open with reporter, Tawny Young spilling the beans on John Stewart being the secret identity of the "new" Green Lantern! What follows are testimonies from folks in John's old neighborhood (including his mother), and even from members of the Justice League, Superman and Green Arrow! Well, very brief testimony from the Leaguers... almost like they might not be in the right context for the story.
Anyhoo, retired-Hal and Carol are watching this unfold from their Malibu beach house. Tawny makes a to-do about how it's only lately that this new-Green Lantern has bothered to wear a mask. Hal thinks that's kinda weird too. Just then, Ollie calls... and tells Hal that he and Superman had no idea that Young was going to let the cat out of the bag. After hanging up, Ollie blames everything on "that damned Carol Ferris".
Hal and Carol decide not to worry about the Green Lantern situation, and instead focus on the identity of... the Predator! Elsewhere, Tawny Young is getting chatted up by her old "out of style" boss, Mr. Linders. He tells her that, thanks to her big story, she's the new West Coast Correspondent.
We shift scenes to John and Katma heading to Marina Del Ray. It's here that we learn why John decided to start wearing the mask... he figured that since he's no longer a "fill-in" Green Lantern, he might as well wear the whole outfit.
They head into John's apartment... and he makes a halfhearted attempt at sounding like he's going to have a lotta ladies in and out of the joint. He eventually comes clean and cops to being a "square". At this point, Katma has decided to shade-shift her skin... shedding the red for a tone like John's. He's a bit bamboozled... and can't hide his attraction.
Meanwhile, in Encinal Canyon... the Universe's most dangerous Marching Band Leader, Sonar... the Master of Sound, vows to destroy this new Green Lantern.
We jump to the next day, and Tom Kalamaku is arriving for work at Ferris Aircraft. He and Hal have had a bit of a falling out since Jordan decided to "hang up the ring". Ya see, Tom and Carol were the only two civilians to know his secret. Tom gives Hal the silent treatment... and, Hal thinks to himself "he'll get over it".
Just then, John and Katma arrive on site. They are swarmed by Ferris employees who never realized their staff-architect was actually the Green Lantern. Who'da thunk that any Green Lantern worked for Ferris?! Anyhoo, Carol beelines over to John... and fires him! She's outta the GL business, ya see.
She does reveal that he was given the job initially because of a recommendation from Hal Jordan. Now, it's worth mentioning, John doesn't even know that Hal was his predecessor. In fact, they don't even really know each other all that well. Before Carol can get her foot any deeper in her mouth, Hal interjects... but, before he can "talk too much", Katma shoves her tongue down his throat. Alrighty then.
Carol... is ticked, as you might imagine. John introduces Katma as "Katarina", from Nigeria. That doesn't cool Ms. Ferris' jet though. When Hal explains who "Katarina" really is... well, that doesn't help much either. "That damned" Carol Ferris... she's a tough nut to crack.
We join John, as he is emptying his desk... just then, he's attacked... by Sonar! John suits up and heads into action... but gets "PLOWed" pretty quick.
They continue to fight, with John trying to figure out an "angle" he can use to take out the Marching Band Leader. Hal looks on from the ground... and tries to convince himself that this is no longer "his problem".
Then, John figures it out! It's all about the sound-waves. He and Katma sandwich Sonar between some construct-waves... which proves to be too much for the baddie to properly absorb!
We wrap up with Sonar "UMPing" to the ground... and Tawny Young showing up looking for another interview. She calls out to "John", but he corrects her... he's "Green Lantern".
That wraps up our "feature", but we're not done yet... what follows is one of the more famous Tales of the Green Lantern Corps. We open with Arisia flipping through the Green Lantern, uh, registry? She's shocked to find so many Lanterns she's never heard of... and one of the names that "sticks out", is... Mogo.
Tomar Re tells the story of Mogo... and how he "doesn't socialize". His story begins with Bolphunga the Unrelenting descending upon an uninhabited planet to search out the elusive Lantern known as Mogo.
He calls out for Mogo to show himself... and gets no reply. And so, Bolphunga spends the next several weeks stomping 'round the vacant planet seeking Mogo out. It gets to the point where he starts checking insects for Power Rings!
There seems to be no intelligent life on this planet... however, the foliage appears to be very well "tended to". Which, in Bolphunga's mind, lends to the idea that there must be at least one "intelligent being" here.
The weeks turn to months, and our man is still at a loss. He reflects on his findings, and goes back to the maps he'd created of the planet... when he finds something... meaningful... about that foliage.
Bolphunga drops everything... and gets outta dodge. As he flies off, we get a good look at the planet... whose foliage is cut into a Green Lantern Power Ring! Ya see, Mogo... is the planet! Tomar Re wraps up his story, claiming that Mogo's gravity field is so strong that if it were to come near Oa, it would pull it apart.
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Okay, where to begin?
Let's get Mogo out of the way. This is definitely a story you want to head into without already knowing the "twist". It's a neat story either way, but... man, I really feel like I missed out not "receiving" this one as it was intended. I mean, who doesn't know about Mogo these days? Though, if, uh... I spoiled the reveal for you, I am very sorry. The Tales of the Green Lantern Corps stories are usually hit-or-miss for me (more often than not, a miss), but... I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
Our lead-off story... another good one! John's secret identity being revealed is a pretty interesting wrinkle, and you'd almost think that this whole thing was going to lead to a romantic entanglement between John and Tawny. Since I find Tawny to be a tremendous pain in the butt, I'm glad they zigged instead of zagged.
I dig how we can feel that Hal might have a bit of regret about retiring the mantle. He sticks around for the Sonar battle... and has to convince himself that it's no longer his fight. As though, if he had to, he'd get involved even without a ring...
I feel like many of us have been there. Like, you quit or leave a job or something... and as the days wind down, you find yourself with a sort of dissonance. You kinda want to be involved... and you have so much experience in dealing with work-specific situations... yet, at the same time... those situations are no longer your concern.
It's like you enter this weird "eye of the storm" or something. There's a calm about you, and everything that stressed you out about your job, no longer does... it would almost be... I dunno, fun, to get back into the thick of it. Ehh, maybe I'm projecting.
Gotta wonder how much of Hal's regret has to do with him being stuck with "That damned" Carol Ferris. I mean, eesh... she's not
someone I'd care to be stuck in an elevator with.
Overall, excellent issue... it's a must-read for the Mogo story alone. It's a good thing the feature story ain't no slouch either! Both stories have been collected, and this issue is available digitally.
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Outsiders #1 (November, 1985)
"Nuclear Fear, Part 1: Beginning With a Bang!"
Writer/Editor - Mike W. Barr
Artist - Jim Aparo
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Cover Price: $1.25
Hey, I hear tell that we're going to be getting another Batman and the Outsiders volume in the coming months. Figured, why not go through some more Outsiders #1's's's's.
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After a pretty neat fold-out page featuring the Outsiders in their new West Coast locale, we hop over to a discussion between a Professor Wye and a shadowy Doctor Shanner. They're talking about the dangers of nuclear power. The doc tells her to imagine what would happen if a nuclear explosion went off in Los Angeles.
He goes on to explain how the mushroom cloud is really just the beginning... there's also that fallout to worry about. Wye doesn't need much "selling" on the idea... she's well aware of the concept of Nuclear Fear. Together they're wanting to shut down the Esperanza Canyon Nuclear Power Plant set to open that weekend. After Wye takes her leave, the Doc introduces us to his "Nuclear Family".
We shift scenes to the Outsiders new digs, off the Santa Monica Coast. Inside they're reminiscing over the "good old days" where they were just the back-end of "Batman and..." Jefferson regrets having bad-blood with the Bat, but really... whattayagonnado? Then, Looker saunters in and suggests they toast their new home... and even allows Halo to engage in some underage drinking (much to Tatsu's dismay). After getting a bit tipsy, they get down to business. Wouldn'tcha know it... they're talking about the Esperanza Canyon Nuclear Power Plant too! Only, they're just hoping everything goes off without a terroristic hitch.
The next day, we visit with the team as "civvies". Gaby and Tatsu are sharing a house on Stone Canyon Drive, Rex and Sapphire have a place in Marina Del Ray, and Brion is staying at the Markovian Consulate. Meanwhile, Looker is keeping herself busy "trancing" a big modelling agent into giving her a gig.
We jump to Sunday... the day the Nuclear Plant opens. Halo is pretending to be an anti-nuke protester to better fit in. Black Lightning senses a whole lot of electricity in the vicinity... coming from the direction of that odd "Nuclear Family". He dismisses it though, suggesting he just got a "vibe" from the daughter's boom box. Katana, Metamorpho and Looker are around back checking the place out. Brion, as a Dignitary, is getting a guided tour of the facility.
We hop into the security box, where Professor Wye appears to be manning the gates. She dictates her book on fear into a tape recorder, however, is interrupted by... some folks dressed like they're up to no good, who just happen to have the right codes to gain entry.
These goofballs run right into the Outsiders... and it doesn't work out so well for them. After Metamorpho makes them look like fools, Looker trances them into both falling in love with her... and fighting with each other for her affections. Professor Wye tries to contact them... but, doesn't get any reply.
Nearby, that Nuclear Family makes their way to a pretty poorly-hidden secret hatch, and they let themselves in to the Plant.
Their presence is immediately noticed... and the Plant goes into defense mode.
This really riles up the folks lingering in the area. The protesters are sure that this is a sign of the end-times... the place is about to go boom! It doesn't, of course... but we're really playing with the concept of fear here. How fear makes us think, and act. Inside, the Nuclear Family break into the Nuclear Core... and, uh, soak up the juice!
The Outsiders show up just in time for a face-off with the Family. After a brief (and careful) struggle, Halo locks'em in a stasis aura. It's here where they learn that the members of the Nuclear Family... well, they ain't breathin'!
They take the Fam back to base, and introduce them to Doctor Jace (rhyme!). She deduces that these characters aren't human... they are, in fact, automatons.
The Outsiders would really like to meet the maker of these bots... and Looker has an idea on how they might accomplish that. They... uh, let the Nuclear Family go! It looks like Mama Nuke has been left behind... but, I could'a sworn I saw her leave too! Hmm...
We head back to Dr. Shanner's place, where he and Professor Wye are talking about everything that went down at the plant. Wye is upset because they were never supposed to damage the joint... just threaten to! At this point, she is introduced to the Nuclear Family.
She immediately recognizes them as the same folks in a photo on Shanner's desk. He explains that these were members of his own family... taken from him by nuclear poisoning. The very same nuclear poisoning he himself is currently suffering from!
He continues, and elaborates on his plan. They're not just going to threaten the public... they're going to blow up Los Angeles! There is an audible gasp in the room... coming from Mama Nuke. Uh-oh.
Turns out "Mom" is actually Looker in disguise. She attempts to trance the Doc... but gets clobbered from behind before she can. We wrap up with the threat of a nuclear Los Angeles on the horizon.
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Probably not my favorite issue of Outsiders... and also, probably not the one I'd have used to launch a new volume. It really doesn't feel all that much like a "showcase"... which, I dunno... I think "New #1's" kinda need to be. Hell, these days... it isn't unusual for a "New #1" to be Part 2 of a story... so, maybe I should just leave well enough alone!
This is a story playing upon very real fears of the day. It might be hard to imagine for younger folks, but we were (or at least I was) scared of nuclear war back in the 80's. Not sure if stories like this were part of the cause... or just a reaction, but... the fears were real. It was a different kind of fear... I was just a youngling at the time, but... this was something I couldn't count on my parents to "fix". We were all powerless against it.
Let's talk that Nuclear Family. There's something... I dunno, unsettling about idyllic 1950's Americana, ain't there? Not so much scary... but, I'm always left thinking that there's something dark just below the surface... and in this case, I'm right... because these characters are robots with the express purpose of making Los Angeles go boom!
I appreciated the way Doctor Shanner sorta-kinda used Professor Wye. He let her use those masked goofballs... knowing that they were only going to be a distraction, only there to facilitate the Nuclear Family's passage into the Plant. Now, Wye is in too-deep... she's kinda stuck sleepin' in the bed she made.
Overall... not a bad issue, just probably not the one I'd have launched a new volume with. The art suffers a little bit from the Baxter paper... but, we've been over that before.
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