Doom Patrol #94 (March, 1965)
"The Nightmare Fighters"
"The Chief 'Stands' Alone/Master of the Killer Birds"
Writer - Arnold Drake
Art - Bob Brown & Bruno Premiani
Letters - Stan Starkman
Editor - Murray Boltinoff
Cover Price: $0.12
Now... how's that for a cover?!
One'a those that really makes you wanna read the story... also, one that I'm surprised hasn't been homaged skatey-eight hundred times by now!
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We open with the Doom Patrol introduced as guests of the television show "Open Mind" by host Kenneth Devine. Along with the Doomies, we've got the author of best-selling book Illusion and Reality, Dr. John Radick... and the Eastern Mystic Rama Kara, who has come to share photographic evidence of the "Spirit of Osra". Cliff yuks it up, and accuses the mystic of being drunk. The host appeals to the Chief for his opinion... and he thinks it's a bit of hogwash too. later that night, the Doom Patrol jokingly toast to ol' Osra. They seem kinda mean, don't they? Anyhoo... should go without saying that... that very night, the Spirit of Osra shows up to wreak some havoc.
The Spirit destroys a warehouse... and Rita and Larry spring into action (Cliff is suddenly "away" on special assignment). They wonder how a "ghost" could cause actual structural damage... and Rita suggests Larry send the Negative Man out to try and nab the spirit. Unfortunately, he winds up flying right through it! Seconds later, "Osra" vanishes!
Shortly, the police already have Rama Kara in custody... and they're questioning him about the event. The Mystic pleads ignorance... he hasn't the foggiest idea what's going on himself. The cops ain't buyin' it... but, the Chief believes there might be something to his story. The cops aren't buyin' that either.
Back on the street, Osra has struck again... this time the spirit is riding a chariot in the sky. Rita and Larry witness him crashing through another wall... which, ya know... ghosts ought not be able to do, right? Rita decides to grow up... up... up... up... up... and snaps a wrecking ball off of a nearby piece of construction equipment. She begins swinging it (Argentine-style), but before she can strike the spirit... it vanishes.
Later on, we rejoin the team back at HQ. By this point, Cliff has returned from "special assignment". The Chief is curious as to whether or not Cliff would be able to see this spirit... since the last time they messed with someone using illusions, Cliff wasn't fooled because of the steel alloy that surrounds his brain.
Steel alloy? I think we're going to need to take a better look at that. Lucky for us, the Chief produces the schematic for Cliff's Robotman body! After taking a peek, the Chief wonders if Dr. Janus might be the one behind the "illusions". Cliff chimes in to remind Niles that Janus bit the big one in prison (I didn't even know he was sick!).
Then... a news bulletin! Osra's back, and taking names... at a nearby tractor plant. The Doomies hit the streets... and upon confronting the Spirit, Cliff is shocked to realize... he can see it! The Chief (who is watching via monitor), begins to question everything he's based his life on. Just wait till you meet folks like the Spectre... and the Phantom Stranger...
Back at the plant, Osra has inhabited a tractor, making it appear to have come to life (and boy, does it look ticked!). The Negative Man battering rams Cliff into the thing to destroy it. When the dust settles, Professor Radick (thought he was Doctor Radick?) approaches, claiming to have found Rama Kara creepin' around outside.
The Mystic will not allow himself to be searched, so Larry does the next best thing... he unwraps his face, and gives Rama the ol' radioactive once-over. Looks like the fella is clean. At the same time, Cliff gives Radick a rubdown... which, I'd assume would be weird with feeling-less robotic fingers. I suppose they didn't want Rita rubbing the Doc. Back at HQ, Niles has a plan... and it looks like he's really laboring over it!
Just then, the Doom Patrol (and their "guests") notice the tractor coming back to life. They all see it... except Cliff! All he can see are multicolored flashing lights popping around it... and deduces that this whole thing's gotta be the result of "radio-illusions". And with that... not Rama Whatshisface, but Doc/Prof Radick runs off! Looks like the Doomies might've been barking up the wrong tree all along!
Cliff chases the Doc/Prof into a Metal Processing Room... and is immediately nyoinked by a crane... and dropped on that Press 'n' Punch from the cover.
Rita grows big and rips one of the bars off the machine to save her partner... who then uses his freshly-pressed legs to whack Radick in the back! It's probably not "Argentine-style", but it'll work in a pinch!
Then, one Robotman-body-swap later, they investigate Radick's... uh, corpse? I mean, he's laying awfully still... and there's no mention of his going to jail or anything. Anyhoo... they discover that Radick has a robotic arm where he concealed his radio-image transmitter. Later, we learn that Radick was actually Dr. Janus's son... and the reason why Cliff was able to see the "Spirit" was due to improvements made to the illusion-technology. The Chief explains that his "last ditch" effort was to increase a signal-thingie in Cliff's leg. We'll just go with it.
We're not done though... it's time for our second-feature, the kinda cruelly-titled The Chief "Stands" Alone. Get it? Ohboy. Anyhoo, we open with the Doom Patrol about to lower themselves into an active volcano, that's just about to blow... the Chief watches via monitor, knowing that as soon as they enter Monapula, he will lose contact with them.
Down in the hole, the Doomies reach the volcanic threat... and send Larry's Negative Man entity out to take a look. No sooner does he vacate their air-conditioned capsule than he's "attacked" by wild radio waves. Larry summons him back into his body before he gets taken out.
Next, Cliff decides to test his luck with the volcano. He climbs out of the capsule and attempts to perforate the walls, to provide some ventilation. Naturally, his fist melts into the wall. Gotta wonder just how many Robotman bodies/replacement parts the Chief has laying around?
Turns out, punchin' holes does the trick. Rita grows her hand real big and POPs Cliff's robotic arm-stub out of the volcano wall. Job well done, they head back to HQ... only to find the Chief, missing!
And so, we jump into flashback-land... as earlier that day, the Chief was testing out his brand-spankin' new "Wheelchair Fortress" the Action Chair! This baby's come equipped with all sorts of shenanigans that'll (in theory) make him more useful on the "front lines".
Around the same time... a bird robs an armored car.
This is the work of the villainous... Claw! I'm tellin' ya, this fella... goofy gimmick that he is, has a pretty awesome costume. It's too bad this is his one-and-only appearance! The Chief watches a news broadcast, and decides this might be the perfect opportunity to test out his new Action Chair. He, uh, doesn't know about Claw though... I'm pretty sure he thinks he's just going out to fight a pair of birds. Okay, okay... he probably knows about Claw too.
Back at the bank, one of the officers uses a special weapon lent to them by the Doom Patrol to combat the birds. From the looks of it, seems like the Chief let them borrow his hair dryer?
Then, Claw sends the Chief a riddle of sorts... which, I think we're supposed to try solving. See if you're as smart as the Chief (I'm not, by the way). Then again, it is a pretty bad riddle.
Okay, guesses in? Time to reveal the answer... as the Chief rolls up to Cardinals Stadium at 8 o'clock. Upon arrival, he's attacked by Tonka and Meena... those damned birds! And get this, they're wearing adorable little metal helmets! Time for the Action Chair... to launch into, well, action.
Back at HQ, the Doomies crack the code. Ya see, Claw mentioned a red bird... and Henry Tudor... which naturally means, Cardinals Stadium at 8 o'clock. Cardinals are red... and Henry Tudor was King Henry the VIII of England! Don'tcha all feel so smart right now?!
Back at the Stadium, the Chief is faced off by Claw... and the Action Chair really makes the baddie look like a goofball.
So, Claw steps back and... get this... throws a baseball at the Chief's noggin! This actually manages to kayo Niles... or at least it seems to. Lookit that pitch! Claw's got some nice form!
Then, Claw comes closer to finish the Chief off with a "karate chop"... only to learn that Niles was "playing possum". Looks like Claw's got a glass jaw, because one punch from Caulder is all it takes to put him down. The Doomies check in with the Chief, and they call it a day.
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Well, that was a couple of super-fun Doom Patrol stories! It's funny, whenever we discuss the Silver-Age there isn't always much more to say than that. More often than not, "This was fun" just about covers it! I have this entire era of Doom Patrol in collected edition... but, as I prefer reading them in singles, I'm fairly certain this is my first time reading this particular issue.
I'm happy that the press 'n' punch scene from the cover actually happens inside the issue. It probably speaks to my jaded nature as a "current year" comic fan, that part of me was sure it wasn't going to happen. It was just a single page, and didn't have much to do with the story itself... but, it happened!
I mentioned in the synopsis... just how many extra Cliff-parts does the Chief have? I mean, we've got two stories... and poor Cliff needs two completely different repairs! After the run-in with the press 'n' punch, the Chief replaces most of Cliff's body in record time! Like, one-panel later, he's good to go again!
Let's talk about Claw (from the second feature). Man, what a cool character design... so familiar too! It's hard to believe this was his only appearance. I'm thinking... DC must've used this design again, right? Am I thinking of the Court of Owls, maybe? I dunno... whatever it is, I really dig this look! I like that he controls birds to rob banks too... I mean, just the image of a bird flying in and out of an armored car, stealing sacks of money each time... that's kinda what comics should be all about.
The art here is pretty great... I actually had to confer with several sites to confirm the creative teams, and was pretty surprised to learn that these two stories had two different artists. Premiani and Brown really complimented one another, and didn't look jarring in the slightest (to me, anyway).
Overall, if you're a fan of the Doom Patrol, I'm sure you'll really dig this issue. It has been reprinted a number of times, including Doom Patrol Archives, Volume 2... SHOWCASE Presents: Doom Patrol, Volume 1... and Doom Patrol: Silver-Age Omnibus. It is also available digitally.
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Green Lantern (vol.3) #87 (June, 1997)
"Last of Their Kind"
Writer - Ron Marz
Guest Pencils - Tom Grindberg
Inks - Romeo Tanghal
Colors - Adelle Giddings
Letters - Chris Eliopoulos
Associate Editor - Eddie Berganza
Editor - Kevin Dooley
Cover Price: $1.75
This weekend's episode of the Cosmic Treadmill (that's Episode #110, for time-travelers) is going to be a bit... inter-multi-versal. Er, that is to say (without giving it away), that it's going to be an intercompany affair.
Figured now's as good a time as any to take a look at an issue featuring, if I'm not mistaken, the only non-co-branded appearance of the character co-owned by Marvel Comics and DC Comics... that's right, today we're (very, very briefly) going to be discussing... ACCESS.
Heck, we'll even include the indicia for this one!
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We open in Kyle Rayner's apartment... suddenly a portal opens, and out walks... our man, Access! Man, I still want that Radu's mug! Anyhoo, instead of finding Kyle, our man Axel finds Kyle's house-guest, Jade... and she's not exactly pleased to have this weirdo 'porting in. She's carrying a camera... which, at quick glance I thought were suspenders... was about to ask "Who dressed her?".
Access (sorta) explains who he is... and asks where Green Lantern's at. He also informs Jennie that her powers are pretty different from Kyle's... despite their similarity in color. Since Jade ain't spillin' the beans on GL's whereabouts, Access ports out... though, not before thinking to himself that he might check in with "that guy on the surfboard". Cute scene!
So... just where in the heck is Kyle? Well, he's hanging with the JLA! They are just wrapping up a meeting on whether or not they should posthumously consider Tomorrow Woman an official member of their ranks. She gets a thumbs-up, by the way. As the members get ready to leave, Kyle takes in the sight of all of these amazing heroes... and has trouble believing that he's now rubbing elbows with them.
Before heading out, Wally asks Kyle if he wants to grab a bite. Kyle, unfortunately has a prior obligation. Ya see, he's going to be trained on monitor duty... by the member of the League who intimidates him the most... J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter!
Kyle's attempt at "breaking the ice" goes about as well as you might expect.
Thankfully, he's saved by the BREEPs... there's something going down! J'onn informs him that the on-board communication system has been jammed... so, they will not be able to call the other Leaguers back. Suddenly, a craft more than three-times as large as Manhattan Island cruises out of a portal... and it's headed straight for Earth!
Kyle and J'onn check the monitors to see what's happening. What they find is rather curious... the craft is blasting Earth with a terra-forming ray! When Kyle learns that the ray is aimed at So-Cal (where his mother lives), he and J'onn leap into action.
As they approach the craft... they are zapped by some rays, indicating that... whoever these invaders are, they're likely not up to talking things out peaceably. Kyle whips up a construct of a pirate ship (tch... artists...) to distract the lasers, so they can make their way inside.
In a great bit of continuity, J'onn reflects on the last time he'd trusted a Green Lantern... and how that ended with the planet Xanshi being wiped out during Cosmic Odyssey. Kyle promises that this will not end with the Earth being taken out.
Once inside, Kyle searches the corridors for any signs of life. What he finally finds, is... a very dead alien! What's more, this feller's been dead for a good long while, indicating that this tremendous craft is on auto-pilot.
Kyle suggests they just blow the whole thing up before it can do any real damage to the Earth. J'onn ain't feelin' that. He promises Kyle that the Earth will be fine... if his plan works. With that, J'onn attempts to telepathically connect to the craft's "organic component". What he learns is, this ship's mission was to find a new planet to transform into a suitable home for an extinct race... and they apparently chose Earth!
This gives Kyle an idea... and so, they redirect the craft... to an actual uninhabited planet.
That planet? Well, it's our new pal, Mogo!
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Ah man, what a fun issue! Kyle makes a great "POV" character... and comes across as extremely relatable in how he's attempting to "fit in" with these legendary heroes... while at the same time, kinda keeping them all on a pedestal. It comes across as very human, and is incredibly well done.
I also dig how, in comparison to Kyle, Wally is no longer the "new pup" in the "legacy heroes" roundup. He's portrayed as pretty comfortable around the big guns... though, he had previously teamed with several of them during the earlier incarnations of the JLI. It's still pretty cool seeing him as a "veteran" when compared to Kyle.
Kyle sees Martian Manhunter as most intimidating member of the League... and it's easy to see why. Taking his appearance off the table, he does come across as somewhat cold. His wisdom and levelheadedness is such that, he isn't going to be all that "chatty" unless he really has something to say. To pair him with a young (and extremely nervous) Kyle makes for a pretty awesome little story.
I always say, you can judge the strength of a writer's ability to "write human" by putting a constriction on who they can use. It's the old "lock two characters in a room/elevator/wherever, and see what happens" deal. Gotta say, this was handled expertly. Not only did Marz bring to the fore the similarities between Kyle and J'onn (both being the "last of their kind"... Kyle the "last" Green Lantern, and J'onn the last Martian)... but, they also ended their adventure with a deepened respect for one another.
Kyle's idea for repurposing Mogo was pretty great... if he wasn't on monitor duty, who knows what might have happened! Plus, this was before Mogo was pulled out nearly every month, so there was a novelty to seeing the once-Lantern Planet. In fact, if you weren't aware of the legend of Mogo... this issue's reveal would've probably been just as much of a shock as the original Moore/Gibbons tale!
Then... we've also got Access! Really neat to have this scene here, despite its brevity. You know me, I'm a big fan of "everything matters"... and anytime I see a nod to something that isn't usually considered as part of continuity, I get kinda giddy. This scene is no different. Not only do we get Access... but a reference to the Silver Surfer! Love stuff like this!
Overall... had a blast with this one. Excellent characterization, as we've come to expect from Ron Marz... the art, despite being done by a "fill-in penciller" was quite good as well! Well worth checking out, shouldn't break the bank. Surprisingly, this issue is available digitally. Gotta wonder if there were any special concessions made for the co-owned Access to appear... if, in fact they didn't excise that scene completely!
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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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