Green Lantern (vol.3) #66 (September, 1995) "Fast Friends? Part One" Writer - Ron Marz Pencils - Paul Pelletier Inks - Romeo Tanghal Colors - Rob Schwager Letters - Albert DeGuzman Associate Editor - Eddie Berganza Editor - Kevin Dooley Cover Price: $1.75 Today we're going to continue our little impromptu "Paul Pelletier Appreciate Week" event by taking a look at the first team-up between Kyle Rayner and Wally West! --
We open with Kyle Rayner heading to the library for some reference materials for an upcoming art project, when he just so happens to stumble across an armor-wearing creep who promises to destroy the joint unless he's given a million bucks and all of his terroristy friends are released from prison. Sounds fair, doesn't it? Anyhoo, Kyle "Lanterns up" and is blasted right into a nearby fella in a wheelchair. After shaking that off, he takes down the baddie with ease.
Once the dust settles, Kyle heads over to the man in the wheelchair to make sure he's okay. We learn that this fellow lost his legs in a train accident... and our man wonders if there isn't something he might be able to do to help. And so, he "breaks off" a teeny bit of his Green Lantern power and bestows it on the man... giving him the ability to "will up" a pair of emerald legs! Kyle leaves with a sense of satisfaction... but without his reference material.
Meanwhile in Keystone City, the Flash is dealing with a brand-new supervillain... Sonar! Wally ain't too keen on this dude tearing up his city... but, as you might imagine, Sonar doesn't really care what he thinks.
Sonar goes on a pontificate-y rant, proclaiming himself as the King of humankind. Wally gives him the ol' "Not in my city, you ain't!", which seems like a forced bit of business to facilitate Sonar's response that Keystone City is too small for a man such as he as he vanishes into the sky.
We rejoin Kyle as he arrives back at his building. He pops into Radu's Coffee Shop for a cup before heading upstairs. Radu introduces him to another tenant, a model named Allison. She and Kyle flirt for a bit while Radu prepares his Double-Sug-Cap.
As our man turns to leave, Radu informs him that he received a package while he was out... and that he put it in his apartment for him. Turns out, it's a bouquet of roses from his new gal-pal, Donna Troy! Man, whoever said chivalry was dead? Anyhoo, this makes Kyle feel a bit guilty about chatting up Model-Ali downstairs.
Kyle then grabs his sketchpad and heads to the roof to do a little etching. Unfortunately, just as he's settling into it, he's wracked by a sonar shockwave! It's a good thing he's actually Green Lantern... I could only imagine how many poor civilians just got flung from their roofs!
After changing into uniform, Kyle heads uptown where he finds... you guessed it, the King of all Mankind... Sonar! Ya see, Keystone is chump-change compared to New York City. If there's ever a place to throw on a gaudy outfit and proclaim yourself "boss", it's gotta be New York.
Green Lantern and Sonar battle it out for a bit before being interrupted by the arrival of... the Flash!
-- Had a lot of fun with this one. I sometimes forget just how special these early Kyle issues were. It's really like we were making a new friend here. Speaking of "new friends", this is one of (if not the) earliest instances where Kyle and Wally crossed paths! That's some pretty important "legacy hero" stuff, and I'm really happy to be revisiting it. I really enjoyed their dynamic... where (for once) Wally West gets to pull the "experienced veteran card". I'll put a pin in that for now, as I'm sure we'll be discussing that bit of business more tomorrow. I wanna talk briefly about Kyle "breaking off" a bit of his power for the legless fella. I'm going to use the old Chris-chestnut of "It's been awhile since I looked at this era, so I don't remember if this leads anywhere...", but I think this is a pretty cool idea. Having Kyle, ever the altruist, giving away his powers bit by bit... until there comes a time where he's in a jam and might need it all back. Did that ever happen? Am I completely blanking on (what I'd assume to be) one helluva story here? Either way, this is pretty cool... and, gotta say, the idea of a New York full'a folks with a tiny bit of emerald energy kinda tickles me. One heckuva visual there! Sonar... is kind of a goofball villain, though he doesn't seem like he's messing around. In this issue alone, he was able to go toe-to-toe with both Wally and Kyle. Pretty decent first outing for the guy! Now, the reason we're looking at this issue today... the art! I mean, broken record time, it's really great stuff! Very clean and sharp... just really wonderful to look at! It's the kind of art I'd refer to as "candy for the eyes". Really well done. Overall, I'd say jump on this issue... not only for the art, but for a heckuva fun story too! There's a magic to these early Kyle Rayner issues of Green Lantern, and if you've never experienced them, you owe it to yourself to give 'em a go! This issue is available digitally. -- Letters Page:
Superboy and the Ravers #1 (September, 1996) "House Rules, Part 1: The Never-Ending Party" Writers - Karl Kesel & Steve Mattsson Pencils - Paul Pelletier Inks - Dan Davis Colors - John Kalisz Letters - Kevin Cunningham Associate Editor - Chris Duffy Editor - Frank Pittarese Cover Price: $1.95 You ever take a look at the comics solicits, and say to youself, "What are they thinking?!". Of course ya have... we all have. I recall looking at much of the offerings of the short-lived DCYOU "era" wondering that. Heck, I can think of about 20 titles from the initial New-52! launch I felt similarly about (Voodoo... really?). Then there's books where the title of the thing is just so out there that it's hard to believe a) it was suggested, b) it got green-lit, and c) it made it to print! In that spirit, today I give to you... Superboy and the Ravers! Well, actually... this is just another entry in our "Hey, Paul Pelletier is awesome!" series... but, we can still mention how silly the title is, right? --
We open with Superboy heading over to Pali Lookout, Hawaii in order to meet with lady-friend and Bloodlines buddy, Sparx! After a moment of feeling as though he was stood up, she ZAPS into sight and gives him a "why so serious?" kind of look. After clearing the air, she takes him to their destination... there just so happens to be an intergalactic "Event Horizon" Rave going on just ova there!
Superboy isn't all that impressed, and suggests a better use of his time would be heading home to feed Krypto, but Sparx really wants him to stay. She doesn't know much about the situation... only that the last time she popped in on one'a these, she didn't stay long enough to get her hand stamped. As she rambles, Superboy becomes instantly smitten with a girl wearing a mask and a bellybutton ring.
Worth noting, all of these intergalactic ravers speak their own language... one Kon doesn't understand. As you might imagine, this leads to some misunderstandings. Speaking of misunderstandings, some big dude thinks Sparx is the right girl for him, and so he grabs her.
She ZAPS him off... which really seems to annoy him. Turns out this fella is a Khund... and we all know they're jerks. Superboy hops in to take control of the situation, only to be nyoinked out of the fray by a dollar-store Street Shark... who he socks in the nose (or at least where his nose would be)!
Superboy gets walloped... which makes that bellybutton ring girl laugh. Oh, she speaks Earthen English, by the way. This riles the kid up, and so he lunges in for more... only, he winds up smacking right into the forcefield of our latest arrival(s).
By this point, Superboy has ruined everybody's good time, or maybe their MDMA has worn off... whatever the case, they're ticked at the kid! A dude who looks like Frankenstein's slacker brother lifts him up by the collar, and slams him into a tree.
Superboy is saved from the potentially-hairy misunderstanding by that new arrival he bumped into moments earlier... a fella named Hero. Hero's got a dog called "Rex"... which, I suppose is a pretty common name (in dog circles), though I'm hoping he's a dog of the "Wonder" variety. It's here that we learn the Street Shark Kon punched is actually the Bouncer of this here Rave... and it probably wasn't the wisest idea to lash out.
Just then, the "Bouncer" returns... now flanked by a blonde fellow and a third-string Youngblood member. The toe-head introduces himself as Kindred Marx, and it looks like he's in charge of this here Rave.
Superboy goes to shake his hand, and gets (what he assumes to be) the ol' joy-buzzer gag! Turns out, the shock was really Marx implanting a "hand-stamp" on the kid. It's his ticket to and from the Event Horizon Rave, no matter where it's happening! Also, he can now understand all of the disparate languages of the Ravers... and thankfully, so can we!
After the dust settles, Sparx goes off to dance with some goons, and Superboy asks Hero for some "411" on the girl with the bellybutton ring. Turns out, her name is Aura... and she hangs out with a too-cool for school outfit called "The Fashion Police". I wonder if they'll give Superboy a ticket for his awful haircut. Anyhoo, Superboy decides maybe he'll chat her up. Only, he's cut off by... a Weaponer of Qward?!
The Weaponer is introduced as Kaliber... and he has taken exception to Superboy wearing the colors of the actual Man of Steel. Superboy suggests ol' winghead "chill", which really gets his dander up. Ya don't go around telling him how to regulate his internal temperature! Naturally, they begin to brawl... only to be separated by the Street Shark.
Kindred Marx suggests that Kal and Kon "take it outside"... and so, they do. Only, in stepping "outside" they find themselves on an arena planetoid!
They fight for a minute, with Kon saving Kal's bacon a time or two until Marx sends the rest of the party back to Hawaii (and removes Superboy and Kaliber's "hand-stamps". Turns out their little Arena-Planet has been discovered by... InterC.E.P.T.?!
-- Ya know, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one to begin with... and I was still surprised! What a weird little book, and to think... it's an ongoing series! Gotta wonder just how this was ever an idea in the first place! Now, that's not to say it was bad (because it wasn't)... just that it's weird (because it is)! This book has been sitting in my longbox library for a long while, and I was never compelled enough to actually pull the trigger and read it. Might sound silly, but hunkering down with a comic has become kind of a "time investment" for me over the past little while. I assumed this was going to be the story of Superboy leading a team called "The Ravers", with a bunch of "grown adult approximating teen" speak... what I wasn't expecting was an actual (intergalactic) rave! Worth saying that I don't have all that much familiarity with "rave culture" (shocker, I know!). I do remember some kids in my high school wearing pacifiers around their necks for reasons I didn't understand at the time. I was so "in my own world" I must have just assumed it was a very weird fashion statement... or they were just high. Wasn't until I took a few addiction courses in college that I (sorta) understood it. That being said, it's kind of interesting to me that DC would publish a book about (literal) Ravers. Part of me was expecting that there'd be a few of these geeks off in the corner passing out Mollies... though, in fairness... this was just the first issue. That might still be on the horizon. Preconceptions aside, I thought this was a pretty fun issue... and a neat introduction to a very strange concept. Gotta mention the reason we're checking it out in the first place... Pencillin' Paul. Some really solid stuff from him, excellent facial expressions and action... though, I'm not sure Dan Davis is his best inker. Some of the panels looks kind of Stuart Immonen-esque, which isn't a bad thing... but just a bit looser than what I've come to expect. Overall, I'd say this one's worth a peek, if only for the novelty/oddity and, of course, the art. This one doesn't appear to have been made available digitally just yet (for some reason #10 is the only one up there), but shouldn't break the bank in the wild. -- Interesting Ads:
Outsiders (vol.2) #1Ω (November, 1993) "Ashes & Blood" Writer - Mike W. Barr Pencils - Paul Pelletier Inks - Robert Campanella Letters - Ken Bruzenak Colors - Stuart Chaifetz Editor - Bill Kaplan Cover Price: $1.75 Well, yesterday we closed out a year with an "alpha" issue... so, today we'll ring in the new one with an "omega"... why not, right? Who we hurtin'? While we're talkin' bout it... Happy New Year friends! Welcome to perhaps the only place on the internet where the only mention of anything Gregorian will be Geo-Force's nephew, the Crown Prince of Markovia! Don't worry though, I won't try and impress upon you that he doesn't matter (while coming across all smug and self-satisfied)... although, as far as this story is concerned, he really doesn't. --
We open with Katana in a Markovian hotel room she's sharing with Halo... who happens to be in an iron lung. I'm not exactly sure the whens, whys and hows of Halo's current condition... but, it'll be a moot point by the end of the issue (or, if you've already read Outsiders (vol.2) #1α, it already is!). Anyhoo, they're in town... er, country, for the Christening of the Crown Prince of Markovia, Gregor Markov II! They're not the only ones either! The Briggs's's's (that's Looker and her husband, natch) are also present and accounted for! We see them enjoying themselves while chatting up Brion's ladyfriend, Denise.
The Christening goes off without a hitch, Queen Ilona presents the child, and he is Christened. With what we know from the α issue, you'd figure she'd wanna be kept as far away from Holy Water as possible, am I right? Anyhoo... everything goes swimmingly, and the Royal Family retires back to the Palace.
Brion and Ilona chat for a bit, before Geo-Force heads back to the festivities. Once he's gone from sight, our man Roderick shows his ugly mug. We get a little insight as to the collusion between he and the Queen... and learn that she will eventually be made immortal (don't bank on that!).
Brion rejoins his ladyfriend, Denise... and sorta-kinda asks her to marry him in the most casual way possible. Before she can answer, however, he receives a phone call from Gardner Grayle, the Atomic Knight! He's working on a way to help restore Gaby to normal(ish).
We shift scenes back to the Queen, as she addresses her council. She intends to share the news of Prince Brion's betrayal on television... and they're not entirely on board with this decision, probably because it's bunk. No matter though, she does the thing anyway.
Katana is watching this unfold on television while eating her dinner. Once the bombshell is dropped, she realizes that she's "on the clock". It's a good thing she decides to "arm up" too... as she's immediately attacked by a group of (what else?) vampires! Meanwhile back at the Palace, we see that Roddy has taken care of the Councilmen.
While Katana beats back the horde (gotta say, Pelletier delivers an awesome-looking Tatsu!), the Briggs's's are also attacked by the vampies! After getting slammed into a wall, Lia Briggs transforms into... Looker, and she goes absolutely ape! Another wonderfully-drawn scene... this Pelletier guy, I tell ya.
Looker, who is with Greg Briggs and Brion's maybe-sorta-fiance Denise, uses her powers to get them to leave... making them think they're all leaving together. This sequence wasn't the clearest to follow, but not nearly as confusing as it could've been.
Looker rendezvous with Katana and helps her finish off the last of the vampires... one of which is carrying an automatic gun of sorts! Gotta remember, this was the 90's. Anyhoo, some of the errant gunfire happens to hit Gaby's iron lung. Okay, that there was a sentence I never thought I'd write... and one that has stopped this piece in its tracks while I giggle uncontrollably. Apologies to anyone currently in an iron lung.
Tatsu freaks out that Gaby will suffocate without the artificial oxygen... but Looker ain't all that worried. She lifts Gaby out of the device, makes her look into her eyes and... bingo-bango, she's all good again... she just looks like a member of Power Pack now.
The ladies suit up and head off into action... which brings us right up to that scene we saw yesterday, where Geo-Force and the three newbies break in under the castle walls... only to be interrupted by Roderick.
You know what's coming next, a big ol' Outsider on Vampire skirmish... this time out, however, we follow Looker inside the castle... where she runs into Roderick who had just done the televised neck-snapping thing.
We wrap up with Roddy... plunging his fangs into Lia's neck, which brings us right to the same exact ending as in the α issue!
-- Okay, I know I was pretty down on this one yesterday... and I still kinda am. I mean, the story isn't any great shakes... but there's something about these characters that just draws me in. Though, I'm sure the fantastic art is doing at least some of the heavy-lifting. Let's touch on the "gimmick" for a second. While yesterday's α issue was definitely an "incomplete package", I feel like it gave a more "complete" look at what was going on. Like, if you had to choose only one of these to read, the α issue would/should likely be the one. This one provides a good amount of flavor... but, outside of the Halo recovery and Lia getting bit... it's not terribly necessary. They could have (and perhaps should have... for narrative sake) just made Outsiders (vol.2) #1 an over-sized issue and tacked an extra 50-cents onto the cover price. Of course, that's not going to juice sales like the α/Ω gimmick... but, it would sure read a lot better! I'm not even sure how well this performed on the market. I'm missing the issue of Wizard that would have had the Top 100 the month this came out... but in subsequent months Outsiders (vol.2) doesn't even chart! That is to say, there were at least 100 better-selling comics on the market. Not a great way to kick off a new series... though, the market was a strange and interesting thing back in the long ago. Narratively speaking, I can only really compare this to the storytelling method in the final season of Lost... that "flash-sideways" or whatever the called it. We're getting bits and pieces... but, it's not so much exposition or background information... we're getting the same amount of info, just in a really odd (and unsatisfying) way. Really, the best thing about this issue... and I hate to go all gushy-fanboy here, but... it's Paul Pelletier's art! It's crazy to consider, dude was so good back in 1993... and has only gotten better! I'd say if you came across this in the bins, it'd be worth a look for the art alone. The fact that it's a gimmicky 90's relic... well, it might be worth grabbing for novelty's sake as well. Like I said yesterday, this is available digitally from DC... and it's an all-in-one (α/Ω)! Also like I said yesterday, I'm actually tempted to grab it, if only to see if they played around with the pagination... though, I couldn't imagine that they would. -- The α and Ω of Covers:
