Legacy of Superman #1 (Rose & Thorn)
"Sister Act"
Writer - Roger Stern
Pencils - Denis Rodier
Inks - Ande Parks
Letters - Albert DeGuzman
Colors - Glenn Whitmore
Assistant Editor - Jennifer Frank
Editor - Mike Carlin
Here's a little confession I gotta make. I have never... ever... read a Rose & Thorn story before. At least not one I can remember! In reading this little ditty, I kinda get the "broader concept" of the character/s... but, not to put the cart before the horse, I don't think I'll be rushing out to track down more of her/their adventures.
Let's do it!
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We open with a woman out jogging. We will soon learn that this woman is Rose Forrest, so I won't pretend not to know that. She's listening to her little AM/FM receiver... and the news is full'a some pretty bad stories. Ya see, ever since Superman died, it's been sort of an "open season" on Metropolis... there've been robberies, assaults... you name it! Our lady returns to her home, only to find that it's currently being robbed! A Scuzz is in there ransacking the place... and winds up stealing her VCR! Wow, our man's aimin' high, there! I think even back in ye old 1993, a VCR might run a hundred bucks. Well, I guess any ol' port in a storm, right?
We jump ahead... probably an hour or two, and Ms. Forrest is having her locks fixed... and is having security bars placed on her windows. This is sure a grim new look for Metropolis, innit? If I'm being honest, it looks kinda like... a lot of parts of South Phoenix!
That night, Rose is in bed watching the news. She just can't help herself, it seems. The news is... still, all bad. Suddenly, there's a voice in her head... begging to let it "take over". In a trance-like state, Rose gets out of bed, and wanders down to her basement...
... where she changes into the "working clothes" of... The Thorn!
We shift scenes into a dark and seedy alley, where a pair of nogoodniks are bragging about their latest hauls. One happens to mention that he knows where allllllll the best Fences are, which prompts Thorn to emerge from a storm drain, and pounce! She demands to know about this great Fence... and the fella has no choice but to comply.
Turns out this Fence is run by a big fella called The Cherokee... who the Thorn is, evidently, familiar with. The clash outside some building... with the Cherokee looking, I dunno... I don't think "sense of urgency" quite fits it. More like, just resigned and annoyed to see Thorn. It's as though he's sighing when he draws his gun. Thorn beats him up pretty good.
Moments later, the VCR thief just happens to arrive. He's overjoyed that he'll probably be handed a crisp five-dollar bill for his troubles. Daaaaaaaang, fool... this VCR's got onscreen programming an erryt'ing! Ya know, if a VCR was the most valuable thing Rose Forrest had in her house... why did she bother with the fancy new locks and bars? I mean, right now, those locks and bars are the most valuable things she owns!
Anyhoo, the T'eef is led into the Cherokee's office... only to find... Thorn! And hoo-boy, is she ticked!
She proceeds to beat the everlovin' dog out of the kid... and, pretty much everybody there. The Police arrive on the scene, in response to an "anonymous tip", and make all of the necessary arrests.
The following morning, Rose Forrest is awakened by a phone call. It's the Police, and they're happy to report that the thief was caught... and her cherished VCR has been retrieved. She's ever-so thankful, but the Police tell her to save her thanks for... the Thorn! Rose remembers that the mysterious Thorn was responsible for capturing her father's killer back in the long ago... but, doesn't know much more about her. Hmm...
We wrap up with Rose discovering a note on her bedside lampshade. It's from, duh, Thorn... and it informs her that the strong will always protect the meek. The story closes with the 1st Issue Special special... asking fans to write in if they want to see more from the "Woman Who is Really Two"! I don't think they received any sort of overwhelming response.
--
While this wasn't necessarily my "cup of tea", I feel like it was an important story to be told here, as it depicts just what an impact the loss of Superman has had on the City of Metropolis as a whole. Part of the "Legacy" piece is having an understanding of just how much was lost with his passing. Safety and security in the law-abiding citizens... and fear in those who would love nothing more than to do them harm. It's pretty powerful in that regard.
Having Ms. Rose Forrest get robbed... and have to decide what kind of security she's going to require going forward was especially powerful. I mean, even when Superman was around... he couldn't stop every burglary from occurring, but the overall feeling in Metropolis (well, much of Metropolis) was that its people were protected. Without that protection, Rose had to resort to putting bars on her own windows... the symbolism there is pretty striking. It's as though she's become a literal prisoner of her circumstance.
I know I joked about the VCR being taken... but, that's just me making light of the situation. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how valuable or un-valuable something might be... if it's taken from you... stolen from you... there's a feeling of violation there, that you really can't put a price-tag on! What price do you put on getting a good night's sleep, ya know? What price do you put on being unafraid in your own home? It's more than a lousy VCR that's been "taken" here... it's Rose's piece of mind.
Sure, the "action" bits here were what they were... but, really, they were (to me) just "scenery". This isn't really a story about beating up bad guys... it's about the tremendous hole left in Metropolis due to Superman's passing... and in that regard, I'd call it a success!
Rose & Thorn... ehhh, I could take 'em or leave 'em, to be honest... but, she/they were as good a fit here as anyone! I appreciate the whole gimmick of her not knowing she's really both characters... though, I don't feel like that has all that long a "shelf life" in an ongoing series, ya know what I mean? Eventually, she's going to have to find out... there's only so many ways you can creatively sidestep the obvious.
I definitely recommend checking this story out... if only to get a new perspective on Metropolis.
Tomorrow: Punchy, punch, punch
Legacy of Superman #1 (Guardian)
"The Guardians of Metropolis!"
Writer - Karl Kesel
Art - Walter Simonson
Letters - John Workman
Colors - Glenn Whitmore
Assistant Editor - Jennifer Frank
Editor - Mike Carlin
With our Bonus Books coverage firmly in the rear-view (at least for now... ya never know when we might find another "extra" we'll want to take a look at), and with the my chosen topic for the most recent Super-Blog Team-Up still occupying my short-term memory, I've decided to devote these next five or six days to a book that I bought when it came out... and never actually read!
I'm sure most people reading this already know, but during the time between Funeral for a Friend and Reign of the Supermen, the Super-Books went on a three-month hiatus... which is to say, there were no Superman books on the racks... except this one (and a Supergirl and Team Luthor special... but I didn't care about that one, even back then!).
I snagged it, still hungry for more of the Super-story... and upon opening it, I was faced with a whooooole bunch of characters I had no experience with nor interest in. I quickly closed the thing, and tossed it into my modest, at the time, DC Comics stack. I've attempted to give it a solid "go" in the years since... but, truth be told, I've just never been able to get the job done.
Well, we're going to fix that this week. We've got five chapters... five days, with a good ol'-fashioned "compilation post" on the sixth. That'll end us off on January 29... only two days before this place celebrates FOUR SOLID YEARS of daily discussions!
Let's start this little party with... The Guardian!
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We open at Cadmus, where a gaggle of geeks are attempting to scrape some Super-cells off of Superman's corpse. This is proving to be rather a daunting, if not completely impossible, task. That fact does not please Director Paul Westfield. He and the Guardian are checking on the progress of this project... when, suddenly... the Newsboys burst in the place to tawk ol' New Yawk and generally make nuisances of themselves. Westfield's ticked that they're in a Classified Area (Classified... area? Do you mean "Restricted"?). Anyhoo, all that does is make me wonder why doors at Cadmus don't seem to have locks?
While the sassiness commences, some scientists rush in with the news that... they did it! They've managed to, via approximations and estimations, replicated the D.N.A. code of Superman! Westfield is overjoyed... and demands they hand the data disc over.
Well, not so fast there, kemosabe... they still need to run tests on the stuff before declaring it a complete success. Kinda begs the question... why in all hells did they burst into the lab to share the good news, if the thing ain't done yet? C'mon guys. The Guardian, who hasn't said anything just yet, pipes in with the suggestion that they just clone him! An army of Guardians should suffice in keeping Metropolis safe until such a time where they can effectively clone another Superman. The Newsboys chime in with their ideas on how the Guardian might be diversified... and somewhere, Axel Alonso weeps.
This suggestion reminds Westfield that he's got something he wants to show off. He takes the Science Team down to Sub-Level Four... Toppest of Top Secret. He informs the Newsboys that they ain't welcome down there... though, we all know they'll find a way. Now, down at Sub-Level Four, Director Westfield introduces his team to... Auron!
No, wait... that doesn't look right at all. Let's try again. Director Westfield introduces his team to... Auron!
That's the ticket. This Auron is a "Super-Soldier of the Future"... which, I think accounts for about half the characters introduced into comics during this era. He packs a bad-ass jet-pak, which is cybernetically linked with his mind... so, like, whatever he can think... he can do. Pretty cool, right? The Guardian notices that this Auron has a very familiar voice... and there's a good reason for that, ya see... Auron... like the Guardian himself, is a clone of Jim Harper! Wha-a-a-a-a?
Westfield commands Auron to snag that Superman D.N.A. Data-Disc by initiating "Sanction Blue". Auron belts The Guardian, however, before he can procure the disc... the Newsboys slide in and steal it first!
The kids rush into a nearby (and wildly convenient) subway car to make their getaway. Auron gives chase... after punching the Guardian again one more time for good measure. The Newsboys reach their weird sewer hideout, and attempt to lock Auron out long enough for them to load into the Whiz Wagon. Auron is hot on their heels... however, is slowed by a Mental Jolt from Dubbilex, who just happened to be in his path.
The Newsboys floor it like a Lightning Racer and attempt to escape the facility and reach the remains of Habitat. If you recall, the battle between Superman and Doomsday kinda wrecked that place. Since the Whiz Wagon ain't all that great at turning on a dime, Auron is able to catch up pretty quick. He grabs the rig by it's spoiler, and sends it crashing to the ground below. It's here that the Newsboys devise a plan to appeal to Auron's inner Jim Harper by... dog-piling him? Really?
Auron easily wipes the floor with the kids, and procures the Data Disc. Director Westfield arrives on the scene and requests he hand over the information. Instead, Auron crushes the disc in his hand! Ya see, the Newsboys were, in fact, able to appeal to his inner-Harper. He knows that, in the wrong hands, Superman's D.N.A. would be a very dangerous weapon. He tells Guardian that the information is safe inside his computer-mind, and he will leave the planet in order to protect it.
We wrap up with a bit of a soliloquy from The Guardian, reminding us how Superman was the true Guardian of Metropolis... and it's up to them to preserve his Legacy.
--
This was alright! Didn't bore me nearly as much as it did when I was a kid! I'm sure having a better-rounded familiarity with the characters was a big help in that. Not sure what I was thinking snagging this off the rack when I was a kid... I should've at least flipped through the thing before plunkin' my ten-quarters on the counter. Maybe I was subconsciously speculating?! I mean, this was the first (of three) appearance of... the Legendary Auron!
The story itself was... ehhh... nothin' all that special, though, it did continue the thread of Cadmus trying to clone Superman... which is important going forward into The Reign. Auron's introduction, I dunno... he's made to look really important, right? Like, a character who would (and should) show up from time to time going forward. I mean, he's got Superman's D.N.A. uploaded into himself... stands to reason, he'd be something of a "player" from this point on, no? Fact is, he doesn't wind up doing a whole heckuva lot after this.
It was neat seeing the Newsboys... it usually is. They can be a bit "one note", so it's a good thing that it's a fun note. They don't overstay their welcome. The Guardian... kind of a background player here, though I suppose he was a necessary presence to play off the other Harper clone... and to make an inspiring speech at the end.
The art? I know it's an unpopular stance, but I'm not the biggest Simonson fan. There's plenty of Walter's work that I do like... but, I think, if I'm being honest, I run like 50/50 with him. Here... well, this story kind of embodies my hot and cold take on his art. There were some panels here that looked pretty great... and others that came across like a blocky, scratchy mess. Nothing worth getting mad at, but still, worth mentioning.
Overall... this was okay. Not likely to rock any socks... but, also, unlikely to offend.
Tomorrow: Every Rose has its... well, you know
BONUS BOOK - Lightning Racers (January, 1990)
"Lightning Racers"
Written, Drawn, Colored, Lettered, and Edited by... someone, I guess! Was it you? Please, let me know!
I always say... if you're gonna do something, ya do it all the way. Last month we started our journey, weaving through Insert Prevues and Bonus Books, taking a look at every last one. Well, I use several sources online for my information... and, around Christmastime, when I was perusing Mike's Amazing World's "Bonus Books" list... I was reminded of this very Lightning Racers insert. This is something I'd seen a couple of times during various read-thru's of old DC Comics... but, certainly not anything I'd ever stopped to actually read.
Well, we're going to fix that today... and, with it... officially draw a line under our Bonus Books coverage!
Though it appeared in several DC books around this time, I am reading it from Superman (vol.2) #39 (January, 1990). Oh, by the way... if you have even the foggiest who wrote/drew/contributed to this story, please lemme know! I have not been able to find even a single credit for this bugger!
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Our story opens with a trio of lads engaged in micro-racing battle! Who will wind up in the winner's circle? Will it be... that one kid's Grasshopper? Perhaps the other kid's Rising Bird? Or, maybe... just maybe, the third kid's Avante. I'm going with the last one, because it's got the fanciest name. Well, as it turns out... it's a moot point. Ya see, MRC-Tamiya Racers are so easy to assemble, customize, and optimize... that these racers were neck-and-neck for the entire duration! There's no photo-finish in micro-race land, so I suppose we'll have to call this one a three-way tie. Though, if I'm being impartial and honest, I'd probably give it to Grasshopper. Just then, a fourth lad arrives on the scene to show off his latest and greatest. Ya see, he dumped that piece'a crap micro racer he used to run... and wisely bought himself an MRC-Tamiya. His is the Vanquish, Jr. Junior? Is there a Senior version? Can micro cars reproduce?
The boys are overjoyed that their pal joined them on the darkside of Microcar racing. When asked how he could afford such luxury, this new kid reveals that, Vanquish, Jr. didn't break his bank in the slightest! In fact, he only had to save up less than one week's allowance. Less than one week's allowance? Is this little jerk paid by the day? I don't think that's how allowance works. He bought it from Mr. Gibbons' store... where, wouldn'tcha know it, he's got The Official MRC-Tamiya Racing Circuit set up! What luck! Now the kids won't have to use "lengths of hose" to keep their cars from bumping into each other!
Less than thirty-minutes later, Vanquish, Jr. has been assembled. Ya see, check this out... with MRC-Tamiya Lightning Racers, you don't even need glue! Bah God, they just snap together, and you're good to go! So easy, even a dullard can do it! Though, it's worth noting, this particular dullard looks mighty proud of his achievement... smug, even! We follow the quartet to the mall, where they're keen to get down and dirty on the regulation racetrack.
Just then, from across the way... there's a bit of a to-do at the jewelry store! Ya see, a costume baddie has shown up... and he's threatening to use his Shrink-Ray to, well, shrink all of the jewelry in the joint so he can steal it. I mean, isn't jewelry already small enough? I dunno. The proprietor of the jewelry store doesn't take this goofball seriously, and even pulls a "Get a load'a dis guy?" to ol' Mr. Gibbons.
The baddie don't cotton to bein' mocked... and so, he unloads his Shrink Ray in Gibbons' direction. Gibbons, who just happened to be standing on a ladder, finds himself off-balance when the very ladder itself is shrunk down to fun-size.
Our fearsome foursome are not happy to see their MRC-Tamiya Lightning Racers Pusherman knocked on his butt... and decide this is a job for, well... them. Our villain responds by blasting them with the Shrink Ray, reducing them to just inches in size (and as luck would have it, 1/32 in scale!). Ya see where this story might be headed?
Dr. Micro... that's the bad guy's name... then shrinks an entire counterful of jewelry and flees the scene.
As this is going down... get this, the boys spend... I'm going to assume, less than a half-hour... putting together some MRC-Tamiya Lightning Racers... which, now that they've been shrunken, are "life-size". Thank all that you find holy that they don't even need glue! They each soup-up their rigs in different ways in order to handle all sorts of obstacles and terrain. I'm not sure these cars actually have, ya know, engines... accelerators... hell, even steering wheels, and all that... but, we'll allow it. Worth noting, one has a spoiler which reads "Being Nuts is NEAT!", which... I'm not a tattoo guy, but if I were... that'd be the one I'd go with.
As luck would have it, by the time the boys are done building... Dr. Micro still hasn't left the mall yet! He's being hassled by a Security Guard who the jewelry store guy tattled to! Whatta revoltin' development!
Dr. Micro tires of such tomfoolery... and decides, screw it... I'ma just gonna run. He rushes through the parking lot, with the Lightning Racers hot on his trail, and hops on his motorcycle.
On his bike, he drives right into... a parade? Well, that's a lucky break for our Lightning Racers, who take a short-cut through a nearby construction zone in order to get a jump on the Doc. Looks like it was wise of the boys to prepare for all sorts of obstacles... that foresight is definitely coming in handy right now!
The kids manage to follow Dr. Micro all the way back to his hideout... which, is really just a garage. I wonder what his neighbors must think? Anyhoo, only three of our racers are able to get inside before the door slams shut... leaving one straggler (the new kid) stuck outside.
Our Junior Vanquisher, however, spies among the refuse, a piece of lumber tilted diagonally pointed right toward an... open window, and gets an idea. Waitasecond, this supervillain leaves his windows open? C'mon. I can believe kids can be shrunk down... and operate cars that don't have gas pedals or steering wheels, but this is a step too far.
Inside, Doc Micro plops his mini-jewels down (minds out of the gutter, gang) and uses his enlarging ray to restore them to actual size! Waitasecond again... this clown has an enlarging ray... and rather than causing the jewels to grow to gigantic size... he just brings them back to their actual size? Would stand to reason that ten-pounds of gold would be of more value than ten-ounces, right? C'mon, Dr. Micro... think man!
While Micro twirls around cackling like an idiot, our original trio bails from their Lightning Racers to... I dunno... do, something I guess. When it doesn't involve MRC-Tamiya Racers, these kids don't seem to be the best of planners. Micro notices them... and plops a very convenient glass dome over them. Ya see, he plans to zap them with the Shrink Ray again... to make 'em even smaller! I mean, why not just have different settings on the gun itself?
Just then... the Junior Vanquisher flies in through the window, konks Doc Micro on the head... causing him to bonk into the enlarger ray button... which just so happens to be hanging from the ceiling? Fair enough.
This causes our tiny trio to grow back to full-size. They manage to tackle the goofball baddie... proving that three dumb kids can overpower a supervillain... so long as they're the right dumb kids.
With Micro bound and gagged, the boys return Junior Vanquisher back to normal... and, just then... a gaggle of Police burst in the garage! So... was this whole thing pointless? Like, were the Cops going to catch Dr. Micro anyway? Did the kids risk their lives for no reason at all?!
The Police Lieutenant (took me four tries to spell that right) and the Media arrive. The boys try and tell their shrunken story... which the Lt. doesn't buy for a minute. I mean, there were witnesses to that, right? Like a mall-full of 'em? What's this guy's problem? Anyhoo, he takes all the adulation and praise... and makes it sound like he was the hero of the story.
Back at Gibbons' Place, the boys are congratulated for being in the wrong place at the wrong time... and are even allowed to keep the cars they'd built during their adventure! Heck, Gibbons is so overjoyed he's going to give them the next round of MRC-Tamiya Lightning Racers that come in the shop as well! That Mr. Gibbons... one shrewd businessman.
We wrap up with our boys racing on the regulation track... Ready! Set! Go!
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Okay, this might be the goofiest thing I've covered here in quite some time... but, I can't lie and say I didn't enjoy the heck out of it! Sure, it's just a commercial for some toy cars... but, ya know... I've definitely read worse comic book stories. Hell, I've read worse comic book stories this week!
It's difficult for me to actually, ya know, analyze this one... because, it is what it is. It's not high-art, it's not trying to be anything other than what it is... an enticement to rush down to your local Hobby Shop and procure mass quantities of MRC-Tamiya Lightning Racers and MRC-Tamiya Lightning Racers accessories.
Now, growing up, I was never a "car guy". Sure, I had my fair share of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars... I think all little boys do/did! But, I'd rather have been playing with action figures. I feel like I lack the imagination to make a "play session" involving little cars be fun. I didn't even think Transformers were fun! So, with that having been said... this little excursion into Ad-tertainment would not have worked on me. If you are/were into toy cars and racing, however, your (no pun intended) mileage may vary.
These sort of cars were apparently quite a big deal in the world of boy's toys back in the late-80's. Being a fella who was a boy back in the late-80's, I gotta say... that's news to me! You can check out this piece from New York Magazine:
Even Boys Life Magazine... which, as a Cub Scout at the time, I'm sure I was subscribed to, listed Lightning Racers as one of their top Christmas gifts of 1989! Then again, they list WrestleMania for the NES too... so, maybe we don't put too much stock into what they say.
For me though, this was just a silly story... and one with, almost shockingly good art! I couldn't even hazard a guess as to who might've drawn this... I see flashes of different artists in some of the panels. Dr. Micro gives me very strong Carmine Infantino vibes in some of the panels, but I couldn't make a definitive statement either way. The rest of the story looks nothing like latter-day Infantino... at least not to me!
Now, if you were concerned about the reality of this story... first, c'mon... second, c'mahhhhhhhn... third, here's a disclaimer/warning that was included at the end:
So, after telling (and showing) us how these li'l buggers can handle all sorts of terrain and obstacles, we're told explicitly not to run our Lightning Racers on the streets. What's more, if it happens to find its way into the street... just abandon the damn thing, it ain't worth risking yer neck to retrieve it! Oh well.
In our latest Bonus Books features, we've spent a little time getting to know our creative teams. Since this story doesn't credit one, we'll have to get a little bit creative. Let's meet Tamiya!
Tamiya Incorporated was founded (as Tamiya Shoji & Co.) in 1946... and is still in operation today. While they began as a lumber company (hey, maybe they were responsible for that piece of wood Vanquisher, Jr. used to bust in on Doc Micro!) in more recent years they manufacture models of all sorts... plastic, radio-control, sailboats, even solar-powered models!
This here comic book wasn't just an "Insert Prevue" or "Bonus Book", or whatever we're calling it... this one was actually both a standalone giveaway and a pack-in with the Rising Bird model set. The box advertises an "18 Page" booklet... and since this story is only 14 (counting the cover and text pages), I gotta wonder what "challenges" appeared on the other four! Man, don't tell me I actually gotta track one'a these buggers down...
If we flip the box over... well, it looks like all of the Lightning Racers were "Juniors"! Whodathunkit?
Overall... had wayyy more fun with this one than should've been possible... and I recommend giving this one a full read, should you come across it during a (re)read of a circa-1990 DC Comic. I'd still love to know who was involved in the creation of it... if anyone happens to know, please pass that information my way!
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(Not the) Letters Page/Interesting Ads (???):
