New Teen Titans Drug Awareness Special #2 (1983)

New Teen Titans Drug Awareness Special (1983)
"Battle!"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Penciller - Ross Andru
Inker - Joe Giella
Letterer - Ben Oda
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Dave Manak
Special Thanks - Bruce Miller & Stephen Jacobs
Cover Price: $1.00

There's another one???

Here in Phoenix, we have a number of comic shops.  Perhaps we are a bit lucky, as many of these shops offer whole discount areas (even suites) in which all of their overstock is sold at a buck or less.  Too often this is where the shop owners attempt to unload the 1,000 copies of whichever Marvel Star Wars book they overbought in order to procure that one bright shiny variant cover (that is still sitting on a shelf at a mid-three-figure price point), however, there are times when you strike gold... at least insofar as "something interesting".

Yesterday I found myself with some time to kill in a neck of the woods I don't get to all that often.  Figured I'd pop in to the buck-n-below shop and see if I couldn't fill in some holes.  While combing through the "T" books, I found no less than twenty copies of the New Titans drug PSA I discussed last week... however, about halfway through the pile I came across this one.

Initially, I figured... like everything else in the shop, it was just a variant cover.  Upon closer inspection, I noticed that Ernie the Keebler Elf was nowhere to be found here.  Curious, I opened it up, only to find a completely new (to me) story inside.  "There's another one?" I thought to myself, though I'll concede I may have said it out loud...

Well, as it turns out, there are another TWO (three in total) New Teen Titans Drug Awareness Specials.  None of them bear an issue number, however, for the sake of assuaging any confusion I will list this as "#2".  The first was sponsored by Keebler, this one was sponsored by the National Soft Drink Association (NSDA), and the third (which I now must track down) by IBM.  I guess I didn't realize how big a push this promotion was given.  Upon doing some further research, I was able to come across a 1984 commercial that covers the concept as well.

For this issue, Titan's legend Marv Wolfman stay on, however Ross Andru (who I remember for his work on Amazing Spider-Man) takes over the art chores.  Can Marv keep up his normal Titanic level of quality under the watchful eye of the National Soft Drink Association?  Let's find out...

--

This issue opens with the Titans and Protector (they are rather straightforward during this issue in stating that Protector is not a Titan, just an associate) following up on a tip... staking out a drug-drop, seemingly a continuation of the previous Drug Awareness issue.  They're at a small amusement park, and it is clearly after hours.  Once they witness the drop the team springs into action.

This time the Titans team features Cyborg, Wonder Girl, Raven, Starfire, and Changeling with Kid Flash taking the place of Speedy as the auxiliary member.  The team makes short work of the drug pushers, with Protector acting especially brutal in the beating he dishes out... throwing a couple of thugs through a plate-glass window.

Jeez Pro, what the hell?

After a brief chat with authorities, Protector asks Kid Flash for a private chat.  Ya see, Pro's cousin Ted Hart has recently moved to Wally's hometown of Blue Valley.  Teddy's a recovering addict, who very nearly let his drug abuse cost him his life.  Protector asks that Kid Flash maybe keep an eye on him, just in case he needs a hand-up, or a shoulder to lean on.  Wally, being the swell cat he is, says he doesn't mind playing babysitter to a perfect stranger...

... and so, the next day Wally heads to the Hart house and introduces himself to Ted.  They walk together to Ted's school, and on the way he confides in Wally in regard to just how far gone he was before he fully embraced his recovery.  When they arrive, Wally introduces Ted to a girl called Amy King.  As they become acquainted they overhear a nearby couple arguing about one members frequent drug-use.  Confident Teddy's in good hands, Wally excuses himself so that he can make it to his own school.

We follow Ted as he navigates his way through the apparently drug-dealer riddled hallways of (what I assume is) Blue Valley High.  Here Ted speaks with Brian, the fellow who was part of the earlier argumentative couple.  He's a drug-user who offers Ted a good time... Ted tells him flat-out that he's clean, and Brian appears to be cool with it.

Brian's just happy he doesn't have to share... for now.

They pass the cliche drug-dealer, leather and shades clad Adam who is conducting "business" before class.  Adam's main squeeze is the girl with the coral colored haired, whose name is... well, Coral.  She's upset that Adam isn't all that fun anymore... being all high and stuff.  As Ted passes, she makes eyes at him.  In class, Ted is the perfect student... attentive, and intelligent.  As he and Amy leave class together, the scowling Coral looks on.

The next several pages feature vignettes of the next several weeks.  Ted and Amy grow closer by the day, and the Titans are keeping the streets clean from would-be drug-dealing scums.  For all of their progress, the team is still unaware just who is behind the shipments.

Time passes, until one fine day... Ted is leaving school for the day and notices that his buddy Brian is hanging around bad-boy drug-dealer Adam.  He's looking to buy a "gram of snow".  Shortly, Brian and Ted are lounging on a hill.  Bri is partaking as Ted's just enjoying the beautiful day, when they are approached by the covetous Coral.

She's got herself some dope that's laced with angel dust... she doesn't screw around, does she?  She offers a toke to Teddy, who refuses until she questions his manhood.  He ultimately gives in and sucks it down.  In the distance, Adam is looking on... not sure if he's upset his girl's gone, or happy he's got a new customer.

Another month passes, and Ted's personality begins to change.  He snaps at his steady girl Amy, he's acting like a complete tool in class and one day he storms out of the school.  Amy, Brian, and Brian's gal Linda give chase.

The girls head over to the West house to check in with Wally.  They explain what's going on, and Wally knows he's gotta pass the info on to his buddy Jason Hart, the Protector.

Kid Flash zips across town to find the Pro facilitating a Parent/Child Drug-Support Group.  Wally sits in and waits, observing a tiny little fella discuss his past drug indiscretions... which clearly stunted the poor boy's growth.  I mean, this kid is itsy-bitsy!

I can fit five of this stone-cold junkie in my pocket

After the meeting Kid Flash spills the beans, and the two head out to confront the terrifying teen, the scary sophomore, the leather lothario... Adam, who as it just so happens was in the middle of conducting business with our boys Ted and Brian.

Yup Brian... the cops.  The brightly colored cops.

The geeks flee as the Protector swoops in (on a line that's affixed to.., well, your guess is as good as mine) and dropkicks Adam.  The two fools run directly into the path of an oncoming truck, and if not for the presence of the Titans, would have been so much roadkill.  Pro goes into lecture mode and tries level with the jerks, but they blow him off.

Protector trying out for a Twizzler's gig.

Later on at the Hart house, Teddy is confronted by his worried parents.  They see that he's slipped back into his old ways and want to assure him that he has their complete support in his recovery.  Teddy knows that parents just don't understand... so he shoves his dad out of the way and leaves home.

Ted intends to bury his troubles (and his head) in the bosom of cordial Coral, only he overhears her telling Adam that she was just using him to make her inattentive jerk-man jealous.

That's cold, Coral...

This is too much for Ted to process.  He barges into the boys room to find Brian about to do a line.  Ted's got lust in his eyes for that smattering of snow, and the two tussle until it's scattered all over the filthy, disgusting, brutal bathroom floor.  The fiends don't seem to care as they press their faces to the ground and snort up just as much as they can.  How gross is that?  I don't even like the soles of my shoes touching the floor in a public toilet.  There'd have to be quite a bit of money on the table to get my face anywhere near the floor.

Not satisfied with their foul feast, the boys beeline it to their main man Adam... only problem is, they don't got the green to buy the green.  Adam tosses them an aged and nasty looking joint, that probably consists of whatever Adam skimmed out of the cat pan this morning.

The pair of clowns realize they need money, and they need it quick.  That night, they plan to hold up a local convenience store.  Unfortunately for them, these geeks (literally) brought a knife to a gun fight.  They attempt to shake down proprietor Sam Waterman with a lousy little knife.  Sam ain't amused... he blows a hole in Brian's gut without a second thought.  Ted, being the man that he is... runs like a chicken, ultimately collapsing outside of Amy's house (I'm sure her parents loved that!).

Back with the Titans (remember them?), the team is watching yet another drug drop.  Whodathunk Blue Valley was such a hotbed for drugs?  The team, once again, makes short work of the pushers.  Raven suddenly feels the pain of another, and teleports to Brian's side as he's being loaded into an ambulance.

Later on at the hospital, Teddy and Brian are sharing a room and pledge to get their heads right.  They are joined not only by the Titans, but by their respective parents and significant others as well.  Ted promises that from this point on he'll be a hero by staying drug free.  The Titans walk straight off the panel, satisfied with a job well done.

--

Hmm...

Well, um... I'm kind of at a loss here.  On one hand... it was a good (if not a tad overbearing) story, on the other... where were the Teen Titans?  It feels as though they hardly appear in this book, and when they do... all they're doing is watching a drug-drop and beating up a bunch of thugs.  Considering just what this book is, I suppose I really can't complain too much.  It definitely could have been far worse.  For what it was, I guess I enjoyed it well enough.  Marv Wolfman is always a treat to read, and the Ross Andru art was very nice as well.

While I would have preferred Perez (say that a bunch'a times fast), Ross Andru certainly had a few tricks up his sleeve.  Of particular note, I really enjoyed the changes in Teddy's face as he spiraled deeper into his addiction.  Andru made him appear more and more haggard the farther gone he'd become.  Certainly a welcome bit of detail.  On the other hand, I think Donna Troy had about a half-dozen different haircuts during her very brief appearances in this issue.  In one panel it's down to her waist, in the very next it's barely touching her shoulders.

Having some experience in addiction treatment and group-facilitation, I'd have to say Marv clearly did his research in crafting this tale.  While it may all appear very cliche... and it is, it's become that way for a reason.  I especially enjoyed Protector's discussion on the psychological aspects of addiction.  It's a very powerful (and comparably ignored... or at least downplayed) piece of the addiction puzzle.  I was pleased to see it mentioned here.

I guess to sum up... this was fine.  I must admit that I enjoyed the first (Keebler) Drug Awareness Special far more... although I can't really put my finger on why.  I'd honestly recommend this simply  for its novelty value.  While it feels like a very 1980's piece, if we were to add some smartphones and contemporary fashions, it could just as easily be made current.  There is a timelessness in stories of this type, and while it may seem passe or trite in 2016, it's still all too relevant.

--

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Man of Steel #1 (1986)

Man of Steel #1 (1986)
"From Out the Green Dawn..."
Writer & Penciller - John Byrne
Inker - Dick Giordano
Colorist - Tom Ziuko
Letterer - John Costanza
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75

On this week's Weird Comics History segment on the Weird Science DC Comics Podcast, Reggie and I discussed that strange and wacky time in 1984 where Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter was approached by bigwig Warner Bros. publishing executive Bill Sarnoff about the possibility of Marvel taking over the publication of the DC Comics characters.  Can you imagine Supes and Spidey under the same umbrella?  It was a great discussion, so check it out!

One of the things about this story is how quickly current-comics legend/then-Marvel creator (and writer/artist of two of Marvel's highest selling books at the time, Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight), John Byrne took to the idea.  He wanted to write Marvel's Superman, and even drew up a test-cover and plotted (or perhaps even fully scripted) the Man of Steel's new Marvel-ous origin.  Over at the Jim Shooter blog, some of the concepts Byrne was planning to implement are shared and addressed.  It's a great resource for some of the inner workings of the industry.

I'm also currently covering the prehistoric Internet's reaction to John Byrne's impending arrival to the Superman titles at DC in the 80's as part of my Usenet Fandom series.  If you have any interest in how the "fan on the street" took to the news back in ye old 1985, definitely check them out!

But first, let's discuss what John Byrne actually did do with Superman.  This is one of those well-trodden issues that I often shy away from, because honestly... what can I add to such a legendary book?  Well, let's find out...

--

Prologue: From Out the Green Dawn...

We open under the red sun of Krypton as a flying round transportation device approaches an asymmetrical structure.  Upon exiting his transport, Jor-El is greeted by Kelex a robotic servant.  He excuses himself to his lab.  Inside the lab is a dark sphere, as Jor-El draws closer we can just make out a humanoid form inside... his son.

Lara, Jor-El's wife enters and is shocked to discover he removed their child's birthing matrix from what she calls the gestation chamber.  It has been Kryptonian law for centuries that a parent may remove their child's matrix, however, it has not been exercised in centuries.

Jor-El shares with his wife that Krypton is in a grave and urgent state.  The planet has a radioactive pressure building up inside it, and will likely explode even as soon as within the hour.

Lara asks what this means to their son... Jor-El speaks of a plan.  A plan to send their son to safety... to a planet called Earth... a nation called America... a subsection called Kansas.  Earth has, as we all know, a yellow sun.  A sun under which their soon-to-be son will grow into a supreme being, not unlike a God.

Of special note, this Krypton is a rather sterile one.  Jor-El says himself that society is cold and heartless, stripped of all human feeling.  Lara is shocked when she observes a shirtless Earthling, calling him a savage... almost disgusted that he dare bares his naked... hairy flesh.

No sooner do they finish their discussion that the planet's mantle starts to give way... radioactive eruptions begin blasting from underground.  With nary a moment to spare, Jor-El launches the Matrix skyward... it leaves Krypton as the planet explodes.

The original Byrne Marvel plot has this part called KRYPTON.  In this pitch, Krypton is facing the same threat, however, rather than there being a birthing matrix, in this version Lara is with-child.  Whether or not this means the Marvel Krypton is a less "sterile" Krypton, I am unsure.  This chapter ends similarly... a ship escaping an exploding Krypton, however in the Marvel version, Lara is the passenger.

Chapter One: The Secret

Clark Kent is a the star football player for Smallville High School.  He is the hero of the gridiron and his coach couldn't be happier.  His teammates, however, are a different story.  Pa Kent is looking on, and has a disappointed look on his face.  Following the big win, Clark is hoisted on the shoulders of his classmates and is treated like big man on campus.  Pa approaches and sternly tells him it's time to go home.

During the ride home, Pa tells Clark he's a bit disappointed in him.  Clark is taking too much of the glory on the field... and Pa thinks he knows why he's able to be so dominant.  He drives his son to a field.  There's a large wooden hatch covering an area of the ground.  Pa lifts the hatch revealing... the Kryptonian birthing matrix.

He comes clean, telling Clark this is where he and his "mother" found him.  Clark is shocked to come to the realization that he's adopted!  I'm loving this... Clark not knowing until now is such an awesome wrinkle Byrne adds.

Pa tells the story of the night they observed a streak of light crash into the field, some eighteen years ago.  Jonathan and Martha tentatively approach the odd black sphere, only to have it dissipate, revealing a little baby boy.

He continues... The couple decided to pass the child off as their own natural son.  We observe a few vignettes of Clark's youth, including his earliest encounter with Lana Lang.  One story John shares concerns the day Clark was trampled by a neighbor's bull... and come out of it without a scratch.

We watch other feats Clark exhibited during his youth and adolescence.  Lifting tractors, and being knocked off a cliff only to find out that he could fly.

Back in the present, curious Clark approaches the matrix himself.  As he gets closer, he becomes dizzy and Pa has to help him back to the truck.  They return to the Kent farm, and John shares with Martha that Clark knows.

In the Marvel version, the second chapter was called SMALLVILLE.  Here, the Kents still witness the Matrix landing.  Jonathan helps the injured and very-pregnant Lara out of the wreckage.  Soon after, she gives birth to a boy who she names Kal-El as she dies from Kryptonite poisoning.  There is still an exhibition of Clark's superhuman powers, including the same cliff scene in which he discovers he can defy gravity.  During this chapter, Jonathan Kent dies while attempting to physically pull a tractor from some mud.

Chapter Two: The Exposure

Jonathan Kent enters the kitchen where he finds his wife Martha tending to her scrapbook.  She has been keeping all of the newspaper clippings concerning a recent string of miracles that have occurred.  Jonathan happily advises her that he has a new addition for her collection.  MYSTERIOUS SUPERMAN SAVES SPACE PLANE reads the cover of the Smallville Post.

The pair hear an odd creaking coming from upstairs... just where Clark's room would be.  Armed with a club, Jonathan heads up to see who goes there.  He opens the door to find Clark sitting in the darkened room... "They wanted a piece of me, Me.  They all wanted a piece of me."

Clark shares the story of his recent space plane endeavor in Metropolis.  A small airplane flew too close to the craft and caused it to begin plummeting toward the Earth.  Clark flew into action and steadied the space plane, which also had as one of its passengers, one plucky brunette reporter, to a safe landing.  Of note, I believe they had to call the craft a "space plane" due to the recent Challenger tragedy.

After the space plane came to a stop, Lois exited and followed after Clark wanting to know who he was and what he was doing there.  It wasn't long before Clark found himself surrounded by a mob, all begging and making demands on him.  He came home, because he just didn't know how to deal with it all... Pa smiles and thinks he might just have an idea.

Back in Marvel, the next chapter is called METROPOLIS.  This chapter features Clark being hired at the Daily Planet and the introduction of his classic cast.  The President of the United States gets kidnapped by terrorists (not ninjas?)  Clark proves to be a bad enough dude to find the POTUS, but not bad enough to take matters into his own hands.  He calls the authorities and informs them of the President's location.  The raid is successful, however, not without casualties.  The President himself is gravely injured.  Clark realizes that he could have taken care of the entire affair on his own, and save the President without a hitch.  He talks it over with his remaining parent-figure, Martha, who apparently saw the writing on the wall all along, and gives him his first costume.

Epilogue: The Super-Hero

This is a cute scene of the Kent's creating Clark's Superman costume... including the "S" shield.  Here Clark learns that he has to carry himself, and even style his hair differently when he's in either persona.  He gets dressed, kisses Ma on her forehead and takes off... stating when someone needs a special kind of help, it'll be a job for SUPERMAN!

The issue closes with a text piece by John Byrne.

Marvel's closing chapter is called THE MAN OF TOMORROW.  Here the costumed Clark breaks up an armored car robbery, rescues a stuck tramway car, and pulls a car full of people from a collapsed tunnel.  Lois Lane approaches, and feels an instant attraction.  She tries to get an interview, but he says he'd already promised Clark Kent the exclusive.  The Marvel issue closes with the introduction of Lex Luthor who is shown reading the Daily Planet.

--

Chills.  Every single time.  This is an amazing way to re-imagine a legend.  This Clark Kent is one that I feel is quite possibly the most relate-able one ever.  The little things that Byrne adds, like him not realizing he's "adopted", or even that he's anything special... even though he can fly really speaks to how he was raised, and why I feel the Kents are a necessary presence in Superman comics.  It just feels wrong to follow an "orphaned" Superman.  He needs them as an anchor, they are the real in his surreal world.

I like that, while this was a dense and packed (ad-free) issue, nothing felt crammed.  In comparing this with the Marvel pitch, it felt as though Byrne was trying to cram everything we should know about Superman into one issue.  After reading The Man of Steel #1, we haven't been to the Daily Planet yet, we've barely met Lois, Lana only appeared in a few panels, and Lex is nowhere to be found.  They'll all be here soon enough, but they really weren't necessary for this tale.

I like that most of this issue took place in Smallville.  It made me feel like we were given a true opportunity to "meet" Clark Kent.  He's not just some blue-blur here... he's a young man.  The scene where he is trying to process how "everybody wants him" was amazing... and one of those things you don't often think about when considering the private-lives of superheroes.  Given his values and upbringing, Superman/Clark would almost certainly have a problem with being mobbed by people who all want something.

This is an awesome issue... an awesome series... hell, an awesome era in Superman and DC Comics alike.  If you haven't experienced the John Byrne Superman, do yourself a favor and check this stuff out.

***The Marvel Bits are from:
http://jimshooter.com/2011/10/superman-first-marvel-issue-byrnes-plo.html/

This issue had two covers... in a time where variant covers actually MEANT something.