Blog 2.0

Last October, Marvel debuted two new titles as part of the X-Men line: Uncanny X-Force and Generation Hope.  I’ve been an X-Men fan for a long time and I’m still a regular reader of the line so, naturally, I decided to give both of these new titles a try. 

            However, I entered these two titles with different expectations.  Based on previous experience, I planned to give one title a short leash; it had to win me over quickly or I wouldn’t stick around for future issues.  Conversely, I was prepared to give the other title a fairly lengthy trial period.  To my surprise, the titles have, so far, defied my expectations.  The one I expected to appeal to me has left me cold.  The one I expected to drive me away has instead pulled me in.

            I had high hopes for Generation Hope.  These hopes were partially based on my long history with the X-Men family.  I’ve often enjoyed their teen titles and I’ve appreciated the shift from one class to another every decade or so. 

New Mutants debuted in 1983, introducing a new team of teenaged mutants.  I enjoyed their adventures, the sense of growth and discovery.  Cannonball and Moonstar remain some of my favorite characters.  Generation X debuted in 1994, bringing another generation of mutants to the school.  It was one of my favorite titles of the time, combining Chris Bachalo’s excellent artwork with Scott Lobdell’s sense of whimsy.  The next class started in 2003.  They went through more permutations than the others, starring in New Mutants, New X-Men: Academy X, New X-Men and Young X-Men.  Yet, despite the many changes, the New/Young X-Men introduced interesting characters like Dust and Anole and experienced some classic adventures.  Every decade, I’ve enjoyed the stories of the current class at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.  Even though it was a little early, I was looking forward to the stories of the teens of the ‘teens (Generation Hope was cover-dated January 2011). 

My expectation wasn’t entirely based on my love for older titles, either.  I thought that the writers and editors had done a very good job of laying the groundwork for the current title too.  The roots of Generation Hope began in the excellent crossover, Second Coming.  At the end of that story, Hope’s powers somehow activated the first new mutants since M-Day.  The appearance of these new mutants, referred to as the Five Lights, lifted a dark despair off of the current teams.  They were not destined to be the last generation of mutants.  The story of these new mutants continued in an arc in Uncanny X-Men called “The Five Lights.”  Hope and Rogue raced around the globe, trying to find the newly activated mutants before anyone else.  Hope also used her powers to somehow stabilize the newer mutants.  The story followed the standard formula for collecting new heroes but was well told. 

With that history and that groundwork, I was predisposed to like Generation Hope.  I wanted to embrace these new characters.  I wanted to enjoy their stories.  Unfortunately, the early issues of Generation Hope have been a disappointment.  I accept that I may share some of the blame.  It’s not fair to compare these new characters to M or Chamber right away.  But a greater share of the blame falls at the feet of writer Kieron Gillen.  It’s not that I don’t like the new characters as much as that he doesn’t believe in them.   

In the first story, the kids of Generation Hope have traveled to Japan to collect the last of the Five Lights.  Since they’re only teenagers, they have been accompanied by X-Men veterans Cyclops, Rogue and Wolverine.  I understand that these classic characters are involved in the story in order to attract readers.  However, their presence comes at the expense of the new characters.  The four new kids pretty much stand around while the X-Men and Hope do all the work.  They’re passive.  They’re uninteresting.  Their powers aren’t original enough to help them stand out (one has super-speed, the other heat and cold powers).  And they don’t speak enough or do enough to develop personalities.  Gillen should have trusted the arc in Uncanny X-Men to entice readers to try this title, rather than allowing the supposed stars to become supporting characters in their own book.

That’s not the only problem with this title.  I’ve also been confused by the lack of clarity as to Kenji’s powers.  He’s the fifth light that they’re trying to rescue and recruit.  Like the others, his powers are out of control.  But they seem to do several different things making it difficult to determine the exact nature of the threat.  Is he psychic?  Does he tap into a dark dimension (like DC’s Shade)?  The confusing threat plus uninspiring heroes makes for a particularly troublesome combination.  That’s why, despite my initial expectation, Generation Hope has failed to deliver. 

On the other hand, I had low expectations for Uncanny X-Force.  Once again, my expectations were based in part on past experience.  That’s not to say I’ve always disliked X-Force.  Yet I haven’t always liked the title either. 

I’m a fan of the first 100 issues.  I liked the way the title juggled multiple threats, the constant energy in both story and art and interesting developments such as Cannonball’s apparent immortality.  I enjoyed the series as it transitioned through other creative teams and other concepts: Cable’s strike-force, the team on the run, the junior X-Men, hitchhiking across America, and so on.  After that, the team and the title have struggled to find their footing.  Warren Ellis’ European industrial approach was quickly abandoned.  Peter Milligan and Mike Allred’s completely new team was interesting but sufficiently different that it was eventually spun off as X-Statix.  Most recently, there was the ultra-violent black ops team led by Wolverine.

The black ops version did well enough on the sales charts.  But it wasn’t the right kind of title for me.  I wasn’t interested in the over-the-top violence.  I was dismayed at the gray, muddy art.  I abandoned the title after only one issue.  I would occasionally check in on the title when there was a highly publicized story like Messiah War or Necrosha.  But I noticed the same tone and immediately put it back on the shelf.

So why would I even give this new Uncanny X-Force a chance in the first place?  Well, there are a number of reasons.  One, it’s new.  I’m generally interested in something new.  In this case, the newness also included a completely new creative team.  Two, I’m not going to hold the mistakes of earlier incarnations against this one if it’s good.  They may inform my decision to stick around or to give up quickly but there are plenty of concepts that have righted themselves after a rough period.  Three, people whose opinions I respect read the book before I did and had good things to say about it.  And, four, the new creative team already showed a bit of promise.  Rick Remender is a respected writer.  Jerome Opena’s figures had more form than the amorphous characters of the previous series.  And Dean White actually mixed a bit of red, green and even pink into the palette instead of multiple shades of gray. 

Even then, I had low expectations going in.  The new title would continue the black ops angle that I had found unappealing the last time around.  The new team would feature Deadpool and Fantomex, who I wouldn’t count among my favorite characters at this point.  So, while I was willing to give it a chance, I wasn’t willing to give it much of a chance.

To my surprise, Uncanny X-Force has been well-worth reading.  Remender has approached both Fantomex and Deadpool in ways that have made them interesting to me for the first time in years.  Deadpool is actually funny, though with a cynical bite.  There’s also heart to the series, as Remender has Angel and Psylocke deal with their difficult relationship.  They each have dark sides that are needed for this kind of operation and it’s a struggle to maintain their love in the midst of it.  Yet it’s their love for one another that helps them overcome obstacles.  Amazingly, Wolverine has been the least interesting character so far.  He’s the glue that holds the team together, but it’s the interaction among the others that has been most appealing

Uncanny X-Force has also played against my expectations.  One issue opened with a particular violent scene in which Psylocke dispatched her allies.  However, that scene was quickly revealed to be a psychic trap that Psylocke rejected.  It’s almost as if the series hinted at the darkness before telling us that it wouldn’t go there. 

Finally, in contrast to Generation Hope, Uncanny X-Force has given sufficient screen time to all of its characters to make each of them interesting- including the villains.  I appreciated the back-stories for Apocalypse’s current set of Horsemen.  It gave depth to those characters and to the conflict.  I still fear that Uncanny X-Force will fall to my low expectations.  Yet, so far, it’s risen to the occasion with wonderfully rich characters and interesting stories.

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Jan. 25, 2011 -- Archie Comics has been making a lot of headlines lately, none bigger than the two recent stories of the Riverdale redhead’s “what if” marriages to Betty and Veronica. Somebody at Abrams ComicArts recognized them for their historical importance, and collected them in the gorgeous hardback Archie Marries … ($24.95).

These 2010 stories, as most folks know by now, followed Archie Andrews as he traveled up (not down) Memory Lane, exploring what would happen if he married spoiled, gorgeous, filthy rich Veronica Lodge after college or sweet, devoted, wholesome Betty Cooper. The results aren’t necessarily “happily ever after” in either case – and the stories caused an explosion of attention outside Riverdale city limits.

“I wanted to let the world know that these comic books are still being published, that Archie is still relevant,” said Michael Uslan, executive producer of the Batman movies, who came up with the idea and wrote the stories, in Archie Marries … . “But what we did not anticipate was the firestorm that erupted in the worldwide media. I’m not just talking about the United States and Canada. I’m talking about Kenya, India, Australia, England. The story just seemed to register with fans everywhere; that was something we never did anticipate.”

The issues were “a tremendous boost,” said Archie Editor-in-Chief and Co-publisher Victor Gorelick, who has been with the company for more than 50 years. “In all the years I’ve been at Archie, we’ve never had that much exposure, or that much attention. [Not] even when Archie was on television, when the cartoons came out. This is really big. … We’re getting mail, letters from people who haven’t read Archie in 30 years and they find out Archie’s getting married and they want to know what’s going on.”

Author Uslan and editor Gorelick were abetted on Archie Marries … by veteran Archie artist Stan Goldberg (whom Uslan refers to as “a legend”), letterer Jack Morelli, inker Bob Smith, colorist Glenn Whitmore and CEO Jon Goldwater. Archie Marries … contains interviews with all seven, along with other goodies and supplementary material – including a comic book tucked in the back cover reprinting five significant “love triangle” stories from 1949 to 1965. The main part of the book reprints the two wedding stories from Archie #600-605, plus an epilogue from Archie #606, on high-quality, glossy paper.

Which is to take nothing from the outside of Archie Marries … . The book is slip-cased, with hearts die-cut from front and back allowing views of the two weddings. Of course, which wedding you consider front or back will be determined by whether you prefer Betty or Veronica. 

“I always wanted to show both sides,” Uslan said. “Showing Archie just marrying one of the two would have cheated at least half of every generation of Archie readers.”

Meanwhile, Life with Archie magazine, which continues both Archie Marries … stories, is such a success that it will increase to 80 pages. Plus, Gorelick said, Archie will launch a second magazine, Veronica & Betty. That book will follow the girls as they travel from country to country as exchange students, as well as the foreign students who take their place in Riverdale.

“You’ll see some new characters, new romances, new hi-jinx,” Gorelick said. “It’ll make things interesting for the regular Archie crew.”

Add that to upcoming return of forgotten characters like Jinx and Katy Keene, and one wonders where all this sudden excitement at Archie comes from. Not only did Archie Marries … make headlines, but so did the introduction of Kevin Keller (the first openly gay teen in Riverdale), an interracial romance (between Archie and Valerie) and even Pres. Obama and Sarah Palin visiting Riverdale.

Gorelick shrugs the question off.

“For over 70 years Archie has been keeping up with the times,” he said. “A lot of the new things that you see are just in keeping with the position of Archie Comics, of keeping current, just like we always keep current with fashion, with what our readers like to watch on TV, see in a movie, what kind of fads … and other things our readers are interested in. … We fall in line with attitudes, and things like that, that’s very important as far as creating a storyline. So when you see the characters we come up with, that’s all part of our Archie Comics credo.”

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.

In the mid-1960’s, an infatuation with spies gripped the American viewing public, birthed from the phenomenal popularity of Sean Connery’s series of James Bond films.  The “spy craze” wasn’t fated to last long---two years tops---but during that time, it left an indelible mark on fiction of all types.

Hoping to leech off the Bond fan base, low-budget producers pelted theatres with a proliferation of cheap spy movies, featuring secret agents working for “super-secret” agencies.  Television, the Great Imitator, quickly followed suit by changing the formats of current series (Burke’s Law becoming Amos Burke, Secret Agent) and creating a host of new, spy-based shows---I Spy, Mission: Impossible, and their prototype, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

It didn’t take comic books long to catch on, either.  Most notably, Marvel Comics came up with S.H.I.E.L.D., and drafted its World-War II star, Nick Fury, to head up the modern-day spy outfit.  In its own series, S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn’t make it past the end of the decade, but it remained as a continuing presence in the adventures of Marvel’s other headliners, and does so to this day.

But it was fledgling Tower Comics that, in 1966, took the S.H.I.E.L.D. concept and ran with it.  Tower launched a series of titles all based on characters who worked for an arm of the United Nations focused on international security and defence of member nations---The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves, or T.H.U.N.D.E.R.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R., however, took a step that U.N.C.L.E. never did and that S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn’t for another fifteen years.  (And that DC would try with its Blackhawk title, with disastrous results.)  It established super-heroes as principal agents.

The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. format was multi-layered.  Besides its super-hero characters, there were also elite teams of non-super-powered troubleshooters, standard espionage agents, a scientific arm, administrators, and an executive level, all of whom would become familiar to the reader.  But it was the super-heroes who were T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s---and Tower Comics’---cash cow.

The set-up was simple:  T.H.U.N.D.E.R. scientist Professor Wallace Jennings, “the greatest mind in the free world,” had created three startling new inventions for the agency’s arsenal.  However, before he could unveil them, his mountain laboratory was attacked by forces of the Warlord.  The Warlord was the head of a terrorist organisation bent on stealing scientific developments to further its goal of world domination.  A T.H.U.N.D.E.R. strike force arrived to fight off the Warlord’s men, too late to prevent Jennings from being killed, but in time to save his trio of inventions from being stolen.

These three inventions, distributed to three different operatives of T.H.U.N.D.E.R., would establish the super-hero arm of the agency.

The original three super-agents were Dynamo, who wore a density-increasing belt; NoMan, an android with a human mind, who wrapped himself in an invisibility cloak; and Menthor, whose mentally-based super-powers came from a cowl-like helmet.  Dynamo and NoMan were fully developed characters, given such strong personalities that their respective super-powers often seemed incidental. 

Menthor never quite made the grade, though.  Despite an initial premise with a unique twist, Menthor never seemed to stand out as anything more than a costume and super-powers.  The man who wore them was secondary.

That is, until what was probably the single most dramatic episode to ever appear in a T.H.U.N.D.E.R. story, and easily, one of the most dramatic scenes to appear in any comic.

But let's start at the beginning.

“The Enemy Within”, from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents # 1 (Nov., 1965), introduces us to new recruit John Janus.  Tall, blond, and handsome, Janus also stands out for racking up the highest physical and mental scores of any T.H.U.N.D.E.R. applicant.  T.H.U.N.D.E.R. executives make special plans for their rookie field agent.  This suits Janus just fine---since John Janus is a traitor, an agent of the Warlord groomed for insertion into the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. organisation.

The last of Professor Jennings’ three inventions to be put into service is the blue-black cybernetic helmet.  T.H.U.N.D.E.R. scientists have not been able to figure out what the helmet is designed to do.  To make a practical test, a volunteer is asked to put on the helmet.  To ingratiate himself further in the agency, Janus steps forward.

Donning the helmet, Janus discovers that it bestows him with mentally based powers, primary of which is the ability to read minds.  During that first demonstration, two other powers become evident:  the ability to convert mental energy into physical force beams, and the ability to diagnose electronic machinery, such as computers.

Over the course of Menthor’s adventures, other psionic powers will manifest, but the most remarkable of the helmet’s effects takes place with no-one---not even Janus---being aware.

During the initial demonstration, a heavy piece of equipment accidentally topples, threatening to crush two men.  Menthor swiftly acts to rescue the two near-victims.  Removing the helmet, Janus is puzzled by his actions.  He has no idea why he saved the men.

As the story explains, unknown to all, including Janus himself, a side-effect of the helmet is to cause a subconscious reversal of personality in its wearer.  In this case, wearing the helmet causes the evil Janus to become good.

The remainder of the story details Janus carrying out the Warlord’s orders to sabotage T.H.U.N.D.E.R. and then, to his mystification, undoing all of his traitorous efforts, once he dons the cyber-helmet.  After single-handedly thwarting a Warlord invasion that had been secretly enabled by Janus himself, Menthor is lauded as the hero of the hour.  Since, except for a vague awareness, Janus loses his memories of what he does as Menthor, he is supremely puzzled over the failures of the Warlord’s schemes.

And the Warlord is supremely hacked off.  In a secret communication, he threatens Janus with death, should the double-agent fail, again.

It was a clever twist.  The split personality premise, essentially making the main character the hero and the villain in one, was relatively unmined in comics.  DC had tried something in a similar vein, with Eclipso, two years earlier, and Marvel offered the Hulk, which had more of a man-into-monster slant.  As a device, it distinguished Menthor from the other two T.H.U.N.D.E.R. super-heroes and it created a number of dramatic possibilities.

Yet, curiously, Tower seemed to shelve that aspect of the character with his next appearance.

The Menthor tale in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents # 2 (Jan., 1966) is a non-descript story of the hero versus more of the Warlord’s agents.  The legend on the splash page, however, shows that the writers were already messing with the concept:

Johnny Janus, one-time agent for the Warlord, realizing that the unscrupulous fiend would sacrifice even him in his insatiable quest for world domination, has sworn undying loyalty to T.H.U.N.D.E.R.

Even though the first story ended with the Warlord threatening him, nothing had indicated a shift in Janus’ loyalties.  And in theory, if Janus had suddenly and genuinely reformed, then the Menthor helmet, according to the established principle, should then have turned him evil.  That did not happen in the second story.  In fact, nothing was made of the helmet’s effect of reversing morality.  It appears that the writers decided to jettison the personality-inversion sub-plot and covered it up by blaming the Warlord's treachery for Janus' sudden conversion to good.

This betrays the first inklings of two things which would recur in Menthor stories.

The first was a problem across the entire Tower Comics line:  a lurching attention to continuity.  Subplots would be created, then were either abruptly resolved in the next issue, or forgotten about completely.  Other plotlines would vanish to the point that readers were convinced they had been dropped, only to have them reappear a year later, as if no time had passed.

The second was the feeling that Menthor’s stories were more about the helmet than the man wearing it.  Once the underpinning of Janus being a double-agent was dropped, nothing distinguished him.  He had no personality other than that of the generic “good guy-hero”.  Nearly every story, on the other hand, seemed to concern some aspect of the helmet’s existence.

The second story added a new power for the Menthor helmet---that its wearer could cast his thoughts telepathically.  Somebody at Tower probably figured it was about time to establish just what the helmet did.  Thus, in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents # 3 (Mar., 1966), a dossier page on Menthor stated:  “The helmet amplifies the brain power of the wearer, releasing latent potential for E.S.P., telekinesis, teleportation, etc.”

The Menthor story in that issue, “Menthor Versus Dynamo”, raises the possibility that John Janus’ reformation was an imposture.  It seems to be the case, as Menthor takes over Dynamo’s mind and causes him to almost destroy T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Headquarters. Menthor’s backslide proves to be, instead, the actions of his brother, Conrad.  Conrad Janis, also an operative of the Warlord, ambushed his brother and used his helmet and costume to pose as the super-agent.

Conrad is killed at the end of the story, and the whereabouts of the real Menthor is left a mystery.

The next issue’s “Menthor and the Great Hypno” reveals what happened to John Janus after being waylaid by brother Conrad.  Briefly, the attack left Janus with a case of amnesia, and he falls under the thrall of a sideshow mesmerist, the Great Hypno.  Hypno uses his control over the hero to compel him to retrieve the helmet from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. HQ.

Two more “facts” about the helmet are revealed here---that constant use of the helmet activates the latent psi powers of the wearer permanently (meaning he retains his mental powers even without the helmet); and that the helmet establishes a mental link with its wearer, enabling him to track the headgear anywhere.  These attributes are discarded, however, as soon as the next issue comes out.

In “Menthor Versus the Entrancer”, Janus comes up against another telepathic villain.  Relieved of his helmet early in the adventure (and the previously stated notion that he retains a degree of mental powers without the helmet conveniently forgotten), this presented a perfect showcase for the “top-scoring” T.H.U.N.D.E.R. agent to show what he could do on his own and expand his character.  Instead, he is virtually hand-carried throughout by the intervention of a vengeance-seeking daughter of one of the Entrancer’s victims.  Until he got his helmet back, Menthor may as well have been the kid behind the register at the local Circle K.

Menthor stories were beginning to read as if they came from a template.  Take “The Carnival of Death”, from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents # 6 (Jul., 1966).  Mental-powered villain.  Check.  Villain steals Menthor’s helmet.  Check.  Hero worthless without his helmet.  Well, not quite check.  I’ll give Janus credit for escaping his bonds and duking it out with enemy agents using his own skills.  But once again, Menthor is shown to retain his mental powers without the helmet.  (This on-again/off-again depiction of this ability will be "off again" next story, at a time when it really would have come in handy.)    

It wasn’t Tower’s best work.  Its other headliners, Dynamo and NoMan, had been given distinctive personalities and clever narrative spins.  Meanwhile, the Menthor series was stuck with cookie-cutter bad guys, repetitive plots, and a hero who displayed no intrinsic capabilities, nor any personality other than “stalwart”. 

And the vacillating over what Menthor’s helmet could or couldn’t do was striking, even for Tower.  There was a whole rabbit-out-of-a-hat feel to it that leached any drama out of confrontations with the villains.  Tower fans found Menthor just plain boring, and it showed.   While Dynamo and NoMan had both graduated to titles of their own, Menthor was still stuck in the middle of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, rarely even making the cover.

A savvy comic-book fan probably expected that Menthor wouldn’t be around much longer.  But few fans could have guessed that the psi-powered hero’s exit would not be a fadeaway into comic-book limbo, but one of the most powerful moments of the Silver Age.

“A Matter of Life and Death”, appearing in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents # 7 (Aug., 1966), is a singular tale by any standard, concisely plotted in ten pages, and beautifully drawn by Steve Ditko with the fine-grain inking of Wally Wood.

The opening finds Menthor in the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. science department.  Evidently growing weary of villains constantly stealing the helmet and using it for crime, the agency’s scientists have added modifications to the headgear.  Now, if anyone other than John Janus dons it, the helmet will distribute an unconsciousness-inducing shock to the wearer, as well as send out a UHF homing signal to T.H.U.N.D.E.R Headquarters.

Menthor’s helmet is on the minds of the enemy, too.  At this point, the original threat of the Warlord and his minions had been vanquished.  At the moment of defeat, it was discovered that the Warlord was actually one of a subterranean race of beings known collectively as the Warlords.  Having grown weary of life underground, their purpose is to destroy humanity and take dominion of the surface world.  As a result, they had become T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s chief nemesis.

The Warlords view the Menthor helmet as the omega weapon which will ensure their victory and they set out to get their green-skinned clutches on it.  To that end, they have invented a device which interferes with the helmet’s interface with Menthor’s brain, rendering it useless.  The helmet, that is, not his brain.  (Insert your own joke here.)  A team of Warlords track Menthor to the apartment he keeps as John Janus.  Thanks to the interference device, the baddies put a real good whuppin’ on him and drag him back to Warlord Headquarters.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. discovers the abduction and scrambles its super-agents and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Squad to begin a search.  Meanwhile, down in the cavern the Warlords use as a central base, Menthor is stripped of his helmet.  An overeager subterranean dons the headgear and, as advertised, gets zapped.  The secret homing signal goes out, and the good guys track it.   

Menthor relaxes, confident of rescue---until the leader of the Warlords gives him some bad news.  Showing that they have a bit more on the ball than just chortling fiendishly, the villains know an emergency signal is drawing the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. agents to their location.  They show Menthor that the main entryway to the cavern is ringed with laser guns which will trigger automatically when an invisible electric-eye beam is broken.

“When anything crosses that electric eye, it is blasted,” says the Warlord leader, “instantly!  Faster than even super-human reflexes can react!  So nothing will save them this time . . . speed, strength, ability to switch bodies . . . this time we put an end to T.H.U.N.D.E.R. for good!”

Janus makes a desperate leap for his helmet, but fails when a Warlord shoots him in the ribs.  The helmet is put out of his reach.

Before the Warlords can finish off Menthor, alarms signal that the approaching T.H.U.N.D.E.R. agents have broached the outer door to the cavern and are heading for the booby-trapped main entryway. 

Momentarily forgotten as the subterraneans set up their ambush, Janus forces himself to his feet and stumbles toward the entryway to save his friends.  In four torturous panels, Janus moves toward the deadly aperture, staggering as five more Warlord bullets tear through him.  With his last breath, he takes the full brunt of the lasers, by breaking the electric-eye beam just before Dynamo and the others enter.

In white-hot rage, the agents of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. tear into the Warlords with terrible and deadly vengeance.  Yes, deadly.  Warlords are shot, crushed under machinery, and blasted by their own laser guns.

There is no need for words . . . . With blazing eyes, Dynamo bursts through the wall as if it were paper!  The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. agents fight in silent, savage fury, giving no quarter . . . and the green men and their mindless slaves are forced back . . . ever back until there is no longer any retreat . . . only extinction!

No nonsense about no killing here.  This band of Warlords is completely wiped out, and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. agents vow to obliterate the threat of the remaining subterraneans---which they do in the next issue, once and for all.

This is one of those stories that one reads the same three pages over and again.  The terse words, the powerful art, drive home the agony of Menthor’s bullet-riddled effort, his final sacrifice, and the sheer fury of his fellow agents’ retribution.

In his final appearance, John Janus demonstrated more humanity, dignity, and character than he had ever been given before.  And left Silver-Age comics fans with one hell of a story.

John Janus, Requiescat in Pace.

Welcome to the new Ask Mr .Silver Age blog!

I'm Craig Shutt, who writes the Ask Mr. Silver Age column for the Comics Buyer's Guide. I'll be posting regular articles and essays in this space, mostly concerning Silver Age comics but possibly topics of other types of interest to Silver Age fans. Who really knows?

Many of the posts will feature classic,never-before-reprinted AMSA articles from my massive treasure trove of columns that originally appeared in CBG during the past (gulp) 19 years. I'm starting off with a column from CBG #1542 (June 6, 2003) concerning my favorite super-hero.

I hope you'll join in the discussion here and at my new Discussion section in the Forum section, where we'll be talking all things comics history, Silver Agey or not.

Superman’s trials and tribulations

Kal's courtroom career included stints as

the Defendant, Counsel and Witness of Steel

Dear Mr. Silver Age,

Superman has put a lot of crooks in the slammer during his career. Has he ever found himself on the other side of the courtroom?

Harvey D.

Gotham City

Mr. Silver Age says: He sure has, Harv. The Man of Steel on a number of occasions had to defend himself in court during the Silver Age. Those make for compelling stories, both because the image of Superman on trial is so striking and because they make for an interesting type of whodunit as we learn why Supes is there and where the flaw in the evidence lies—because we all know Big Blue didn’t do anything to rate doing time.

Sadly, the space available in most comics—especially when we’re talking a tale shorter than a novel-length adventure—requires shortcuts to the verdict that often undercut the plausibility of a trial’s procedural nature. Granted, we don’t know all of the laws of Earth-1, so we can’t say for sure what’s allowed in court. But unless we assume things are a lot different, the stories often require us to turn off our brains and go along for the ride. Not that it’s something we’re unaccustomed to with Silver Age comics. On top of that, trial scenes can be emotionally effective, but they often lose a lot visually.

Superman’s experience with trials began early in his career—in fact, it began with his career as Superboy back in Smallville. Let’s face it, was there really a chance that with all those Superboy stories to produce, nobody got around to putting The Boy of Steel on trial at some point?

That deed occurred in “The Trial of Superboy” in Superboy #63 (Mar 58). This trial was unique, however, as it was a civil case; The Boy of Steel was sued because his rocket ship had passed over a man’s house, catching it on fire. Oops.

The owner was demanding $100,000 in damages. (Superboy was served papers by having the process server jump off a roof and into Superboy’s arms; kids, don't try this at home). During the trial, the lawyer mapped out the rocket’s path into Smallville, based on the statue that now indicated where the rocket had landed, and he showed fragments found at the plaintiff’s home.

Superboy, acting as his own attorney, argued that the calculations were incorrect. To prove it, he suggested that he recreate his trip through space to see where he landed. As if he’d actually do it exactly the same way if it would prove him guilty, even if he could figure it out exactly. But everyone agreed he’d be honest, so he tried—and was proven guilty. I’ll let you read it to find out how he got out of this one (and, of course, you know he did).

 After he grew up, The Defendant of Steel wound up before the bench on a number of occasions. Here’s a quick rundown on some of his trials and tribulations:

# “The World of Bizarros!” in Action #263-264 (Apr-May 60): In this classic adventure, better known for other innovations, Superman discovered that his imperfect Bizarro duplicate had wandered to a far-off solar system to create a new world for himself stocked with duplicates of himself and his Bizarro Lois. So he apparently was better at creating scientific devices than the guy who created the original duplicator, who could produce only imperfect copies.

During Supes’ visit, he learned the Bizarro code (“Us Do Opposite Of All Earthly Things!”) and was arrested for fixing up some houses to make them “perfect.” As usual, arresting someone for a crime seems exactly like an Earthly Thing to do, but a Bizarro story always requires a lot of leeway.

We trailed along as The Convict of Steel visited with other inmates, who were confined for thinking and speaking normally (I guess Bizarro’s duplicator machine didn’t work all the time, or it would’ve been perfect). Then a Bizarro Lois on the jury showed up and offered to convince the other jurors to find him innocent—if he’d marry her. Doesn’t sound like no Bizarro Lois to me!

Ultimately, he was found guilty, thanks in part to Bizarro Lois’ impassioned (and revenge-motivated) speech to the jury. Well, and the fact that he’d actually done what he was charged with, I suppose. Finding someone guilty of doing something they’d actually done seems an awfully Earthly Thing to do, too, but I’ll shut up now about how often the Bizarros seem to violate their own code. Supes managed to wriggle free, using logic that could only work on Bizarro’s world—or any random comic book, I fear.

# “The Jury of Super-Enemies!” in Action #286 (Mar 62): In this tale, Superman was captured by a team-up of some of his most hated foes—Luthor, Brainiac, Electro, Saturn Queen, Cosmic King and Lightning Lord. They put him on trial for ruining their plots to conquer the world—again, a charge that he was pretty danged guilty of. He was sentenced to battle Supergirl to the death in their gladiator arena.

Sadly, this tale turned out to be one of those that made DC sometimes foreswear that a cover image was not a hoax, a dream or an Imaginary Story. I won’t tell you which it was, although it’s obvious in the story early on.

 “When Superman Defended His Arch-Enemy!” in Action #292 (Sep 62): This time, Superman was on the other side of the visitor’s booth, after tracking down Lex Luthor on an alien world. The robotic citizens intended to kill Luthor for “murdering” one of their own, which Lex didn’t consider much of a crime. When they assured him it was—and showed that they could overcome his inventions to keep him from escaping—he appealed to Superman to save him.

The robots contended aliens were too primitive to deserve a trial, so Supes had to undergo a series of challenges to prove he and Lex were worthy. That doesn’t bode well for the trial’s ultimate outcome, does it?

Once he got through that, the trial itself proved a short affair, because Superman called a surprise witness that helped spring Lex. Luthor was feeling pretty smug about the whole deal until Supes flew off, leaving him stranded on the alien world. Naturally, that didn’t appeal to Lex much, and he terrorized this world (and Superman from a distance) in the next issue.

# “The Trial of Superman!” in Action #301 (Jun 63): This was one wacky tale, as the set-up involved Clark and Lois being trapped by gangsters in a warehouse along a river, of all places.

To allow Superman to show up, Clark threw his voice into the next room to make it seem that Supes had arrived. Then he ran in, slammed the door behind him, changed to Superman, and threw his empty suit of Clark clothes out the window as if in a mad fit of rage—on the pretext that Clark had learned his identity!

Yikes. I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time but geez, there had to be a better plan than that. Except, of course, that a better plan wouldn’t have put Superman on trial as he needed to be so we’d get our spiffy cover shot.

Lois testified that she saw Supes throw Clark out the window, showing a decided limit to her observational ability in differentiating a suit of clothes from a human body. However, when the defense put Superman on the stand, he would only state, “I have nothing to say,” a questionable defense strategy at best.

He avoided becoming The Convict of Steel, of course, and you can probably even figure out how he dodged being found guilty of killing somebody who wasn’t actually dead but couldn’t show up to prove it.

Well, all right, there are about 57 ways Superman has done that in stories, so you’ll have to read it to see which option he used this time.

# “The Death of Luthor!” in Action #318-319 (Nov-Dec 64): Superman ended up standing trial for having killed Luthor on Lexor, where citizens were more partial to Lex than to Big Blue.

Lex had snuck aboard a space ship that he piloted to Lexor, where he received a Lexorian ticker-tape parade. But things quickly went awry when The Man of Steel arrived. In trying to recapture Lex to return him to Earth, the non-super Superman slugged Lex, who hit his head on a stone statue and died. Oops.

Outraged Lexorians put Supes on trial for murdering their greatest hero. The two Lexorians selected to defend him weren’t thrilled by their role or by Superman’s flimsy story. Part 2 featured Superman’s trial, which was interrupted when The Criminal of Steel escaped in a desperate attempt to clear his name. Want to guess whether he did? It was always fun to visit Lexor, and this visit, with Superman on trial, was a suspenseful trip without a lot of the usual physical action.

# “Superman’s Day of Truth!” in Superman #176 (Apr 65): In this instance, The Man of Steel was simply testifying in court. But that proved problematic because it was The Day of Truth, a Kryptonian holiday in which everyone had to tell the truth. What are the chances? Well, considering it was the Silver Age, the chances were really darned good.

As often happens in stories like this, “telling the truth” was confused with “telling everything you know in a rude way.” But the key problem came when Superman had to testify in a criminal trial. The defense attorney challenged Superman to tell them who he really was and specified that he couldn’t “fool” them by using his Kryptonian name, which seems as real as any other.

Superman stipulated that he’d reveal his secret identity by writing it on a chalkboard, a highly irregular way of complying with the basic “state your name, please” request, but it did give us a nifty cover. And that’s really what we needed from this story, wasn’t it?

“Superman…Guilty of Homicide!” in Action #358-359 (Jan-Feb 68): Once again, The Man of Steel was set up to be accused of murder, this time in one of the more elaborate plans used.

First, criminals brought back to life a penny-ante crook who could be killed by the slightest tap—and they concocted a scheme to have Superman tap him. But the mope died on his way to meet Supes, foiling the plan.

To ensure the plan went ahead, the remaining crooks picked cards to determine who would take the guy’s place—and the boss “won” (he rigged it). So when Superman tapped him during a charity boxing match, he went down, swallowed a capsule that put him into suspended animation, and Superman went on trial.

You’d think Superman might’ve been able to detect that the man was only in suspended animation. But the truth is that the criminal mastermind working for the crime boss had switched capsules, giving the boss one filled with deadly poison instead. That let him get rid of Superman and take over the gang, a win-win, assuming we mean both wins were for the same guy. That’s the trouble with having to rely on henchmen for your criminal masterminding.

Part two took us through jury selection, with a number of potential jurors (including Bruce Wayne) rejected because of their faith in Superman. Then the criminal mastermind, kidnapping the prosecutor to take his place, brought in all kinds of wacko evidence.

This included displaying the element Supermanium and stamps of The Man of Steel from around the world to show how conceited he was. They were part of his argument that Superman had used his powers recklessly and destructively—which, at best, would be involuntary manslaughter, not the homicide charge they’d hung on him.

Things ultimately fell apart with some Perry Mason-like dramatics in the final reel, including an appearance by Clark Kent. But beyond that, it was about as rousing of a Superman trial as the Silver Age had to offer. And as is obvious from these examples, Superman spent quite a bit of his time in a court of law of one type of another, often on the wrong side of the aisle.

-- Craig Shutt, aka Mr. Silver age

Recently, I’ve been re-reading my X-Men comics from the late ‘90s. These are comicsI enjoyed quite a lot at the time and I’m having fun reading them again now. However,I’m also aware that these comics have fallen out of favor with the wider fandom. I say “fallen out of favor” because X-Men was still the top-selling comic book in the business. So somebody besides me must have read and enjoyed them. But you won’t hear many fans reminisce fondly now about the days of Joe Kelly and Steven Seagle,Maggott, Marrow and Cecelia Reyes.

One of the things that I’ve found interesting this time around is the way that those three new characters were introduced and utilized. With the passage and perspective of time,I can see how they were intended to fill certain character types. I think they did so moreor less successfully. But I can also understand how their positioning in those particularroles may have prevented them from being embraced by the fans.

Marrow is the anti-hero. An anti-hero is a hero who has some traits that are more normally associated with a villain, such as Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name. They often stir things up and cause trouble. They can be caustic, sarcastic or uncouth. They play against the expectation of a normal hero. Hawkeye, Wolverine and Guy Gardner became popular superheroes as anti-heroes. They challenged authority and vied for leadership. They followed their own interests or inclinations. They weren’t afraid to insult or upset their peers. That atypical response helped them to stand out from the crowd. Their anti-hero status is what made them popular as heroes.

Marrow fit into that mold. She was a former villain, having led the mutant terrorist group Gene Nation. But now she was one of the X-Men, having joined their number during the events of Operation: Zero Tolerance. She challenged Storm’s authority and had an incredible knack for getting under the skin of the otherwise serene team leader. She insulted the other X-Men, who she thought had it easy. She particularly picked on Cecelia for being pretty. And I loved it.

I loved the tension and the turmoil that Marrow created wherever she went. I lovedhow she upset the team and got them arguing with each other over her. I thought it was a delightful dose of drama for the team. And I liked the effect that she had on other members of the team, especially Wolverine. Wolverine used to be the anti-hero. He was the one who kicked up dirt and got under the skin of the senior X-Men. But now, he was one of the senior X-Men and it was his job to keep Marrow in line. That led to a wonderful confrontation between Wolverine and Marrow in X-Men #72.

I also like the way that the writers humanized Marrow. That’s one of the tricks of writing a good anti-hero. The character still has to be likable. Marrow displayed incredible loyalty. Her loyalty was first apparent in regards to Callisto, whom she nursed back to health. It was later evident in regards to her teammates. Marrow may not be polite to them but she would fiercely defend them from others. She also idolized Angel, whom she viewed as a savior because of his role during the Morlock Massacre. However, to me, the best humanizing element was her crush on Cannonball. It was completely unexpected to Cannonball and to us. Yet it was amusing to watch her flirt with him and to cherish small reactions.

Cecelia Reyes is the reluctant hero. This isn’t one of the classic archetypes from Joseph Campbell but it’s still a familiar trope. There are certain characters that don’t want to be heroes. They have to be pushed into it by circumstance, like Chuck in the early seasons of the television show. They become heroes against their own wishes and in protest. Yet there’s a reason why the reluctant hero is a common concept. It allows the character to undergo a heroic journey. We see them grow into the role. Each step along the way is a triumph that we as the audience can cheer.

Cecelia was clearly a reluctant hero. Not only that, she was a reluctant mutant. She triedto hide her powers and considered them a hindrance. She wanted to be a doctor. She resented that doors were closed to her because she was mutant. She didn’t want to be an X-Man. She fell in with the team because she had no place else to go. They were the only ones willing to accept her once her mutant powers were revealed.

I think that the readership was supposed to have sympathy for Cecelia. We were meant to feel her pain, to sympathize with someone who had her dreams torn away from her. It didn’t work out that way. I think that’s partly due to the audience and partly due to the writers.

There has always been an element of escapism to comic books in general and superheroes in particular. We dream we can fly. We want to be the heroes we read about. We know it’s not possible. We can’t shoot plasma blasts from our eyes or lift objects with our mind. But we can imagine it. I think that there was a reaction against Cecelia Reyes because she was rejecting the thing so many of the readers wished they could have. We would give anything to be a superhero, to be one of the X-Men, while she had it anddidn’t want it. Instead of feeling sorry for her, we resented her and failed to become engaged in her heroic journey.

Yet I wouldn’t put the blame entirely on the audience. I also think that the writers didn’tgive us enough of a reason to like her. In her initial appearances during Operation: Zero Tolerance, she complained a lot. It was a little aggravating, though understandable. However, at the end of that story, she was given two major moments which should have changed the arc of the character. First, she was shown to be calm and competent when she removed a bomb from Cyclops’ chest. Second, she was shown to reconcile herself to her new life after a heart-to-heart discussion with Daredevil. That should have been a turning point for the character but the writers missed their moment. She reverted too quickly to her role as a reluctant hero and started complaining again. Plus, while Ienjoyed her awkward first steps at the time, in retrospect I admit that her heroic journey moved too slowly. The audience needed to see earlier progress in order to embrace her.

Maggott is the mystery hero. This is the least recognizable type of the three, yet there are well-known occurrences. This is the unknown hero, like the Lone Ranger. We don’t know his name or his background. We don’t know his motivation or why he becamea hero in the first place. That lack of information intrigues us. It becomes a riddle wewant to solve. We enjoy the stories. But we also search through them for subtle clues.This was part of the early appeal of Wolverine. Information about his history leaked outslowly. A stranger called him Logan and we didn’t know if that was a first name or a lastname. The mystery drew us in.

Maggott was supposed to be a mystery hero as well. When he was introduced, hewas a character surrounded by a cloud of questions. Is he a hero or a villain? Why ishe searching for Magneto? What are his powers? What is his relationship to the two worms that accompany him? There was even a question posted beside him when he first appeared on a cover. Yet Maggott never appealed to the audience as a mystery character.

I think he was undone by a change in writers. Scott Lobdell was the writer who firstintroduced Maggott. He’s the one who set up the early questions and clues. Yet Scott Lobdell left the X-Men titles at the end of Operation: Zero Tolerance, just as Maggott joined the team. What happened is that Maggott became a completely different character. Under Joe Kelly and Steven Seagle, he suddenly developed a strong South African accent. His dialogue was peppered with so much jargon that it was almostinscrutable. He also picked up some anti-hero traits, making improper passes at his female teammates. He even changed shape, going from a bulky, muscular guy to a lithe,athletic type.

I held onto some of my initial impressions. I wanted to like the new mystery character.I wanted to be absorbed in the enigma. But I have to admit that the new Maggott was unlikable. We didn’t want to learn more about his secret past. We wanted to get ridof him. We couldn’t understand what he was saying half the time and when we could,he was annoying. I was fond of Maggott at the time but now I view him as a missed opportunity rather than an underappreciated X-Man.

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Jan. 18, 2011 -- Original graphic novels are hitting bookshelves like a tsunami these days, but DC’s Vertigo Crime line is always welcome. They’ve released another winner, Noche Roja ($19.99), that is nerve-wracking from first page to last.

Writer Simon Oliver (The Exterminators) wisely placed his story in one of the most genuinely lawless and frightening places on Earth: northern Mexico, near the U.S. border. One glance at Google will attest to how law enforcement there is virtually non-existent, how hundreds of young women continue to disappear annually and how narcotraficante gangs battle each other with military-grade weapons. Northern Mexico is one location where ‘30s-style crime noir stories continue to work well, because it is similar to the U.S. settings of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler: places that fake being civilized but are incredibly dangerous.

As is typical of crime noir stories, our “hero” is a cynical outsider with a dirty past and a lousy present. Jack Cohen is an ex-policeman and occasional private eye who sells security systems to McMansion owners, and stays drunk to quiet his nightmares. He’s hired by a Mexican social worker to investigate a series of murders of maquiladoras (female factory workers) that are even more brutal than usual. Cohen’s trip south of the border is a Conradian journey into the heart of darkness – his own, and the political conspiracies, brutal class structure, powerful drug cartels and sexual perversion he finds there.

Jason Latour’s art is more stylized than I like in a book where it’s important to see expressions, postures and subtle movement, but it’s still clear (and gritty) enough to do the job. This “Red Night” will be a chilling one for the average reader on the safety of the couch.

NBM is another publisher whose original graphic novels (often imported from Europe) are usually among my favorites. But Miss Don’t Touch Me Vol. 2 ($14.99), by Hubert and Kerascoet of France, was something of a disappointment.

Maybe it’s because I had so much fun with the first Miss Don’t Touch Me, which introduced the naïve but courageous Blanche, whose poverty consigns her to a whorehouse in early 20th century Paris – but by dint of her determination remains a virgin. This is achieved by Blanche becoming a dominatrix who does not allow the customers to touch her, a curious sexual niche that becomes a sensation and the whorehouse’s biggest draw. This farcical narrative was buttressed by a murder mystery, all of which came to a happy ending, turning the novel into a sort of 1930s-style screwball comedy.

However, the second volume is more Oliver Twist than Thin Man, where Blanche is buffeted by economic and social forces beyond her control, compounded by losing her heart to a gay man. She is no heroine here, but merely a victim. Add the return of her selfish, alcoholic mother, and Miss Don’t Touch Me Vol. 2 is more tragedy than farce.

Hopefully this is merely a second act, and there will be a third Miss Don’t Touch Me that will allow our heroine to prevail. As it stands now, the second volume is just depressing.

REPRINT ROUNDUP

Most people know Our Army at War as the DC title that introduced Sgt. Rock, and later took that name. With Showcase Presents: Our Army at War Vol. 1 ($19.99), we can see what it was like in its infancy.

Our Army began in 1952 during the Korean War, but also during what many consider the highlight of war comics: Harvey Kurtzman’s Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat at EC Comics. Interestingly, the stories reprinted in this black-and-white behemoth (OAAW #1-20, 1952-54, 512 ppg.) only occasionally tip their hat to Kurtzman, especially in the use of the three-panel zoom (mostly by writer Robert Kanigher, who used the technique promiscuously the rest of his career).

Most of these stories are fairly by the numbers, with heroic Americans learning life lessons during combat adventures that often border on the absurd (first in the Korean War, then after the 1953 armistice mostly in WWII). But it was interesting to see so many familiar names, especially Ross Andru, Gene Colan, Jerry Grandenetti and Irv Novick, and even more interesting that due to the consistent house-style inking – mostly by Joe Giella – how amazingly similar these divergent artists were made to appear.

Conclusion? This book is valuable for the comics history it reveals, but don’t expect much excitement.

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.

The most iconic figure of America’s Old West never lived.  Except in the hearts and minds of generations of fans.

A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty “Hi-Yo, Silver!” . . . .

. . . the Lone Ranger!

The famous Masked Rider of the Plains owed his existence to a risky business decision.  George W. Trendle was president and co-owner of Detroit-based radio station WXYZ, a Columbia Broadcasting System affiliate.  In the summer of 1932, Trendle decided to sever the relationship with CBS and operate WXYZ as an independent station.  With the country in the throes of the Great Depression, this was a gamble; it meant that WXYZ no longer had access to CBS’s roster of popular, established programmes. The station would have to rely on local music and produce its own line-up of shows.

For that, Trendle turned to free-lance writer Fran Striker.  Striker cranked out several series for WXYZ in an amazingly short time.  The dramas were only modestly popular, but it was enough for Striker to be named head of the station’s script department.  Trendle wanted a big hit, though.  Something that would propel WXYZ to the top of the ratings charts.

Like many others of his day, George Trendle held a romanticism for the Old West, where justice wasn’t so much a process as it was a moral imperative.  Trendle and his staff came up with the idea of a masked vigilante on horseback.  He would be a former lawman, to maintain a link to the structure of justice, as well as the ethics of it.  Then the concept was turned over to Fran Striker to hammer out the details and provide the scripts.

That was the real-life birth of the character that Striker named the Lone Ranger.  It would be quite some time, though, before the masked man’s fictional origin would be told.

The Lone Ranger radio programme debuted on 30 January 1933. The Ranger sprang full-blown, with no origin. Nothing was given of his background, except for occasional vague hints that he might be an actual historical figure of the Old West. Essentially, Striker and his writers were vamping until they could come up with a suitable origin for their champion of justice.

The Lone Ranger was an instant hit.  As the profits rolled in from radio syndication, movie rights, and merchandising, George Trendle wasn’t idle.  The mid-1930’s had seen a proliferation of crooked politicians and corrupt government officials.  An outraged Trendle, perhaps as wish-fulfilment, realised that his notion of a masked man operating outside of official sanction and fighting injustice could be updated to modern times.  Once again, it was up to Fran Striker who, along with Bill Freyse, put meat on the skeleton proposed by Trendle.  The result was a hero who destroyed political corruption and organised crime from within, by posing as an outlaw himself.  They named him the Green Hornet!

The Green Hornet radio programme was launched on 31 January 1936.  In establishing the show's premise, the listeners were informed:

With his faithful valet Kato, Britt Reid, daring young publisher, matches wits with the underworld, risking his life so that criminals and racketeers within the law may feel its weight by the sting of the Green Hornet!

Wealthy, old Dan Reid---Britt’s father, from whom he had taken over the reins of The Daily Sentinel---was completely in the dark about his son’s dual identity.

For years, no connexion between the Green Hornet and the Lone Ranger was suggested. But a huge hint was dropped in the 07 December 1938 broadcast of the Lone Ranger radio show. This was the episode which finally provided the long untold origin of the Lone Ranger---the one with which we are all familiar.

Early in this tale of tales it was revealed that the name of the captain of the ill-fated squad of Texas Rangers was Dan Reid.  His younger brother, also a Texas Ranger and the sole survivor of Butch Cavendish's ambush, would become the Lone Ranger. Throughout this radio episode, the flashback portions referred to the soon-to-be masked man as "Reid", and "Reid" only. (The source of the first name of "John" attributed to the Lone Ranger has never been confirmed and is denied by the Wrather Corporation [long-time owners of the Lone Ranger character]; he was never named "John Reid" in either the radio programme or the television show.)

In giving the Lone Ranger the surname of "Reid", Trendle and company, in retrospect, appeared to be setting up the relationship between the masked man and the Green Hornet. Another clue was dropped when the character of Dan Reid, Jr., the son of Captain Dan Reid and the Lone Ranger's nephew, was introduced on the radio show in a 1942 Christmas arc of episodes.

Beginning with the episode “Starting North”, aired on 14 December 1942, the story emerges of how, many years before the current adventures of the Lone Ranger, his brother Dan’s wife, Linda, and their infant son were travelling on a wagon train to join Captain Reid out west.  The wagon train was attacked by a band of renegade Apaches, and Reid’s wife and son were killed.  Or so it seemed.

While on the trail of a criminal trying to escape to Canada, the Lone Ranger and Tonto encounter elderly Grandma Frisby and her grandson, Dan, on their spread just below the Canadian border.  The outlaw makes his last stand on the Frisby ranch but he finds the feisty old lady harder to handle than he bargained for.

The Ranger and Tonto rescue Grandma Frisby and Dan, but the excitement causes the old woman’s weak heart to fail.  On her deathbed, she tells the Ranger of how, years before, she was on the same wagon train as Linda Reid and her baby.  During the Apache attack, Linda saved her infant son by hiding him in a small trunk.  Grandma Frisby also survived the massacre and took the baby to raise as her own.  She validates her tale by showing the masked man a locket the boy had around his neck.  Inside is a daguerreotype of the Ranger’s brother and Linda.

On the lady’s deathbed, the Lone Ranger promises to take care of Dan---Dan Reid, Junior---and honours her last request by removing his mask.

“It’s a good face,” whispers the old woman, “Yes, a good face,” and she passes away.

To the grief-stricken Dan, the masked man explains, “Your father and I were brothers.  I want to be a father to you.”

For the rest of the programme’s run, Dan Reid, Jr. was usually “back east” attending school, but sporadically, he would return to share an occasional adventure with his uncle and Tonto.

So now you had characters named “Dan Reid” on the Lone Ranger radio show and on the Green Hornet programme, both of which were created by George Trendle. Savvier fans were already putting two and two together, if for no other reason than it was a Neat Idea.

It would be another five years before the fans' suspicions were confirmed---in the 11 November 1947 Green Hornet radio show episode "Too Hot to Handle". According to the running sub-plot, Dan Reid had become suspicious of his son Britt’s activities.  In a previous episode, the elder Reid had secretly hired a female reporter, Linda Travis, to investigate his son.  Proving to be a superior investigator to the thick-headed Mike Axford, Linda uncovers the truth, that Britt Reid is the Green Hornet, and reveals her discovery to Dan Reid.

 In "Too Hot to Handle", Dan Reid confronts his son with this information, and Britt confesses the truth and defends his actions:

“I saw political grafters and confidence men bend the law nearly double without actually breaking it.  I had inside information on political bribes.  I knew of crooks in our government and there wasn’t a thing that could be done about them.  We couldn’t even publish their activities because the law couldn’t get proof that would hold up in court.  A lot of criminals went free because of tricky laws and red tape.

“I could see only one way to get those rats.  Someone had to meet them and play their game their way, with no holds barred.  Putting them in jail was the most important thing in the world to me.  It came ahead of the newspaper.  Ahead of my reputation.  Ahead of everything.  If you’ll look at the records, you’ll see that I was successful . . . .”

The intensely honest and upright Dan Reid is stunned to silence.  The future of the Green Hornet and Britt Reid are at stake.  Linda Travis declares that she agrees with Britt and swears to keep the secret of his double life.  Now, it’s all up to Dan.

After several seconds, the disbelief and anger on the elder Reid’s face is replaced by confidence and a faint smile.  He points to a painting on the wall of the study---a portrait of a man on horseback.

A masked man on a white horse.

“Look at that picture on the wall,” says Dan.  “The man on that horse is one of your ancestors.  And those hills are in Texas.  When I was a boy, I rode with that man.  I saw him six-gun his way through red tape and ride roughshod over crooks who thought they were too smart for the law.  He rode for justice.”

As the elder Reid speaks, The William Tell Overture rises in the background, then fades.

“Britt,” the old man continues, “I gave you The Daily Sentinel because I knew you’d learn a lot about smart crooks that the law couldn’t get.  I’d hoped you’d do something about those crooks, just as your pioneer ancestor did.  I wanted to see you use the paper as a crusading weapon.  I wanted to see sparks fly.  But . . . nothing came!

“I was disappointed, son.  I wondered what was the matter with you.  Wondered why the American heritage didn’t assert itself.  That’s why I sent Linda here.  I sent her to find out what was wrong with you.  And . . . now I learn . . . .  Why, confound it, Britt . . . you’re more like the man in the picture than I dreamt you could be!”

All across the country, youthful listeners, and some not so youthful, who had already connected the dots smiled knowingly, hearing their suspicions finally confirmed.

The relationship established between the two masked men worked well and good for the rest of the run of the Green Hornet radio series, which lasted until 05 December 1952. However, a new wrinkle developed when the Green Hornet was revived as a television show in 1966.

In the fourteen years since the Green Hornet radio programme folded, the generational timeline from the Lone Ranger to Dan Reid, Jr. to Britt Reid was no longer plausible. It would have meant that the 1966 Britt Reid was pushing fifty and not likely to be indulging in derring-do as the Hornet.

So the television show made no mention of any relation between the Green Hornet and the Lone Ranger. Instead, it established that Britt Reid's father was Henry Reid, the previous owner/publisher of the Reid newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. Further, the show stated that, in retribution for the elder Reid's publishorial crusade against organised crime, a consortium of mobsters had framed him for murder. Convicted and imprisoned, Henry Reid died behind bars.

Curiously, little dramatic hay was made of this, even when, in one episode, the Hornet went after racketeer Glen Connors, one of the men who framed his father.  The only recurring reference to Henry Reid was his portrait, which could be seen hanging on the wall of the publisher’s office.

In fact, the television show could not even be bothered with giving Henry Reid’s name on air.  That was left to author Brandon Keith, who used the series’ bible to write the book tie-in The Green Hornet: the Case of the Disappearing Doctor (Whitman Publishing Company, 1968).

To Lone Ranger/Green Hornet fans of the day---and I well remember this---the change was not fatal to Britt Reid being related to the original masked man. They simply modified the timeline to accommodate Henry Reid. Instead of Dan Reid, Jr. having a son named Britt Reid, now Dan's son was Henry Reid, and Britt was Dan's grandson. Thus, the Green Hornet was now the Lone Ranger's great-grand-nephew.

Such adjustments will always prove to be necessary.  For while the Lone Ranger is frozen in the time of the Old West, the Green Hornet, as a hero of the modern day, will eternally progress to whatever era the “modern day” is.  Comic-book adventures of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s have forced generational rewrites for both the Hornet and his sidekick, Kato, and the current film will no doubt stir the mix once again.

Nevertheless, Dan Reid, Junior will always occupy a unique place in Americana---as the link between the champions of justice of two centuries.

O.K., back to comics.

A month ago, I posted a Silver-Age quiz on DC comics.  From the activity on comics-based trivia thread and my own Comic-Book Jeopardy! threads that we had back on the old site, I expected to see more participation. A lot of you fellows are pretty sharp and, as a whole, almost impossible to stump.  But only Luke Blanchard chimed in with a set of answers, and Philip Portelli provided some commentary.

Over on his own "Silver Age Comics" site, Pat Curley made mention of the quiz and ventured his thoughts on which questions he knew the answers to, which ones he would have to look up, and only one, he admitted, baffled him.  Having experienced Pat's knowledge first-hand, from reading his blog, I don't doubt his estimations are spot-on.  (And I know for a fact that he got question 10 right.)

But, as seen here many times, Luke is no slouch when it comes to Silver-Age knowledge, either.  He got at least seven out of the ten correct, which is pretty damn good.  He did not, however, get the one question which I knew would confound everybody.

For Luke and Philip and Pat, and for those of you who took the quiz at home but didn't bother to post, it's time for the answers.  Here we go!

ANSWERS TO THE SILVER-AGE CHALLENGE---DC EDITION:

1.  Who gave the commencement address at Snapper Carr's high-school graduation ceremony?

The answer is . . . Ray Palmer!  We saw it in the story "The Machine That Made Miracles", from The Atom # 4 (Dec., 1961-Jan., 1962).  This conveniently allowed the Tiny Titan to secretly lend a hand, after a bizarre occurence led Snapper into doing some crime-fighting on his own.

2.  What space sector was Tomar Re, the Green Lantern of Xudar, responsible for protecting?

The answer is . . . space sector 9!  That's right.  Space sector 9, not 2813.  This was established 'way back in Tomar Re's debut appearance in "The World of Living Phantoms", from Green Lantern # 6 (May-June, 1961).

This is the one I expected would trip everyone up, but I made a careful examination of the Silver-Age stories involving Tomar Re.  Only "The World of Living Phantoms" specifically mentioned Tomar's space sector by number.  The notion that he was the GL of space sector 2813 was a Bronze-Age revision (or more probably, the Bronze-Age writer who stated such had never read "The World of Living Phantoms").

3.  What public attraction lies exactly halfway between Metropolis and Gotham CIty?

The answer is . . . the Superman-Batman trophy exhibit at the state police building!  This exhibit was established in "Exit Batman---Enter Nightman", from World's Finest Comics # 155 (Feb., 1966) and seen again in WFC # 159 (Aug., 1966).

Luke, you answered with "a statue of Superman and Batman."  If this wasn't just a WAG, and you can provide me the issue information in which it appeared, I'll gladly give you credit for a correct response.  A statue would qualify as a public attraction.

4.  One of the regularly seen characters in Batman and Detective Comics earned a doctorate and would properly be addressed as "Doctor _________", but never was.  Who?

The answer is . . . Barbara Gordon!  In the story that introduced her as Batgirl---"The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl", from Detective Comics # 359 (Jan., 1967)---it's established that she had received a PhD. from Gotham State University.

5.  Young Clark Kent went to Smallville High School, but the truant officer never went after Superboy for not being in school.  What was the reason given for not requiring the Boy of Steel to attend school?

The answer is . . . Superboy had been legally declared an adult!  In "Superboy's New Parents", from Adventure Comics # 281 (Feb., 1961), a judge, after witnessing demonstrations of the Boy of Steel's physical and mental abilities, declares Superboy to be legally an adult.

6.  For one story, an individual replaced one of the Blackhawks, and was considered an honest-to-God, full-fledged (i.e., not honorary) member of the team.  Who was this unique individual?

The answer is . . . Gunner Griff!  In "Nobody Replaces a Blackhawk", from Blackhawk # 211 (Aug., 1965), a head injury leaves the Magnificent 7's acrobat, Olaf, with crippling vertigo.  So Blackhawk recruits Gunner Griff to replace him on the team.  Griff is a real firebrand, outclassing the rest of the team---until his own paralysing weakness surfaces.  Olaf gets better and sends Griff back to the bleachers.

7.  What is the effective range of the super-power-sapping radiations of gold kryptonite?

The answer is . . . two feet!  This was established in "The Cape and Cowl Crooks", from World's Finest Comics # 159 (Aug., 1966).

8.  Karel Sorensen---expert markswoman, fashion model, former Miss Solar System, and one of the Star Rovers---was not born Karel Sorensen.  She changed her name to Karel Sorensen for professional reasons.  What was her birth name?

The answer is . . . Mary Smith!  This was revealed---and was an important plot point in---"Where was I Born? Venus? Mars? Jupiter?", from Mystery in Space # 77 (Aug., 1962).

9.  Who was the first Silver-Age DC character to debut in his own magazine, rather than appearing in another title first?

The answer is . . . Captain William Storm!  Rather than giving him a try-out in Showcase or The Brave and the Bold, DC launched him in his own title---Captain Storm # 1 (May-Jun., 1964).

10.  Circumstances forced Superman to entrust his secret identity to President Kennedy.  JFK's predecessor, President Eisenhower, was also privy to a couple of super-heroes' secret ID's.  Whose?

The answer is . . . the Green Arrow and Speedy!  In "A Medal for Roy", from Adventure Comics # 244 (Jan., 1958), Roy Harper is put into a sticky situation, when he is to be decorated for heroism by President Eisenower in a public ceremony at the same time his alter ego, Speedy, is needed at a police line-up to identify a suspect.  The only solution requires telling Ike the truth of his and Oliver Queen's dual identities.

Luke did remarkably well.  He got seven---questions 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10---definitely correct.  He missed questions 2 and 9.  So that's seventy per cent right---and eighty per cent, if he can validate his answer to question 3.  Clearly, he's a true Silver-Age maven!

So, how did you do?

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Jan. 11, 2010 -- Papercutz is re-launching the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys graphic novels – and the first volumes of each are a delight.

"Hardy Boys: The New Case Files" #1 ($6.99) is titled Crawling with Zombies,” and revolves around new phenomena like zombie walks and social media. It also presents something new for the Hardys, but as old as Cain and Abel: the normal competition and resentment between adolescent brothers.

This budding rivalry comes across naturally and organically, so much so it has that “why didn’t I think of that” quality. But it’s no surprise why it’s done so well, as Zombies is the first in the series by new writer – and comics legend – Gerry Conway. Conway, the co-creator of The Punisher and former writer of virtually every major comics character, has also written loads of television, including a stint as story editor for Law & Order.

And why has this award-winning, veteran scribe signed on for Hardy Boys graphic novels? Turns out he’s a fan!

“Working on the Hardy Boys in graphic novel form is the fulfillment of a childhood dream,” Conway said. “The first book I ever owned was The Mystery of Cabin Island, and it inspired in me a love of fiction that continues to this day.”

Conway asserts that the Hardys are “iconic American heroes -- as iconic as Superman or Tarzan.” And he ought to know, having written most of them, from Spider-Man to Batman.

“Like all iconic heroes they're both larger than life and human-sized,” he said. “As a boy, I saw my own imagination and eagerness for new experiences reflected in the adventures of Frank and Joe (and of course Chet); they were kinds of kids I wanted to be. When I realized I wasn't going to grow up and become the world's greatest amateur detective like Frank or Joe, I decided to become the next best thing: Someone who'd write about their adventures. Luckily, it only took me 50 years to get there.”

Conway is joined by Paulo Henrique, who illustrated the last eight books in the previous series. Henrique draws in a manga style, but doesn’t let his chibis and such get too intrusive.

Meanwhile, Nancy Drew: The New Case Files #1 deals with another pop-culture fad. Vampire Slayer Part One ($6.99) riffs off Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other blood-sucking, bump-in-the-night fun. Writers Stefan Petrucha and Sarah Kinney handle Drew’s pals George, Bess and Ned as a sort-of bumbling, off-brand Scooby Gang, which had me occasionally laughing out loud. He also fleshes out the star’s personality a bit, allowing her social clumsiness to energize the plot as often as her obvious brilliance. Artist Sho Murase draws manga style, but with the breathless forward motion of Western storytelling.

REPRINT ROUNDUP

Another discovery this week was less pleasant.

When Dark Horse began the Mighty Samson Archives a few months ago, I wondered briefly why I had so few issues of that series from the 1960s, unlike Gold Key’s other major super-doers, Solar, Magnus and Turok. With Mighty Samson Volume Two ($49.99), I remembered why.

The first volume reprinted the first six issues of Samson, which were entirely by writer Otto Binder (Captain Marvel, Superman) and artist Frank Thorne (Red Sonja). They were absorbing, as they were when I read them originally in 1965-66.

This volume, however, only has one issue illustrated by Thorne, #7 – the last of my original collection from the 1960s. And why I quit buying Samson is now obvious, in that issues 8-14 (which flesh out this volume) are by artist Jack Sparling, whose work I have never enjoyed. The stories still have that Binder sparkle, but for me the fun is tamped by an artist whose sketchy over-rendering can’t overcome his inability to draw basic anatomy – such as eyes that line up on the same plane.

On a happier note, writer Grant Morrison has been carefully setting up a new status quo for the Dark Knight for several years, culminating in the new Batman Inc. title, with hordes of Bat-characters – not only in Gotham City but around the world. The main thrust of that set-up took place in Batman and Robin, and now issue #7-12 of that series has received the deluxe reprint treatment. B&R Vol. 2, Batman vs. Robin ($24.99) definitely deserves it, as both Morrison and artist Cameron Stewart have done some top-notch work.

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.

27 #1 (OF 4) VAR CVR 2ND PTG

28 DAYS LATER #19 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #652 BIG

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #151    

ARCHIE & FRIENDS TP V8 ARCHIES & JOSIE &

ASTOUNDING WOLF MAN TP VOL 04

AVENGERS ACADEMY #8   

AVENGERS VS PET AVENGERS #4 (OF 4) 

BATMAN #706   

BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #19 

BOYS #50 (MR)   

BPRD PLAGUE OF FROGS HC VOL 01

BRIGHTEST DAY #18  

BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER #40

CAPTAIN AMERICA MAN & WOLF TP 

CHARMED #5

CLASSIC MARVEL FIG COLL MAG #138 BATROC

CLASSIC MARVEL FIG COLL MAG SPECIAL OMEGA RED

CREATORS OF THE SUPERHEROES DLX SC

CRITICAL MILLENNIUM #3 (OF 4) (MR)

DARK IVORY TP

DARKWING DUCK #8

DC COMICS PRESENTS THE ATOM #1 

DC SUPERHERO FIG COLL MAG #72 PLASTIC MAN

DC SUPERHERO FIG COLL MAG #73 WILDCAT

DEADPOOL CLASSIC TP VOL 04 

DEADPOOLMAX #4 (MR) 

DENIS KITCHEN CHIPBOARD SKETCHBOOK HC (MR)

DMZ #61 (MR)

DO ANDROIDS DREAM DUST TO DUST #8 (OF 8)   

DOCTOR WHO VOL 2 #1 

DRACULA THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS TP VOL 01 

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS #3 

FARSCAPE ONGOING #15 

FARSCAPE UNCHARTED TALES TP V2 DARGOS TRIAL 

FRAGGLE ROCK VOL 2 #1 (OF 3)

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS TP VOL 06 MOTHERLAND

GEORGE RR MARTINS DOORWAYS #3 (OF 4) 

GFT MYTHS & LEGENDS #1

GI JOE COBRA II #12 

GIANCARLO ALESSANDRINI (MR)

GOON TP VOL 10 DEATHS GREEDY COMEUPPANCE

GORE #1 (MR)

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #56 (BRIGHTEST DAY) 

HELLBLAZER #275 (MR)

HOUSE OF MYSTERY TP V5 UNDER NEW MGMT

IDES OF BLOOD #6 (OF 6)

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #500 

JURASSIC PARK THE DEVILS IN THE DESERT #1 (OF 4)

JURASSIC PARK TP VOL 01 REDEMPTION 

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL TP VOL 05

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #53

LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #9  

LOCKE & KEY KEYS TO THE KINGDOM #4 (OF 6)  

LOVEBUNNY & MR HELL TP VOL 01 (MR) 

LUCID #3 (OF 4) 

MARVEL SELECT CYCLOPS AF

MASS EFFECT EVOLUTION #1 (OF 4)

MEDITERRANEA #2

MEMOIR #1 (OF 6)    

MIGHTY MARVEL WOMEN OF MARVEL TP

MORNING GLORIES #6 

MYSPACE DARK HORSE PRESENTS TP VOL 06

NANCY IN HELL TP

NORTHLANDERS #36 (MR) 

NOVA COSTUME ROYAL BLUE T/S

POWER GIRL #20

QUEEN SONJA #13

QUICKSILVER COSTUME TURQUOISE T/S

RAT CATCHER HC (MR) 

RATCHET AND CLANK #5 (OF 6) 

SCARLET #4 (MR)

SECRET AVENGERS HC MISSION TO MARS V1 

SECRET HISTORY BOOK 14 (MR)   

SECRET SIX CATS IN THE CRADLE TP 

SERGIO ZANIBONI NON SOLO DIABOLIK (MR)

SIEGE MIGHTY AVENGERS TP 

SILENT HILL PAST LIFE #3 (OF 4)  

SIMPSONS COMICS #174  

SONIC UNIVERSE #24  

SPAWN ENDGAME COLLECTION TP 

SPAWN ORIGINS TP VOL 09    

SPIDER-MAN COMPLETE CLONE SAGA EPIC TP BOOK 5 

SPIRIT #10          

STAN LEE SOLDIER ZERO #4 

STAR WARS LONG TIME AGO OMNIBUS TP VOL 03

STARMAN OMNIBUS HC V6

STEAMPUNK PALIN ONE-SHOT

SUPERGIRL #60  

SUPERIOR #4 (OF 6) (MR)

SUPERMAN BATMAN #80 

TANK GIRL WE HATE TANK GIRL TP (MR) 

THOR #619       

THOR FIRST THUNDER #5 (OF 5)  

THOR RAGNAROK TP  

TIME LINCOLN APOCALYPSE MAO ONE-SHOT  

TINY TITANS #36  

TOYFARE #163

TRANSFORMERS PRIME #3 (OF 4)  

TRANSFORMERS SECTOR 7 #5 (OF 5)

TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE TP VOL 11

VITTORIO GIARDINO (MR)

WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #3 (MR)

WEIRD ADV OF BLOND ADDER SC VOL 01

WITCHBLADE #141  

WOLVERINE #5 

WOLVERINE & JUBILEE #1 (OF 4)

X-FACTOR #214  

X-MEN LEGACY #244     

YESTERDAYS TOMORROWS TP VOL 01    

YOUNG JUSTICE #0

I’ve always had an affinity for Firestorm. 

My first recollections of the character come from my childhood.  I remember that he was introduced on SuperFriends as a new, young hero along with Cyborg.  I remember being excited when his action figure was added to the excellent Kenner SuperPowers line.  I wasn’t a regular collector yet, but I even remember seeing him in a few comic books.  I was just starting out myself.  I was young and new to comic books, new to superheroes and new to life.  For that reason, I felt an attachment to Firestorm.  He was a hero I could relate to, and I always thought of him as one of “my guys.”  (As an aside, I became a lifelong fan of baseball’s rookie of the year Cal Ripken Jr. for roughly the same reason at about the same time). 

However, despite my affinity for the character, I didn’t own that many Firestorm comics.  I had almost all of his appearances with the Justice League of America.  And I had picked up a few odds and ends over the years, mostly because of certain guest stars.  But I had very few comics from Firestorm’s own series.  It was with real joy that I recently bought a complete collection of Firestorm comics.  I would finally be able to read the ongoing adventures of one of my favorite characters. 

I admit that there was a little trepidation while I waited for the comics to arrive.  I developed an affinity for the character through cartoons and action figures and I wasn’t sure that the actual comics would be as good as I hoped they would be.  So far, it’s worked out.  Firestorm’s series has been pretty good.  It’s not on the level of the New Teen Titans or the Legion of Super-Heroes- the standard-bearers for the era.  But it at least measures up to some of my other favorites from that period, like Batman and the Outsiders or Infinity Inc.  

It’s also been interesting to approach these comics with an adult eye.  I can’t help but notice what works and what doesn’t.  I was especially fascinated by an essay from author and co-creator Gerry Conway.  For the first two issues of the second series, Firestorm didn’t yet have letters to print in the letters column.  So Conway contributed a two-part essay describing the creative process behind the character.  He mentioned that one of his intentions with Firestorm was to create an anti-Spider-Man.  

That surprised me.  I guess I always knew that Firestorm was a reaction to Spider-Man.  Ronnie Raymond was a jock instead of a nerd.  He didn’t have Peter Parker’s aptitude for science or ambition.  Yet I always saw greater similarity between the characters.  I thought of Firestorm as the next everyman, the heir to Spider-Man’s mantle as the character who represented us, and I disregarded the surface features as necessary distinctions. 

I don’t think I’m imposing that type onto the character.  I realize that I developed this impression partially because of my own introduction to and affinity for Firestorm.  Yet Ronnie Raymond is one of us.  He’s supposed to be your typical, high school student.  He’s not a super-genius or a refugee from another planet.  He’s a regular guy, with familiar struggles and recognizable joys.  That’s part of the appeal of the character.  And that’s something he has in common with Spider-Man.   

Conway is right that there are significant differences between the two characters.   Those differences are worth examining.  Some of them work.  Some didn’t always work.  And some really shouldn’t have been considered differences.

I’ve already mentioned one intentional reversal.  Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker was the science nerd who got picked on by jocks like Flash Thompson.  Firestorm’s alter ego Ronnie Raymond was the basketball jock who got picked on by school genius Cliff Carmichael.  Unfortunately, that was one of the least believable aspects of the initial series.  I realize that not every high school has the jocks on top of the social ladder (fictional high schools in Pretty in Pink and Veronica Mars do a good job of showing the rich/poor divide instead).  But it was hard to accept that the nerds ruled the school while the jocks were the outcasts. 

Conway did a much better job with this angle in the second series.  He still had Cliff make fun of Ronnie.  But Cliff was no longer acting as a ringleader.  Instead, he was one outsider- the smart guy- picking on another outsider- the new guy- in a misguided attempt to improve his own social standing.  Ronnie’s troubles came more from his reaction to Cliff than from Cliff’s insults.  He disappointed his girlfriend by losing his cool or got in trouble with teachers for retaliating.  That added nuance to the rivalry and additional depth to Cliff’s character and it made the 1982 Fury of Firestorm significantly better than the original series from the ‘70s. 

            A second way in which Firestorm was supposed to be Spider-Man’s opposite was that Firestorm was supposed to enjoy being a superhero.  When Gerry Conway created Firestorm, he was fresh off of a run as Spider-Man’s scribe.  He wrote in his essay that being Spider-Man was often a chore for Peter Parker than interfered with his regular life.  For that reason, he wanted Ronnie Raymond to have fun as Firestorm.  It was an escape from the ordinary issues of everyday life. 

            I admit that this was always part of the appeal of the character for me.  I like characters with a zest for life, like Nightcrawler or Beast Boy.  I take joy in characters who take joy in their powers.  It should be fun to be able to do anything you want.  Escapism is an inherent part of superhero comics, not only for the character but especially for the reader.  So I was glad to see that this was an intentional choice for Firestorm.  And I enjoyed the little pranks that he would play on crooks and bullies. 

            Yet I was surprised that this was cited as something that would differentiate Firestorm from Spider-Man.  I always thought of Spider-Man as someone who enjoyed his powers as well.  One of the great enduring images of Spider-Man is of him swinging high above the streets.  Admittedly, being Spider-Man complicated Peter Parker’s life.  But Spider-Man had fun.  His quips weren’t merely a cover.  As Mark Waid mentioned a couple of years ago, “If you’re writing a Spider-Man who isn’t funny, then you’re writing him wrong.”  Peter Parker may have been motivated by a sense of responsibility after his uncle’s death, but Spider-Man enjoyed what he was doing. 

            Fortunately, this turned out to an area of similarity despite Conway’s stated intention.  Like Peter Parker and Spider-Man, being Firestorm frequently complicated life for Ronnie Raymond.  His responsibilities as a superhero resulted in missing basketball practice or dates with his girlfriend.  He developed a reputation as a loser when he was actually taking on greater responsibility.  That increased my appreciation for the character; I remember what it was like to be misunderstood as a teenager.  More importantly, those complications were the driving force for a lot of drama.  As much as we want escapism and joy in our comic books, a title can’t last long without tension.     

There is one other significant way in which Ronnie Raymond differed from Peter Parker and this was arguably one of the best parts of the series.  Peter had a good home life despite past tragedy.  Peter lived with his Aunt May and she doted on him.  He loved her and she loved him in return.  Ronnie still lived with his father, but they didn’t get along.  

This was a wonderfully human complication.  The strained relationship with his father made first basketball and then being Firestorm an escape for Ronnie from his difficult home life.  His struggles at school were that much harder for Ronnie because his father had little understanding or compassion for him.  Plus, it added depth to the relationship between Ronnie Raymond and the other half of Firestorm, Martin Stein.  Stein was more than a scientific adviser for the Firestorm persona.  He was also Ronnie’s confidant.  And, over time, he became a surrogate dad.  That relationship was often handled awkwardly when Ronnie appeared in other series or shows but it was one of the real strengths of Firestorm’s own title. 

            Firestorm was a good comic book.  It was a lot of fun, and it had a good blend of action and character.  I admit that it had some early flaws, but those were eventually worked out.  I’m immensely pleased that the adventures of this childhood favorite are worth reading.   

ALL NEW BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #3

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #651 BIG   

AVENGERS CHILDRENS CRUSADE MUST HAVES

AVENGERS CITIZEN KANG TP

AVENGERS COMING OF BEAST PREM HC  

AVENGERS POSTER BOOK

BATGIRL #17   

BATMAN AND ROBIN #19    

BATMAN JOKERS ASYLUM TP VOL 02 

BIRDS OF PREY #8   

BLACK PANTHER MAN WITHOUT FEAR #514 

BLACKEST NIGHT SER 7 FIGURES

BOOSTER GOLD #40   

BPRD HELL ON EARTH GODS #1 (OF 3)

BRODYS GHOST BOOK 02

CAPTAIN AMERICA KORVAC SAGA #2 (OF 4)

CAPTAIN AMERICA MAN OUT OF TIME #3 (OF 5)

CASANOVA GULA #1 (OF 4) (MR)   

CASANOVA TP LUXURIA VOL 01 (MR)

CHAOS WAR DEAD AVENGERS #3 (OF 3)

CHILL TP (MR)

CRICKETS #3 (MR)

DAKEN DARK WOLVERINE EMPIRE MUST HAVES

DAREDEVIL REBORN #1 (OF 4)

DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER JOURNEY BEGINS PREM HC

DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER LITTLE SISTERS ELURIA #2

DARKCHYLDE TP VOL 01 LEGACY & REDEMPTION (MR)

DEADPOOL #31 

DOC SAVAGE #10 

DOOM PATROL BROTHERHOOD TP

FANTASTIC FOUR RESURRECTION GALACTUS PREM HC 

FEVRE DREAM #10 (OF 10) WRAP CVR (MR)

GREEN HORNET GOLDEN AGE REMASTERED #6     

GREEN LANTERN EMERALD WARRIORS #6 (BRIGHTEST DAY)

HACK SLASH ME WITHOUT YOU (ONE-SHOT)

HALCYON #3

HEROES FOR HIRE #1 2ND PTG

HEROES FOR HIRE #2 

I AM AN AVENGER #5 (OF 5)

INCREDIBLE HULKS #620

INFINITE VACATION #1  

JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST #17 (BRIGHTEST DAY) 

KNIGHT & SQUIRE #4 (OF 6) 

KODT BLACK HANDS 2010 #2 (OF 2)

KOOKABURRA K TP (MR)   

LET ME IN CROSSROADS #2 (OF 4)

REBELS #24  

RED ROBIN #19  

ROBERT JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME EYE O/T WORLD #1.5

SAVAGE DRAGON #168   

SECRET SIX #29    

SIEGE DARK AVENGERS TP  

SIXTH GUN TP VOL 01

SPAWN #200

STAN LEE STARBORN #2  

STAR WARS KNIGHT ERRANT #4 AFLAME  PT 4 (OF 5)

SUPER HEROES #10  

SUPERMAN #707    

SUPERMAN LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON HC VOL 02

THOR MIGHTY AVENGER #8 

THUNDER AGENTS #3 

TITANS #31 

UNWRITTEN #21 (MR)

VICTORIAN UNDEAD II HOLMES VS DRACULA #3 (OF 5)

WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #2 (MR)

WIDOW MAKER #3 (OF 4)

WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL MUST HAVES

WONDER GIRL #1   

WORLDS GREATEST DC HEROES CAPTAIN COLD RETRO AF

WORLDS GREATEST DC HEROES CHEETAH RETRO AF

WORLDS GREATEST DC HEROES FLASH RETRO AF

WORLDS GREATEST DC HEROES WONDER WOMAN RETRO AF

X-23 KILLING DREAM MUST HAVES

X-FACTOR TP VOL 10 SECOND COMING

X-MEN FOREVER 2 #15 

X-MEN FOREVER 2 TP VOL 01 BACK IN ACTION

Copied from the list posted on Facebook by Comics & Collectibles, Memphis

By Andrew Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Take for example Return of the Dapper Men ($24.95, Archaia), by comics writer Jim McCann and gallery artist Janet Lee. Dapper Men is a surreal, “Alice in Wonderland” sort of adventure, about a land named Anorev (Verona backwards, although I don’t know why) where time has stopped, populated entirely by children under 11 who never age, plus some anthropomorphic robots. Then the 314 Dapper Men show up (they are identical men dressed in green derbies and tailored 1920s suits; none have names, nor do we know why they’re “returning” when nobody remembers them, nor why there are 314). They jump-start time, and our heroes – a boy named Ayden and a silent female robot named Zoe (I get it, A to Z; but again, I don’t know why) – must learn about night and change, and by extension aging, aided by the only Dapper Man who speaks (albeit cryptically).

It’s a pleasant, light morality tale, full of potential to prompt children to ask questions about growing up, and surely all the whimsical, unexplained elements are allegories or allusions. Or maybe not. I mean, when the talking Dapper Man says, “nothing is the same after it’s cold,” he’s referring to death, right? Or is it just a throwaway line about tea? I just don’tknow.

I suspect there are things I’m simply not catching, since I enjoyed McCann’s work on Hawkeye and Mockingbird fo rMarvel, where he showed sure-footedness in story structure and, if nothing else, the cliff-hanger. But since I have no children to read this to, and have read all the Dr. Seuss I will ever need, this sort of thing isn’t my cup of tea– cold or otherwise.

But let’s leave aside the story, which is probably meant to be little more than a fairy tale (albeit a surreal one). Because the real star is the artist, and Lee does not disappoint. Archaia editor-in-chief Stephen Christy told Publishers Weekly (publishersweekly.com) in December, "We don't have a big-name writer, a big-name artist or a hugely established concept – let’s just make sure the quality across the board is phenomenal.” And I think they succeeded.

Working in decoupage, Lee uses elements of steampunk, Art Deco, Art Nouveau and God only knows what else for a spectacular, multi-textural tour de force. It all hangs together nicely to create a fantasy world that actually seems to make sense.

And, as Stephen Colbert would say, the market has spoken on Dapper Men – it quickly sold 10,000 copies and went back for a second printing of 5,000. That’s a lot for a hardback no one’s heard of before. Ergo, a many people are getting more out of it than I did, so I recommend you judge for yourself. Who knows – maybe you can show me what I missed!

And speaking of successful sales, Archaia also scored with Mouse Guard: Legends of the Mouse Guard ($19.95), a hardback collecting the recent four-issue series of the same name. According to PW, Legends also had a successful print run of 15,000.

Legends varies from David Petersen’s usual Mouse Guard books in that he doesn’t write or draw it. Instead, he opened the concept for other artists and writers to take a whack at his world of medieval mice in an anthology format. Petersen ties the stories together as a bar contest, where the most successful tale-teller gets his tab erased. That eliminates the necessity for fitting them into Mouse Guard history and continuity, and for the guest creators to write to their own strengths.

And when you’ve got guys like Gene Ha (JLA),Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise) and Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin), that’s a darn good idea. Plus, there are great extras in the back for the committed fan.

And, sure, it’s kinda ridiculous for sword-wielding mice to be battling (and beating) owls, weasels and even in one case a bear. But Petersen’s world is so fleshed-out and compelling that it’s practically Lord of the Rings with fur, tails and buck teeth.

On the other hand, my wife can’t suspend her disbelief (and her dislike of rodents) long enough to enjoy Mouse Guard. “It’s MICE!” she shouts with a mixture of disgust and disbelief.

Heh. So like I said, comics are ultimately a matter of taste. I suggest you lick both of these books, just to see.

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.

I married a super-heroine.

Now, most of us think that about our spouses at one time or another, or perhaps, much of the time. But recently, I was witness to a awe-inspiring example of my wife’s super-heroism. And, since I have a blog column, I get to write about it.

 
I met Cheryl nineteen years ago, and something clicked in the first two minutes. I know what I saw in her, but I’m still astounded that she saw anything in me worth hanging on to for the next two decades. All I really brought to the table was an unwavering promise of love and devotion.

My pet nickname for her is “XO”, which is military shorthand for “executive officer”. For you non-Navy types out there, the relationship between commanding officer and executive officer is a unique one. The CO sets the policies and doctrine, and bears the ultimate responsibility, but it is the XO who does all the grunt work to make it happen. That’s what Cheryl did, and does, for our little command of two. For a long time, she did it so well and so thoroughly that I was blind to most of it. I went along, blithe in how easy and convenient our life was.

Now, I’m a dolt about many things, but I do catch on eventually. And sometimes, like the old joke about the mule, it takes a two-by-four between my eyes to get my attention. I began to realise that all that ease and convenience had a name. Cheryl Benson.

 
As if taking care of our household wasn’t enough, she was also tending to her father, Royce. Royce was one whom, as I described in my Robert Young story, demonstrated the quiet heroism of the everyday man. He worked hard and supported his family, providing his two daughters with the proper guidance to become decent, contributing citizens. He was intelligent, honest, generous, and devoted. Like all of us, he had his foibles and shortcomings too, but he was a man, in the finest connotation of the word.

 
And Cheryl adored him. He lived twelve miles away from us, since becoming a widower sixteen years ago. She always spent a great deal of time with him, more than I did with mine---but the nature of my familial interactions was different. A few years ago, she began to devote increasing amounts of time tending to him, and like many husbands, I began to resent a bit taking a back seat. Cheryl pulled out the two-by-four again, and I realised that, as Royce’s health was failing, she wanted to get the most out of whatever time they had left. I understood that.

Two weeks ago, Royce was admitted to the hospital. The next day, he received the doctors’ diagnosis---between congestive heart failure and a total renal shutdown, he had two weeks to live, maybe three. There was nothing they could do. Cheryl and I were in different places when we got the word, and we both rushed to the hospital. I got there first.

 
I found him sitting up in his hospital bed, eating pudding. He was remarkably accepting of his situation. He had lived almost eighty years, raised two fine daughters, who were happy and led good lives, a grandson leading a successful career in the Army and a granddaughter who had just graduated college. He had no regrets. We had about half an hour together, before anyone else arrived, and we spoke the things that men speak of at a time like this.

 
One thing that all of us have in common is that we will die some day. What is unique to us all is the manner of our passing, and in a way, Royce was given a blessing. He had two weeks to make his final wishes known, to say what he wanted to say to his family, to be met by old friends. My only real contribution was to use my knowledge of military protocol in arranging to have his grandson---Cheryl’s son and my step-son---brought home on emergency leave from an Afghanistan war zone. (And Rick’s girlfriend, who worked out direct contact with him, pushed it even harder than I did.)

Things happened fast, and this was where Cheryl ducked into a telephone booth and emerged in her blue tights and red cape. As Royce dictated his instructions for his funeral and for the disposition of his effects and the names of the people who would need to be contacted, Cheryl copied down every word. When Royce was sent home for hospice care, Cheryl rearranged the household furniture and oversaw the installation of a hospital bed and medical equipment. She took instructions from the nurse for the administration of medicines and basic nursing care.

 
She notified friends, distant family, the financial people and the legal people, the government officials, the funeral home, and ensured all of Royce’s plans were set into motion. She moved into his house.

 
For a few days, Royce was lucid and advised her when he could. But after that, his awareness eroded with each passing day, and Cheryl was left to manage as best she could. The house filled with people---her sister and her husband and their daughter, Rick and his girlfriend, old friends, social workers, hospice caretakers, and me, of course. On top of everything else, Cheryl took on the rôle of hostess.

 
As her father’s mental and physical state declined before her eyes, she nursed him, tended to him, comforted him, fought him when he tried to remove the tubes, and stroked his brow when he couldn’t sleep.

 
Some of you might be thinking, well, that’s what a daughter is supposed to do for her dying father. But unless and until you’ve been in that situation, you have no idea how staggering all of that is. I was there, and I didn’t grasp it until much later.

 
You see, all of us---her sister, her brother-in-law, her niece, her son, and I---helped. A little. We did some minor things, and then left to handle the business of our own lives. But Cheryl was there around the clock. I brought her toiletries and changes of clothes from home. And once or twice, I actually got her to leave the house for a meal.

 
But otherwise, it was her---and all her. In the wee hours, she sat there alone by her father’s bedside, alert to his every groan of pain or request for water. She changed his urine bag and adjusted his position every two hours, to prevent bed sores. Nodding off for a few minutes at a time was the only sleep she got. She refused to take her medications for her own physical problems because they would make her drowsy. She was worn to a frazzle---physically, mentally, emotionally---and somehow, she managed to hold herself together.

 
And all the while, she had to watch the strong, forceful man who had raised her deteriorate and slip into oblivion. The knife twisted.

At about ten o’clock in the morning, on the first day of this year, Royce died. It happened after Cheryl had sat down on the couch to rest her feet for a minute, and she fell asleep for a half hour, the first sleep she had gotten in forty-eight hours. She feels that she failed him.

It’s difficult to argue with Cheryl; she’s usually right. But this time, she’s wrong. And Royce would have been the first to say so. In that half-hour talk I had with him, he told me how intensely proud he was of Cheryl, and in his final days, she lived up to that pride in spades.

Me, I want to pin the Medal of Honor on her.

The work wasn’t over. More notifications. Bills to pay. The records of a man’s life to bring to a close. And the planning with the funeral director.

As I write this, the funeral was to-day. Royce was a veteran, an Army man, and he had asked me to be a pallbearer and to wear my dress blues. The local Army base could spare only two soldiers to serve as the honour guard, so it was also my privilege to head the honour guard and present the flag to his family.

As for the service itself, one thing I know is how to handle ceremonies and the funeral director was an old hand, with forty years’ experience. The whole thing went off seamlessly, without a single hitch. Not so much as a hiccup. But that, also, was more Cheryl’s doing than anyone else’s. She planned, consulted, checked, and double-checked. It was precisely the send-off that Royce wanted.

 
So, yes, I married a super-heroine. A super-hero’s greatest feat is inspiring others to be better people, and she has done that, as well. There are at least a hundred ways I can make her life easier and I’ve planned out at least the first half-dozen or so, and I’ll add the others to the list as I think of them. I’ll probably back-slide some at first, mainly because I can be obtuse to a lot of stuff, but I won’t quit.

 
I owe it to her to be a better husband . . . and a better man.

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Dec. 28, 2010 -- Graphic novels and reprint collections came in an avalanche at the end of 2010, capping the best year in history for comics you can put on your bookshelf. That’s worth a column in itself, but who’s got time to do industry analysis when there’s so much great stuff to review?

Great stuff, for example, like Boy Commandos Volume One ($59.99) from DC Comics. Commandos came from the creators of Captain America, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the two marquee names in comics in the 1940s and ‘50s – names so big that Titan Books is in the middle of publishing a library of their work.

One reason they were so big was their tendency to create genres, like “kid gang” comics, of which Boy Commandos is an example. But you won’t see this strip in the Titan series on Simon & Kirby, because it’s owned lock, stock and trademark by DC. The only way you can see it is in this reprint series.

Which is no burden – Boy Commandos is worth savoring on its own.

Commandos features four kids from countries at war with the Axis – boys from Holland, France, England and Brooklyn, the latter boy based on Kirby himself – who were led into combat by a generic (and usually absent) adult named Rip Kirby Carter. Why these children are allowed to go into combat is never addressed – but neither is the physics of Superman flying, and we all accept that. In other words: Suspend your disbelief. Just enjoy the stories, because they are far better than they have any right to be.

Perhaps I’m just surprised to see an early 1940s series that didn’t rely on formula. But each story shines on its own, unique within the overall structure. Some stories were mostly comedy, some allegory, some downright grim, and some only peripheral to the main concept – sort of like “The Spirit,” only with kids in fatigues instead of a detective in a mask.

The art, of course, is the best of its era. As all comics fans know, “King” Kirby virtually invented the visual language of comics. He was not only miles ahead of his 1940s contemporaries, he is still the Jedi Master to many of today’s padawans.

Speaking of comics masters being awarded their own libraries, the second volume of Blake Bell’s series on Steve Ditko has arrived. While the first volume focused on Ditko’s work before the disastrous Comics Code of 1954, Unexplored Worlds: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 2 ($39.99) picks up immediately after, with a representative selection from the artist’s prodigious output in 1954-55 (with occasional commentary by Bell).

While there is no question that Ditko is a unique artist who expanded the frontiers of what is possible in comics, you won’t see much of that here. In fact, it’s kinda repetitive and boring. That’s not Ditko’s fault, of course – it’s the fault of the aforementioned Code, which reduced comics to pap virtually overnight. All 1950s comics creators spent years trying to figure out how to tell interesting stories despite the chains, ball-gag and blindfold of the Code. Suffice to say, Ditko hadn’t figured it out yet in 1954-55, and these short “suspense” and SF stories are as bland a period as this artistic giant ever had.

I don’t have a clever segue into Brightest Day Volume One ($34.99, DC Comics), but this book is clever enough to provide its own. Brightest Day is a 26-issue, twice-monthly series that has spun off the successful “Blackest Night” superhero horror story, but has little to do with that. It’s not even all the “bright” – in places, it’s a pretty dark story on its own.

What Brightest Day is really about is second chances. Or maybe third, fourth or fifth chances. Specifically, it’s about 12 characters who were deceased, but have returned to life for mysterious reasons they slowly discover. Metatextually, it’s about second-banana characters who have failed repeatedly to hold their own titles, given yet another chance to gain reader interest and loyalty.

Can characters like Aquaman, Firestorm, Hawkman and Martian Manhunter ever succeed creatively and financially? So far, Brightest Day is proving they can. I’m enjoying the nostalgic vibe of these characters, whose greatest successes were in the past, but I’m also interested in how writers Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are developing them for the 21st century.

Good for them – and good for us!

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.