DC's Showcase Presents OMG SO CHEAP MUST HAVE METAMORPHO!

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HOLY CRAPPERS!
note: it's not mentioned whether or not Showcase Presents: Metamorpho will continue with the CHEAP pricing, but wth.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 10 August 2005 01:59 (twenty years ago)

Fuck, that attempt at text-linking didn't work, here's the superlong URL:
http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=fc0f9636e235813434f50982bd9342a2&threadid=40240

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 10 August 2005 02:00 (twenty years ago)

Sweet!

I say: I want my OMG SO CHEAP MUST HAVE SUGAR & SPIKE! book.

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 10 August 2005 11:16 (twenty years ago)

I want these things to be in colour but printed on bogroll.

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 10 August 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

holy!! these are cheap. i saw them at my comix store for the first time today & got excited but i didn't pick any up.

huk should i get the green lantern one??

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 23:28 (twenty years ago)

I say: yes. It is freaky-cool. The first 17 issues of Silver Age GL plus Showcase 22-24...

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 23:42 (twenty years ago)

cool! i actually wanted an old-school GL trade but there did seem to be any on the market. so now i get 500 pages for super-cheap! do you know if the supes stuff is any good?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

Depends on your definition of "good." It's a selection of early Silver Age stories from the late '50s period when Mort Weisinger was on overdrive: extreme density of ideas, extreme wackiness and corniness. (Alan Moore's run on Supreme was a straight-up pastiche of this material.) I think "endearing" might be a better adjective. But, I mean, ten bucks, how wrong can you go?

― Douglas (Douglas), Thursday, 29 September 2005 05:57 (twenty years ago)

The later Weisinger stuff might have been better, but there's some good Wayne Boring art in the early stuff, and there are some stories reprinted in the book that I remember as being especially "endearing". The Lori Lemaris flashback, the issue long Imaginary Story about Krypton surviving that I still have as a reprint in an old annual, the first Brainiac story... I suspect that much of it is pretty pedestrian though, since this is the period when the writers were only starting to establish all the neat background material that they would milk dry later. When I was CBRing the run of Action reprinted in the book, I'd routinely skim through the Superman lead feature to get to the Supergirl back-ups, which I think are loads more fun. THAT stuff I'd recommend, if it ever gets a rerelease.

― Chris F. (servoret), Thursday, 29 September 2005 07:10 (twenty years ago)

the superman stuff is far more entertaining than those dreary early Green Lantern comics, where even the Gil Kane artwork is let down by Joe Giella's underpowered inking

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Thursday, 29 September 2005 10:44 (twenty years ago)

I haven't even started to read them (I got both), but I was shocked at how thick they are. And I made the mistake of stopping at the comic shop on my way to an evening full of meetings and radio stuff, so I was carting around these giant kidstuff comics for everyone to see.
I'm going to colour in mine.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 29 September 2005 13:38 (twenty years ago)

(Alan Moore's run on Supreme was a straight-up pastiche of this material.)

ok this sells it for me! my friends got me supreme for my birthday last month & i totally loved it! so it'd be great to check this stuff out.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 29 September 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

I just bought those first two (Ward is about right, but I like the dumb science stuff in the GL ones). The price is those two only, I am told, and afterwards they will be priced like the Marvel Essentials. The Metamorpho will be top wacky fun. I will probably skip Jonah Hex. The next two are JLA, which will be fantastic, and the Legion, which will be about the fifteenth time those issues have been reprinted, but well worth it if you don't already have them. I don't know what is after those.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 29 September 2005 19:35 (twenty years ago)

man you're really missing out if you skip jonah hex - even the early john albano ones are gd reading

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:34 (twenty years ago)

SPOILER ALERT!!!
"Superman in the White House"

Clark: Of course, Jimmy, if you remembered the Constitution, you'd know that Superman can never be president, because a president must a native-born American, and Superman was...
Jimmy: ...Born on the far-off planet Krypton! Gosh, Mr. Kent, how could I be so stupid?
Clark: Of course, even though Superman can never be president doesn't mean Clark Kent can't! Not the he'd ever think of it, though.

GIANT WINK TO READERS!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 30 September 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

I'm waiting for my Showcase GL to arrive, but I'm currently reading GL Archives 5, which should be included in Showcase GL 2. This is really cool stuff, I love the pseudo-science, even beyond its silliness, because just the fact that John Broome was aware of the existence of so many cool scientific concepts would enough for me to put him in my list of classics. Plus, the art by Gil Kane is really beautiful. I'm in love with this stuff!!!!

― iodine (iodine), Friday, 30 September 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

I probably won't be getting to my Showcase GL for a while, since I'm so IN LOVE with the Superman one.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 30 September 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

The Fortress of Solitude story is also a clear reference for Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything".

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 30 September 2005 14:25 (twenty years ago)

I bet superman's showcase has to be great too...Can't wait for it!

― iodine (iodine), Friday, 30 September 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

Green Arrow in 2006!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1401207855/qid=1126953645/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_8/103-4896496-6619830?v=glance&s=books

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 30 September 2005 15:17 (twenty years ago)

Some first thoughts on the Superman volume: http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/wedge/2005_10_01_wedge_archive.html#112816744859775370.

I'm reading the GL one now, and cringe every time he calls his pal 'Pieface' (editor's note: Hal Jordan's friend, Eskimo mechanic Thomas Kalmaku).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 2 October 2005 10:49 (twenty years ago)

The first story in the Superman one is so classic - great "Batman is a dick!" stuff, Huk this one's for you!

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 2 October 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

I cheered when, at some point in the '70s, he reappeared and frostily said "Mind calling me 'Tom'?" or something along those lines. He was never "Pieface" again after that.

― Douglas (Douglas), Sunday, 2 October 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

argh!! my friend went to the store and he got the last green lantern one and there are NONE OF THE OTHERS LEFT!!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 2 October 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

There is only Superman, otherwise. Amazon are selling it, and shops will be restocking, I would think. Metamorpho is due in...a couple of weeks? Then it's monthly thereafter.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 2 October 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

i meant no more copies! and admittedly i did not express that well!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 2 October 2005 21:49 (twenty years ago)

These are so great!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 3 October 2005 13:52 (twenty years ago)

I love the way that everytime GL travels to the Anti-Matter Universe of Qward he assumes the exact same pose and says the same "it feels like I'm being torn apart at the seams!"

And all the science weirdness and the business with the GL Corps and the Guardians remaining mysterious is really quite brilliant. Never mind the whole twist on the Lois/Superman dynamic between Carol/Hal.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 3 October 2005 13:59 (twenty years ago)

So I'm reading the GL now, and I realize that I've read a bunch of these stories before (just a few). Were they reprinted in the 70s/80s? Maybe in digests or something? Cuz I know I scored some great finds in the quarter bins of my youth, but I seriously doubt I would have found early GLs. The earliest issues I remember having were from #90 on (the post-Neal Adams GL/GA stuff)--which I actually prefered, and probably still would, to the Adams-era stuff. Because it had better adventures. Like when they followed Sinestro to Medieval times (or was it a Medieval planet?) or the thrilling crimes of Prof. Ojo, and the SHOCKING revelation behind his name!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I'd read a lot of them before and I'm a little vague as to where. There have been all sorts of reprints in 80-Page Giants and 100-Page Specials, and that period when all DC titles were like 52 pages and I think Action kept reprinting early GL stories.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

The Brainiac debut is AWESOME.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 18:51 (twenty years ago)

Isn't it weird that the Braniac inside bears so little resemblance to the one on the cover of that issue? Obviously it's the cover version that survived.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

That's possibly the most revelatory things about these "documents": Just how fluid all of these ideas and concepts were at their genesis! Like Green Lantern's MYSTIC Lamp! And Braniac's headgear/no headgear!
While it's clear that Broome & Schwartz had some sort of a game plan with GL & the Guardians and the Corps, they were surely making most of it up as they went along.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 19:30 (twenty years ago)

GOT METAMORPHO! IT'S EVEN BETTER (though more expensive) THAN I EVER DREAMED (not more expensive than I ever dreamed, it was like $23 Cdn, which isn't $15 Cdn, but still pretty okay). Ramona Fradon-A-GO-GO! BEST SHOWCASE PRESENTS EVER.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 7 October 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Until DC Showcase Presents ... ANIMA!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 7 October 2005 13:41 (twenty years ago)

huk why was it $23?!?!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 7 October 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

The first two, Superman & Green Lantern, were offered at a special introductory price. Metamorpho's price will probably be the regular price for all future editions.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 7 October 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

Yes, that's right. I didn't think this one was out until next week, so hadn't been to my comic shop, dammit.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 7 October 2005 22:16 (twenty years ago)

OMG COMING IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY!!!!

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: GREEN ARROW VOL. 1 TP
Writers: Jack Miller, France Herron, Gardner Fox, Bob Haney, Dave Wood, Dick Wood, Robert Bernstein, and John Broome
Artists: Jack Kirby, George Papp, Mike Sekowsky, Neal Adams, Lee Elias, Bernard Sachs, George Roussos and Jerry Ordway
Collects stories from ADVENTURE COMICS #250-269, WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #95-134, 136, 138 and 140, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #4 and THE BRAVE & THE BOLD #50, 71 and 85
528 pages, $16.99 US, black & white

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: HOUSE OF MYSTERY VOL. 1 TP
Writers: Joe Orlando, Sergio Aragones, Howie Post, E. Nelson Bridwell, Otto Binder, Robert Kanigher, Jack Oleck, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, John Albano and Jack Miller
Artists: Joe Orlando, George Roussos, Lee Elias, Doug Wildey, Bernard Baily, Carmine Infantino, Mort Meskin, Neal Adams, Sid Greene, Jack Sparling, Sergio Aragones, Howie Post, Bill Draut, Jim Mooney, Win Mortimer, Jerry Grandanetti, Gil Kane, Wallace Wood, Bernie Wrightson, Alex Toth, Wayne Howard, Al Williamson, John Celardo, Mike Peppe, Tony deZuniga, Leonard Starr, Tom Sutton, Ric Estrada, Ralph Reese, Frank Giacoia, Jim Aparo, Gray Morrow, Don Heck, Russ Heath, Jack Kirby, John Costanza and Nester Redondo
Collects HOUSE OF MYSTERY #174-194
552 pages, $16.99, black & white

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 00:16 (twenty years ago)

those old green arrow strips are seriously boring, even w/ (pedestrian by his standards) Kirby artwork, but fuck yeah House of Mystery

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:32 (twenty years ago)

Jerry Grandanetti! The man who, when my wife transcribed an interview for me (with Eisner, I expect, unless it was Archie Goodwin), became "Jerry Grant and Eddie" and I had to stop and think. Ward is right about even the Kirby art being pretty uninteresting, but I shall have both of these. Are they going to get to ten before they get to Batman?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Well, Batman's got his own line of "Chronicles" or whatever that seems stalled at Vol. 1, but promised to reprint every Batman feature in chronological order IN COLOUR. I can see DC holding off on a Showcase Presents: Batman until they can pimp Silver Age Batman in colour.

I've got the Kirby Green Arrow collection. It's so-so. Seems sorta odd that they're including JLA #4 in the GA collection, since it'll be in the JLA collection due in December (I think). But I'll probably get it because a) I love this shit, and b) it ends with Brave & Bold #85 which is the first appearance of THE BEARD! So, Showcase Presents: Green Arrow Vol. 2 should be pretty wicked.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, they'll be in a real hurry to get that one out...

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

Which one?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

I was being sarky about Showcase Presents: Green Arrow Vol. 2, which I was speculating might be a low priority. Then again, my list of guesses would have got pretty fucking long before it included Metamorpho, Jonah Hex or House of Mystery, so what do I know?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:44 (twenty years ago)

Okay, that's what I thought, but I just wanted to make sure my sarcasm-O-sensors were functioning properly.
You are correct of course, since a Green Arrow Vol. 2 would be most 70s material and of quite a different tone than the stuff they're reprinting in Showcase.

I'm not sure which has surprised me more: That they've reprinted all of Metamorpho's Silver Age adventures, that I bought it, or that it's as good as it is! IT IS REALLY GOOD.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:50 (twenty years ago)

It's like Dan Slott Good.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:55 (twenty years ago)

hey huk, i'm leaning towards getting one of these things; can you sell me on why metamorpho should be the one??

― dave k, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

My view is that the Superman one takes a lot of beating, but I have read less than a tenth of the Metamorpho so far. Also, the Supes and GL volumes are much cheaper than the Metamorpho.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 21:20 (twenty years ago)

takes a lot of beating? can you tell me what you mean by that (as i am probably going to buy it tomorrow?)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 23:30 (twenty years ago)

The Superman one is amazing!

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 23:32 (twenty years ago)

i'm really excited!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 06:08 (twenty years ago)

So are the future Showcase volumes Essentials-cost? Because I'd have no problem with shelling out what I pay for an Essential for a Showcase as well. Soon I won't need to buy normal comics ever again.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 10:35 (twenty years ago)

Dave K: Obviously, the GL and Superman books are cheaper and of larger historical "significance". However, neither of them feature a wisecracking element man who cavorts across the globe in search of weird adventures with his boa-wearing gal-pal tagging along--not to mention her wild-haired billionaire industraliast/scientest father and his THAWED OUT CAVEMAN henchman (who is in love with the daughter).
The Ramona Fradon art is boffo, and the Bob Haney scripts a pretty fun, with lots of wisecracking (after Metamorpho foils a bank heist by discovering the criminals' plan of transmitting a force field via telephone wires, he says, "Those lines are carrying more than just singing telegrams to your Aunt Agnes!") and cheap science lessons.

I think I prefer the Metamorpho because it's unexpectedly great.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

I meant that they'll have to go some to put out a more enjoyable volume than that Superman one.

Yes, about the same price as Essentials after the special introductory offer price for the first two.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

i got the superman one YAY

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

Did you read the President Superman story yet?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 17:37 (twenty years ago)

no! i just bought it less than an hour ago. i'm really excited!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

i'm lovin' it

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:07 (twenty years ago)

http://www.mcdonalds.com/mcd_apps/nutrition/mcmeal/img/mcgriddles_sec_s.jpg

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:08 (twenty years ago)

ba-da-ba-ba-ba

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

"I baked it myself. I hope you don't need super-strength to cut it!"

"That's ok. I can eat solid steel."

The Superman one is awesome.

― steviespitfire (steviespitfire), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:30 (twenty years ago)

METAMORPHO

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:33 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but can he eat solid steel?

It must be a pain: happily eating your cereal or whatever, when, damn, look, I've bitten through the spoon again.

― steviespitfire (steviespitfire), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:45 (twenty years ago)

Actually, he can! And he's also got a bit of the old Marvel powers=curse biz going on. AND he confronts a villain named Achilles Le Heele, who kidnaps Simon Stagg and forces The Element Man to steal the Eiffel Tower.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

JONAH HEX!! c'mon, name another comics character who has been stuffed and mounted (in the taxidermist sense...)

i have this friend who thinks that Metamorpho = the ersatz Spirit - never tested this against the actual comics myself, I find a little Bob Haney goes a loooooong way

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:48 (twenty years ago)

This is prime Haney, though.
Oh, hey, sure, I can see the Spirit parallel. At least in Metamopho's own title. It's thin, but it's there.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

I have finished the Metamorpho volume. I thought a lot of it was dreadful. Sal Trapani has no idea about composition (though I quite liked the self-inked issue), making those issues a pain to read. And I don't know that I'm sure there is such a thing as prime Bob Haney - some of the stories are an appalling mess. I enjoyed the early ones with Ramona Fradon on art, and Orlando was okay too, and the bonus Sekowsky stuff at the end is good too.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

Don't "stories [that] are an appalling mess" = prime Bob Haney? Isn't his Brave and the Bold run beloved precisely because of its continuity-destroying ludicrousness?

http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/images/BB68a-thumb.jpg

http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/images/BB68d-thumb.jpg

― Chris F. (servoret), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:57 (twenty years ago)

I don't mind that, but when I get to the end of stories and I am thinking "Hang on, what about this huge loose end? And where did that come from?" I am not pleased. The dreadful Thunderer story in this volume has a handful of such problems.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

I read some more of the Superman one last night and found myself giggling uncontrolably. Especially at "The Lion and the Lady" when Superman is turned into a lion by Circe, except she isn't really THAT Circe, she's her descendant, and it turns out that Circe actually travelled to Earth FROM OUTER SPACE (no telling where).
So she turns S-man into a lion (because he refuses to marry her), and Lois, who loves him no matter what, invites him to be her date to a play she has review tickets for. ONLY IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PLAY IS BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and Superman-Lion just sits there, absolutely crushed!
And Perry White refuses to run the story about Superman turning into a lion because "it would DEMORALIZE the whole planet!"
OK SUPERMAN WINS.
(but Metamorpho is still awesome!)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

You just have just shown the Superman to be better i.e. by demonstrating the "must-tell-everyone" factor. Anything that has as much story-repeatabilty-mileage (WTF??) as those stories must be great. Right. Right??

― steviespitfire (steviespitfire), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

What am I on about.

Damn.

― steviespitfire (steviespitfire), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

the lion and the lady is amazing. there's one panel in particularly where lion-superman is pretending to be a real lion to entertain boy scouts (it's in the lower right-hand corner of the page) that is spectacularly unintentionally funny.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:49 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, well, good point. The Metamorpho stories are much more episodic, in that they're all pretty much the same. Rexy Baby wants to spend time smooching with his Saph-doll, Staggsy cooks up a scheme to use the Element Man for his own benefit, Java plots to undercut everyone so that Metamorpho will look the fool and winds up in terrible danger, "Oh no, I'm too young to die! I'm only half a million-years-old!"
Metamorpho saves the day, and makes out with Saphire in a helicopter. REPEAT TWENTY-THREE TIMES, then cancel.

xpost.

Oh yeah. It's almost as if Superman never fights crime in this thing, because he's so busy doing stupid experiments or playing elaborate (and cruel) gags on Lois.
Oh wait, there's the Black Knight story, which is SO RIDICULOUS, esp. in its resolution. "The sword could slice through the bank vault and police car because they were partly made of wood!"

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

Well, I'm about half-way through this Metamorpho volume and I've just come across the issue where Rexy Baby does a new dance that's just merely the grrr-rrr-rrroooviest -- called 'The Element Man', natch!

You get the feeling that even in the all-new, all-emo DCU, Metamorpho would still do this at the drop of a groovy hat.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Thursday, 20 October 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

If he weren't dead. (I think)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 21 October 2005 00:29 (twenty years ago)

Diamond managed to ship half my shop's order to Kent instead of Bristol this week, so I cheered byself up with the MUST HAVE SO CHEAP Supes and GL volumes. I already suspect I may be suckered into these in a way I wasn't with Essentials.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 21 October 2005 07:45 (twenty years ago)

After reading about Superman-Lion yesterday I cracked and bought the Supes volume. I have only read a little bit so far but I laughed a lot in the Metallo story when Superman traced Metallo to a uranium mine and picked up a handy ornamental brass deer to use as a weapon

a brass deer

WTF???

― Mark C (Markco), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:01 (twenty years ago)

just reading the superman one at the moment, and the villains have a giant vibrator to defeat superman with!

― adam caudill, Friday, 21 October 2005 09:10 (twenty years ago)

Metamorpho is alive and emo in the pages of Outsiders. No groovy dancing in sight though his clone did some horizontal dancing with a murderous future robot. As one does.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 21 October 2005 21:51 (twenty years ago)

Does the Metamorphoclone at any time state that the future robot is 'merely the yvoorgiest'?

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Friday, 21 October 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

Metamorpho clone is the fifth or sixth worst character seeing regular appearances in comics today.

― iodine (iodine), Saturday, 22 October 2005 00:52 (twenty years ago)

the superman with the dead magician's magical superman-controlling clock really ranks as one of the weirdest pieces of absurdism i've ever read

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 22 October 2005 01:08 (twenty years ago)

For a moment I thought that was happening now in 2005 in the pages of Superman/Batman or something. It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Saturday, 22 October 2005 20:12 (twenty years ago)

Was it Wayne Boring who couldn't draw Clark Kent's eyeglasses in profile?

― M. V. (M.V.), Friday, 28 October 2005 01:09 (twenty years ago)

To Hex or not to Hex, that is the question!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

totally! i've never read it. but i have a train trip coming up & i was tempted today.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

i have been enjoying green lantern an awful lot, probably more than superman. superman i have some measure of ironic distance at all times (i mean, the batman + birthday cake shit, man) whereas green lantern i get that plus direct affect, which is always an odd feeling. it helps like the plotlines with ferris and the guardians don't feel as stuck to a status quo as in the superman volume. also, i just got to the one with "antagonistic atoms", and i think this is a great phrase. also, gil kane's alien monsters are fuckin' A.

― tom west (thomp), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 21:42 (twenty years ago)

what's the actual concept behind jonah hex, incidentally? i had never heard of it, ever.

― tom west (thomp), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 21:42 (twenty years ago)

Jonah Hex = bounty hunter in the Old West, and a very nasty piece of work. His face is hideously scarred (one eye is huge, there's a sort of tendon connecting his lips); don't know if it was ever explained exactly how that happened, but the idea is that there's some really awful stuff in his past.

At some point in the '80s somebody thought it'd be a bright idea to transport him to the future to be a Mad Max type. It was not, in fact, a bright idea.

At some point in the '70s, Michael Fleischer, the writer most associated with him, wrote a story about Jonah's death that went on to show his body stuffed, mounted and displayed in a traveling Wild West show.

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 21:58 (twenty years ago)

I was one of the 12 punters who bought and enjoyed future HEX (having never heard of the older stuff). It is one of the few things from the mid-80s that I would probably never go back and read.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 22:20 (twenty years ago)

He was shunted to the future in Crisis!

There were a series of Joe.R.Lansdale-written mini-series by Vertigo in to 90s. Truly, he is the weathervane of the times.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

I thought his chick in the pink future jumpsuit was hotZor.

Until Keith Giffen started drawing it anyway.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

His face was melted in a fire. No, I'm not convinced that leads to a strip of flesh joining your upper and lower lip, but perhaps he's a mutant or something.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

what is the reasoning behind DC's choices for this series?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 23:01 (twenty years ago)

Is there not some sort of revived title launching next month? Or perhaps I am just assuming that. I've still no clue why Metamorpho made #3 on their list.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 23:08 (twenty years ago)

Somebody read all those blogs saying "Remember the groovy silly silver age?" and said "Let us give them what they ask for... GIVE UNTIL IT HURTS! AH HA HA HA HA HAAAA!"

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 23:37 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, the Hex volume is definitely part of the new series push. Superman is as Superman does, and the Green Lantern volume might be a way to placate fans of the new series while they wait for Ethan Van Sciver to finish cross-hatching. Or, in Huk's case, it might be there to make the new series look chump-like. The Metamorpho volume ... um, he's sorta featured in Outsiders? And he's bendy?

ANIMA SHOWCASE PLEASE!?!!!?!

I might've already made that "joke"; feel free to not "laugh", if so inclined.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 23:47 (twenty years ago)

Oh - and Green Arrow BECAUSE HUK DEMANDED IT.

Huk.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

I, uh, kind of liked the Lansdale Vertigo series. I'm totally buying the new series AND the Showcase tomorrow after work. My local shop never has the Metamorpho one in--is it really worth it or am I getting caught up in the whirlwind of Huk's enthusiasm?

― adam (adam), Thursday, 3 November 2005 03:25 (twenty years ago)

haha i was ALSO one of the 12 who read future Hex in the 80s, i think i actually have gone back and read them. the western one's are fun though i haven't read them in forever. i bet i'd enjoy them alot more now. in generations jonah hex was why ma kent was unable to bear children. anyhow i added the superman showcase onto an amazon order in a 'fuckit might as well' impulse buy (i think to push me into 'free shipping' zone too)(with other stuff i needed/had been wanting wanting) and of course when i get the package the first thing i jump into is FANTASTIX SUPERMAND SHOWCASE. lois rules.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 3 November 2005 08:31 (twenty years ago)

It took me nearly a fortnight to read the Superman one, mainly because I found I couldn't read more than about 4 stories at a go due to the (hugely enjoyable) wtf-ery within.

GL, on the other hand, I've read nearly half of in one sitting because it's just so damn good. Huge chunks of it come off like some kind of romance comic, but PSEUDO SCIENCE! PIEFACE! QWARD!

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 3 November 2005 09:56 (twenty years ago)

based on ANTAGONISTIC ATOMS!

― tom west (thomp), Thursday, 3 November 2005 10:24 (twenty years ago)

The one where he creates the monster so he can get away from Carol proposing, only to be knocked out by a toy plane and the monster going on the rampage is AWESOME.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 3 November 2005 10:27 (twenty years ago)

Hal certainly was a massive hero all right. Almost as good as the one where he turns Pieface into a bird by accident.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Thursday, 3 November 2005 12:22 (twenty years ago)

From the Metamorpho and Green Lantern volumes, it's pretty easy to believe that all those writers & artists had been working on ROMANCE comics before superheroes came back into vogue.

Adam, the Metamorpho is sorta wacky, the Ramona Fradon art is boffo, and the bad-science/soap-opera plotlines are kinda fun, and the dialogue is Go-Go. I'm sure my enthusiasm and shock (I never even knew that Metamorpho ever had his own series) over it is a little inflated.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 3 November 2005 14:44 (twenty years ago)

I am leaving work now to buy Jonah Hex.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 3 November 2005 16:34 (twenty years ago)

Only to find they didn't order it in because they didn't think anyone would want it.

Am I now the first ilCor to have Showcase Presents on their pull list?

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 4 November 2005 07:57 (twenty years ago)

The JH one is great but I have endless patience for rote tough-guyisms.

― adam (adam), Friday, 4 November 2005 11:45 (twenty years ago)

I thought I had Showcase Presents on my pull list, and I'm definitely OFFICIALLY adding it now, after my comic shop only brought one in and I didn't go by until yesterday and somebody had already bought the SP: Jonah Hex.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 4 November 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

what are the next ones and when are they out? I can't wait for the JLA and LSH ones

― Mark C (Markco), Friday, 4 November 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

JLA and Green Arrow are next!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 4 November 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

woo hoo!

I wonder if Green Arrow will have Speedy's drug shame - not even The Finger can help you when you're jonesing real bad

― Mark C (Markco), Friday, 4 November 2005 15:26 (twenty years ago)

Nope. I think it covers right up to the issue of Brave & Bold where Green Arrow GROWS A BEARD.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 4 November 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

AND NOTHING WAS EVER THE SAME AGAIN!!!1!

― Mark C (Markco), Friday, 4 November 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

PUNK

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 4 November 2005 15:57 (twenty years ago)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/hukl/kirbyga.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 4 November 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

lol!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 4 November 2005 23:42 (twenty years ago)

Finished the Green Lantern one over the weekend, and it's great pulpy SF.

One genuinely great moment in it, however, when Sue Williams becomes convinced Jim Jordan is GL. Her reasoning? He wears glasses, is oddly clumsy, and uses outmoded language.

If only she'd shared her suspicions with Lois Lane...

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 7 November 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

Finished the Green Lantern one over the weekend, and it's great pulpy SF.

One genuinely brilliant moment in it, however, when Sue Williams becomes convinced Jim Jordan is GL. Her reasoning? He wears glasses, is oddly clumsy, and uses outmoded language.

If only she'd shared her suspicions with Lois Lane...

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 7 November 2005 13:47 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

I read more Superman last night. What a shitty reporter Clark Kent is, but he still won Reporter of the Year!
So far nothing rivals the Super-Lion story, but the one where Kent is on THE EYE OF METROPOLIS and has to take a lie detector test to prove he isn't Superman, and since he can't break his code of honour, he gives himself a tiny dose of Green K so that when the TV reporter asked if he had superpowers, he could honestly answer "no."
And the Alfred E. Newman face is awesome.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

I've slowly been working my way through the Jonah Hex volume and have been really enjoying it - lots of the stories are incredibly GRIM (if JH encounters a kiddie or a poochie, you know they're gonna be brown bread by tale's end) and Jonah seems to kill at least five ppl every issue!

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 16:05 (twenty years ago)

JLA next week. I haven't decided if I actually want it or not. The early JLA stuff I've read in the Crisis on Multiple Earths trades has been pretty awful.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 16:10 (twenty years ago)

nice mike sekowsky art, tho

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

And it will look better in b & w, won't it?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

JLA next week. I haven't decided if I actually want it or not. The early JLA stuff I've read in the Crisis on Multiple Earths trades has been pretty awful.

yeah i kinda agree with that sentiment! it's kind of a chore

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

I absolutely adore early JLA, and am looking forward to this immensely.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 21:20 (twenty years ago)

JLA definitely has it for Starro and Queen Zazzala and definitely loses it by the time Red Tornado shows up. I'm hoping this Showcase will be mostly the 'has it' period.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 22:07 (twenty years ago)

Sounds like that will be it exactly. Maybe the "early" JLA I've read hasn't been early enough.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 1 December 2005 01:33 (twenty years ago)

Was Fox's JLA ever better than the story with the Crime Syndicate? I remember reading that a while back and finding it a delightful mix of straight superhero stuff for the kiddies and campy self-parody.

― Chris F. (servoret), Thursday, 1 December 2005 01:44 (twenty years ago)

yeah i wld rather read a Fox JLA than a Broome GL - less fucken 'science', for one thing - i sort've admire the extreme formularity (?) of these JLA stories, the same basic structure every issue (split JLA up into smaller units to fight alien threat, have them unite at end) - maybe the only sane, practical solution to the huge headachey prob of managing all team books (esp. when editor Julie Schwartz was warned off using Bats and Supes too prominently to begin w/)

all DCs are a chore slocki, it's part of their appeal

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Friday, 2 December 2005 23:56 (twenty years ago)

Sane and practical maybe but not at all FUN! Far too much "oh great Aquaman has teamed up with Wonder Woman", not enough BIG FITES!

I think the original JLA - or what I've read of it - is pretty rub. It's cute how it's so anti-macho, tho, especially when they hold a meeting to discuss who their next member is going to be:

Flash: "How about Adam Strange? He's acheived an excelent record!"

Green Lantern: "Yes, but Green Arrow has been doing fine work for a long time!"

Batman: "How about that newcomer in Midway City? He's known as Hawkman..."

Caption: "After an hour of friendly argument..."

They're all smiles and kindlyness and not-brainwashing, the silver age JLA. Even the Martian Manhunter's always grinning, which freaks me the fuck out.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 3 December 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

How is all that not FUN? Isn't the bloodlessness half the charm of SA DC? Have you read the Crime Syndicate story? JLA got more and more camp and absurd as the series progressed.

― Chris F. (servoret), Saturday, 3 December 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)

No, the club-house "who are we letting in this month?" sequences *are* fun. But the fiteing, for the most part, isn't - because as I said, I like BIG FITES in my team books! Perhaps that's a leftover from my childhood obsession with 60's TV Batman, but there just isn't enough real chaos in the stuff for me.

Don't think I have the Crime Syndiacte story, no, I just own the first volume of the DC Archives.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 3 December 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

I think the fiteing gets better as the series progresses-- the early episodes seem to have a weird sketchiness about them in both writing and art, but it starts to firm up by the time the JSA team-ups come around. I can't remember if Sekowsky starts getting Kirby-er in his depictions of action later on or if that's just later Gil Kane I'm thinking of, but the tone of the series definitely changes somewhat from the early formula driven stuff. It continues to be geared toward younger children, but it gets much bolder and self-consciously camp about doing so. (I kinda suspect the famous "Robin-- what have I done?" dialogue was purposely a double entendre-- the Crime Syndicate story is pretty cool like that.)

― Chris F. (servoret), Saturday, 3 December 2005 22:07 (twenty years ago)

Sekowsky definitely gets to loosen up a little bit on the action scenes.

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1449/400/1449_4_002.jpg

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1449/400/1449_4_043.jpg

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1449/400/1449_4_046.jpg

― Chris F. (servoret), Saturday, 3 December 2005 22:18 (twenty years ago)

Comics.org has put down DA HAMMER!

― David R. (popshots75`), Sunday, 4 December 2005 01:44 (twenty years ago)

To see Metamorpho say NO!, click here.

― David R. (popshots75`), Sunday, 4 December 2005 01:47 (twenty years ago)

Oh, sadness. Well, that day had to come sooner or later. That was supposed to be the covers of JLAs # 2, 43, and 46 (the cover to that one's really camp but the insides are probably even more so).

― Chris F. (servoret), Sunday, 4 December 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

It's probably 90% my fault.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 December 2005 14:44 (twenty years ago)

I read Jonah Hex in one go on a coach over the weekend. The affected accents are awkward to start with, but them's good readin'. The two backup collections are k-rub though. I never thought I'd say it, but LESS HAWK BUDDIES CHEWING THROUGH ROPES PLS.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

But the art on the Wanted! stories is pretty great. I love Gil Kane westerns. I found some old Rawhide Kid issues he did a few weeks ago. Mmm, mmm.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, the final Gil Kane thing that's more like a Western Spectre story is great, but I can do without THE SECRET OF GURL COWBOY GURL.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:49 (twenty years ago)

With the exception of the "Three-part novel" introducing the phallic totem, the rubbing of which by Jimmy spawns Supergirl, how many of the Superman stories do you need to enjoy ironically to enjoy it at all?

And: is it necessary to read the stories in order?

― Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gentleee as you move (Leee), Monday, 5 December 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

Really, the only one you NEED to read is the one where Superman turns into a lion.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 December 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

I don't think I'm even reading them ironically, I think I'm sincerely marvelling at the wild imagination at work within fairly strict parameters. And maybe a bit ironically, as I seem to chortle out loud about every fourth panel.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 December 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

I think the hardest thing for me to get past is the dialogue. (And what the... er... heck is up with Supes' weird pauses?) And stuff like when Superman asked an archaeologist to rifle through a dig site and give Jimmy that totem really bothered me! Though I guffawed at it too.

― Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gentleee as you move (Leee), Monday, 5 December 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

I don't think you need much irony at all to enjoy them. Most of them are beautifully crafted and very entertaining. The laughable nonsense factor was mostly there at the time, but certainly adds to them now.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 5 December 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

Most of them are beautifully crafted

Indeed, though there does seem to be a boilerplate Supes flying with his knee up image (and quite likely others), which almost adds to sublime wonderment of it all.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 December 2005 20:57 (twenty years ago)

Irony is such a cursed term when it comes to talking about pop culture, ppl always assume that it means that you aren't actually fond of the stuff you're talking about, or at least that you're trying to distance yourself from your liking it via playing the irony card. Mostly these days when I want to refer to irony I just use "OMGWTFLOL" instead, it seems to give a better idea of what I'm trying to get at. Anyway, silver age Supes is clearly to be read with much OMGWTFLOL.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 5 December 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)

Argh, "clearly to be read", that came out way too smug and hectoring. I read, and enjoy him immensley that way, is what I meant.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 5 December 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

I think, as well, that there was a great deal of irony (albeit a less cynical version than the irony so common today) involved in writing the Silver Age Supes.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 December 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

Oh JLA, you are so square.

Flash to Snapper Carr: "I'm not sure if I do 'dig' what you're saying."

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 8 December 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

they had run out of this in my comic shop today. damn you shop

― Mark C (Markco), Thursday, 8 December 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)

They had some in Gosh, Mark - I bought one, and am looking forward to time to read it, mainly at the weekend.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 8 December 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

thanks Martin, i'll probably go down there today and have a look

― Mark C (Markco), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:27 (twenty years ago)

J'onn J'onzz has a crush on the Flash.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

I enjoyed the JLA one greatly. pp304-305 had an unexpected bonus: Wonder Woman in an apron, hoovering the secret base.

Next four: Green Arrow; House Of Mystery; Superman Family; Haunted Tank. Anyone heard beyond that? I'd have expected Batman, Flash and LSH to have been among the first half dozen, but no sign at all.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 11 December 2005 16:56 (twenty years ago)

Haunted Tank ?!? You're putting me on. That's so completely out of left field.

I think I maybe really want the House of Mystery one. I really dug reading old battered issues of that shit when I was a kid. I wonder if it holds up.

― Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Sunday, 11 December 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

Haunted Tank surely ran rather longer than Metamorpho, Jonah Hex or Green Arrow, I think.

There will be some of the best art you'll ever see in comics in House Of Mystery. Not many of the stories amount to much, but well worth it for the Toth content, and lots of the rest will be enjoyable.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 11 December 2005 18:33 (twenty years ago)

Wow, I didn't know anything beyond House of M.
I think they're trying to balance obscure weirdo stuff with more popular fare like JLA/Superman. I wholly support this. At some point I'm going to have to start not buying each one, or merely not buying new comics at all and waiting to see how this Infinite Crisis turns out in 2047 when I get Showcase Presents Infinite Crisis.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Sunday, 11 December 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

Ok yeah, so I'm totally gonna give in. But I'm still grouchy about the b&w format, it feels like purchasing music with missing vocals or something.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 11 December 2005 20:08 (twenty years ago)

what's the deal with superman family? was there a comic called "Superman Family" or is just an assortment of supers-... boy, girl, dog etc?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 11 December 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

I don't know - they give one creative team, which makes it sound like one series, so presumably not those and Lois, Jimmy, Kandor and so on. I look forward to more info. Haunted Tank will be all Kanigher scripts, art by Andru then Kubert then Heath I think, but I couldn't guess at the proportions there.

I've bought all five so far, but am undecided re Green Arrow. I think he was a pretty uninteresting character back then, and I bought the Kirby GA thing a while back, so I am not hugely drawn by the rest of it.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 11 December 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

Okay, I am informed that the Superman Family book will be half Jimmy Olsen, half Lois Lane (so half Swan, half Schaffenberger, or thereabouts). I wanted a whole separate Lois book, but this will still be fantastic. Will Lois come up with cunning plots to make Superman marry her more often than Jimmy finds himself 'obliged' to put on women's clothes?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 11 December 2005 22:41 (twenty years ago)

He is obliging.

The Superman volume does have a story (one of the three genie ones mentioned above) where Lois overhears that Superman is Clark Kent. The writer gives the appearance of having forgotten this until there's only two panels left, so he fixes it by having Clark write a note to Lois saying that he's fallen deeply in love with her, and wondering if she'll accept his hand in marriage. She realises that she must have been mistaken, because Superman would never ask for her hand in marriage, and basically tells Clark to go swivel, which he doesn't seem too unhappy about. Great short term fix for the story, but bad for future Lois stories about her finding out Superman's identity, or trying to marry him IE ALL OF THEM.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Sunday, 11 December 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

wow, I can't wait until the Jimmy/Lois one

Meanwhile I found the JLA one and am enjoying it a lot. Methinks that "Identity Crisis" would have turned out completely differently if Snapper Carr had been around to call Dr Light a "Boasty Toast".

I also like the way that Green Lantern (or someone) inhales a cloud of chlorine gas to deflect Amazo's green lantern ray, without melting his lungs and like totally being poisoned to death.

― Mark C (Markco), Monday, 12 December 2005 09:49 (twenty years ago)

I hear there are quite strong rumours of a Teen Titans collection soon - lovely Nick Cardy art, lots more with-it talk scripted by middle aged men, and the Mad Mod.

Snapper Carr is immensely annoying, and I have no idea what happened to him. Did he turn out to have become some sort of cosmic destroyer in a megacrossover at any point? Or did Batman growl "Snap those fingers one more time when I'm here and I'll make sure you never do it again" at him? Given that he does it habitually whenever something pleases him, I bet his JLA 'membership' didn't get him many groupie blowjobs.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 12 December 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

He is very annoying. I love the way that half the plots revolve around him witlessly rolling around in some sort of toxic waste which is just the thing to stop Dr Bad Scientist's evil rays.

― Mark C (Markco), Monday, 12 December 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

Snapper Carr eventually betrayed the JLA by leading the Joker to their secret hideout. Then he tried to make good by snitching out the Star-Tsar, and then he was kidnapped by the Dominators in INVASION! and I think gained teleportation powers (triggered by snapping his fingers, duh!) and led his own spacefaring supergroup, The Blasters. I don't know if they had their own series or what happened to them.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 December 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

ihttp://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/14214/200/14214_2_001.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 December 2005 14:48 (twenty years ago)

He hung out with Hourman a few years ago in the short lived (but rather fun) Hourman and the Minute Men.

(This post comes to you via the Space Cadets rule of telling the truth.)

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 12 December 2005 14:49 (twenty years ago)

Huk - Comics.org doesn't love us straight-linking them anymore!

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 12 December 2005 15:22 (twenty years ago)

Nuts to them.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 December 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

Is this the "Superman Family" collection you're talking about, Martin, or is there a proper Showcase Presents as well?

http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=4809

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 December 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

wouldn't superman FAMILY more properly included supergirl? she's his only family member

MISLEADING

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 12 December 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

Nevermind, the March Solicits for DC are up, and they include Showcase Presents: Superman Family, seems to be first 22 issues of Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane's first "solo" adventure in Showcase. Supergirl will likely get her own Showcase Presents.
Also listed: Showcase Presents: Teen Titans, WHEE!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 December 2005 20:25 (twenty years ago)

Oh my God, I can't wait for the Superman Family thing to come out!

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Monday, 12 December 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

Don't you mean:

"Also listed: Showcase Presents: Teen Titans, GROOVY!"

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 12 December 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

seriously, 22 issues of Jimmy and ONE of Lois? Why not just call it Jimmy Olsen and drop the Lois (until her own volume!)? The Teen Titans one will be great!

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 12 December 2005 22:06 (twenty years ago)

I WANT COLOUR

The Blasters got their own one-shot, which mysteriously failed to incite demand for an ongoing series.

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 00:41 (twenty years ago)

http://www.scottsaavedra.com/feb2005/olsen-hotdog.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

In what era does Lois take to sassily calling Clark such colorful sobriquets as a "banana" and a "drip"?

― Obsessing over the unobtainable and nonexistent. (Leee), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 18:32 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Finally got Supes & GL! Started reading the GL one, but holy shit Carol Ferris made me want to punch myself. Tho it's nice to know that Hal Jordan's always been a non-charismatic dink. I also forgot that he was found by Abin Sur in a training module designed to train pilots to fly in fancy future space planes!

― David R. (popshots75`), Saturday, 14 January 2006 07:19 (twenty years ago)

Is it this week that Green Arrow ships?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 14 January 2006 09:36 (twenty years ago)

Next week!
I'm more excited about HOUSE OF MYSTERY in Feb, though.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Saturday, 14 January 2006 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Me too - I'm not certain I'll buy GA. I have the first five or whatever, but I have the little Kirby GA collection they did, so... But I do like Lee Elias, and I don't mind George Papp, and I'm sure there is cute gimmickry on most every page. I'm also pretty confident there won't be a story or villain that stays with me beyond the time it takes to crack a joke about how absurd or lame they are. If a more exciting Essential came out than the bloody Handbook one, I'd probably just buy that and skip this Showcase.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 14 January 2006 21:26 (twenty years ago)

I've actually tracked down a few early More Fun and Adventure Comics GA strips and they're pretty fun. Especially the one where GA loses his fortune, and he has to take a job in a dept. store and Speedy takes a gig going door-to-door selling vacuums and they can only fight crime on their lunch hour. The first page splash (typically) overstates the situation with "Speedy, we only have ONE HOUR to solve THE MYSTERY OF WHATEVER MYSTERY WE'RE FACING TODAY!"

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 16 January 2006 15:49 (twenty years ago)

I was just looking at DC's solicit ( http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=4712 ) and there's no More Fun. I was for two seconds shocked at how much content there is in it, but then I remembered that these aren't BOOK LENGTH stories, they're 8-10 page back-ups. Also, WTF? JLA #4? Isn't it a little early to be double-dipping?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 16 January 2006 15:53 (twenty years ago)

Following that link to DC and searching for Showcase, I find that Haunted Tank appears to have been replaced by Teen Titans (BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54, 60, SHOWCASE #59, and TEEN TITANS #1-18). Bah.

LESS BOB HANEY, MORE WAR GHOST STUFF.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 16 January 2006 16:05 (twenty years ago)

Maybe they're putting it off so that they can release it in conjunction w/ Terry Gilliam's rumoured Haunted Tank movie! (by "rumoured" I'm starting the rumour right here, bucko)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 16 January 2006 16:09 (twenty years ago)

Those Teen Titans are terrific! Really silly, and with absolutely gorgeous Nick Cardy art - I'm looking forward to that a lot.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 16 January 2006 18:27 (twenty years ago)

I'm pro-Teen Titans, but come on, "Haunted Tank"! Priorities, people!

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 16 January 2006 18:38 (twenty years ago)

Plus, Teen Titans have already been Archived.
I think DC might be trying to balance Volumes That Will Sell to Comic Nerds with Volumes That Will Sell to I Love Comics Nerds.
Hence, GL, (CN) Superman (which is both), Metamorpho (neither), Jonah Hex (ILCN), JLA (CN), Green Arrow (CN), House of Mystery (ILCN), Teen Titans (CN), Haunted Tank (ILCN).

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 16 January 2006 18:44 (twenty years ago)

Haunted Tank has an awful lot of well-written but terribly repetitive stories, many of them with the pleasant but not very exciting Russ Heath on art. Teen Titans has the Mad Mod and other equally absurd enemies plus Bob Haney doing hip young person's talk!

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 16 January 2006 19:51 (twenty years ago)

The words "less Bob Haney" are mentalist talk!

Plus, Teen Titans have already been Archived.

Isn't that the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans from twenty years later, not this stuff? anyway, I will pay someone five bucks to colour this in for me before I read it.

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 00:30 (twenty years ago)

OH MY GOD. Those Teen Titans issues are the holy grail for me. It's what Metamorpho was trying to do with all that hip, kooky, merely-the-most 'Rexy Baby' stuff only one billion times more so.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 01:23 (twenty years ago)

Haunted Tank in the April solicits.

Huk's list missing Superman Family (ILCN). Seeing the list like that, however, implies a (CN) title for May - Flash, possibly?

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 09:46 (twenty years ago)

Martin, Essential Avengers Vol 5 was released last week, end of the roy thomas run and into the englehart glory days - miles better than either teen titans or the fucken haunted tank

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:25 (twenty years ago)

How much of it is Roy the Boy and how much Stainless Steve? Avengers vol4 I bought a year ago and have only managed to grind through about 10 issues, the sole highlight being Roy Thomas Tackles Racism.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 12:57 (twenty years ago)

Not that much R the B, and some of his issues are nicely drawn by Barry Smith, inc. the excellent issue 100. It takes Englehart a little while to get going - and the Don Heck artwork is v. ropey - but then as soon he gets stuck into the whole swordsman/mantis/hawkeye/celestial madonna etc. 'saga', we're off and running. You also get the whole of the 'legendary' Avengers-Defenders 'war' which is poss. the first such extended intra-title crossover, and is prob. rub. If and when they get around to Volume 6 it shld be all killer no filler

sorry, back to the DC mung...

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:09 (twenty years ago)

I hate the Barry Smith artwork, as I recall, but I will certainly grab Essential Avengers 5.

I may skip GA, but I'll certainly want all the other Showcases announced so far, and I really hope we get to Flash soon, as those Infantino issues - and there are plenty of them - are my favourite old DC superhero comics. I've not read all of them by a long way.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Issue #100 is mung! Or ming! Merciless! Whatever! That was reprinted in some 100 PAGE SPECTACULAR a few years ago, during Kurt Busiek's 15-year-long Kang War. Roy the Oy + a young BWS kicked in the nards by shit inking = MINGUNG.

In GL news, Cagey Carol Ferris & Happening Hal Jordan are dumber than yellow rocks and deserve whatever pain the next missle-firing bald scientist wishes to visit upon them. Also, Hal's cruising for some sexual harrassment lawsuits, never mind insubordination - I would think office decorum would mean sneaking behind your boss for a bearhug is a no-no.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:39 (twenty years ago)

The Absorbacon (not to be confused with Absorbacron) blog has a running gag where the blogger continually unearths panels of Jal Hordan using his head as the blunt instrument it truly is.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:42 (twenty years ago)

Oh PIEFACE - the Showcase Green Lantern FEATURING PIEFACE is some sort of PIEFACE. Just when I thought PIEFACE couldn't get any more PIEFACE w/ the Carol Ferris "OMG I must marry Green Lantern RIGHT NOW" nonsense, then PIEFACE comes along and holy PIEFACE I didn't know that Hal's relationship w/ PIEFACE was so PIEFACE.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:08 (twenty years ago)

The Piefaced Absurdity of DC Comics

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:09 (twenty years ago)

For a guy w/ no fear, dude has some serious commitment issues.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:10 (twenty years ago)

To be fair (as meticulously archived here: http://absorbascon.blogspot.com/ ), Mr. Jordan has taken a lot of blows to the head.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:29 (twenty years ago)

Showcase Presents Superman Vol. 2 in June! YEAH!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:23 (twenty years ago)

I just started reading Volume 1! OMG SO GOOD! Al Plastino is my new hero!

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:34 (twenty years ago)

I hope Kurt Busiek is taking notes (and fuck, he's a Kurt/Curt, so he BELONGS on Superman, maybe?).

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:41 (twenty years ago)

I'm partial to:

- the story about Superman in college (SUPERBOY!), where a professor (Hamilton?) tries to prove that Clark is Superboy; Supes gets strapped to a lie detector at the end, and when asked "ARE YOU SUPERBOY!?!?", says "NO!" and passes because he decided AT THAT VERY MOMENT that he is now SUPERMAN, and therefore wasn't lying when he answered the question! Those were the days...

- the story where Lois gets knocked out trying to get an exclusive scoop about the Metropolis Science Fair (HOT) when she falls off a 4-foot high ledge (SUPERHOT) & imagines she's getting a transfusion of SUPERBLOOD, & dreams about being super, & giving Clark a transfusion of blood, & how dorky & stupid Clark would be as a superguy! *knowing wink*

- the story where Superman is invited to Krypton Island, an island that's a replica of Krypton developed by some con guy to trick Superman into making diamonds (from coal); after entertaining folks at a pep-rally thing w/ his amazing powers (superbreath through a beanshooter!), he marvels at an authentic recreation OF THE DESTRUCTION OF HIS HOME PLANET! INCLUDING HIS PLACEMENT IN THE ROCKET! AND HE'S HONORED BY IT! *choke*

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:54 (twenty years ago)

Given KB's rep as a superfan (and, no doubt, a Superfan), he could probably go chapter-verse on your ass @ the drop of a powerful locomotive.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:55 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but I hope he's taking notes on the FUN of the SPS.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 16:06 (twenty years ago)

the krypton island one is fantastic. bad guys sure went to a lot of effort in those days.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 16:59 (twenty years ago)

I just read the Green Arrow. It's almostly completely dreadful, sadly.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 22:19 (twenty years ago)

I have to sort of agree. Comparing it to the Superman volume is like having the sexy/sexist-dumb/clever discussion from Spinal Tap.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 23:39 (twenty years ago)

House of Mystery solicit:
Written by Len Wein, Robert Kanigher, Gerry Conway and others; Art by Bernie Wrightson, Neal Adams, Gil Kane, Alex Toth and others; Cover by Joe Orlando

Do you dare to enter…the House of Mystery? Everyone who does will find a full 22 issues of this classic DC series! Beginning with editor Joe Orlando's first issue (#174), this 552-page black-and-white trade paperback features a wealth of art from macabre masters!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 6 February 2006 17:53 (twenty years ago)

Anyway, there's a lot to love about the Showcase Presents the Green Arrow, particularly is boneheadedness and complete unconcern for continuity--which is not to say that in one story, GA is revealed to be Jewish and in another he's Episcopalian or anything, just, there's nothing, every story is completely self-contained, except, I guess the Superboy crossover!!!--and the steady, if uninspired art.
It's the art of survival by remaining unnoticed. There is nothing so great, nor so terrible. It's just something to fill the back of Superboy's comics.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 6 February 2006 17:58 (twenty years ago)

From Wikipedia's House of M entry:
House of Mystery was a horror anthology comic book series published by DC Comics. It featured two or three stories of horror and suspense in each issue. Its most famous recurring feature was I...Vampire, which dealt with a heroic vampire, Andrew Bennett, who sought to defeat his nemesis and former lover Mary, the Queen of Blood. All the tales were introduced by a character name Cain, "able care taker" of the House of Mystery, who was also one of the hosts of Plop! and who later became a recurring character in The Sandman. It had a companion title called House of Secrets.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 6 February 2006 18:04 (twenty years ago)

http://eeweems.com/artandartifice/alex_nino.html

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 6 February 2006 18:07 (twenty years ago)

Only good bits of Green Arrow: Kirby stuff last reprinted about a year ago; Miss Arrowette's powderpuff, hand-lotion, hairpin and similar arrows; the 'and you thought Batman and Robin might be gay!' "OMG GA is grooming a new boy to replace me, sob!" story.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 February 2006 19:25 (twenty years ago)

OMG

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN VOL. 2 TP
Written by Jerry Coleman, Bill Finger and Otto Binder
Art by Curt Swan, Wayne Boring, Al Plastino and Kurt Schaffenberger
Cover by Swan & George Klein
The second Showcase spotlighting the Silver Age exploits of Superman features ACTION COMICS #258-275 and SUPERMAN #134-145! The Man of Steel faces off against a wide array of threats, from the impish Mr. Mxyzptlk to the deadly alien Brainiac to the utterly incomprehensible Bizarro.
Advance-solicited; on sale June 14 • 576 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 13 February 2006 23:53 (twenty years ago)

OMG where is this damn thread categorized - I can never find the stupid thing!

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 13 February 2006 23:53 (twenty years ago)

Just do a title search (which i find the speediest and most reliable--if you know what the title of a thread is--search in all ILXhood) for Metamorpho. Hell, you could probably even do a google search for Metamorpho, ffs, it's not like there's a plethora of Element Man FanFic out there. He wasn't in JLE THAT LONG.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 14:39 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, that's what I did to find it. (ILC search, not fanfic search.)

BTW, finished OMG SHOWCASE SUPERMAN last night - the two Shuster stories that close it out are a real downer, especially after that 2-part INFINITE BIZARRO epic.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 14:44 (twenty years ago)

I have a suspicion that characters with shapeshifting/formchanging powers of any sort are subject to an amount of fan fiction disproportionate to their popularity.

― Tep (ktepi), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 14:45 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but flowing hair (a la Booster Gold, Dick Grayson, etc) is u&k to good fanfic.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 14:50 (twenty years ago)

You mean FLOWBEE hair, surely.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 14:53 (twenty years ago)

I was just writing something about something, and I caught myself using "metamorpho" where I should have been using "metaphor". Several times.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 14:27 (twenty years ago)

Metamorpho is a metahor though for the constant flux of modern day society. And how the layman does not really understand science.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 14:35 (twenty years ago)

Yeah but The Railroad in Folk Music isn't a metamorpho for the conflagration of huddled masses and industry in the early 20th C. But maybe it should be.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 14:45 (twenty years ago)

I'm trying to slog through the rest of the GL Showcase. Ungh.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 16:28 (twenty years ago)

I'm pretty sure House of Mystery is lame. The art is magnificent, but the stories aren't even funnily stupid.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 16:29 (twenty years ago)

And Aragones was obviously not using his A material.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 16:31 (twenty years ago)

I really enjoyed the House of Mystery one - quite a few rubbish stories, some rubbish art, but some GREAT art, and more very good art than I'd expected. I've lost track of what we are expecting next - Teen Titans, Haunted Tank, Superman Family...?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 16:37 (twenty years ago)

Does Alex Toth's stuff in here possibly look even better in B&W?

that sounds right, and then Superman, Vol. 2 in June.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 16:39 (twenty years ago)

Superman Family, Titans, Haunted Tank, Superman Vol 2, in that order.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 17:59 (twenty years ago)

I don't think it does look better in B&W really. They tended to do a pretty good job colouring him, and he knew it was going to be coloured. I think he suffers less from B&W repro than most, true.

I will be keeping up my 'buy them all' run for at least another four, then. I can't believe we have had no announcement of Flash or Batman yet.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 20:12 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

And then, July 6: SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE ELONGATED MAN VOL. 1. Stories from seven issues of The Flash and 45 (!) issues of Detective Comics.

Yow.

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 00:43 (twenty years ago)

HOOOORAY!

I wuv Elongated Man.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 00:49 (twenty years ago)

Toth pretty much condemns most of the colouring he got on the DC books (which I think he often appended with colouring suggestions that were mostly ignored). Mind you, I don't mind the colouring they did at that time... but he was so heavily into expressionism that it's more or less dispensible.

― _chrissie (chrissie1068), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 00:49 (twenty years ago)

45 six-to-eight page stories! YAY. Or whatever.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 03:55 (twenty years ago)

i snapped up the House of Mystery bk but yes, despite the Toth, Kane (inked by Wood, tasty), Adams etc art, most of the stories are headbangingly boring and pointless - it's also a bummer that a lot of the early Orlando-edited issues contain reprints of even more dull + dated stoopid mystery stories

i'd rather have a 2nd vol of Jonah Hex, where Fleischer really hits his stride, than superdull elongated man, lovely infa art and all

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 08:44 (twenty years ago)

Hey, it'll be better than the Green Arrow book!

― Faint Praise-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 14:25 (twenty years ago)

haha ward hates everything!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 15:35 (twenty years ago)

haha the funny thing is i prob LOVE comics now more than at any time in the last twenty years (me= jaded old fuck) but lotsa the things i like best don't get much play on ILC (ie Euro comics) or hardly ever get published (schizo, eightball!)

i def. heart the ultimates, which i notice you've changed yr tune abt, slocki

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:01 (twenty years ago)

dude i have REALLY changed my tune on that... er, song?

i like your take-no-bullshit approach!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:48 (twenty years ago)

I'm still making me way through Showcase Superman, but that amnesia story is aces!

― c(''c) (Leee), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 22:12 (twenty years ago)

ooh yes, we should get Superman Family in our shops tomorrow!

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 22:37 (twenty years ago)

today i realized that showcase presents superman is the best bathroom book EVER.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 14:49 (nineteen years ago)

has anyone read Superman Family yet? what's it like?

― Mark C (Markco), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:02 (nineteen years ago)

Like Superman, with not as good art and more Jimmy (i'm only about 3 issues in).

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:02 (nineteen years ago)

i still think it's weird that it's called superman FAMILY when it's all jimmy olsens! wouldn't his "family" be like... supergirl? and possibly krypto?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:05 (nineteen years ago)

Don't saddle your socio-cultural hang-ups on the Man of Steel, man!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:08 (nineteen years ago)

http://world.std.com/~Infinity/rightloop/weirdart/superman_vision.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:24 (nineteen years ago)

"... I'll short circuit my vision powers permanently!"

Yeah, but possible brain damage to Jimmy? Priceless!

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

b-b-but isn't heat vision essentially no different from a laser beam?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:32 (nineteen years ago)

Don't saddle your scientific hang-ups on the Man of Steel, man!!

― dave k, Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:42 (nineteen years ago)

No wonder he was aware and non-judgmental to Zatanna's IC mindwiping. J'accuse!

― scamperingalpaca (Chris Hill), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 15:46 (nineteen years ago)

The Jimmy stories are mostly idiotic, but I'm astounded that Huk thinks that the all-Swan art is less good than in Superman.

There are a whole bunch of swamis (these are never a good thing), and every fourth story or so reveals that Superman is Clark Kent but then there is some reason why that isn't conclusive after all - but you do find yourself wondering how many dozen times this has to be revealed before Jimmy spots a pattern.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 16:31 (nineteen years ago)

the superman's new power story i re-read last night really is the weirdest comic ever.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 16:32 (nineteen years ago)

Is that the one where he shoots a little tiny Superman out of his finger?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

yeah! and then he gets all bitter and depressed about it

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

The angst is my favourite thing about Showcase Supes. The one where he turns into a lion, and Lois tries to take his mind of it by taking him to a matinee--BUT IT'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST!!!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 16:35 (nineteen years ago)

that is the best. then he lets kids put their heads in his mouth and it's WICKEDLY PERVERSE.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 16:36 (nineteen years ago)

I also love (and this is in nearly ALL of the 50s/60s DC stuff) the smug disdain for the supernatural. Like, oh, the sorceress who turned Superman into a lion isn't REALLY the Circe of Myth, that would be asking too much of our sophisticated readers. She's really an ageless space-gypsy who picked up a bit of K-dust in her interstellar travels. ANOTHER VICTORY FOR RATIONAL THOUGHT, KIDS!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 16:45 (nineteen years ago)

i personally love the insane lengths bad guys go to get paid. like the bad guys who construct and publicize a krypton-theme island housing community so they can eventually trick supie into making some diamonds for them.

and supes recognizes the guy BY HIS FINGERPRINT! HAHA!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 16:47 (nineteen years ago)

THE CLOCK OF SHANDU.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:41 (nineteen years ago)

Ha - seeing folks discover the joy of Showcase Superman for the 1st time is like watching the first snowfall of the year.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

I think I shall buy it after work!

― Chuck_Tatum (Chuck_Tatum), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:47 (nineteen years ago)

You must be quite regular.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:48 (nineteen years ago)

er, xxpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:49 (nineteen years ago)

With who?!?!?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:51 (nineteen years ago)

Slocki must be very regular. He says Showcase Supes is great bathroom reading and posts about a new story about twice a day .

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:52 (nineteen years ago)

Ah. I guess you can tell where my head is.

It's up my ass.

Yeah.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:54 (nineteen years ago)

technically i am RE-discovering it!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 30 March 2006 16:34 (nineteen years ago)

and yes i am.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 30 March 2006 16:34 (nineteen years ago)

Ward - you should start a euro comics post. I've bought some based on Tuomas's suggestions, but I think I either need to talk about them or need more suggestions.

Showcase - I got this. It's strange, because the surrealism seems insulated within a semi-boring formula narrative. I mean, I love it, but it never seems as weird as it should be. Like the mini-superman story sounded a lot stranger when I heard about it from gmo than when I actually read it. (That's another thing--these are sort of textureless, so you don't get that much more than the paraphrase). Also, I totally agree on the "everything supernatural is a scam explainable by science" thing!

Another thing that I thought was interesting--these things are incredibly dense. In some issues, almost every line of dialogue is just exposition, to the extent where it sounds like a parody of bad sci-fi or sort self-consciously quirky like Ultimate Future Shock or Arrested Development.

― kenchen, Friday, 31 March 2006 01:16 (nineteen years ago)

Okay, further into Showcase Jimmy - perhaps "not as good art" is a little unfair. "Not as boilerplate-y" art is more accurate. Which, mostly, means "better" art, but there's something quite AWESOME about the clockwork style-qua-stylelessness art in the Supes vol. Like, sometimes, it really must be boilerplate, like the Supes flying w/ leg tucked and arm up, it's exact and everywhere. It's, I don't know, EDIFYING. It gives the impression that NO HUMANS WERE INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THIS COMIC, IT MERELY SPRUNG FORTH WHOLE AND PERFECT FROM THE PRINTING PRESS. Mechanically divine.
Mind you, Curt Swan's faces, especially in these early Jimmy comics (his later stuff was TOO SWAN-ISH), are amazing and, sort of, I don't know, anti-Kirby. Like, Kirby's all about anger and motion, and Swan, even when he's drawing angry people, there's that roundness to everything that softens it.
I don't know what I'm talking about.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 3 April 2006 17:01 (nineteen years ago)

No, I think y're really getting at interesting stuff there and that I think I should become Bizarro Frank Kogan and say "Think it through more! It's good! Don't stop!"

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Monday, 3 April 2006 17:36 (nineteen years ago)

Wouldn't Bizarro FK say, "Stop! It's bad! Don't think about it anymore!", or is Normal FK a rude boy?

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 3 April 2006 17:39 (nineteen years ago)

ha ha ha, i was up all night reading Kogan's book, I'm obv. contaminated.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 3 April 2006 17:41 (nineteen years ago)

http://homepage.mac.com/mperpetua/.Public/supermanlion.jpg

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Monday, 3 April 2006 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, this is brilliant!

mostly, means "better" art, but there's something quite AWESOME about the clockwork style-qua-stylelessness art in the Supes vol. Like, sometimes, it really must be boilerplate, like the Supes flying w/ leg tucked and arm up, it's exact and everywhere. It's, I don't know, EDIFYING. It gives the impression that NO HUMANS WERE INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THIS COMIC, IT MERELY SPRUNG FORTH WHOLE AND PERFECT FROM THE PRINTING PRESS

― kenchen, Monday, 3 April 2006 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

Wouldn't Bizarro FK say, "Stop! It's bad! Don't think about it anymore!", or is Normal FK a rude boy?

Technically yes, but I was eating a curry whilst posting so couldn't think as well as typing and eating.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Monday, 3 April 2006 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

Kogan book not in the Uk 'til the 15th at least! I'm sick of waiting for it!

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Monday, 3 April 2006 18:31 (nineteen years ago)

It's strange, because the surrealism seems insulated within a semi-boring formula narrative. I mean, I love it, but it never seems as weird as it should be. Like the mini-superman story sounded a lot stranger when I heard about it from gmo than when I actually read it. (That's another thing--these are sort of textureless, so you don't get that much more than the paraphrase).

I think that part of this is that Silver Age comic books are quite obviously aimed at, you know, *kids*, who have a much higher weirdness treshold than most of us. Much (though by no means all) of the stuff in "Showcase Superman" is only REALLY bizarre if your reference point for it is modern superhero comics; if you place it in the same context as, say, Disney comics or even "Spirou", it ceases being all that unbelievable.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2917/964/400/dick%20hunter%201.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 15:09 (nineteen years ago)

And yet, modern superhero books are less believable, or to me at least; so much so that I cannot read them.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 15:47 (nineteen years ago)

less believable or less convincing?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 15:51 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe I mean convincing. I find it easier to accept that Superman can have tiny Supermen flying out of his fingers in the small, constrained set up of the 50s comic--where there are clear parameters even if fantastical, ridiculous things happen--than all that Identity Crisis stuff w/Dr Light raping someone and mindwipes and gritty grimness that is supposed to represent the workings of the real world. Too many questions end up being raised in the Identity Crisis set-up that are never followed through (like where are all the other super-rapists and paedophiles and stuff.) I think continuity also plays a big part in this--that repercussions are meant to last forever, etc.

I'm not thinking this through well as I'm sleepy. Also, I might mean something other than Identity Crisis but there have been so many of those large x-over events that'll change the universe forever recently. What percentage of DC comics of the past few years has been devoted to sorting out 'problems' of continuity. A hell of a lot, and they all seem designed to set up further problems as well, in order to keep the treadmill rolling forever.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

What percentage of DC comics of the past few years has been devoted to sorting out 'problems' of continuity. A hell of a lot, and they all seem designed to set up further problems as well, in order to keep the treadmill rolling forever.

OTMFM

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 19:48 (nineteen years ago)

Do they have a hat with several words in and every year they pull out a couple and then shout "Hey guys, this years it's 'Cosmic Infinity' - who's down to write this one?"

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 20:51 (nineteen years ago)

I'd by a comic called Cosmic Infinity if it was plotted by Brendan McCarthy and Shaky Kane, locked in a room with some sort of gas, passing out the plots under the door to Morrison and Milligan to script up. Then back under the door to be turned into ART with help from Boo Cook and Frazer Irving.

― Vic F (Vic Fluro), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 21:58 (nineteen years ago)

THE MANY POWERS OF SILVER AGE SUPERMAN, PART 2: "SUPER MARBLE-SHOOTING SKILL!"

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 7 April 2006 15:42 (nineteen years ago)

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