_____________________________________________________________________________

                T H E    K R Y P T O N I A N    C Y B E R N E T
                _______________________________________________


                       http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sykes/kc

                          Issue #43 -- October 1997

 _____________________________________________________________________________


CONTENTS
--------
Section 1:  Superscripts: Notes from the Editor
               The End is in Sight
            Ratings At A Glance
               Titles Shipped September 1997
            Just the FAQs
               "What Romances were in Lois's and Clark's Past?"
               Part III: Superman's Admirers, by David T. Chappell

Section 2:  News and Notes
               A *big* look ahead at the coming months in comics and
               merchandise, Some creator shuffling, TV ratings, Movie
               news, and a November TNT schedule
            And Who Disguised As...
               J.D. Rummel addresses the potential of Superman Blue
            Heroes
               Superman and what makes a hero, by Enola Jones

Section 3:  An Edition of Famous Firsts
               Yosef Shoemaker helps improve your Superman trivia skills!
            The Mailbag

Section 4:  New Comic Reviews
               The Superman Titles
                  Superman: The Man of Steel #73, by Thomas Deja
                  Superman #129, by David T. Chappell
                  Adventures of Superman #552, by Dan Radice

Section 5:  New Comic Reviews
               The Superman Titles (cont)
                  Action Comics #739, by Shane Travis
               Super-Family Titles
                  Steel #44, by Jeff Sykes
                  Superboy #45, by Rene' Gobeyn
                  Superboy and the Ravers #15, by Jeff Sykes

Section 6:  New Comic Reviews
               Super-Family Titles (cont)
                  Supergirl #15, by Thomas Deja
               Other Superman Titles
                  JLA #12, by Anatole Wilson
                  Superman Adventures #13, by Cory Strode
               Limited Series
                  Elseworlds' Finest #2, by Douglas Wolk

Section 7:  New Comic Reviews
               Limited Series (cont)
                  The Kents #4, by Rene' Gobeyn
               Annuals and Specials
                  JLA Annual #9, by Anatole Wilson
                  Superman Adventures Annual #1, by Cory Strode
                  Adventures in the DC Universe Annual #1, by Rene' Gobeyn

Section 8:  After-Byrne
               Manuscripts of Steel
                  Adventures of Superman Annual #2 and
                  L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 Annual #1, by Denes House
            The Phantom Zone
               Tales of Earth-One
                  Superboy's first appearance in Adventure Comics,
                  by Bob Hughes

Section 9:  Superman: The Animated Series
               A Brief Episode Guide
               Episode Reviews
                  "Livewire", by Neil Ottenstein
                  "Speed Demons", by Mike Shields
                  "Action Figures", by Scott Devarney
                  "Mxyzpixilated", by Diane Levitan
                  "Brave New Metropolis", by Scott Devarney
                  "Monkey Fun", by Nathan Bredfeldt

Section 10: Sneak Peeks: The Kryptonian Cybernet's Pre-Reviews
               Spoiler-Free opinions on Legends of the DC Universe #1



STAFF:
------
Jeffery D. Sykes, Editor-in-Chief
Shane Travis, Executive Editor: New Comic Reviews
Nancy Jones, Executive Editor: Lois and Clark section
Neil Ottenstein, Executive Editor: S:TAS section

Editors:
   Chip Chandler         Steve Hanes           D.M. Simms
   Joe Crowe             Curtis Herink         Shane Travis
   Trevor Gates          William O'Hara        Steven Younis


LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:
-----------------
Superman and all related characters, locations, and events are copyright and
trademark DC Comics.  Use of the aforementioned is not intended to challenge
said ownership.  We strongly suggest that each reader look to the media
sources mentioned within for further information.

All original material published in The Kryptonian Cybernet, including but not
limited to reviews, articles, and editorials, are copyright 1997 by The
Kryptonian Cybernet and the respective authors.  Reprinting in any format is
expressly forbidden without the permission of The Kryptonian Cybernet and the
contributing author.

Opinions presented within this issue belong to the authors of the articles
which contain them.  They should in no way be construed as those of any other
particular member of the editorial or contributing staff, unless otherwise
indicated.

This magazine can be distributed, in whole, freely via e-mail.  Should you
desire to share this publication with other on-line services, please contact
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Back issues are available via ftp at oasis.novia.net.  These archives can also
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        http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sykes/kc

______________________________________________


                      SUPERSCRIPTS:  Notes from the Editor
                      ------------------------------------


THE END IS IN SIGHT

In a recent statement, DCU head honcho Mike Carlin flat admitted that the
classic Superman would return in 1998, and that they had always intended on
the Electric Blue Superman being a temporary alteration.  (Now don't those of
you who *bought* the permanence feel a bit silly?)  He also indicated that
"June '98 seems like a sensible date to aim for..."

For those of you who don't know the specifics, the cover date of ACTION COMICS
#1 was June 1938.  I believe this was the same as the month of publication
(unlike today, where the cover date is two months different from the month of
publication).  If we assume that DC wants to "debut" the classic Superman on
exactly the 60th Anniversary, there are then two options: April 1998 (whose
books will sport a June cover date), or June 1998 (for obvious reasons).

Some new information.  Christopher Priest, who writes STEEL and several other
titles, is an active participant in the rec.arts.comics.* newsgroups, and
recent discussions have included the upcoming 50th issue of STEEL.  Priest
recently indicated that he's not entirely thrilled with the fact that he's
going to have to rework his plans for STEEL just a bit.  The reason?  STEEL
#50 will be taking part in a big Superman crossover, information about which
Priest refused to offer up.

However, the participation in and of itself clues us into the time frame! 
Assuming there are no plans to skip a month, STEEL #50 should hit the shelves
in early March.  This means that the big Superman event will begin no later
than March.  So the only question is when will it draw to a close?  

As I understand it, #50 is the only issue of STEEL slated to participate in
the crossover.  This could be a sign that the crossover will not drag on for
months, but may well wrap up in April.  Then again, it could just be that
STEEL will not be participating in the entire crossover.  There's no reason to
expect that it should have to -- in fact, there's no reason to expect that
Priest should be *forced* to involve Steel, but that's another matter all
together...

For something as huge as Superman's 60th Anniversary, though, I somehow doubt
that we'll only see a month-long crossover.  Keep in mind that less important,
issue-number-based anniversaries saw crossover events lasting several months. 
The death, funeral, and return of Superman took around three-fourths of a
year.  "Dead Again", "The Death of Clark Kent", and "The Trial of Superman"
each lasted at least two months.

If the crossover doesn't actually begin until March, then I'd bet on June as
the month to feature the return of the traditional Superman.  Of course, it
could all begin in February, making April an ideal finish line.  Either way,
I'm certain most of us are ready to see what's going to happen.  I'm told it
will be exceedingly interesting, and perhaps *not* what we might expect.  

I'll stop babbling here -- have to make room for a *huge* News and Notes this
month.  Enjoy the new issue!

Jeff Sykes, Editor

______________________________________________


             RATINGS AT A GLANCE:  Titles shipped September 1997
           -------------------------------------------------------
               Prepared by Shane Travis (travis@sedsystems.ca)


Key:
----
Issue   -- Issue for which 'Current' Rating and Rank are calculated.  The
            'Previous' columns refer to the issue immediately prior to this.
Rating  -- Average Rating, in Shields (maximum rating is 5.0). The number 
            in () indicates how many people submitted ratings.
Rank    -- The relative ranking of the book among the regularly-published 
            Superman titles.
Average -- Average of the ratings for this title over the indicated number 
            of months, based on the book's cumulative average. Each month is
            weighted equally, regardless of the number of people rating the
            book that month. If this book is averaged over fewer months than 
            the rest, the number of months is displayed in ().

	Current	Previous	Avg (6Mth)
Title	Issue	Rating	Rank	Rating	Rank	Rating 	Rank
-----	-----	 -------	------	--------	-------	-------	------
The Kents	4	4.1(5)	--	4.2(5)	--	4.30	--(4mo)
Superman Adv.	13	3.9(4)	1	4.4(7)	1      	4.12     	1
Superman            	129     	3.8(7)    	2      	2.4(13)  	10      	3.17     	6
Steel                	44     	3.8(2)    	3      	3.1(4)   	 5      	3.85     	2
JLA Annual            	1      	---     	--      	---     	--       	--      	--(*)
JLA                  	12     	3.4(5)    	4      	4.1(10)   	2      	3.67     	3
Adv. of Superman    	552     	3.3(10)	5      	2.6(12)   	8      	3.15     	7
Supergirl            	15     	3.3(6)    	6      	3.3(6)    	3      	3.43     	4
Elseworld's Finest    	2     	3.2(5)  	--      	4.0(7)   	--       	--     	--
Action Comics       	739     	3.0(9)    	7      	3.2(10)   	4      	3.23     	5
Superboy             	45     	3.0(7)    	8      	2.6(7)    	7      	2.92     	9
Adv. in DCU Annual  	1     	2.8(5)   	--       	---     	--       	--     	--
Sup. Adv. Annual      	1     	2.7(5)   	--       	---     	--       	--     	--
Man of Steel         	73     	2.6(7)    	9      	2.4(12)   	9      	2.75    	10
SB and the Ravers    	15     	2.1(4)   	10      	2.9(3)    	6      	2.93     	8

(*) The ranking for JLA ANNUAL #1 is approximate: the two stories within 
the annual were rated separately.


Standing Tall: SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #13 (3.9 Shields)
 - While not as well received as "The War Within" two-parter, people cheered
long and loud for this fun and funny Strange Sports Story.

Falling Flat: SUPERBOY AND THE RAVERS #14 (2.1 shields)
 - Average rating on SATR has fallen 1.6 Shields in two issues.  Last month
could be blamed on Genesis; Josh Hood's art and an all-over-the-place
storyline contribute to this month's slide.


On The Rebound: SUPERMAN #129 (+1.4 Shields)
 - Wow.  People hated to see Cyborg come back from being buried in the Wall,
but they sure liked the story he had to tell once he got here.

Down the Tubes: ELSEWORLDS' FINEST #2 (-0.8 Shields)
 - Too much story in too few pages was the general comment.  Still, a 
respectable average rating of 3.6 Shields for the two-parter, and a lot of
positive comments about this take on the tandem.


Information for 'Ratings at a Glance' and the ratings accompanying the
monthly reviews of Superman comics are obtained from KC readers.  Anyone
interested in contributing may contact Shane Travis (travis@sedsystems.ca)
and will be added to the monthly mailing-list to receive a Ratings Form.

______________________________________________


                                 Just the FAQs
      --------------------------------------------------------------------
      More Details about Frequently-Asked Questions about the Man of Steel

                   by David T. Chappell (d.chappell@ieee.org)


Despite Kal-El's current super-blues, Lois and Clark's romance seems solid and
eternal.  Over the years, however, Lois has not been the only woman to set her
eyes on the Man of Steel.  Thus, this month's article will cover the topic of,

                "What Romances were in Lois's and Clark's Past?"
                         Part III: Superman's Admirers

Introduction

Even though some women see Clark as strong, handsome, and admirable, it is
Superman who has many more admirers.  Most of these female fans remain
anonymous, but a few of them have been important over the years.  The
Kryptonian eventually married the woman whom the press called "Superman's
Girlfriend."  Superman has also had other relationships in his super-guise,
not all of which have been exactly pleasant.

Previous of my columns in the KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET have covered similar amorous
topics.  In Late October 1996, I answered, "What Events Led to Lois and
Clark's Romance?"  Then in March 1997, I covered the question of "What if Lois
and Clark Hadn't Married?"  Moreover, the last two issues have covered
relationships specifically involving Clark and Lois.

Amazing Grace

During the Legends affair (DC Comics' big 1986-1987 cross-over), the evil
Darkseid brought Superman to the home of the darker New Gods.  There on
Apokolips, Superman fell into the raging fire-pits and lost his memories. 
Amazing Grace, one of the Dark Lord's followers, used her mind-affecting
powers to alter Kal-El's memories.  Under her charm, Superman believed himself
to be Darkseid's son, and he fell in love with the evil Amazing Grace.  At
times, Kal-El's seductress seemed to show emotion towards her prey, but it was
clear that her sole intention was to use him for her master's plans.  For a
short time, Superman fought for Darkseid, but the good New Gods eventually
restored his true memories.  With his love for Amazing Grace gone, the Man of
Steel attempted to gain vengeance upon Darkseid but was teleported home by the
great schemer.  (SUPERMAN #3, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #426, ACTION COMICS #586,
Mar 87)

Poetically, Amazing Grace later appeared during one of Superman's other
romantic encounters (see below).  When Darkseid launched a plot against
Superman and Wonder Woman, Amazing Grace aided her master by briefly
masquerading as the Amazon princess.  Though Superman saw through the facade,
the deception nearly led to the heroes' downfall.  (ACTION #600, May 88)

Wonder Woman

Kal-El nearly had a romantic relationship with Princess Diana of Themyscira. 
After their initial meeting in Washington during the Legends affair (LEGENDS
#6, Apr 87), physical attraction sparked a brief glimmer of romance between
Superman and Wonder Woman.  Over subsequent months, the media hyped up their
"Romance of the Century."  Diana's charm left Superman infatuated with her,
and he experienced several intense dreams about the beautiful woman.

The two heroes eventually met privately to uncover their true feelings. 
Though Superman greeted Diana with a passionate kiss, the couple found no real
amorous attraction (ACTION #600, May 88).  Although no romance ever developed,
the two still share a friendship, admiration, and confidence different from
Superman's relationship to most fellow heroes.  For example, the two heroes
met during the time Lois had broken off her engagement with Clark, and Diana
encouraged Clark not to give up on his love for Miss Lane (SUPERMAN #118, Dec
96).

Maxima

News of Superman's heroics have spread throughout the galaxy, especially after
his adventures into outer space.  In particular, the passionate, fiery Maxima
set out to take Kal-El as her mate.  As princess of the planet Almerac and
future ruler of an interplanetary empire, Maxima would only accept a mate of
great strength and physical power.  Suspecting that Superman was worthy of
contributing his genes to her royal line, Maxima sent a servant along with a
simulacrum of herself to investigate further.  Upon arriving at earth,
however, Maxima's handmaiden Sazu was infuriated by Superman's avoidance of
slaying his enemies.  Thus, Sazu declared Superman unfit to wed her lady, and
she destroyed the synthetic duplicate of Maxima.  (ACTION #645, Sep 89)

Maxima herself was undeterred, however, and she personally continued towards
Earth since "she is drawn to Superman like a tide to the shore!"  (ACTION
#650, Feb 90)  When Maxima finally found her perfect mate and stated her case
to ask him to become her consort, Superman declined her offer.  Maxima became
enraged and used her psychokinetic blasts against the Kryptonian.  After a
short battle, Maxima's telepathic powers made contact with Superman, and the
emotionless aspect that the Eradicator had placed within Kal-El convinced
Maxima that he truly was unworthy of her.  (ACTION #651, Mar 90)

Despite her headstrong, barbaric background, Maxima did eventually join the
forces of good.  Brainiac conquered her home world of Almerac and encouraged
Maxima to ally with him as he moved to conquer Earth as well.  Maxima fought
alongside Brainiac during the "Panic in the Sky" (Feb to Apr 92) since she
considered him as a potential mate, but when she learned of his dangerous
insanity, she decided that the best way to save her home was to defeat
Brainiac.  Thus, Maxima changed sides and effectively lobotomized the green
conqueror.  Soon thereafter, the alien princess joined the Justice League at
the same time as Superman (JLA #61, Apr 92).  She fought alongside the JLA
against Doomsday and eventually joined the JLA Blue and Gold team (EXTREME
JUSTICE) for a while.  All during this time, her emotions towards Superman
were generally subdued.

With a recent, unexplained change of heart, Maxima has resumed her obsession
with the Kryptonian.  In a sudden shift that leaves the story lacking, Maxima
explained, "I've decided to give you another chance to become my life-mate." 
When she realized that Superman had lost his powers, she immediately left,
feeling humiliated.  (SUPERMAN: THE WEDDING ALBUM, Dec 96)  When she later
suspected that Superman had regained his powers, Maxima resumed her quest: 
"With Superman at my side as royal consort, I could restore the glory of
Almerac."  Returning to her barbaric instincts, she endangered innocent lives
to attract Kal-El's attention.  Superman's rejection stirred her ire, and
another brief fight ensued.  At Superman's insistence, Maxima ended the
conflict and apologized to the populace, but she felt only greater anger as a
result of the indignity.  (SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW #7, Winter 97)  When
later recruited to join the Superman Revenge Squad, she gave Superman a
challenging fight but eventually flew away (SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #65,
Mar 97).

Obsession

Dana Dearden was also clearly obsessed with the Man of Steel.  The Superman
shrine in her home showed pictures, magazines, newspaper clippings, action
figures, and other items dedicated to Kal-El, but this was just the edge of
her insanity.  Dana wanted to get to meet Superman personally, so she planned
to do it through Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen.  Dana pretended to befriend
Jimmy, and she was attractive enough to easily draw him into her snare. 
Moreover, Dana carefully planned to share her love with Superman.  Her
interest in mythology led her to rob a museum, and the magic coins she took
granted her the abilities of Greek and Norse gods.  Along with the costume she
designed for herself, Dana wanted to become a super-heroine.

When Dana finally set her plan into motion, she invited Jimmy to her home,
only to capture the young man and interrogate him.  When Jimmy told her about
his signal watch, she rapidly retrieved it from the safe-deposit box.  After
summoning Superman, she explained to her love that she wanted to be
Superwoman, "to be there for [him] every day . . . every night."  Kal-El
quickly realized the extent of her obsession, but her magic powers led to a
brief skirmish.  When Dana accidentally harmed innocents, she joined Superman
in saving the crew of the oil tanker she damaged.  Though it is possible that
she survived the tanker's explosion, it seems more likely that it truly was a
Fatal Obsession.  (ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #538, Sep 96)

Conclusion

Superman's romantic encounters have not generally been as happy as Clark's
relationships, though they have often been more unusual.  Nonetheless, these
in-costume romances are important for what they reveal about Clark and
Superman.  On one hand, they demonstrate to us readers how Kal-El is same in
either guise.  On the other hand, they show how the public perceives the man
differently by his clothing.  Thus, while the great love triangle of Superman
comics ended when Clark revealed his secret to Lois, the world still sees
Superman as an available bachelor.


The "Just the FAQs" column is Copyright (C) 1997 David Thomas Chappell. All
rights reserved.  Making copies in any format is expressly forbidden without
the written permission of the author.

______________________________________________

                                 NEWS AND NOTES
                                 --------------


DC recently let everyone in on some of their plans for the next half year,
so I'm going to devote a large portion of News and Notes to recapping this
information.  Some of it will be familiar, as we've mentioned a few of these
projects before, but by and large, this is new word on upcoming projects. 
Most of this information comes from a recent issue of COMIC SHOP NEWS, but
additional bits were obtained via Michael Doran's NEWSARAMA.

Without further ado:


SUPERMAN '98

    SUPERMAN AND BATMAN: GENERATIONS, written and illustrated by John Byrne
    as a sequel-of-sorts to his BATMAN/CAPTAIN AMERICA one-shot.  This
    four-issue prestige-format miniseries presents a reality in which
    Superman and Batman began their careers in the 1930s.  We see how the
    world we know is drastically altered over the course of sixty years of
    superheroics, with each issue (focusing one decade in the superheroes'
    careers) reflecting the superhero style of its era.

    SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS, a new prestige-format four-issue miniseries by
    Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, focuses on Superman's past.  This saga, set
    early in Superman's career, reveals how Clark Kent developed the moral
    code and maturity that helped make him the greatest hero the world has
    ever known...

    Mark Millar and Dave Johnson's SUPERMAN: RED SON focuses on a Superman
    raised in the Soviet Union, leading to a confrontation with US President
    Lex Luthor...

    SUPERMAN RED/SUPERMAN BLUE splits Superman in two as his energy form is
    ripped apart, forming two superpowered energy beings.  The red
    incarnation is devil-may-care, while the blue version is more somber.
    The repercussions of this split begin in this one-shot, which will be
    offered with a 3-D cover, and continue into 1998.  The deluxe polybagged
    version of this book will also reprint the 1953 3-D comic presenting
    Superman's origin.

    Mike Carlin confirmed that there would be a great many significant
    events in the pages of Superman and in special Superman projects to
    celebrate the hero's 60th anniversary.  He also assured everyone that
    the return of the familiar red-and-blue Superman is definitely coming,
    and that the Superman team had always planned to bring that familiar
    costume back.  "We have never started a story in Superman without
    knowing what the punch line was going to be," Carlin said.  "We have
    changed where the ending *was* in the past, but we know where we're
    going."  He added, in discussion of when this change might occur, that
    "June '98 seems like a sensible date to aim for."  (For more information
    and speculation about the return of the traditional costume and powers,
    make certain to check out my editorial in Superscripts this month!)


JLA/SUPERMAN FAMILY '98

    ELSEWORLD'S FINEST: SUPERGIRL AND BATGIRL by Barbara Kesel and Matt
    Haley is a prestige-format one-shot set in a different world in which
    there are no Batman and Superman -- "In a world where Superman's rocket
    carried a lifeless body and James Gordon and his wife died facing Joe
    Chill, the greatest heroines of a very different DCU struggle to find
    common ground as they face Luthor and the Joker."

    The JLA's new lineup will be revealed beginning with the double-sized
    conclusion to the "Rock of Ages" storyline in December; the new fourteen
    member League will be unveiled in JLA #16.

    How much difference can a nail make?  You'd be amazed!  JUSTICE LEAGUE:
    THE NAIL shows what happens when a flat tire on the Kents' pickup truck
    takes Superman out of the JLA line-up.  Alan Davis is writing and
    drawing this three-issue prestige-format Elseworlds series that shows
    how the smallest events can have major ramifications.  (For
    clarification, it's my understanding that Kal-El *will* play a
    significant role in this story, hence its inclusion.)

    SUPERBOY #50 brings back original series creators Karl Kesel and Tom
    Grummett; Superboy's solo adventures will take an Indiana-Jones-meets-
    Jonny-Quest-style turn.

    Recall that "Junior JLA" project we mentioned might be replacing SUPERBOY
    AND THE RAVERS?  Tentative plans are for a two-issue miniseries, JLA:
    WORLD WITHOUT GROWN-UPS, in which Superboy, Robin, and Impulse must save
    the day when a villain makes all the adults in the world disappear.  This
    would then set the stage for an ongoing series to debut later in the year.
    Todd Dezago will write both the miniseries and the ongoing series, while
    pencilling chores for the mini appear to belong to Humberto Ramos.  No
    artist is set for the ongoing.

    Mark Evanier and Steve Rude are working together on a JIMMY OLSEN special.
    Rude told NEWSARAMA that he expects Evanier's script soon, and that DC is
    hoping to release the special at the 1998 San Diego comic convention,
    with a special edition designed just for the con.


SUPER MERCHANDISE '98

    With 1998 being Superman's anniversary, it's logical to expect a ton of
    new Superman-related merchandise.  So it should come as no surprise that
    a *lot* of the recently announced plans for DC merchandise includes just
    that.  The varied assortment of planned products includes a series of
    mouse pads based on the "Faces of the DC Universe" cover designs gracing
    DCU covers in October; a new print project involving Superman; a possible
    stationery program, including stationery, notepads, bookmarks, and
    playing cards; new DC magnets; a Superman S-Shield ring; and perhaps a
    classic Superman watch to accompany the new-design Superman watch
    released last Spring.

    New statues include SUPERMAN '98 and a phenomenal KINGDOM COME SUPERMAN
    STATUE, designed and sculpted by Alex Ross for release later next year.
    Comic Book Champions will expand their line of collectible-pewter
    figurines with three new series (three figures per series), including
    a new Superman edition.

    The KINGDOM COME novelization is on schedule for March release from
    Warner Books.  The book, which features new paintings and illustrations
    by Alex Ross and text by Elliot S. Maggin, will expand on the comic
    book saga.  Warner is also producing a full-scale large-cast drama
    audio production of KINGDOM COME.

    In January '98, Ty Templeton and John Delany will demonstrate how to
    draw Batman and Superman in animated style with Walter Foster's HOW TO
    DRAW BATMAN & HOW TO DRAW SUPERMAN.  Upcoming books will also demonstrate
    how to design and paint animation cells.

    The SUPERMAN radio drama returns to radio stations around the nation
    later this year as the classic audio drama is offered in syndication.
    Those radio programs are also being restored and remastered for DC and
    cassette release.

    And in one final merchandise note, I have heard that there is or will be
    a 60th anniversary Superman calendar, though I have yet to verify this.


FINALLY, THE CRISIS COMPENDIUM

    So how many times have you asked (or been asked) what the Crisis was all
    about?  After all, we use this massive event to denote the Superman which
    came before from the Byrne revamp which came after...

    Finally, after years of begging by myriad fans, DC is going to re-release
    CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS in a single, hefty hardcover edition.  The
    maxi-series which reshaped the DC Universe(s) will be collected as a
    high-end, deluxe edition with enhanced coloring and production values.
    In addition, this edition will feature an all-new painted cover by Alex
    Ross based on a design by the series' artist, George Perez.  As quoted by
    NEWSARAMA, "Alex ... asked me if he could paint over my pencils.  Now I
    seldom relinquish my privilege of finishing my own work, but who am I to
    turn down Alex Ross?" said Perez.  "Alex had two stipulations though.  He
    wanted the golden-age Superman on the front part of the cover and he
    wanted me to draw every character who appeared in the series.  I figure
    that will be about 500-600 characters.  Of course, I said YES." 

    Don't look for a trade paperback version of this one, however.  DC
    publisher Paul Levitz explained that the sheer size of the volume would
    make it "virtually unbindable," and the cost of a slipcased two-volume
    trade paperback would be quite close to the price of the hardcover...


A STERN FAREWELL AND THE WEEZIE SHUFFLE

    Roger Stern is once again leaving the Superman fold.  Stern, currently
    the writer of SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW, will leave that title
    following the publication of its tenth issue in early January.

    Stern cited two primary reasons for his decision, the first being a
    simple desire to move on.  He has been working on one Superman book or
    another for nearly ten years, and felt it was time to do something else
    on a regular basis.  He also mentioned the erratic publishing schedule
    of MAN OF TOMORROW.  As you'll recall, MOT was designed to fill the
    so-called "skip weeks."  Every now and again, a month will have five
    Wednesdays, and MOT was intended to fill those fifth shipping dates.
    However, a rash of special projects (Amalgam, Tangent, and the upcoming
    New Year's Evil) have recently co-opted those fifth weeks, resulting in
    a sporadic and indeterminate schedule for MOT.

    Stern will not leave Superman behind completely, however, as he is
    finally going to begin work on that Superman Elseworlds story he
    mentioned to us some time ago.  Under a working title of SUPERMAN: A
    NATION DIVIDED, the story deals with a Superman who was around during
    the time of the American Civil War.

    Following Stern's final issue, current SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL scribe
    Louise Simonson will take over the writing duties on MOT.  However, as
    she makes this transition, Simonson will also be reducing her role on
    MOS from writer to co-plotter, as artist Jon Bogdanove takes over
    scripting duty.  This move is designed to give Mrs. Simonson time to
    pursue some writing projects outside of comics.


LET'S PLAY THE RATINGS GAME!

    Wonder how LOIS AND CLARK is doing, ratings-wise, on TNT?  According to
    numbers from mid-September to early October, L&C averaged a 1.4 rating
    (or about a million viewers) and a 2.8 share (around 2.8% of the people
    watching TV were watching L&C).  As I understand, these aren't quite the
    numbers TNT had expected, but they have been higher than expected in the
    crucial 18-35 year old age range (the group advertisers are most
    interested in)...

    The BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST movie on the Kids' WB (on Saturday,
    October 4) scored a 4.1 rating and a 16 share among kids age 2-11, the
    highest ever for Kids' WB Saturday morning programming.

    While we're speaking of the animated series, I should point out that
    SUPERMAN is still airing twice each Saturday (though I don't know for
    how long).  The first episode remains at 8:30 AM Eastern, but the second
    episode now airs at 10:00 AM Eastern (THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES
    moved to a 9:30 start time).  You should, as usual, check local listings
    for the exact time and date in your area.


CINEMATIC SETBACKS 

    It now appears that there will not be *any* appearances by the Man of
    Steel in movie theaters in 1998.  First up, the campaign to have the
    1978 Christopher Reeve vehicle, SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, restored and
    re-released has apparently come up a bit short.  The recent word from
    MegadethDC@aol.com is that while Warner Brothers *is* restoring the film,
    it will *not* be released to theaters.  Instead, look for a home video
    release, probably in the VHS, laserdisc, and DVD formats.

    In SUPERMAN LIVES news, Warner Brothers has announced that filming has
    been pushed back to the Spring of 1998, effectively ending all hopes of
    the film's being ready for the Holiday season.  Instead, the plans now
    are for a Summer 1999 release.  Why another delay?  If you'll recall,
    Tim Burton tossed Kevin Smith's script shortly after coming on board the
    project, hiring Wesley Strick for a new version.  Word has it that
    Warner Brothers has rejected Strick's script, and that Strick has been
    let go from the project.  So now the project needs a new screenwriter...

    What's the bad news about this?  Well, Summer 1999 will likely put the
    film up against the first of the new STAR WARS movies, which will almost
    certainly destroy everything it competes against that summer.  In
    addition, Marvel Comics has a slew of projects in development, including
    Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and X-Men, any one of which could end up
    hitting theaters before or around the same time as SUPERMAN LIVES.  In
    the end, hiring Tim Burton has led to so many delays that (in my opinion)
    the film will end up seeing *much* stiffer competition -- not to mention
    MISSING THE BLASTED ANNIVERSARY!  Get it together, WB.

    And the good news?  Two ideas.  Hopefully, this rejection of Strick's
    scripts means that WB is not going to do just whatever Burton says he
    wants to do.  Perhaps this means that they're slowing things down in
    order to make certain the movie is done right.  Who knows?  For the
    second point, the word about SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE not being re-released
    into theaters came *before* the announcements about the new delays in
    SUPERMAN LIVES.  Maybe, just maybe the absence of a new movie for the
    60th Anniversary will cause WB to rethink their decision about the
    re-release...


I MARRIED A FROG-EATIN' CLONE

    November gives us all a reminder of how not to marry two characters on a
    popular TV show -- from frog-eating clones to Mike the Angel, you just
    gotta wonder what the producers of LOIS AND CLARK were thinking...
    Here's a tentative schedule for November, barring special programming of
    which I'm not aware.  Also note that I'm stopping short, since I don't
    know yet what TNT's plans are for Thanksgiving weekend.
    
    LOIS AND CLARK airs Monday through Saturday at 7:00 PM Eastern on the
    TNT cable network.  

    Ep#    Date     Episode Title
    ---    -----    -------------------------------------
    308    11/1     Chip Off The Old Clark

    309    11/3     Super Mann
    310    11/4     Virtually Destroyed
    311    11/5     Home Is Where The Hurt Is
    312    11/6     Never On Sunday
    313    11/7     The Dad Who Came In From The Cold
    314    11/8     Tempus, Anyone?

    315    11/10    I Now Pronounce You...
    316    11/11    Double Jeopardy
    317    11/12    Seconds
    318    11/13    Forget Me Not
    319    11/14    Oedipus Wrecks
    320    11/15    It's A Small World After All

    321    11/17    Through A Glass, Darkly
    322    11/18    Big Girls Don't Fly
    401    11/19    Lord Of The Flys
    402    11/20    Battleground Earth
    403    11/21    Swear To God, This Time We're Not Kidding
    404    11/22    Soul Mates

    405    11/24    Brutal Youth
    406    11/25    The People v. Lois Lane
    407    11/26    Dead Lois Walking

______________________________________________


                            AND WHO DISGUISED AS...
           ---------------------------------------------------------
           A Column of Opinion by J.D. Rummel (rummel@creighton.edu)


I don't follow the fanzines and newsgroups like many of you, but even so, it
would be hard to miss the wailing that has been going on about the "new
Superman."  (For a comic book guy, that is.  I'm sure George F. Will is
oblivious.)  Lots of people have been decrying him, saying, "he's not
Superman," and going around with what I can only imagine are puffed-out lips,
or angrily cursing the comic Gods.  Well, the sixtieth anniversary is upon us,
and there should be no doubt that the blue guy we've been reading about is
gonna go away.  For the big six-oh you better believe that classic cape is not
far off.  Not that anybody with even half of my cynicism thought blue-boy was
gonna last.  As I stated earlier in this space, he was just a marketing ploy. 
Now, however, I think he could be a lot more.

Our fearless leader, Jeff "Devil's Advocate" Sykes, urged us a couple of
issues back to give DC a break.  He said they were attempting something
different, and that we should applaud them.  Well, I have to agree with him. 
Whatever it was, whether experiment, marketing device, or drunken bet gone way
too far, I think it has been a good thing.  In fact, I kind of like the "New
Blue."  I've started to enjoy reading him, even though Superman is a terrible
name for this incarnation.  Let's face it, he is an electrical freak of comic
book physics, not a superman.  Blue Bolt, Cobalt, those are better names for
this figure.  But even so, it was entertaining watching him manipulate energy
fields to accomplish his super-deeds.  And yes, I also like his costume and
all the drawings of crackling energy.  Add to this the fact that most of us,
including the star, haven't a clue what his limits are, and there is a lot to
like.  I mean, who among us can't predict what the real Superman would do in a
crisis?  C'mon, it's been six decades!  Any one of us could be Superman. 
We've been reading the manuals for years.  "He'll use heat vision here," our
inner voice says;  when danger hurtles at an innocent, we know he'll use his
body as a shield.

Anybody out there remember Dr. Solar, the Man of the Atom?  No, not the new
guy being done by Valiant comics.  They are not doing the Man of the Atom.  By
their own admission they are doing "The Adventures of God" comics.  Last time
I enjoyed that type of approach was back when Murphy Anderson was drawing the
Spectre.  No, I'm talking about the guy from Gold Key comics in the sixties. 
They featured Dr. Raymond Solar, a guy who survived exposure to the sort of
radiation that we all know drops real folk in their tracks.  Solar was a very
cool hero.  He was able to control his atomic structure, and... oh, heck, I
have no clue what his limits were.  He was always pulling new powers and
tricks out of his butt.  But he wasn't God, and it was very exciting watching
him display new uses for his _energy_ powers.  The Solar that I loved, with
his above average (especially for the sixties) adherence to science and his
painted covers went away some time in the seventies, but this guy reminds me
of him a lot.

The major reason we all read this new character is because he is a chapter in
the Superman mythos.  The major reason we don't like him is because he isn't
really Superman.  So, here's what I think DC should do: Restore the original,
true Superman (as they were going to do all along) but keep the new blue guy
as a secondary character.  Think about it!  The possibilities are innumerable:
He could have an identity crisis, insisting that he is the real Superman, the
writers could poke fun at the Spider-man clone farrago, explore the essence of
Superman, and maybe spin off this character into his own series.  They have
invested a lot of time and creativity and I think he should get a shot at
finding his own depth.

Think about it DC.  Hey, I won't even charge you guys for the idea, just put
up one of those tags that gives me a credit, or make me his new-found buddy as
he seeks to rebuild his life.

I'll send a nice picture of myself for the artist to reference.

Away!

And Who Disguised As... is copyright 1997 by J. D. Rummel.  Its contents may
not be reproduced in any format without the written permission of the author.

______________________________________________


                                     HEROES
                   ------------------------------------------
                       by Enola F. Jones (sj1025@gte.net)


This world needs heroes.  People find heroes in sports figures or
entertainment stars.  Some of us find heroes in our religion and in history. 
Others find their heroes in the comics.

Superman has always been one of my heroes.  Lois Lane was another.  Perhaps I
liked her because of her humanity and toughness, two qualities I didn't always
find together even in real life.  She seemed the perfect foil to Superman, who
could do ANYTHING.

Now it's a bit different.  Superman Blue is radically different.  Now he can
no longer do anything, but he is more visually intense.  Lois Lane is also
different.  She is much more human and also much more feminine.  She is a
bigger hero to me than Superman now.

I have a five-year-old daughter.  She is barely reading, but she loves looking
at the pictures in the books I read every week.  When she got done reading
one, she asked, "Mommy, do we have a Superman in real life?"

I told her yes.  He can't fly or zap people.  He can't see through walls or
enable bullets to bounce off his chest.  But we have a real life Superman.

Instantly she grinned.  "It's Daddy, isn't it?"  I told her it was.  Tereasa's
wise response: "I knew it was.  He's my hero, too."

Tereasa knows that Superman won't come flying off the page to solve her
problems.  At that young age, she knows that life doesn't work like that. 
Pretending is fine, and she does a lot of that, but real heroes don't fly
under their own power, and real people are very vulnerable to bullets.  Her
biggest hero is her Dad, and at her age, that is the way it should be.

What makes a hero?  Superman shows us.  His costume may change, his powers may
change, even his corporeality may change, but what he is does not change.  He
may now be energy, but in the ways that matter he is still more human than
many humans.

What do I mean by that?  Superman is a moral person.  He is full of
compassion.  When someone hurts, he wants to fix it.  When someone threatens
someone else, he wants to make them stop.  When what is morally right is
threatened, he swings into action to protect and make it right.  This is a
very simplified explanation, but an accurate one.

Superman has consistently been portrayed as defender, protector, and sometimes
judge.  He has also shown an acute awareness of his own foibles and
limitations.  The only exception I see to this is when he is now-powerless
Clark Kent.  He keeps reacting to situations as though Clark were still super.
(Remember the potholder incident last month?)  I keep chalking that up to
inexperience and hoping that we'll see even more of this, as this is one of
the few slapstick moments in Superman Blue.  But as Superman, he is highly
aware of what he can and cannot do.  This limitation adds an extra element of
humanity to a character that is larger than life.

What makes a hero?  Not powers or a fancy costume.  Not money or position. 
Not fame or the lack thereof.  What makes a hero is what a person is inside:
compassion, morality, and a willingness to put others first.  Those with these
qualities, whether fictional or in real life, are heroes.  This world
desperately needs heroes, and I am glad Superman is one of them.

______________________________________________

                          AN EDITION OF FAMOUS FIRSTS
                      -----------------------------------
                               by Yosef Shoemaker


INTRODUCTION: Although it is common knowledge that Superman, Lois Lane and
Clark Kent first appeared in ACTION COMICS #1 [1938], and that by then they
were already print journalists, there are other noteworthy "firsts" in the
Superman mythos that an aficionado might find to be of interest.  This is a
compilation of such famous [pre-Byrne Superman] firsts.  The notes indicate
if, historically, the first was in a different medium.  All years for comic
books refer to cover dates, except perhaps for ALL-STAR COMICS #7.  I owe an
incalculable debt of gratitude to Michael S. Fleisher's SUPERMAN ENCYCLOPEDIA,
as well as acknowledgments to the following: the history presented on the
"Superman Homepage;" the English version of the Spanish Superman Homepage; E.
Nelson Bridwell's introductions to the 1971 "Superman: From the 30's to the
70's" and the 1981 "Superman and His Incredible Fortress of Solitude;" the
WIZARD price guide; Gary Grossman's SUPERMAN: CEREAL TO SERIAL."


* Krypton first named: SUPERMAN #1 [1939]

* Jor-El and Lara first seen and named: SUPERMAN #53 [1948]

    NOTE: Superman's father was mentioned, unseen and unnamed, in ACTION
          COMICS #1 [1938], described as a "scientist."  [By the way,
          Jor-El and Lara first met on 71 Belyuth 9995, and were married on
          47 Ullhah 9997.  If memory serves, Kal-El was born on 35 Eorx 9998.
          Kryptonian civilization was 10,000 years old when Krypton
          exploded.]

* Superman first encountered Kryptonite, and first learned that he was
  born on Krypton: SUPERMAN #61 [1949]
  
    NOTE: Historically, it was the comic strip that first named Superman's
          home planet ["Krypton"] and parents ["Jor-L and Lora."]  In the
          1942 novel by George Lowther, they were called "Jor-el and Lara."
          Superman was given the name "Kal-el." In the comics, the name
          KAL-EL for Superman does not appear until SUPERMAN #113 [1957].
          Also, it was the radio show that first featured Kryptonite, in
          1945.  In a story reprinted in SUPERBOY #165 [1970], SuperBOY
          first encounters Kryptonite.

* Jonathan Kent first named [as "Jonathan"] in a Superman story:
  ACTION COMICS #158 [1951]

* Martha Kent first named [as "Martha"] in a Superman story:
  SUPERMAN #74 [1952]
  [According to "The Superman Homepage," it was in ACTION COMICS #158]

    NOTE: In ACTION COMICS #1, it was an unnamed "passing motorist" who found
          Kal-El's rocket.  In SUPERMAN #1 [1939], it was a couple; the
          wife's name was "Mary."  Superman's adoptive father was given the
          name "John" in SUPERMAN #53, and the "Mary" name was repeated.
          E. Nelson Bridwell stated that the names "Jonathan and Martha"
          first originated with SuperBOY.  Bridwell was undoubtedly referring
          to ADVENTURE COMICS #149 [1950] for the name Jonathan Kent and
          SUPERBOY #12 [1951] for the name Martha Kent.  These Superboy
          stories BOTH proceeded the Superman stories listed above.  In both
          the Lowther novel and the 1950's TV show, they were called "Eben
          and Sarah."  According to an issue of Amazing World of DC Comics,
          in the 1948 serial, they were "Eben and Martha."

* Jimmy [Olsen] the "office boy" first appeared: SUPERMAN #13 [1942]

* Jimmy Olsen's signal watch first appeared: JIMMY OLSEN #1 [1954]

* Editor [Perry] White first appeared: SUPERMAN #7 [1940]

* Daily Planet first named: SUPERMAN #4 [Spring 1940].
  ACTION COMICS #23 [April 1940], which came out at or around the same time,
  also featured the new name Daily Planet.

    NOTE: Historically, it was the radio show that first contained the names
          "Perry White" and "Daily Planet."  E. Nelson Bridwell stated that
          "Jimmy the office boy" in the comics was seized upon by the radio
          show, who made "Jimmy Olsen" a character.  The full name "Jimmy
          Olsen" first appears in SUPERMAN #15 [1942].  An office boy first
          appeared in ACTION COMICS #6 [1938]; he became Jimmy Olsen.  The
          full name "Perry White" first appears in SUPERMAN #10 [1941].  By
          the 290's [c.1975], Inspector Henderson and Professor Pepperwinkle
          had begun appearing in SUPERMAN.  Historically, both had first
          appeared in the 1950's TV show.  Inspector Henderson subsequently
          appeared on LOIS AND CLARK. [This is the token post-Byrne
          reference.]

* Metropolis first named: ACTION COMICS #16 [1939]

* Fortress of Solitude first named: SUPERMAN #58 [1949]

    NOTE: Ever since SUPERMAN #17 [1942], a mountain hideaway had been
          mentioned.

* Standard Version ARCTIC Fortress of Solitude first appears:
  ACTION COMICS #241 [1958]

    NOTE: In SUPERMAN #58 [1949], the Fortress was described as being in
          "polar wastes," although Luthor discovers Superman's hideaway in
          the MOUNTAINS in SUPERMAN #81 [1953].  In 1971, E. Nelson Bridwell
          stated that Luthor's discovery of the hideaway prompted its
          movement to the Arctic.  In 1981, he basically removed these two
          stories from regular continuity.

* Superboy first appeared: MORE FUN COMICS #101 [1945]

    NOTE: This was the first time that it was stated that Clark Kent grew up
          in a small town.  The name Smallville first appeared in SUPERBOY #2
          [1949].

* Lana Lang first appeared: SUPERBOY #10 [1950]

    NOTE: Lana Lang left Smallville and came to Metropolis [and met Superman]
          in SUPERMAN #78 [1952]

* Krypto the Superdog first appeared: ADVENTURE COMICS #210 [1955]

    NOTE: SuperMAN's first recorded adventure with Krypto was in
          SUPERMAN #130 [1959]

* The Phantom Zone first appeared: ADVENTURE COMICS #283 [1961]

    NOTE: SuperMAN's first recorded adventure with the Phantom Zone was in
          1962 [SUPERMAN #150 and ACTION COMICS #254 (the January issues)]

* Supergirl first appeared, and Argo City's survival of Krypton's
  explosion first revealed: ACTION COMICS #252 [1959]

    NOTE: After training Supergirl, and keeping her in reserve as his secret
          weapon, Superman revealed her existence to the world in ACTION
          COMICS #285 [1962].  She was killed in CRISIS ON INFINITE
          EARTHS #7 [1985].

* Luthor first appeared: ACTION COMICS #23 [1940]

* Brainiac first appeared; Kandor's survival of Krypton's explosion first
  revealed; Kandor's liberation from Brainiac first recorded:
  ACTION COMICS #242 [1958]

    NOTE: Kandor was enlarged in SUPERMAN #338 [1979].

* Superman of Earth-2 first appeared in the Silver Age: JLA #73 [1969]
  [He met the Superman of Earth-1 for the first time in the next issue]

* Superman first uses his X-Ray Vision: ACTION COMICS #18 [1939]

    NOTE: This power was not named "X-Ray Vision" until ACTION COMICS #20
          [1940].  The term "X-Ray Eyesight" is used in ACTION COMICS #11
          [1939], but may not refer to seeing through objects.  Lead was
          first described as blocking X-Ray Vision in ACTION COMICS #69
          [1944].

* Lois Lane begins to "actively suspect" [versus just "speculating"] that
  Superman is Clark Kent: SUPERMAN #17 [1942]

* Superman first met Batman: ALL-STAR COMICS #7 [1941]

    NOTE: Historically, they first met on the radio.  [They learned each
          other's secret identities in SUPERMAN #76 (1952) and began regular
          team-ups in WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #71 (1954).  The pairing of the
          two was due to the shrinkage in the number of pages per issue.]

* Superman first met Captain Marvel: JLA #137 [1976]

    NOTE: In ALL-STAR SQUADRON #36 (1984), the Superman of Earth-2 first met
          Captain Marvel.  Lex Luthor might have fought Captain Marvel in
          SHAZAM #15 (1974).

* Superman's powers first described as being dependent on a yellow sun:
  ACTION COMICS #262 [1960]

______________________________________________


                                  THE MAILBAG
                     -------------------------------------
                     (sykes@ms.uky.edu, KryptonCN@aol.com)


                 KC Responses are indented and begun with ****

     =====================================================================

From: David Joseph Young, Jr. (dayoung@luna.cas.usf.edu)

I tried to keep myself from writing in this month since I had two rather long
letters in the most recent issue.  I felt there was something I said in one of
the letters that needed clearing up however.

First, here's what I said--

"If done well, either approach is valid.  The reason the linked format did so
well at first was because the quality of the storylines merited it.  They were
so good that you couldn't wait until next week.  Lately, unless there is some
specific 'crossover' story going on, it just seems like weak filler material.
(Of course, that's also a subject for another letter.  Is it just me, or has
the Superman crew gotten so used to big 'event' storylines that whatever comes
between them is uneventful and 'villain-of-the-week'-style filler material?) 
Another obvious reason the linked format did well at first is that the cover
prices were less.  Still, if the books were as good as they were then, I doubt
we'd have so many people complaining."

Here's what you said in response--

"On the one hand, we have a group complaining about having so many extended
story lines, wanting more single-issue tales.  On the other, we have a group
who tends to find such single-issue stories to be filler material, desiring
more 'relevant' stories.  Could it be that the weekly continuity lessens the
overall effectiveness of the single-issue tale?"

I just wanted to say that I wasn't intending to come down on single-issue
stories. There have been some awesome single-issue Superman stories in the
recent past (the Superman and Lois talking on a mountaintop one and the most
recent "relevant" Superman story written and drawn by Jurgens come to mind).

**** Then again, you *did* mention that the stories falling between the "big
     event storylines" seem to be uneventful.  Seriously, though.  Take a
     quick look back at the four to four-and-a-half years since "Reign of the
     Supermen" (the last truly great Superman epic to grace the triangles).
     In my opinion, the bulk of the "event" storylines have been reasonably
     good to great ideas with poor execution.  The primary culprit behind
     this poor execution has been the simple fact that most of the stories
     were drawn out *way* too long.
     
     Quite often, the issues that have been most universally well-received
     have been the single-issue stories.  Sometimes these were tangential
     lead-ins to upcoming epics (the "low-dialogue" issue of ADVENTURES which
     saw an alien entity scouting Superman before his "Trial"), and others
     were simple, yet powerful, stories spinning out of epics (ADVENTURES
     #525, where Lois convinces Superman he must be Clark again).  There have
     been incredible one-shots such as the classic Mxyzptlk appearance in MOS
     #56, while Lois and Clark were separated, and the Zero Hour issue of MOS
     with multiple Batman.  In short, I believe that, taken as a whole, the
     single-issue stories have been quite a bit better than the "event"
     storylines.

What I was complaining about was the slew of "villain-of-the-week" stories and
characters which seem to always come up between big events.  You know the type
of villains.  (A good example is the commando guy shown in the flashback story
during the honeymoon story arc.)  These characters show up, knock Superman
around a couple issues, and then are gone.  I'd rather see stories which
spotlight existing supporting characters or villains instead.  Don't introduce
new villains until you've got really good ones, please.

**** Amen.  In recent years, the Superman team has handled such classic
     villains as Mxy, Luthor, Intergang, and the Parasite *extremely* well,
     in my opinion.  Most of the newer villains have been uninteresting --
     Conduit, Rajiv Naga, Massacre, Anomaly, Arclight, etc.  Too often, this
     group invents a new villain without fully developing the character,
     which means that we don't learn enough to care one way or the other
     about the villain.  This isn't to say that some of these aren't
     potentially interesting.  I would personally *love* to see a return of
     Riot, to learn more about him and his condition which was alluded to
     over several issues.  I also think Misa's characterization in the most
     recent appearances have made her much more intriguing than she started
     out as.  I think all the background maneuvering going on in Metropolis
     is the most interesting aspect of the Superman titles these days --
     Luthor, Edge, Intergang, and let's not forget that Satanus is still
     controlling Newstime.  He really ought to be given something to do...
     Once again in short, let's see more development of existing villains
     rather than the continued introduction of more and more new villains.

Also, a real quick LOIS AND CLARK comment.  I generally agreed with everything
you said about the reruns vs. the final season.  One thing you didn't mention
-- When I was watching a rerun recently, I caught the one which had a short
scene of Clark playing Ping-Pong by himself.  I also remember him playing
baseball.  I missed these playful little scenes in the later years, although I
didn't realize it at the time.

**** Clark also went golfing with Lois (and Phil Mickelson) and played
     basketball with Bo Jackson.  Probably not coincidentally, these stopped
     about the same time that series creator Deborah Joy LeVine was released
     from the show...  Having now seen the second season again, I find it
     clear that everyone had a lot more fun working on the show in its debut
     season.

     =====================================================================

From: Steve Kaplan (phoenix@netactive.co.za)

About 6 months ago, [Denes House] wrote a review of the SUPERMAN/DOOMSDAY:
HUNTER/PREY mini-series, to which I took serious objection.  We bantered about
it and agreed to disagree.  I notice now your reaction to ACTION COMICS ANNUAL
#2, Superman on Warworld for the first time.

This time, we agree.  I thoroughly enjoyed your review and agree
wholeheartedly.  It is packed with vitality.  A while back I just stopped
buying the annuals because they were generally meaningless one-shots.  And the
latest offerings seem, if I judge the KC panel's comments accurately, to be
more of the same.  AC ANNUAL #2 is a whole 'nother story.

I picked it up in a back issues bin at a comic store about 4 years ago just
because it was cheap.  It is one of the best Superman stories in its own right
as well as being a useful filler for the then ongoing story-line.  (And if you
don't think the pink elephants are just too cool, well, then, you're really
missing out :-) ).  Thanks for reviewing a great comic.  Anyone who still
doesn't have it, go get it now.

**** I'm reprinting your letter to Denes because it raises an interesting
     question about annuals.  Why on Earth do we have them?  As you mention,
     they rarely seem to contribute anything to the ongoing continuity
     anymore -- the lone exception this year being the introduction of
     Luthor's lawyer in the SUPERMAN annual.  DC keeps trying the themed
     annuals in an attempt to increase sales, though at least the annuals no
     longer are a crossover event.  (I still don't understand -- given DC's
     logic about linking the continuity of the Superman titles, you'd think
     they'd make the annuals part of the ongoing continuity...)

     Now I've heard that DC is considering increasing the page count of its
     annuals for next year.  This will, undoubtedly, result in higher prices
     and, predictably, lower sales.  Well, I think I have a better idea.
     Many years ago, annuals were often reprints of popular stories from the
     past.  Why not try this again, in an alternative to the expensive
     hardcover archives series?  Each title which participates could reprint
     some of the earliest appearances of that character -- Golden Age, if
     possible.  Given the option of a new story by a current writer and
     artist, one which may or may not have anything to do with the current
     continuity, or a reprint of several 1940s issues by Siegel and Shuster,
     which would you rather pay four or five bucks for?

     =====================================================================

From: Jason Arnett (jalawa@falcon.cc.ukans.edu)

A couple of months ago, I wrote and told you how I disliked the linked format
of the Superman books.  I'm still with Big Blue though I really don't know for
how much longer.  It seems to me, though, that the reason MAN OF TOMORROW came
out was just to put another Superman book out so that the readers never had an
off week.  Just how many books can a character really, and I mean REALLY,
sustain?  What worked after the relaunch in 1986 was the fact that there were
3 Superman books, but you didn't HAVE to buy them all.  I was, and still am, a
Byrne victim, so I only bought his two books.  Soon enough, MAN OF STEEL came
along to make sure that the readers could get their weekly dose of Superman
and the linked titles could realistically be done to a much greater extent. 
And then when the readers kept on moaning about having a week off every three
months or so, here comes MAN OF TOMORROW.

I have to agree that a few months on and a few months off from the big
storylines would certainly be a wonderful idea.  However, if the industry in
general is in so much trouble, maybe they should look into pulling back on
giving one character so many books.  I would like to see SUPERMAN and
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN maybe linked and ACTION become the team-up book again. 
As for MAN OF STEEL, Louise Simonson is the best thing about it.  She has not
had a great artist on that book ever, but we have to buy it if we want to be
completists.  I would not be so sad to see that book depart the shelves along
with MAN OF TOMORROW, which is a total waste of the talents of the creative
team.

Sorry to sound so negative, but when the industry in general, and Marvel in
particular, are in so much trouble, how can they justify not turning the
talents of people like Roger Stern, Paul Ryan, Kerry Gammill, Ron Frenz (what
happened to him?), and Louise Simonson towards creating new characters for us
readers?  Maybe if DC dropped MAN OF STEEL they could replace it with an
Elseworlds monthly comic.  It could be run in much the same way that Miller
does Sin City or Wagner does Grendel, you only publish when you have a great
story arc.

Anyway, it sounds like a much more valid option for the cash-crunched consumer
that companies claim hold the industry up.

**** Sure, DC could drop one of the Superman titles and replace it with
     something else -- something which doesn't exclusively feature the Man
     of Steel, if at all.  But would it sell?  There aren't many DC titles
     out there which are outselling the Superman books, so why would they
     take the risk of canceling one of them to offer something else --
     something which might not sell as well?  I just don't think replacing a
     Superman title with an unproven title is going to help sales -- and
     that's the bottom line of the industry.

     I also think that the comics world is overpopulated as it is, and there
     are *way* too many new characters being created these days.  Keep in
     mind that for every Grendel, Nexus, Bone, or Astro City there are dozens
     of new characters that are created and then fall away, primarily because
     they just aren't any good.  I think that the industry needs to focus
     itself on producing quality material of both established and new
     characters rather than producing tons of crap, just because it's some
     popular artist's or writer's latest concept.  

     Not too long ago, creating a new character was the pinnacle of a
     writer's or artist's career.  These days, creating a new character is
     what you do when you run out of ideas for what you're currently working
     on.  (And yes, while I celebrate Image for what they did for creator's
     rights, I also blame them for this frenzy of publishing whatever crosses
     one's mind...)

     Finally, I doubt creating new characters for us is the solution to the
     troubled comics industry -- the key is to find something to bring new
     and former readers into the comic shops, and perhaps to get kids picking
     up comics off the newsstand again.  I have to believe it would be much
     easier to do so by shoring up the classic, more recognizable characters,
     rather than by creating a bunch of new ones.  As big a success as SPAWN
     has been inside the industry, how much has it done to bring in new
     readers?

     There's no doubt the industry is in trouble.  In my opinion, the
     solution lies in learning how to compete with the rest of the
     entertainment world, not with reshuffling things inside the industry.
     The comics world is in dire need of a visionary who can see how to
     make a kid go out and buy the latest Superman offering instead of the
     latest CD, novel, or movie.
                                                    -- Jeff Sykes

______________________________________________

                               NEW COMIC REVIEWS
                               -----------------


Ratings Panelists:

   AW:  Anatole Wilson       DWd: Darrin Wood          KM:  Kuljit Mithra
   ChS: Charles Stevens      DWk: Douglas Wolk         RG:  Rene' Gobeyn
   CoS: Cory Strode          EJ:  Enola Jones          ST:  Shane Travis
   DC:  David Chappell       GN:  G.M. Nelson          TD:  Thomas Deja
   DR:  Daniel Radice        JSy: Jeff Sykes           VV:  Vic Vitek
  

As always, the first rating given after the average is that of the reviewer.

The average rating given for each book may correspond to a larger sample
of ratings than what is printed following the average.

==================================================


THE SUPERMAN TITLES:
-------------------
43. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #73              Nov 1997   $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Gang War"

    Plot:        Louise Simonson
    Dialogue:    Mark Waid
    Artists:     Scot Eaton and Dennis Janke
    Letter:      Ken Lopez
    Colorist:    Glen Whitmore
    Separations: Digital Chameleon
    Ass't Ed.:   Maureen McTigue
    Editor:      Joey Calivieri
    Cover:       Jon Bogdanove, Dennis Janke, and Patrick Martin


RATINGS

Average: 2.6/5.0 Shields

TD:  3.0 Shields (Story)
     2.2 Shields (Art)
ChS: 2.4 Shields - Excellent idea with a "gang war" there, but I just think
        it wrapped up too quickly to get a real good story.  It looks like
        Eaton's art is slipping.
DWk: 1.9 Shields - Awkward and contrived all the way through, from the cheap
        melodrama of the opening to the out-of-nowhere twists in the Lois
        subplot. Nice dialogue, though, especially Luthor's "dismissed."
EJ:  2.5 Shields - Too much going on in thirty-something pages. My head is
        STILL spinning!
JSy: 3.0 Shields - Janke starts to mesh with Eaton just a little, but most
        of this issue is endless fighting.  Waid's dialogue is good, though,
        and at least we won't have to put up with Jimmy for a while.


Okay, things are really complicated. To begin: Jimmy Olsen, being pursued by
the new Intergang, finds himself in the Wild Area. While the Outsiders try
to protect Jimmy, Morgan Edge strikes a bargain with DeSaad: join Edge in 
his plan to destroy Metropolis, and Edge will bring Superman to the brink
of despair by doing so. DeSaad likes the motivation, and sends a squadron
of parademons to Edge. Edge sends some to the Hairies/Intergang/Jimmy
free-for-all, while another batch goes to Lexcorp. Good fightin' ensues,
with Sparky the Wonder Kryptonian fighting off the Parademons and swallowing 
his desire to see Luthor sent to a just reward, while the Hairies get their
licks in to aid Jimmy--but all this foofrorah is just a diversion for Edge's
real plan.... Meanwhile, Lois' attempt to contact the aboriginals attracts
the attention of Naga, while someone or something is making off with kids
in Metropolis.... 

There are some interesting things touched on. Edge's playing both sides
against the other appeals to me, as does the bizarre but all-too-sure scene
with the aboriginals (and boy does it piss me off that it seems like this
will be ignored once Naga makes the scene in two issues). Also, the opening
scene was pretty chilling, managing to catch our attention like a bucketful
of cold water. Unfortunately, there's too much fighting and not enough
storytelling going on here. The two extended battle scenes make "Gang War"
appear thinned out; after last issue, it's a bit of a disappointment. 

One interesting angle is Simonson's indication that other people are
paying attention to the Man of Sparks' abilities.  Page 11, featuring
Luthor getting at marauding parademons by shooting *through* Sparky is
particularly intriguing.  Superman's final maneuver in the Luthor battle
makes sense, although it's another "Hey Look What ELSE I can do" scene. 

Boy, the inking makes the art look muddy. There are pages that appear to
be done in magic marker (including the first page, which is so absolutely
inept looking; luckily Eaton takes back his art for the following three
pages).  Eaton *does* make an interesting and, in many cases, successful
attempt to create a continuity between his version of Intergang and the
Stuart Immonen versions. For that matter, Eaton is now taking after Immonen
in portraying Supes as well, something of which I wholeheartedly approve.
Once again, we can see Eaton fighting against Janke's inappropriate, heavy
inks; unfortunately, most of the dull portions come in the fight scenes
themselves, the moments that most need dynamic pencils. It also must be said
that Eaton doesn't do good Kirby (but then, who does?). 

So, while "Gang War" is not a stinkbomb like some recent issues, it's a
comedown from the excellent last issue. I hope that Waid (whose dialogue
is pretty decent, all told) will allow Simonson to rest up and recharge her
batteries so that S:MOS can reach its full potential.  One also hopes that
Janke gets the boot, and soon -- much like I am, from reviewing this title.
The difference is that mine is voluntary, and you can still catch me 
reviewing SUPERMAN starting next month, whereas Janke should be removed 
from all Super-books altogether.

Thomas Deja
<manciniman@rocketmail.com>

==================================================

44. SUPERMAN #129                               Nov 1997   $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Within Human Reach"

    Writer:      Dan Jurgens
    Penciller:   Paul Ryan
    Inker:       Joe Rubinstein
    Letterer:    John Costanza
    Colorist:    Glenn Whitmore
    Separations: Digital Chameleon
    Chaperones:  Maureen McTigue, Joey Cavalieri
    Cover:       Dan Jurgens, Joe Rubinstein, and Patrick Martin


RATINGS

Average:  3.8/5.0 Shields

DC:  4.2 Shields
ChS: 4.0 Shields - Whoah!  This one had it all! An excellent further look
        into an excellent character, and an awesome Cyborg appearance.
        I love this new storyline for him!
EJ:  4.3 Shields - I loved the emphasis on characterization in this issue.
        The POV being that of a blind girl was very well done.
JSy: 4.2 Shields - Excellent story by Jurgens, who excels at raising
        questions about Superman's role in society.  Ashbury is growing
        into a strong supporting character, but Scorn still needs work.
TD:  3.5 Shields - I'll give Dan jurgens credit for trying something
        different with the Cyborg this time--although the dialogue still
        stinks on ice, and the plot could have benefitted from being
        stretched out through a few sub-plots before the final revelation.
VV:  3.5 Shields - As Mr. Sorman, Cyborg brought up some interesting points
        about the Man of Steel; does he ever follow-up on the people he
        apprehends to see if they've turned their lives around? Pre-crisis
        Supes did from time to time....


SYNOPSIS

This story is told from the viewpoint of Ashbury Armstrong as a computer
diary entry. It begins with Ashbury and her friends decorating for a high 
school homecoming dance. The students gradually begin to accept Ashbury's
alien friend Ceritak. Soon after Clark Kent arrives to cover a column about
youth, a fire breaks out in the school. Superman saves the day and captures
the culprits. When Ashbury continues to argue with her father about Ceritak,
her art teacher, Mr. Sormon, attempts to intervene on her behalf. Ashbury
clearly likes Mr. Sormon, but the entire class is dismayed at his disgruntled
attitude over being forced to assign an art project for Superman Appreciation
Day. The final revelation of the secret behind the story's minor oddities
leads the reader to think, and Superman's handling of the situation adds even
more depth to a controversial predicament. 


CRITIQUE

In this issue, Dan Jurgens presents the sort of story that has drawn me to 
Superman comics over the years -- a story focused not on super-heroics and 
battle scenes but on human feelings and emotions.  While the alternate point 
of view is a nice touch, the story's true beauty comes from its thought-
provoking nature.  It is touching in a disturbing way that makes the reader 
ponder some difficult issues.  I find it appropriate that Ashbury's journal 
entry begins by calling it her "classic, momentous first story."

I am pleased that the cover art does not even hint at the issue's big secret.  
Usually I do not like it when the cover has little to do with the contents, 
but in this case it has just enough relevance to be appropriate without 
spoiling anything.  Sadly, however, the cover art is unlikely to draw many
readers to the high-quality story contained inside.

This issue includes art by guest penciller Paul Ryan. I found the issue's
art to be pretty good overall, though some of the poses occasionally look
too stock and forced. 

Many of the best and most memorable Superman stories have been told from
a different perspective, and this issue ranks among the best of them. 
Initially, the narration is nice merely because it is different, but the
special viewpoint is almost necessary for understanding Mr. Sormon.  Were
the story told from Superman's viewpoint, it would not be nearly so deep
or thought-provoking. 

The only flaw I see in the story is in its timing. Just a few weeks ago
(ADVENTURES #551), Hank Henshaw returned to Earth, and now he suddenly
seems to have been a teacher for a while. Ashbury just describes him as
"our new art teacher," but I infer that some time has passed since Henshaw
established the Sormon identity.

It is only appropriate that Dan Jurgens write a story which delves into
Henshaw's psyche since he wrote the original appearance of Hank Henshaw back
in ADVENTURES #466 (May 90).  Furthermore, during the Reign of the Supermen,
Jurgens' stories tended to focus on the Cyborg.  Jurgens also set up this
story last month (SUPERMAN #128 and ADVENTURES #551) with Henshaw's bubbles
of memories and his comments to Superman about feelings, experiences, and
humanity.  In this issue, it was nice to see Henshaw in a physical form other
than that of the Cyborg, and this appearance goes a long way to counteract my
complaints on that topic. 

A second reading of this story reveals many deliberately placed clues about
the art teacher.  Early on, Mr. Sormon stands up for Ceritak at the gym,
saying that he "might very well be a remarkable fellow," and emphasizing,
"I have great respect for those who endeavor to make a normal life out of a
bad situation."  Sormon's clumsiness at the party is reminiscent of Clark's:
"he's so strong that he can't help but break delicate things!"  His amazement
at seeing Superman putting out the fire seems insignificant at the time but
is appropriate in retrospect.  One of the best lines, Sormon's answer that
yes, he could "imagine flying in a space shuttle," reminded me of Hank
Henshaw (crewman of the Space Shuttle Excalibur), but I still did not see
the connection.  His angry reaction to Mr. Armstrong's bigotry over Ceritak 
seemed odd, but I surmised that perhaps Mr. Sormon was a well-intentioned 
extra-terrestrial.  The final hints as to his identity come in Sormon's 
discussion of "that questionable" Superman Appreciation Day.  Henshaw, a 
former scientist and astronaut, insists, "we should honor explorers and 
researchers!  Not someone who solves problems only with force!"  Though it
was clear that Sormon was not a normal man, Superman's entrance was as big
a surprise to me as it was to the art students.

Ironically, Superman's final appearance in the story seems to confirm
Henshaw's condemnation of him.  Superman does not offer to help his old foe
fit into society, nor does he help him become a normal man again.  Instead,
Superman immediately uses force and attacks the perceived villain in combat.
In short, the Kryptonian acts just as Henshaw has accused him of acting,
"solving problems with violence instead of reason!"  Superman's actions are
justified based on Henshaw/Cyborg's history, but from what we see in this
story, Henshaw also appears to have a point about Superman. 

In his lecture to the class, Henshaw all but asked for rehabilitative help
from Superman, leaving the reader with some questions to ponder. Should
Henshaw have been allowed to lead a normal life, and could he have fit into
society again in the long run? Should Superman have further investigated the
situation before charging into battle? Had Superman not intervened, would
Henshaw in his new identity have caused more good or harm? Will Mr. Sormon's
students ever truly understand what happened? These questions, focusing on
the Cyborg's desire to be a good human being again, are what bring depth and
quality to this excellent book. 

Other little pieces contribute to making this story a true classic. Examples
include Superman's excellent handling of the arsonists, the cameraman's
comment on "American Home Crime Scene Videos," and the excellent line that
Dirk delivers to Ashbury "You...bump into [Superman] almost as often as
Kent!" Perhaps most important of the little touches is the juxtaposition of
the way Ceritak and Henshaw are treated: both are foreign in some way, and
both are just trying to fit in. In the final panel, Jurgens takes the 
stereotyped hint of the villain's secret survival and keeps it from being
trite: Henshaw may have survived, but he did so in the company of one who
saw his good side. 

In the end, Hank Henshaw was merely trying "to make a normal life out of a
bad situation."  Henshaw's desire to repent and the exposure of his good side
should provoke each reader to contemplate his plight.  Ashbury did admit,
"As days went by, Mr. Sormon seemed to change," but would he have eventually
slipped into madness, or was Miss Armstrong correct that she "might have
helped him to find that which he cherished most -- his human self"? 

David T. Chappell
<dtc@acpub.duke.edu>

==================================================

45. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #552             Nov 1997   $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Control Of Power"

    Writer:      Karl Kesel
    Layouts:     Tom Grummett 
    Finishes:    Denis Rodier 
    Letterer:    Albert De Guzman 
    Colors:      Glenn Whitmore 
    Separations: Digital Chameleon 
    Asst. Ed.:   Maureen McTigue 
    Editor:      Joey Cavalieri 
    Cover:       Tom Grummett, Denis Rodier, and Patrick Martin 


RATINGS

Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields

DR:  3.8 Shields (Story: 4.0, Art: 3.5)
ChS: 3.7 Shields - I didn't see the point of the Parasite appearance, but I
        loved seeing Luthor beat the crap out of Boss Moxie. The art was
        wonderful as usual, and getting better all the time.
DWk: 2.3 Shields - Luthor at his nastiest--but he's obviously an accessory
        to murder now, and you'd think he'd want to stay out of legal trouble
        for a little while. Kesel overstates things, e.g. Simone's pass at
        Clark--aren't there sexual-harassment policies at the Planet for
        that kind of thing?
EJ:  3.6 Shields - A well-told story, especially the Contessa's barbs to
        Luthor. A bit too violent for my liking, however.
GN:  4.2  Shields - Nice show of the "dark side" of this new Superman, one
        even the Man of Steel acknowledges. Kesel's work is consistently the
        most engaging of the regular writers; his use of the New Intergang
        is intriguing. Grumett's return to AOS continues to be welcome.
TD:  2.5 Shields - This issue sort of faded from my memory the second I
        put it down.
VV:  3.0 Shields - A ruthless Luthor starts to tie his plotline together with
        Intergang's, and the baby appears to be getting closer.(MOS 75?) It
        seems that Clark is no longer a solar battery, but does anyone here
        really think that "Early to bed, early to rise, makes Blue Superman
        charged power-wise?"


It's a month of returns in ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN! The return of the Parasite
(after only 2 issues...)! The returns of Intergang (after only one issue...)!
Most importantly, though, is the RETURN OF KARL KESEL! Ok, it really wasn't a
major "return issue" since the people "returning"  have been fixtures as of
late in the Super-titles, but it's quite a relief to have Karl Kesel back on 
Adventures and Dan Jurgens only writing (read: contaminating) one Superman
book a month. That said, on with the re-cap: 

Intergang, Metropolis' super-powered mobsters, are on a stealing-spree, 
hitting one of LexCorp's research and development labs. Unfortunately, due to
their overzealousness, they partially botch the robbery causing the stolen
materials to be slightly ruined. 

Meanwhile, back at the Planet, we're reminded of Clark's recent separation
from Lois. No, they didn't break up again; Instead Lois was reassigned as
foreign correspondent. Again. We see Simone DeNeige's sultry advances, as
Clark unwittingly falls prey to her wily ways. It seems that this may be a
slight set-up to some future happenings, but could just as easily be a
throwaway idea. I like Simone and Clark together.  Too bad there aren't
two Clark Kents... 

Moving back to Intergang, Boss Moxie isn't all that pleased with his goons'
botched equipment-stealing job. Moxie knows that the only way to cut his 
losses is to bargain with Lex Luthor. The bargaining chip: Luthor's top
geneticist, Mensa (Ha! Punny!). 

Acting on a tip from Perry White, Clark (now in Superman-mode) heads off
to investigate a homicide in Suicide Slum, one with potential meta-human
involvement. As the Man of Energy and the Special Crimes Unit look over the
body, the Parasite (who just happened to be walking by) decides to attack
Superman and "suck him dry". The last time this occurred, Superman merely
absorbed the Parasite's energy and left him weak and powerless, this time
Electri-kal accidentally absorbs enough of the Parasite to leave him an
almost lifeless husk.  Suffice to say, the S.C.U, surrounding crowd, and
Superman himself were all quite shocked at this.

A meeting takes place between Boss Moxie, with "associates", and Lex Luthor, 
also with "associates". A knock-down, drag-em-out slobberknocker ensues as
Luthor beats Moxie senseless. In an attempt to save face, Moxie makes an
agreement with Lex, one that essentially makes Lex the new leader of 
Intergang. Talk about having too many irons in the fire...

Thankfully Karl Kesel is back scripting and plotting the Adventures of
Minty-man, because I definitely could not have stood another month of 
Jurgens. Bleah. That's not to say that Kesel is the be-all and end-all of
comic book writers, but he is definitely an improvement over Danny-boy. 
Kesel has a better grasp of story plotting, organization, and presentation.
Sure he has his faults, but they're not as obvious or drawn out as some
writers' are... not to name any names, of course.

In this story, Kesel packs a good chunk of Intergang development. The cloned
muscle of Intergang show consistent characterization. Noose doesn't get any
lines, Torcher is the "hot" babe (pun intended? you make the call!) and 
"Machine" Gunn shows off his tough guy persona. This time, however, we're
given a better look at the brute of the team, Rough House. He plays the role
of the strong guy, bashing down doors and walls--with his head, no less--but
also acts like a little puppy, always eager to please, to make people happy.
Call me crazy, but I like him. 

I was also glad to see Kesel make use of Luthor's bargaining agreement
with Neron. He did sell his soul for human physical perfection, so it's no
surprise that Moxie had his hind-end handed to him. I found it funny that,
even though he bargained to be at the echelon of human physicality, Lex
still has a gold tooth. Go figure. 

Tom Grummett puts in his usual stellar pencilling job, which is marred, as
usual, by Denis Rodier's usual messy inks. I must complain, however, of Glenn
Whitmore's colors. I have always wished that, when the artist takes the time
to detail the background, that individual items were coloured as they should
be. Are all the people in the Daily Planet actually a brownish-gray? I
suppose this is because Whitmore has to color each of the monthly titles,
but his work is really best on Immonen and Marzan Jr. He just doesn't work
for the rest of the titles, particularly in this issue. There are a slew of
capable colorists who do wonders through the aid of the computer, Patricia
Mulvihil and Stu Chafitiez spring to mind as people who could definitely make
an improvement on the coloring in the Super-books. 

On a final coloring note, I personally don't enjoy white borders or unused
space on a page. Black works much better. Years ago, when artists maintained
that 6-10 panels a page theory, white worked just fine. Now that different
panel sizes and layouts are being attempted, though, the blandness of the 
white sticks out sorely. Either having the entire page rendered or a black
background improves it's visual presentation quality ten-fold. Example:
Page 2 and 15 stand out as nicely laid out pages that look much better than
those in the rest of the book. All, of course, IMHO.

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN is usually a good read and this month's issue didn't
disappoint. Kesel and Grummett were made for each other and it's great to see
them together again. All Joey Cavalieri (the editor) needs to do is heed my
other comments and the book will be nigh-perfect! 

Dan Radice
<dradice@caninet.com>

______________________________________________

THE SUPERMAN TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
46. ACTION COMICS #739                          Nov 1997  $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Party Trappings"

    Story & Pencils: Stuart Immonen
    Inks:            Jose Marzan, Jr.
    Letters:         Bill Oakley
    Colors:          Glenn Whitmore
    Separations:     Prismacolor
    Assistant Ed.:   Maureen McTigue
    Party Animal:    Joey Cavalieri
    Cover:           Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr. and Patrick Martin


RATINGS

Average: 3.0/5.0 Shields

ST:  2.2 Shields (Story: 1.5, Art: 3.5)
DWd: 2.0 Shields - I'm starting to get a bit tired of this boring obscure
        Rajiv character. C'mon, you can write better stories than this!!
DWk: 3.1 Shields - Scorn in a tux! Lois thinking fast! Superman using his
        new Deus ex Machina powers! Very pretty to look at, and smoothly
        dialogued--if only a little more happened. But Immonen knows how to
        keep the fun stuff flowing.
JSy: 3.6 Shields - Immonen's new twist on Deathtrap/Locksmith rounds out
        a strong month for the Superman books, an excellent recovery from
        GENESIS.  But is anyone else sick of Rajiv?
TD:  4.2 Shields - Immonen's art has grown on me during the Sparky the
        Wonder Kyptonian phase of the titles, altough the whole aborigine
        thing seems to have been tossed in for flavor and nothing else.
        And *why* isn't the Master Jailer a good enough name anymore?
VV:  2.0 Shields - "Locksmith" just isn't my cup of tea as a villian,
        especially with all these other open-ended things going on. After
        some advancement of Luthor, Intergang, and Edge--all those plotlines
        are dropped to open up the kidnapping of Lois??? No, thanks.


Synopsis:

An explosion rocks the Homecoming Dance of Maggin High (being held in the
Centennial Hotel after the fire of SUPERMAN #129). When Superman shows up, he
is caught and trapped inside a techno-widget by Locksmith, AKA Don't Call Me
Deathtrap.  With the clock ticking, Electri-Kal must engineer his escape in
time to rescue the trapped students. Scorn, who was attending the dance with
Ashley, ensures that no one dies while Clark waits for Locksmith to drop
enough hints that even he can figure out how to escape. As Ashley is about to
play True Confessions with Scorn, Better-late-than-never Man shows up and uses
his power of techno-babble to quench the fire.

Over at Subplot Central, Lois's Australian Adventure continues. 'End Of The
World' warnings from an Aboriginal Elder weird her out, and Lois decides to
rent a car and drive across Australia (rather than just flying home). In one
of those crazy coincidences that only happens in badly-written fiction, the
rental agent turns out to be an old army buddy of her father, Sam Lane. He
insists on driving her where she wants to go. Two honest-to-God Ninjas swoop
down from the roofs of this outback town KOing the Plot Device (er... army
buddy) and kidnapping Lois -- delivering her into the clutches of Rajiv Naga
(who continues his bid for Overused and Unloved Villain-of-the-Year award).
Army Buddy calls Sam Lane to inform him of his daughter's peril; Lane shows up
on Clark's doorstep loaded for bear and itching to rescue his little girl. He
wants to prove that the commando-gene comes from _his_ side of the family!


Opinions:

As you can probably guess from the synopsis, too many things in this book
broke the bounds of credibility and stretched my suspension of disbelief past
the point where it could snap back.

Let's start with the villain of the piece, Deathtra...er... Locksmith. What
the heck was the rationale behind the name change? Deathtrap has that classic
super-villain ring; dark, and dangerous and foreboding. Who's going to be
afraid of a villain who soulds like a B&E specialist? Secondly, for someone
who prides himself... er... herself on building inescapable traps, Locksmith
sure didn't do her homework. As shown in this month's _Man of Steel_ (by
Luthor shooting _through_ Superman), Big Blue's new powers are becoming more
widely known. How, then, could anyone living in the same world as Jimmy Olsen
miss the fact that Electri-Kal can _absorb_ energy as well as discharge it,
and fail to design the trap accordingly?

Perhaps the biggest oversight in the characterization of Locksmith, however,
was turning her into a killer. We've met Carla Draper before (in the pages of
_Superboy_) and like her father, she seemed to enjoy the mental challenge that
went into designing and spring her traps. Blowing up an entire floor of a
major Hotel just to get Superman's attention seems just a _touch_ extreme
based on what we've seen of her. Oh, sure, everything worked out okay (if you
assume that the demolished story was empty), but that's only due to the
presence of Scorn at the Homecoming dance.  Had he not been there, four kids
(at least) would have died in the elevator, and who knows how many more if the
roof had collapsed.  In fact, if Scorn hadn't conveniently been on the scene,
there wouldn't have been anyone left to save by the time Supes waltzed out of
the trap.

Let's talk about Scorn for a moment, shall we?  Of everyone, it is he who is
the only one to emerge smelling like a rose. A sooty rose, but a rose. Big
Blue (the horned one, not the electical one) showed a lot of guts and courage
throughout the fire, and it seems to have paid off in the romance department
too. Too bad that Superman couldn't have relaxed in Locksmith's shackles for
just a few more seconds so that Ashley could have finished her sentence. The
single best moment of the issue involved Ceritak, and came when he licked his
lips at the sight of the punch-bowl--a clear reference to the punch-disposal
scene of _Superman_ #129.

My only beef with this guy is a long-standing one. Ceritak/Scorn, although he
has proven himself time and time again to be a decent guy, bears little or no
resemblance to the death-defying, law-abusing, high-flying juvenile delinquent
we were first introduced to way back inside the bottle city of Kandor. I know
that he's latched on to Superman as a role-model, but it would have been nice
to see some examples of his inner strength before he burst out of the bottle's
confining situation. Still, as Superman said as he flew away, Ceritak has
indeed turned into a Hero.

Speaking of Superman and heroes, those two words hardly deserve to be in the
same sentence this issue. While people were frying upstairs, Superman first
stored more energy than he needed to break out (by his own admission), spent a
few moments jawing with a disappearing Locksmith, and then tried to track him
through the computer. Only when that all failed did he deign to go and pull
the dancers from the fire. And how did he pull off this rescue? Why, with a
Cohesive Energy Matrix, of course! He resorted to this after earlier trying to
convert the flames' own heat-energy into a 'Dynamic Energy Matrix'--a trick
Clark apparently learned in his high-school Physics class! Wish _my_ Physics
classes had been as interesting as his.... Let's face it; Clark blew it big-
time this go-round, and it's a good thing Ceritak was there to backstop him.

Finally, I suppose, I should make a couple of comments on the wasted five
pages that make up the sub-plot. How do I hate this story? Let me count the
ways:
- There is _no way_ that any newspaper is going to send a prize-winning 
        reporter half-way around the world on a fluff piece.
- Other than repeated warnings about 'the End of Everything', the Abos were
        about as useful as a bicycle to a fish. 
- Plot-device man, AKA The Army Buddy.
- Ninjas in Australia? Stand out there much, boys?
- Sam Lane and Clark Kent, together, as you've never seen them before! Given
        how Sam has made it clear he feels about Clark, what earthly reason
        does he have for bringing him along?
- ...and the number one reason I hate this subplot is... Rajiv Naga.

We've seen Naga three times now in the last year; blowing pock-marks in the
earth's crust with super-satellites, kidnapping Clark and thereby touching
off the dreadful Commando Lois story-arc, and now this. His first appearance
was interesting, in a _Superman Adventures_ sort of way, but overall he
really hasn't generated much interest or threat-potential. Why do we continue
to get annoying, boring villains like this when the team has shown that they
can really handle some of the classic villains (Mxy, Parasite, Intergang)
quite well? 

Final Thought: It was nice to see Supes suck information directly from the 
computer by plunging his hand into Locksmith's terminal when tracing him. I
don't think we've seen this ability since it first manifested during the
power-shift. If he can read directly from electronic media, however, can the
writers please make it so that he can write directly to it too? Then we won't
have to listen to Clark whine anymore about how slow he types... :-)

Shane Travis
<travis@sedsystems.ca>

                                   -- 30 --

______________________________________________


SUPER-FAMILY TITLES:
-------------------
STEEL #44                                       Nov 1997   $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Metropolis"

    Writer:        Priest
    Artists:       Denys Cowan and Tom Palmer
    Letterer:      Pat Brosseau
    Colorist:      John Kalisz
    Asst. Editor:  Maureen McTigue
    Editor:        Mike McAvennie
    Cover:         Cowan and Palmer


RATINGS

Average: 3.8/5.0 Shields

JSy: 3.8 Shields - A good issue which highlights the differences between
        Metropolis and Jersey City.  Interesting development with the cops
        who beat up John, but certain to cause him some problems down the
        road.
DWk: 3.7 Shields - Priest writes some of the best and funniest dialogue in
        comics; check Natasha guilt-tripping Amanda. I'm starting to like his
        favorite narrative technique--the jumping-all-over-the-place-in-time
        one, but Cowan's pencils are getting sloppier all the time--ick.


Synopsis:

The primary events in this issue are told in flashback, and occur between
pages during GENESIS.  If you'll recall, Superman left Steel behind to meet
with the JLA early on during the crossover, and Steel was left behind to guard
Metropolis in Superman's absence.  John receives a bit of a culture shock, as
he has to re-adjust to the welcoming attitude that Metropolis has towards its
heroes.  Quite a difference from how he's usually received in Jersey City. 
Between heroic efforts, Steel gets a little lesson on love from Lois Lane, but
perhaps not what regular readers of the Superman titles might expect.

Meanwhile, Crash -- John's believed-dead brother -- takes advantage of Steel's
absence to exact deadly retribution on one of the cops who beat up John a few
issues back.  Last issue, John and Amanda decided that one of these cops must
have stolen John's flight boots.  In this issue, John and Amanda decide to
pursue the cops and recover the boots -- which means they will inevitably be
marching into a murder charge...

Commentary:

The best aspect of this title under Christopher Priest is the character
interaction and development, so expertly choreographed through both action and
dialogue alike.  Perhaps the best example in this issue is Nat's blatant
manipulation through guilt of Amanda -- Nat recently discovered Amanda's
involvement with the Doctor we know to also be the villain Skorpio.  While Nat
doesn't know that particular connection, she does know enough to play around
with Amanda's mind.

It's also clear from this issue that Steel has not yet become aware that his
brother is alive, though with the risks Crash is taking of late, I fully
expect that status to change soon.  We learn in this issue that Crash is in
possession of the missing flight boots, though it is unclear why he has them
or how he obtained them.  His past actions seem to indicate that he's looking
out for his family, but there's certainly some darker motivation as well.

Late in this issue is a one-page sequence which just seems to come out of
nowhere.  I realize that Priest is trying to make Steel sort out his feelings
for Amanda, but this scene with Lois just felt wrong.  First, Lois seems to
develop psychic abilities, deducing from Steel's mania in the previous issue
that he's got woman problems.  She then proceeds to diagnose their
relationship and warn him off based on *three* sentences!

Steel mentions that he *thinks* they've been dating; that he's not certain
because he thought they were just friends.  He continues by mentioning that
she's met someone (Dr. Skorpio).  From just these comments, Lois deduces that
Steel has "at best an academic understanding of women," and suggests that he
may want to let Amanda go.  She continues by asserting that his past priority
on family may have left him "a bit clueless about this boy/girl thing," and
that he shouldn't get his education at Amanda's expense.

Excuse me?  Lois has always been a headstrong woman with strong opinions, but
she doesn't know John Irons from Adam.  These quick judgments and "advice" are
simply out of character.  I certainly can't see the Lois I've been reading
about for the past ten years making these kind of statements to an essential
stranger based on so little information.

While one page can't spoil a book completely, this complete
mischaracterization of Lois Lane left me a bit cold.  As a result, this
issue just doesn't quite rank up there with the title's recent issues.

Jeff Sykes
<sykes@ms.uky.edu>

==================================================

SUPERBOY #45                                    Nov 1997   $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Invaders From the Future"

    Writer:    Ron Marz
    Pencils:   Georges Jeanty
    Inks:      Doug Hazlewood
    Colors:    Buzz Setzer
    Letters:   Richard Starkings and Comicraft/AD
    Ass't Ed.: Maureen McTigue
    Editor:    Mike McAvennie
    Cover:     Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood, and Patrick Martin


RATINGS

Average: 3.0/5.0 Shields

RG:  3.7 Shields (Story)
     3.0 Shields (Art)
DWd: 3.0 Shields - I'm a big Legion fan so anything with the Legion in I'm
        going to enjoy. Well handled and I hope the S-boy appears with the
        Legion a few more times
DWk: 1.9 Shields - If you're going to use the Legion, make _sure_ you can
        write them in character. As opposed to way out of character (Triad),
        or in no character at all (everyone else). Basically just a lame
        excuse to get Superboy back in with the LSH.
JSy: 3.4 Shields - Not certain I cared for Jeanty's style, but his art is
        not bad, with a lot of detail.  I wonder whose spell Silver Sword
        is under?  And we've *got* to have a Legion crossover in which the
        Kid wears this new suit!  (And maybe a similar one for Supergirl?)
ST:  3.1 Shields - Some character problems with Triad, but I _loved_ Ferro. 
        Silver Sword's return was good, but I'm not crazy about the mind-
        control angle. Appreciated the break from the "I'll never grow up!"
        angst.


Synopsis:
The Legion of Super-Heroes drop by for an unannounced visit with the expected
misunderstanding. The reasons for the visit quickly become clear, and it's
not good news for Superboy. When Silver Sword interrupts by breaking into
the museum, the Legion pitches in to help.

Review:
This is yet another in a series of above average issues for the new team. 
This book is getting better and better, though I do hope that they settle on
a regular art team soon. While the overall quality of the art remains high,
the differing styles (from issue to issue) is a little distracting.

This month the Legion of Super-Heroes guest stars, bringing with them renewed
tension and promise of an interesting possible direction for Superboy. It's
a shame that the Legion is due to go back to the future in the next couple
of months; they provide a refreshing change of pace from Superboy's usual 
pace of aimless drifting from one bit of trouble to the next. Cosmic Boy 
could provide the incentive for getting Superboy to focus more on thinking 
first, instead of his typical 'damn the torpedoes' style.

This month also starts to shift some new focus on Tana Moon's place in 
Superboy's life. Not all is well in paradise. It will be interesting to see
how this plot line unfolds over the next few months. Who knows, maybe Triad
will get to have her wish granted.

This title has gone from the very bottom of my reading list to the top ten in 
just three months. I actually look forward now to reading it each month. If 
you gave up on the book a few months ago you should give it another chance.
The more character oriented stories coupled with good artwork should go a
long way to convincing you to stay.

Rene Gobeyn
<bedlam@frontiernet.net>

==================================================

SUPERBOY AND THE RAVERS #15                     Nov 1997   $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Edge of the Event Horizon"

    Writers:            Steve Mattsson and Karl Kesel
    Penciller:          Josh Hood
    Inker:              Dan Davis
    Computer Colorist:  Stu Chaifetz
    Letterer:           Kevin Cunningham
    Assistant Editor:   Maureen McTigue
    Editor:             Mike McAvennie
    Cover:              Paul Pelletier and Dan Davis


RATINGS

Average: 2.1/5.0 Shields

JSy: 3.3 Shields
DWd: 1.0 Shields - I'm just about to drop this title. It doesn't seem to be
        going anywhere at all. I hope it picks up when the original team
        returns.
DWk: 1.7 Shields - I can barely tell what any of the characters are supposed
        to be in relation to each other at this point, and I barely care.
        Small redeeming factor: the best coloring of any of the Super-books.
ST:  2.4 Shields - Some interesting insights into Aura's history and Hero's
        addiction, but a lot of the relationships just felt... wrong. Maybe
        Hood's art played a part; everyone looked elongated, and the Rave
        looked way too Grunge.


I don't normally start with the art, but with a new penciller debuting this
issue, it seems reasonable to try a new approach.  Plus, I just have to get
this out of the way, so we can get to what was *good* about the issue...

Josh Hood's art is distorted.  In and of itself, this isn't necessarily a bad
thing.  For example, most would agree that Humberto Ramos' style on IMPULSE
was quite distorted (mis-proportioned and angular), but most also agreed that
the style was perfect for the setting and tone of that particular book. 
Hood's take on the Ravers is simply distracting.  

The characters are often elongated and/or gaunt.  DC/Sparx generally looks
almost anorexic.  As well, Mattsson and Kesel include a few scenes with
several of the characters out of costume, and in these moments, it becomes
clear that Hood has a bit of a problem distinguishing his characters from one
another.  Perhaps it doesn't help that Aura and DC are wearing identical
shirts, but they could pass for identical twins -- and let's not forget that
Aura is Oriental, while DC is not.  

Incidentally, take a quick look at Sparx in the first panel on page 21.  Now,
do the names "Cruella De Ville" and "Bride of Frankenstein" have any meaning
for you?

In Hood's defense, there are some places where the art is quite striking. 
These generally occur when his layouts avoid looking at the characters from
directly in front.  His layouts also perform admirably in illustrating the
motion of the characters, from subtle gesture to full-blown super-heroics. 
And the art and color effects combine to produce a dynamite take on Half-Life.

On to the story, then.

During Superboy's absence (recent events in his own title take place between
GENESIS and this issue), the Ravers have been recuperating at the Force
compound.  During this time, Hero has been grilling Vicki Grant about the
H-Dials and, as heavily foreshadowed a few issues ago, has become quite
obsessed with his own.  In fact, he goes so far as to dial up a hero for the
sole purpose of entering the Rave, when in the past he has only done so in
battle.

What Rave?  Oh, yes.  I got ahead of myself.  You see, Marx has put together a
new Rave, with the same express goal of attracting his beloved, whom I assume
Marx doesn't know he's already missed once...  Perhaps through Marx's own
engineering, the Ravers are one-by-one convinced to rejoin the Rave by way of
drug-induced hallucinations projected onto the Event Horizon crowd by a meta
with mental abilities -- and yes, it's just as confusing as it sounds.  In the
end, though, it comes down to the fact that each of the Ravers is essentially
conned into returning.

All except Aura.  She refuses to fall under Marx's control again, and
heads off to take care of personal business.  (By the way, this final panel 
is one one of Hood's best: as the Rave disappears in a flash, Aura is shown
in silhouette, with just enough light in front to see the tear revealing her
true emotions for the group.)

Kesel and Mattsson still have quite a few plot threads to tie up in this
title:  Kaliber is still blind from events in GENESIS; Half-Life is now
falling apart after his GENESIS encounter with Mantis; Sparx and Hero have a
long way to go in determining their relationship; Hero's got a bout of Dial
dependence to overcome; Aura's got to finish her personal business; and
there's still the main story with Marx, Grim, Sol, and Rex -- who still hasn't
been identified as *that* Rex.  That's a lot of story-telling left for a title
whose days are numbered, so why does so little happen this issue?  As far as
the above threads are concerned, this issue provided a new vehicle (the new
Event Horizon) for the completion of Marx's story, set Aura off on her own to
resolve her personal issues, and *introduced* Half-Life's new health problems.

I, for one, will be disappointed if Kesel and company run out of time and have
to leave something unresolved.  However, as usual, the best aspect of this
title really isn't the events so much as the development of the characters,
and Sparx once again receives the spotlight.

In retrospect, it seems apparent to me now that this title is actually more
about Sparx than any of the other characters.  She and her family have
received the most "screen time" to date, and this issue is no exception.  The
series has watched her grow-up, to an extent, and her character continues to
develop in this issue.  I hesitate to say she's *growing* in this issue,
however, because she does manage to act like a typical teenager -- rebelling
against parents, trying to force herself to get over Hero, trying to fit in
with the "cool" crowd, etc.  It's in these smaller, quieter scenes, that Kesel
and Mattsson accomplish so much with SUPERBOY AND THE RAVERS.  Even when not
much is happening.

Jeff Sykes 
<sykes@ms.uky.edu>

______________________________________________

SUPER-FAMILY TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
SUPERGIRL #15                                   Nov 1997   $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Gods of the Twilight"

    Writer:      Peter David
    Penciller:   Leonard Kirk
    Inker:       Cam Smith
    Letterer:    Pat Prentice
    Colorist:    Gene D'Angelo
    Separations: Digital Chameleon
    Asst. Ed.:   Maureen McTigue
    Editor:      Mike McAvennie
    Cover:       Gary Frank, Cam Smith, and Patrick Martin


RATINGS

Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields

TD:  3.9 Shields (Story:3.7, Art:4.2) 
DWk: 2.2 Shields - For all the action this issue, it seems like it's just
        marking time--Linda's parents are still freaking out, the fight
        scenes are sound and fury signifying nothing, and the jokes fall
        flat. Nice to see Power Girl turn up, though.
GN:  3.5 Shields - Liked the reappearance of the Extremists, and wonder about
        the Twilight's motives. The real treat is how Peter David is handling
        Linda's parents' reaction to Supergirl's revelation. Seriously -- how
        would your folks respond?  Kirk and Smith give a nice Immonen-style
        to the art.
JSy: 3.3 Shields - I'm not so sure where David's going with this Angel thing,
        and so I'm apprehensive.  Am I wrong here, or does little Wally think
        he's God?  Kirk's softer pencilling style makes his nightmare images
        quite disturbing...
KM:  3.6 Shields - Good to see there wasn't a quick and easy resolution to
        last issue's revelation. David is building an excellent supporting 
        cast.


There's a lot of good news this month.  Peter David, now that he's decided
to go the super-hero route, jumps into the genre whole-heartedly this issue
while minimizing his anything-for-a-laugh tendencies *and* still retaining a
shred of the darkness that made SUPERGIRL unique during its first year.
Added bonus: Comet is nowhere to be seen.

In fact, the first scene seems to be David's attempt to say 'so long' to his
vaudeville strain.  We see two guards obviously patterned after Abbott and
Costello watching over the Extremists (the insane android supergroup that
ironically was introduced to signal a return to serious storytelling in the
Giffen-era _Justice League_ titles).  When the lights go out and a mysterious
figure redirects a storm, the Costello figure discovers that the Extremists
are back--to his everlasting regret.

What's going on is this: still shunned by the Danvers, Linda agrees to take
a road trip with Dick Malverne to Charlotte to meet his mother. The two head
off (and just miss meeting up with Andy Jones) to find the Extremists, under
the leadership of a mysterious figure named Twilight, in the process of
wreaking mayhem on the city. Supergirl intervenes, discovers a new power 
(flame vision), but gets her head handed to her by the android villains. The
Extremists march off, ready to burn Charlotte to the ground, while Supergirl
gets a hand from the last-page appearance of Power Girl. 

One of the best things about this issue is its deadly earnest in its
storytelling.  The goofiness that marred the last couple of issues is out
the door, and some of David's scenes--particularly the exploration of the 
reprecussions of Linda's revelation on all three members of the family--are 
stunning in their dark, somber tone. There're still a few rough spots, such
as the set-up for an *Ellen*-style revelation about Andy (which is kept under
wraps, but telegraphed a mile away), but overall David has hit his stride 
again.  It helps that Twilight, the first 'original' villain for Supergirl
since Buzz, is ominous and enigmatic and more than a bit frightening (her
explanation of what she wants the Extremists to do on page 13 is chilling in
its forthrightness). 

Leonard Kirk does a knockout job in this issue.  It seems that he's getting
the hang of the action scenes finally, although his strength still lies
in character scenes (check out page ten; each panel is composed differently,
each character going through several emotions, and it flows beautifully). 
More importantly, he's finally figured out how to portray Supergirl; the
scene that goes from page 5 to 8 is extremely well chreographed and plays
with the Maid of Steel's pain exquisitely. (The title page on 6 just floored
me.)  He also deserves credit for making Supergirl and Power Girl separate
and distinct entities with their own body language and appearances.

"Gods of the Twilight" *works*; the question is, will David stay the course
or be tempted to put on his silly hats again. I, for one, hope not.

Thomas Deja
<manciniman@rocketmail.com>

______________________________________________


OTHER SUPERMAN TITLES:
---------------------
JLA #12                                         Nov 1997   $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN

    "Wonderworld" 
 
    Writer:      Grant Morrison 
    Penciller:   Howard Porter 
    Inker:       John Dell 
    Colorist:    Pat Garrahy 
    Letterer:    Ken Lopez 
    Separations: Heroic Age 
    Assoc. Ed.:  Peter Tomasi 
    Editor:      Dan Raspler 
    Cover:       Howard Porter and John Dell 


RATINGS

Average: 3.4/5.0 Shields
 
AW:  3.5 Shields
DWk: 4.1 Shields - Lots of great ideas--maybe too many: this reads like a
        plot summary of three or four really good issues' worth of stuff.
        (Especially great: Wonderworld heroes out-cosmic-ing the New Gods.)
        Morrison's Luthor is my favorite version of him right now--he's not
        just brilliant and evil, he's _compelling_.
GN:  3.0 Shields - Not Morrison's best effort on this series so far. Too many
        elements are tied into this current arc, making the story hard to
        follow. It is nice to see Luthor in his traditional role as "active"
        villain rather than the supporting character role he's been relegated
        to in the Superman titles.
JSy: 2.8 Shields - You know, I'm not really sure at all what happened in this
        issue.  Morrison gets downright confusing with this chapter. Porter's
        art is a bit stronger this issue, but it still doesn't impress me.
TD:  3.5 Shields - The most Morrison of the lot, which might turn some
        people off.  would've like to see more of the Injustice Gang,
        though Wonderworld (like George Harrison much, Grant?) was ginchy.

 
I haven't quite figured out whether to praise or condemn Grant Morrison for
the 37 stories he tells in this third part of the "Rock of Ages" saga. I want
to praise him because each of the adventures alluded to on this strange new
planet/dimension called "Wonderworld" sounds fascinating and worth telling.
I want to condemn him because he cheats us out of 34 of them by reciting them
in two panels or less, and leaves us with three stories that at this point
have me almost completely confused. 
 
Until now, "Rock of Ages" was moving pretty smoothly: Luthor was staging a
"hostile takeover" of the JLA, and Batman was preparing his counterstrike.
After last issue's final panel, I was really looking forward to the intricate
struggle between the two corporate geniuses. Then Metron came in and muddled
the picture. 
 
Metron, as mentioned last time, is seeking the Philosopher's Stone before
Darkseid can get hold of it, and has recruited Flash, Green Lantern, and
Aquaman to help him. (I assume this is *the* "Rock of Ages".) He opens a
"timespace" doorway and the three heroes are thrown out into other
dimensions where "traces" of the Philosopher Stone's power have been
detected. (Anybody want to guess why Metron can track emanations from this
stone through multiple dimensions, but can't sense the one on Earth that's
closest to him?) Then the confusion begins. 
 
Green Lantern finds himself on Wonderworld, telling a creature named "Mote"
of his adventures tracking the Philosopher stone.  What probably would have
been a neat adventure to tell is condensed into a couple of panels. When
GL is reunited with Aquaman and the Flash, they too seem to have had some
exciting adventures that we hear about in single-sentence descriptions.
Wonderworld itself is pretty bizarre. I can't say I fully understood the
description given by Adam One, the gigantic leader of the heroes of Mammord,
but it has something to do with recruiting superbeings from thousands of 
planets to aid in guarding the "entire timespace frontier" against the
Anti-Sun and Mageddon. Ooooookay. 
 
Finally, Green Lantern recounts an interdimensional meeting with Hourman, who
became "self-aware" in the year 85000330, and has some ties to Rex Tyler, the
original Hourman (or at least to the Miraclo pills that gave him his super-
strength). This new Hourman warns GL that Metron has betrayed them and they
must get back to Earth before Darkseid enslaves the planet. The guardians of
Wonderworld agree to help them find their way back to Earth, but warn that
the method they are using could send them just about anywhere in spacetime. 
 
Let me mention at this point that Porter and Dell do an excellent job
portraying alien dimensions and visually exciting Wonderworld beings. I look
forward to seeing them spending an entire issue or more, with full splash
pages, on this world.  Their layouts are innovative, yet successfully draw
the eyes to where the action is. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the
subtle visual gags; the Joker blowing bubbles out of a container with a
Bat-emblem, (all the bubbles have little skulls in them), and giving an
exploding cigar to J'emm(?). It's worth taking a second look at each panel. 
 
Meanwhile, back at the old home planet, Luthor's pretty happy with his recent
successes. He believes he's killed Superman and J'onn J'onzz, he's recruited
Green Arrow (with just a little emotional manipulation by Circe), and is
beaming twelve nuclear missiles into the JLA satellite while revealing to
Aztek that _he_ is the 'secret benefactor' behind Aztek's training and
forcing him to chose sides.  Aztek has about four minutes to decide whether
he'll head a new LexCorp-controlled JLA, or go down with the satellite. 
 
Batman, of course, isn't just sitting on his hands through all of this; he's
been doing some recruiting of his own. Proving there is some honor among
thieves, Mirror Master accepts Batman's buyout offer (a rather large check
made out to a hometown orphanage), and clues him in to Luthor's plans. Batman
confidently proclaims that in three minutes, with the help of a large rock
Superman transports into space, "the Injustice Gang is history." 
 
Our final scene brings our intrepid timespace travelers back to Earth,
whereupon they see that Europe has been turned into an exact replica of an
Apokolips furnace/factory.  Gasp! They're too late! Darkseid has taken over! 
 
Is anyone wondering how Morrison is going to wrap up all these plotlines in
the final three issues without turning it into a convoluted mess? 
 
I think I see what he's doing. It's an homage to the old Justice Society of
America adventures, where the team would split up, each chapter would detail
an individual hero's exploits, then the final chapter would pull them back
together as a team for the final victory. 
 
Unfortunately, this is the Nineties and we don't have 64-page stories
anymore, so Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Flash have these terrific adventures,
but we can only see a single panel or two.  It's as if Morrison has forgotten
that in comics, it's the journey that is exciting, not just the destination.
I feel more cheated than charmed. 
 
The entire Wonderworld thing (event, happening, whatever you want to call it)
is also interesting, but Morrison only knows what it has to do with the JLA/
Injustice Gang struggle, or the Darkseid struggle. 
 
I have a lot of faith in Morrison; he's managed to successfully cram more 
story into fewer pages than just about any other writer in recent history,
but I fear he may be pushing his luck on this one. It's especially risky to
me because he's tied Darkseid into all this, and we've just come off a rather
disastrous "Genesis" crossover that had every superhero and their brother
battling mindless hordes of Apokolips' Hunger Dogs for no particular reason.
 
Morrison has come up with some wonderful story ideas here: I'd love to hear
more about the timespace-traveling trio and their adventures, and Hourman,
and Wonderworld, and this Apokolipsian invasion that's probably happening in 
some other timespace. I'm just not sure they all fit into one story. 
 
Knowing Morrison, there's a good chance I'll eat my words in three more
issues. Morrison has something up his sleeve--as Mote tells Green Lantern
as they tour the museum district of Omnitropolis, "You should take time to
see and *remember* these wonders." 
 
I hope so. For the next thirty days, though, I'm going to be scratching my
head and wondering just how he's going to do it. 
 
Anatole Wilson
<awilson@oracle.us.com>

==================================================

SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #13                         Nov 1997   $1.75 US/$2.50 CAN

    "Grand Slam"

    On the Mound:           Scott McCloud
    Behind the Plate:       Rick Burchett
    Running the Bases:      Terry Austin
    Color Commentary:       Tom Zukio
    Working the Scoreboard: Lois Buhalis
    Designated Hitter:      Maureen Mc Tigue
    Hit by a Pitch:         Mike McAvennie
    Cover:                  Bret Blevins and Terry Austin


RATINGS

Average: 3.9/5.0 Shields

CoS: 4.0 Shields - A well-executed trifle of a story, showing that you
        can do an all-fighting issue and still have a good story to tell.
DWk: 4.2 Shields - A lightweight farewell for McCloud, and fun and touching
        anyway, with amusing details on almost every page. This is _exactly_
        the kind of comic book I want my kids to be able to read someday.
GN:  3.2 Shields - Too fun! An enjoyable romp, with nice insights into the
        S:TAS Prof. Hamilton.
JSy: 4.0 Shields - Kind of a let down when compared to "The War Within,"
        but still a good story in its own right.  The only true negative
        I can come up with, though, is the cover -- I really can't imagine
        it drawing people into the book.


Does anyone remember those comics from the 70's that would have on the cover
"All-Out Battle Issue"?  I remember as a kid that when I would see one of
those, that the entire issue would be super-heroes bashing on super-villains.
All of the plot development would have been in the previous issue along with
all of the reasons behind what was happening. Until I was about 12, I would
seek those issues out, since it would be cool to see all the different super
powers and the neat ways they were used. After that, I would dread those
issues, since none of the stuff I liked would be in the comic. It seemed that
the writer got all of the plot elements aligned and then told the artist,
"...And then they beat on each other for 21 pages!" 

On the surface, "Grand Slam" is an "all-battle" issue, since the vast
majority of the story is taken up with Superman fighting an alien in three 
different contests. The team on _Superman Adventures_ has been very good, 
however, at taking old stories like that and making them innovative, 
interesting and fun. While this issue isn't very innovative, it certainly
was interesting and a whole lot of fun. 

The issue begins at a baseball game, with Superman throwing out the first
pitch for the third game of the World Series. (In a nice bit of business,
the catcher's name is Wayne Schaffenberger, combining the names of two 
classic Superman artists.) As Lois, Superman, and Professor Hamilton settle
into their seats and watch the game, it is called on account of an alien
invasion. Well, something had to happen since the cover did have the phrase
"Strange Sports Stories" (another nice nod to DC's past) and showed Superman
getting beaten up. Even though Scott McCloud is a devotee of Japanese Manga,
I'm pretty sure that he knows American audiences aren't quite ready for a
comic book depiction of a baseball game. A pair of aliens, who were directed
towaard Earth by Lobo, challenge Superman to a fight for his planet's honor
and the Nebula Cup, best two out of three. Superman reluctantly agrees, after
learning that if he does not compete, they will train their formidable
weapons on Earth. 

With the set-up out of the way, the battles begin. It's difficult to 
summarize fight scenes, but McCloud does keep it interesting by having 
Professor Hamilton in the announcer's booth, helping Superman figure out the
alien weapons. Superman loses the first battle, mostly due to the fact that
he doesn't know how to use the weapon he's been handed. The second contest
is another matter; this time the combattants are using gravity disruption
batons, and Professor Hamilton figures out what they do in time to give
Superman enough knowledge to win.

With the score tied, the final contest begins, with each of the combatants
using high tech boxing gloves. Professor Hamilton is unable to come up with
a way for Superman to use the weapon to his advantage, so Superman removes
them and takes out the alien champion with a "fastball special", followed by
and old fashioned pummeling (nicely done in a nine-panel grid). Standing 
over an unconscious alien champion, Superman wins the round and the contest. 

Superman flies to the alien craft, where he is awarded the Nebula Cup, 
sculpted from actual nebula stars. Professor Hamilton realizes that if that
is so, then the award would weigh as much as a thousand battleships, and 
tries to warn Superman, but too late; as he accepts the award, the weight
causes him to plummet toward Earth and innocent spectators below. Professor
Hamilton realizes that when they hit, they will cause a big, _big_ crater,
and heads straight for one of the anti-gravity rods to try and counteract the
award's weight. Unfortunately, all of the ballplayers scatter and Professor
Hamilton--not the most athletic of people--is left to try and hit a home run,
as it were.  All of his sports failures as a kid go through his head as he
watches the award descend. The world holds it breath as he swings and... 

Since this comic is primarily for an "all-ages" readership and was approved
by the Comics Code, you can pretty much assume he hits it out of the park,
saving everyone. The story does have a nice little kicker at the end, ending
it all with a chuckle. McCloud has a number of nice touches with Professor
Hamilton not being athletic but able to help Superman, and the pair of
announcers giving a play-by-play so that we don't have to have dialogue
between Superman and the alien as they battle (I like the fact that the alien
doesn't talk; it makes him a more imposing figure). Burchett does a very nice
job of keeping the story visually interesting, and the fights all seemed much
bigger than life. A few pages are very Kirby-esque, with a panel grid layouts
and Kirby power poses, yet nothing seems like it was traced from old Kirby
art. All in all a nice little story to pass the time, showing a creative team
functioning on all cylinders. You know, it would have been a nice touch if,
at the end, Superman or Clark Kent were to wink at the reader, but you can't
have everything.

Cory Strode
<c.strode@genie.com>

______________________________________________


LIMITED SERIES:
--------------
ELSEWORLDS' FINEST #2 (of 2)                          $4.95 USA/$6.95 CAN

    Writer:     John Francis Moore
    Penciller:  Kieron Dwyer
    Inker:      Hilary Barta
    Colorist:   Gloria Vazquez
    Separator:  Heroic Age
    Letterer:   Bill Oakley
    Cover:      Dwyer and Barta


RATINGS

Average: 3.2/5.0 Shields

DWk: 2.1 Shields
GN:  4.0 Shields - The art has a nice period feel, like the early adventure
        strips that inspired comic books. This has been one of the more
        interesting Elseworlds takes on these two charact