_______________________________________________________________ T H E K R Y P T O N I A N C Y B E R N E T Issue #20 - December 1995 _______________________________________________________________ CONTENTS ÑÑÑÑ Section 1: Superscripts: Notes from the Editor News and Notes The Fleischer Cartoons Episode 13, ÒDestruction, Inc.Ó, by Neil Ottenstein Just The FAQs ÒWhat are the Superman Holiday-Season Stories?Ó by David T. Chappell Section 2: Author of ÒTomorrowÓ An interview with Roger Stern Section 3: Reviews The ÒTriangleÓ Titles Action Comics #717, by William J. Nixon Superman: The Man of Steel #52, by Arthur LaMarche Superman #108, by Ken McKee Adventures of Superman #531, by Anatole Wilson Other Super-Titles Superboy #23, by Victor Chan Section 4: Reviews Other Super-Titles (cont) Steel #23, by Dick Sidbury Showcase Ô96 #1, by ReneÕ Gobeyn The New Titans #129, by ReneÕ Gobeyn Specials Superman/Toyman #1, by ReneÕ Gobeyn League of Justice #1, by ReneÕ Gobeyn Section 5: After-Byrne ÒThe Krisis of the Krimson KryptoniteÓ Part 2: Adventures of Superman #472, by Mark Lamutt Coming Attractions February brings climactic events to both Superman and to the DC *and* Marvel Universes! The Mailbag Section 6: The Phantom Zone The Supergirl From Krypton SupergirlÕs origin, from Action Comics #252 by Jenny Stosser Super Friends Superman vs. Wonder Woman, by Joe Crowe Superman #121 ÒThe Bride of FuturemanÓ, by Rich Morrissey Section 7: The Phantom Zone (cont) Superman #167 ÒThe Team of Luthor and BrainiacÓ, by Jeff Epstein Super Merchandise HereÕs the scoop on neat Superman stuff available in the coming months! Section 8: And Who Disguised As... If J. Made Superman Movies, by J.D. Rummel TELEscopic VISION: Superman on the Small Screen Dancing in the Dark, Part II Clark Kent, The Relationship Impaired by Zoomway Episode Reviews #3-07: ÒUltra WomanÓ, by Marta Olson Section 9: TELEscopic VISION (cont) Episode Reviews #3-08: ÒChip Off The Old ClarkÓ, by Marta Olson #3-09: ÒSuper MannÓ, by Shane Furlong EDITORIAL STAFF: ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ- Jeffery D. Sykes, Editor-in-Chief Arthur E. LaMarche, Executive Editor of Reviews Joe Crowe Curtis Herink D.M. Simms Shane Travis Steven Younis LEGAL DISCLAIMERS: ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ- 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 infor- mation. 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 should be distributed freely via e-mail. Should you desire to share this publication with other on-line services, please contact me at sykes@ms.uky.edu for permission. Feel free to advertise subscription information on other on-line services which have internet mail availability. THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET is available by e-mail Ñ to subscribe, send the commands subscribe kc
end in the body of an e-mail message to Òlists@phoenix.creighton.eduÓ (without the quotation marks). Replace the
field with your INTERNET e-mail address. The program ignores the subject line of the message. Back issues are available via ftp at acm-ftp.creighton.edu and at ftp.hiof.no. Archives are also reachable via the Kryptonian Cybernet Homepage (http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sykes/kc). _______________________________________________________________ SUPERSCRIPTS: Notes from the Editor ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ NEWS AND NOTES: 1995 KAYCEES REMINDER Remember, voting for the 1995 Kryptonian Cybernet ReadersÕ Choice Awards is open until the evening of January 2. You can place your votes using the form on the KC web page: http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sykes/kc/kaycees/ Even if your web browser does not support forms, you can access a text copy of the voting ballot, exactly as it was mailed to every subscriber, via the web page. In addition, IÕll be posting the text ballot to the newsgroups along with this issue. AMALGAM COMICS? The following is part of a press-release from DCOnline last week: ÒWhat could be more earth-shattering than the cosmic battles of the history-making miniseries DC VERSUS MARVEL/MARVEL VERSUS DC? DC Comics announces something even more amazing and unprecedented than the crossover to end all crossovers: AMALGAM COMICS, the fusion of the most popular and best-selling comic-book heroes in the world. Universes wonÕt just collide in DC VERSUS MARVEL/MARVEL VERSUS DC - theyÕll combine. As promised from the beginning, only one reality will survive the cataclysmic events of MARVEL VERSUS DC #3: the Amalgam Universe! ÒFor one week, beginning February 28, the Marvel and DC Universes will cease to exist - replaced by the single universe of AMALGAM COMICS - and all DC and Marvel super-hero titles will be replaced by brand-new titles from the Amalgam Universe. The top talent in comics today has been recruited to create the twelve history-making one-shots that embody the essence of Amalgam; six published by DC, six published by Marvel, all carrying the bold AMALGAM COMICS logo.Ó WeÕll have more specifics on the books to be published by Amalgam next month, but as a teaser, here are the titles and creators: LEGENDS OF THE DARK CLAW, Larry Hama, Jim Balent, and Ray McCarthy SUPER-SOLDIER, Mark Waid and Dave Gibbons AMAZON, John Byrne and Terry Austin JLX, Mark Waid, Gerard Jones, and Howard Porter ASSASSINS, D.G. Chichester, Scott McDaniel, and Derek Fisher DOCTOR STRANGEFATE, Ron Marz, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Kevin Nowlan SPIDER-BOY, Karl Kesel and Mike Wieringo BRUCE WAYNE: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D., Chuck Dixon and Cary Nord SPEED DEMON, Howard Mackie, James Felder, Salvador Larocca, and Al Milgrom BULLETS AND BRACELETS, John Ostrander, Gary Frank, and Cam Smith MAGNETO AND THE MAGNETIC MEN, Mark Waid, Gerard Jones, Jeff Matsuda, and Art Thibert X-PATROL, Karl and Barbara Kesel, Roger Cruz, and Jon Holdredge Stay tuned for more info next month (these books will be solicited by Diamond and Heroes World then)! DC OVERPOWER Collectible card games have become the rage of the day, and DCÕs not going to be left out of the mix! Coming in March is DCÕs first entry into the fray, with the DC OverPower Collectible Card Game. There will be a preview of these cards in FebruaryÕs DC Firepower card set (see the Merchandise section). In addition, DCÕs set will be *fully* compatible with the Marvel OverPower Game, so fans can continue to play out their own favorite DC Versus Marvel battles! DC VERSUS MARVEL And speaking of DC Versus Marvel, voting ends on December 31! Get your votes in to your local shop, or you can e-mail votes via DCOnline. To vote for Superman, mail your vote to dvmsuper@aol.com, and to vote for Superboy, mail your vote to dvmsboy@aol.com. For other voting addresses, see the official voting ballot available at your local shop! SUPER MERCHANDISE If youÕre looking for that cool new Superman toy, the latest LOIS & CLARK novel, a really neat watch, trade paperbacks or collections of past DC stories, then have I got news for you! IÕve reinstated the Merchandise section of KC, where you will be able to find out about new licensed products featuring the Man of Steel! This issue includes three months worth of PREVIEWS solicitations, but future issues will only include one monthÕs merchandise. A complete list will be available in the archives and on the KC web page. As always, enjoy the new issue, and IÕll see you back here in another month! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!! Jeff Sykes Editor, The Kryptonian Cybernet _______________________________________________________________ THE FLEISCHER CARTOONS: ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ by Neil A. Ottenstein (otten@gluon.umd.edu) Episode 13: ÒDestruction, Inc.Ó Released: 12-25-42 Running Time: 8:32 minutes Faster than a streak of lightning More powerful than the pounding surf Mightier than a roaring hurricane Crickets are chirping in the marsh at the beginning of this cartoon. We see an arm sink into the water as a car pulls away. The scene shifts to downtown Metropolis with a radio announcement identifying a dead body found in the marsh as that of the watchman of the Metropolis Munitions plant. Lois smells a story and goes off to investigate. As she walks away, a short man named Louis stands next to Clark. Clark stills thinks Lois is there and talks to ÔherÕ. At the Metropolis Munitions Works personnel building, an elderly man who is the new watchman leaves the managerÕs office as Lois goes in. We next see people (including Lois) working on the munitions. Several are told to report upstairs at 12:00 for something very important. Lois decides to eavesdrop and hears that explosives triggered to the watchmanÕs switch have been planted. She is spotted and chased through the area. After evading capture for a while, she is caught at the exit and then placed into torpedo #777. The new watchman arrives on the scene while they are putting dynamite in the warhead of the torpedo. Scrap metal is released, crashing onto the watchman. The ÒbossÓ sees it with pleasure. He is told to send out the torpedo to the testing ground immediately. Torpedo #777 is going to be sent out to an old hulk of a ship in the water. The people running the test believe that there are no explosive charges inside as this is just a test. We see the scrap metal move. The torpedo is loaded. Superman appears from out of the pile of metal. The torpedo is fired. Superman races and catches up to the torpedo just before it would have hit the ship. He brings it back safely and releases Lois. Upon being revived, she tells him they are going to blow up the plant. Superman fights off the men who are about to pull the switch. Their leader then gets into a truck containing TNT, drives it towards the plant and leaps out. Lois alerts Superman of the danger. He turns it around and send it over a cliff to blow up in safety. The final scene has Lois standing in front of the watchman saying, ÒWell pop, Superman put an end to their little act, and this puts an end to yours, Clark Kent,Ó as she removes his disguise. Once again the cartoon is war related as seen by the munitions plant setting, but the war is more in the background this time. This time the title logo burst forth as if from an explosion. The person named Louis looked very similar to the person in the ÒShowdownÓ who told Lois and Clark about their opera assignment. He might be a caricature of an actor at the time. The Lois/Louis gag might also be a known gag. For a change we donÕt see Clark change into Superman. All we see is the scrap metal moving, which is probably his changing from the watchman outfit, but thatÕs it - just some movement. The animation in places looks slightly different - more ÒcartoonishÓ than usual. Lois dominated a large segment of the cartoon with Clark nowhere in sight. The chase sequence had her doing quite a number of stunts that you might not expect to see her do. She was quite capable, but there just were too many opponents for her to handle. Well, with this cartoon I have gone full circle and gone over all 17 of the Fleischer Superman cartoons plus some Superman parodies from around the same time and later. It has been a lot of fun. Next month IÕm planning to have some more comments on the series and then IÕll move on to doing something else the month after that. The two Fleischer Superman cartoon volumes are available directly from Bosko Video or from anyone who carries high quality animation. A catalog is available from Bosko Video 3802 East Cudahy Ave. Cudahy WI 53110-1234 _______________________________________________________________ JUST THE FAQs More Details about Frequently-Asked Questions about the Man of Steel by David T. Chappell ÒWhat are the Superman Holiday-Season Stories?Ó INTRODUCTION Once a year, comic book writers get a chance to write a story about each annual occurrence. Whether it be a characterÕs birthday or a holiday, these stories are often event-focus and may not appear each year. It may seem odd that Batman has appeared in probably 50 or so Christmas stories even though he has supposedly only been in action for about 11 years, but fans accept the time discrepancy as part of the timelessness of comic books. Superman stories, however, have been mostly in real-time since the Byrne revamp in 1986. I personally find the Superman Christmas-season stories to be special for several reasons. Since there is no Òtime warpÓ in post-Crisis Superman stories, all such Christmas stories are still in continuity and not just fun stories from the past. Furthermore, one of my earliest memories of reading a Superman comic was centered on a big New YearÕs Eve party. Although I recall few details from that story, I suspect that it pales in comparison with the best of the modern Christmas stories. SUPERMAN HOLIDAY STORIES Some comics teams write holiday stories since it seems appropriate to do that time of year. Other teams try to tell a Christmas story with an appropriate message of love and cheer, but few can do such a good job as the Superman team. I readily admit that a number of the holiday stories are less than memorable, but the few bright stars really do shine out. Perhaps a strong indication of my appreciation for these stories is that they rank among the very few titles of single issues that I recall: ÒHomeless for the Holidays,Ó ÒMetropolis Mailbag,Ó and the sequel, ÒMetropolis Mailbag II.Ó ÒHomeless for the HolidaysÓ tells how the staff of the Daily Planet learned that one of their friends and co-workers had been left homeless through a string of bad luck. Rather than throw Allie out onto the street from her makeshift home in a closet at work, the Planet staff went out of their way to care for Allie. They gave her a place to go for Christmas and made sure she had a real place to live till she could get back on her feet. While previous years included mention of the holidays, this comic also seems to be the first of a long string of annual Christmas-centric stories in the Superman books. Two years later, ÒMetropolis MailbagÓ revealed that Superman visits the post office once a year to read and answer the tons of mail sent to him. At the Christmas season he not only reads through selfish letters but also devotes time to help various people in need. I recall one particularly touching moment when Superman reunited two sisters who had become separated from each other during the Holocaust in World War II. In SupermanÕs absence, his fellow heroes answered his mail in ÒMetropolis Mailbag II.Ó In the midst of the Funeral for a Friend story line, a number of ongoing ÒDeathÓ subplots resurface at Christmas time, and the heroes get to experience the strong mixed feelings that Superman feels each year as he reads and responds to his mail. HOLIDAY COMICS LIST ThereÕs no promise of ever having more stories to match the quality of the above three, but we can count on having more Christmas stories in Superman comics. Even if they skip a year occasionally, it all works out in comic-book time. The list below shows all the stories from the holiday season (Thanksgiving through New YearÕs) I could find from post-Crisis Superman comics. IÕve pointed out my personal favorites above, but several others are worth seeking out for their great content. With each story IÕve listed the issue, year, holiday, and a brief mention of important story elements. Moreover, IÕve listed the entire creative staff behind each of these since I think that theyÑespecially the writersÑdeserve credit for producing comics that can touch us emotionally. Although IÕm sharing this list in the appropriate holiday season, these stories can be found in back-issue bins year round, and they provide good reading in June as well as December. This timeless aspect of these emotional stories should serve as an example to us all as we try to spread the love and joy of Christmas throughout not just 12 hours or 12 days but for 12 months each year. Story/Event Title Issue Date ========================================================== -*- 1986 -*- Bloodsport SUPERMAN 4 Apr 87 writer: John Byrne penciller: John Byrne inker: Karl Kesel colorist: Anthony Tollin letterer: John Costanza editors: Andrew Helfer & Mike Carlin Christmas (December 23) first Bloodsport; Jimmy Olsen, Lucy Lane, Vietnam veterans -*- 1987 -*- He Only Laughs When I Hurt SUPERMAN 16 Apr 88 writer: John Byrne penciller: John Byrne inker: Karl Kesel colorist: Tom Ziuko letterer: John Costanza editor: Michael Carlin Christmas (Christmas week) first Prankster, kidnaps Lois Lane; first Supergirl -*- 1989 -*- Ex-Machina CHRISTMAS WITH THE SUPER-HEROES #2 1989 writer & penciller: Paul Chadwick inker: John Nyberg colorist: Tom McCraw letterer: John Costanza editor: Mark Waid Christmas (Christmas night) Superman helps a desperate, stranded motorist Homeless for the Holidays ADVENTURES 462 Jan 90 writer: Roger Stern penciller: Dan Jurgens inker: Art Thibert colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: Albert De Guzman editor: Mike Carlin SantaÕs helper: Jon Peterson Christmas Alice homeless, living in Planet building storeroom; ÒThe Giving SeasonÓ editorial by Perry White; Clark leaves the Daily Planet for Newstime; Christmas in Smallville -*- 1990 -*- Worlds Collide WORLDÕS FINEST Book Two writer: Dave Gibbons illustrators: Steve Rude & Karl Kesel colorist: Steve Oliff letterer: Bill Oakley editor: editor: Mike Carlin Christmas (holiday season through Christmas Eve) Christmas with orphans at Midway; Joker, Luthor, Batman, Superman Face to Face With Yesterday ADVENTURES 474 Jan 91 writer: Dan Jurgens penciller: Dan Jurgens inker: Art Thibert colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: Albert De Guzman editor: Mike Carlin assistant editor: Dan Thorsland New Years (New YearÕs Eve) drunk driving; flashback to ClarkÕs high school years; euthanasia Worlds at War WORLDÕS FINEST Book Three writer: Dave Gibbons illustrators: Steve Rude & Karl Kesel colorist: Steve Oliff letterer: Bill Oakley editor: editor: Mike Carlin New YearÕs (New YearÕs Eve & Morning) Luthor & Joker attack each otherÕs holdings; Batman, Superman -*- 1991 -*- Friends in Need ACTION 673 Jan 92 writer: Roger Stern artists: Bob McLeod & Denis Rodier colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: Bill Oakley editor: Mike Carlin assistant editor: Dan Thorsland Thanksgiving Jimmy Olsen homeless; Hellgrammite; Mannheim Metropolis Mailbag SUPERMAN 4 Feb 92 writer: Dan Jurgens art:: Jackson Guice colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: John Costanza editor: Mike Carlin assistant editor: Dan Thorsland Christmas (December 23) Superman & Lois go through mail to Superman; help Holocaust survivor & heart transplant; Santa visits children at the Planet Christmas in Suicide Slumberland ADVENTURES 487 Feb 92 writer: Jerry Ordway penciller: Tom Grummett inker: Doug Hazlewood colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: Albert De Guzman editor: Mike ÒSantaÓ Carlin assistant editor: Dan ÒFrostyÓ Thorsland Christmas (Christmas Day) Bibbo & Olsen play Santa & elf at ChildrenÕs Aid Society; Olsen returns to Mom -*- 1992 -*- Metropolis Mailbag II SUPERMAN 76 Feb 93 writer: Dan Jurgens penciller: Dan Jurgens inker: Brett Breeding colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: John Costanza editor: Mike Carlin assistant editor: Jennifer Frank Christmas (Christmas Eve) Funeral for a Friend, Part 4 Justice League answers SupermanÕs mail, reunites family & build home; ClarkÕs friends spend Christmas together -*- 1993 -*- Obsessions MAN OÕSTEEL 31 Mar 94 winter, but not a holiday story (no clear holiday story that year) -*- 1994 -*- Shadows SUPERMAN 97 Feb 95 writer: Dan Jurgens penciller: Dan Jurgens inker: Brett Breeding colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: John Costanza editor: Mike Carlin assistant editor: Chris Duffy Christmas (Christmas Eve) Superman delivers a baby; first Shadowdragon Christmas Thieves ADVENTURES 520 Feb 95 writer: Karl Kesel penciller: Stuart Immonen inker: Jose Marzan colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: Albert De Guzman editor: Mike Carlin assistant editor: Chris Duffy Christmas (Christmas Eve) Night of a Hundred Thieves: 100 thieves plague Metropolis; Superman and police must stop them all Like Fire From the Dark ACTION 707 Feb 95 writer: David Michelinie penciller: Jackson Guice inker: Denis Rodier colorist: Glenn Whitmore letterer: Bill Oakley editor: Mike Carlin assistant editor: Chris Duffy New Years (New YearÕs Eve) Shadowdragon; ÒNew YouÓ Gala; ÒItÕs a Wonderful LifeÓ theater fight _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 1 _______________________________________________________________ AUTHOR OF ÒTOMORROWÓ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ An Interview with Roger Stern Conducted by Jeff Sykes In the summer of 1989, shortly after the return of the title exclusively to the Superman fold, ACTION COMICS was graced with the talent of a writer who would fast become one of the fansÕ favorite Superman authors. And for the next five years, almost without fail, Roger Stern would provide us with some of the most memorable stories in the history of Superman comics. His uncanny ability to make wonderful use of the multitude of supporting characters (rivaled, perhaps, only by fellow Superman scribe, Karl Kesel) while never ignoring the Man of Steel himself proved time and time again that Mr. Stern knew exactly what was required of a great Superman story. Then in the summer of 1994, Roger decided it was time to take a break from Superman and try his hand in some other things. He departed with the landmark ACTION COMICS #700. The fans mourned, lamenting his loss, but rumors of his return surfaced almost immediately. Since the introduction of SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL, the fans had complained of the dreaded Òskip weeksÓ. With 48 regular Superman issues each year, this left one week every three months with no Superman title. And of course, weÕre not happy unless weÕre overdosing on the Metropolis Marvel! One year later, in the summer of 1995, Mr. Stern returned once again to fill in these dreaded gaps. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW assured the fans that there would always be a Superman story on the stands! Mr. Stern took time out of his busy schedule (recently having joined the staff of the wonderful new Legion titles) to answer some of our questions. He also granted me some time at the Mid-Ohio Convention after Thanksgiving to answer a few follow-up and clarification questions. A few of these follow-ups were more discussion than question and answer, and as such IÕve simply summarized these discussions when appropriate. Such will be preceded by ÒKC:Ó Each of Mr. SternÕs remarks are indicated by ÒRS:Ó BACKGROUND: When and how did you decide that you wanted to go into the comics business? RS: I didnÕt. By that, I mean to say that I didnÕt actually decide to go into the comics business ... I just sort of stumbled into it. Granted, after the second comics convention I attended, I thought that it would be great fun to work with some of the people IÕd met Ñ folks such as Al Weiss, Bernie Wrightson, Marv Wolfman, and Mark Hannerfeld Ñ but that was really just a pipe dream. After all, I was not quite 20 at the time, I lived in Indiana, and I still had another two years of college ahead of me. About the time that I graduated, I met Bob Layton and started working with him and some other folks on a comics fanzine called CPL ... thatÕs really what led to both of us breaking into the business. But it wasnÕt until I was offered a chance to test for a staff job at Marvel Ñ in December of Ô75 Ñ that I ever imagined IÕd be working full-time in comics. What was your first big break in comics, and what brought you into the Superman family? RS: That depends on what you mean by a break. Working on CPL made my name known to a handful of professionals. Getting that call to go to New York and test for the job was a break. Being available when a new writer was needed on ÒGuardians of the GalaxyÓ was a break. IÕve had a whole series of them ... each one was the biggest at the time. And you can credit Mike Carlin with bringing me to Superman. When very few people at Marvel would even return my phone calls, he offered me work. IÕll always be grateful for that. What current comics do you read regularly, and which are your favorites? RS: Oh, gee ... I read a lot. I at least skim all of the DC Universe titles Ñ and of those, I faithfully follow FLASH, IMPULSE, WONDER WOMAN, THE SPECTRE, and THE BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES ... in addition to the LEGION and SUPERMAN titles. I also read KURT BUSIEKÕS ASTRO CITY, Don RosaÕs UNCLE SCROOGE, BONE, STRAY BULLETS, MADMAN COMICS, the whole darned Bongo Line, ICON, STATIC, UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN ... Mark Waid has me picking up CAPTAIN AMERICA again. IÕm gonna miss GROO. WRITING: It seems that comic writers employ a variety of techniques in their task. Some write full, detailed scripts. Others write only a plot outline and then wait for the artistÕs layouts to script the issue. Some even forego a plot outline, providing only the scripts to accompany an artistÕs story. What method(s) do you prefer, and what method(s) do you employ most often? RS: I prefer to write a fairly detailed plot and then script the story from the artistÕs pencils. I personally find the finished product much more satisfying, and I usually prefer my balloon and copy placement to the artistÕs. Unless the artist is dead set on wanting a full script, I opt for the plot/script method. On top of your comic work, youÕve also had success with other writing projects such as the text for the MAN OF STEEL trading cards last year and, of course, THE DEATH AND LIFE OF SUPERMAN. Many of our readers are wondering if you or, maybe more importantly, DC have any other plans for novelizations of the Man of SteelÕs adventures? RS: Maybe. There was talk of my writing an original SUPERMAN novel, but nothing ever came of it. It could still happen, but donÕt hold your breath. David Chappell (dtc@acpub.duke.edu) asks: Was it difficult to translate the comic book stories into your DEATH AND LIFE OF SUPERMAN novel? What sort of special decisions (e.g., on giving background and cutting scenes) did you have to make for writing the novel? RS: Well, it wasnÕt easy. Because the publisher wanted the novelization to go on sale the same day as SUPERMAN #82, I had less than five months to adapt and expand a work that was then still in progress. I had to create several new scenes to set up and introduce the players for a non-comics audience (almost everyone has heard of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen, but the odds were good that many readers would be encountering the Justice League, the Newsboy Legion, Ma & Pa Kent, Maggie Sawyer, Terrible Turpin, and the Cadmus Project for the first time). This was doubly important with the character of Superman himself, since more people are familiar with the movie and TV versions of the character, and I was determined to be faithful to the version that weÕd been producing comics about since 1986. Some characters regrettably went away Ñ notably Gangbuster (whose story was more of a sidebar to the main action) and the Underworlders (whom I felt were just one fantastic element too many for the story). Aamir Lakhani (lakhani@nevada.edu) asks (edited): Is there any chance of you or any of the comic writers lending a hand for a LOIS & CLARK script? Is this something anyone on the comic team is even interested in? What about the upcoming animated series? RS: As far as LOIS & CLARK goes, I doubt it. The animated series is a greater possibility, but IÕd rather see Paul Dini get in his chops first. ÒHeÕs my favÕrit!Ó YOUR RETURN TO AND THE CURRENT COMICS: Rumors of your return to the Superman fold began almost as soon as ACTION COMICS #700 hit the stands. At what point was MAN OF TOMORROW suggested, and when did you become involved? RS: When I took my break, I already had plans to write some new Superman projects. I still hope to write an Elseworlds featuring a Civil War era Superman (the war would be shorter, of course). And during my hiatus, I wrote a Superman card set and a Justice League story for SUPERMAN & BATMAN MAGAZINE ... so I guess it really wasnÕt that much of a break. Anyway, somewhere along the line, Mike Carlin floated the idea of a fifth, Òskip weekÓ book ... and I suggested MAN OF TOMORROW as a title (figuring that we probably couldnÕt get away with calling it SUPERMAN: THE METROPOLIS MARVEL). Several readers have pointed out the following. ItÕs interesting that the upswing in the quality of the Superman titles since the end of ÒThe Death of Clark KentÓ seems to coincide almost exactly with your return to the books. Not to put you on the spot, but do you think your return may have sparked everyone? (Or is it possible that the fans are perceiving an increased quality out of respect and fandom?) RS: I hardly think that I have enough of a following to command that much respect. I think it more likely that readers were simply more receptive to more recent stories and story arcs. Victor Chan (vichan@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca) Ñ and the number of people asking this question grows each month Ñ asks: In the last year or so, the Superman series seems to have shifted greatly away from the Byrne/Ordway/Jurgens format of 3-4 issue story arcs (one per title or less) and leaned heavily towards expanding each major storyline into a huge event. This first occurred with the Death of Superman and has since continued. I realize at one point that this was partly a marketing strategy but will the stories return to a shorter, more cohesive style rather than keep employing the epic/revelation/tragedy formula? RS: First, I feel that I should clear up whatÕs become a common misconception ... the Death of Superman arc was born in a story session, not a marketing meeting. All of the story arcs weÕve developed were story and character based ... Mike Carlin would later present our plans to the marketing people, and we would pray that theyÕd be promoted. There were plenty of story arcs which we wish had been better promoted Ñ Superman in Exile, Day of the Krypton Man, Dark Knight over Metropolis, Time and Time Again (I could go on and on) Ñ but until the Death of Superman, it always seemed as if we were lucky to finagle a lousy house ad. Since the Death, weÕve generally gotten better promotion ... even retroactively, as some of the earlier arcs have been repackaged as trade paperbacks. Everything weÕve done has been story oriented. I canÕt think of anything worse for a story than basing it on a marketing strategy. Tails shouldnÕt wag dogs. But getting back to the heart of your question ... once The Trial of Superman is over, I think youÕll see us employing shorter story arcs for the immediate future ... with those arcs sometimes forming the components of an even larger story. In this way, we hope to satisfy both the readers who like their serials told in shorter spans and those who want the longer epic storylines. WeÕll also be interspersing some single issue stories here and there between the arcs. By the time this sees print, UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED will be over, and weÕll probably be left with the shadow of Neron hanging over the DC Universe. Will LuthorÕs bargain come back to haunt him *after* the initial tale is ended? RS: ThereÕs a strong possibility that it will. Not right away, of course, but somewhere down the road. Okay, just what is the deal with the Contessa? Why does she look familiar to Alpha Centurion? Is she somehow connected to Mr. Z? Are you trying to drive us crazy on purpose!? :) RS: You know, just last summer a young friend of mine told me that he really liked the Contessa, but he couldnÕt tell Òif sheÕs a good guy or a bad guy.Ó I smiled and said, ÒGood.Ó Anyway, the Contessa apparently resembles someone whom the Centurion once knew. Whether it is a chance resemblance or the Contessa resembles some distant ancestor, or whatever, remains to be seen. But why do you think the Contessa is connected to Mr. Z? ThereÕs no resemblance there at all! The Contessa/Mr. Z question arose when one netter mentioned that the ContessaÕs jeweled cane/staff resembled Mr. ZÕs. ThatÕs it. RS: Do people really think the ContessaÕs walking stick looks that much like Mr. ZÕs cane? Geez, Z had a gigundo ruby soul snatcher atop his cane, while the Contessa has what looks like the Mother of all pearls. (And sooner or later, I plan to tell where she got it!) COMING UP SOON: How exactly will you be moving in to join the Legion of Super-Heroes team? Will this new work have any effect on your writing MAN OF TOMORROW? RS: IÕve already scripted LEGIONNAIRES #35 Ñ my first issue Ñ which goes on sale the last week of January, the plot to issue #36 is in Jeff MoyÕs hands, and future storylines are in the works. Of course, as far as the Legion is concerned, theyÕre all future storylines. Mostly all, anyway. Tom McCraw continues to co-plot, and Tom Peyer, KC Carlson and Mike McAvennie kibitz as well. I hope that writing a group book again will help keep me fresh on MAN OF TOMORROW. Lori LemarisÕ return isnÕt going to set Lois and ClarkÕs marriage back even further, is it? RS: Further than what? A quick look through the newest issues of PREVIEWS indicates that the Supes titles are about to spotlight much of the supporting cast Ñ Lois, Jimmy, Bibbo, and even the Riot Grrrls have stories coming up in the next few months. Is this a conscious effort on the part of the creative team to respond to some of the grumbling of late? RS: (Grumbling? About what?) No, we just have a large supporting cast, and the next round of storylines weÕve concocted allow us to feature more of them. (ItÕs not easy to work Bibbo, for instance, into a story that ranges across the galaxy ... although it *can* be done.) Actually, it can sometimes be a problem just keeping the supporting cast from crowding Superman out of the picture. The first three issues of MAN OF TOMORROW are LuthorÕs books as much as they are SupermanÕs. The grumbling was focused on the fact that the supporting cast had not been used as much since the Death of Superman as it had been before. RS: Really? Well, there probably was a little more emphasis on Superman himself for a stretch there. After all, he had just come back from the dead! On the other hand, there was a lot of Lois in those issues, too, as I recall. David Chappell (dtc@acpub.duke.edu) asks: With the team books ending soon for both Supergirl (NEW TITANS) and the Eradicator (OUTSIDERS), are you considering any plans to include them as regulars in future Superman stories? What about mini-series or other use of these Superman-family characters? RS: I believe there are some sort of plans in store for the Eradicator, but IÕm not privy to them. I once had extensive plans for Supergirl, but those were all unfortunately wrecked by her sojourn with the Titans. Now that her association with them has ended, I might let myself get involved with the character again ... but a lot depends on how much control I would have over where she appears. KC: In a follow-up question at the Mid-Ohio Convention, Mr. Stern informed me that the plans for the Eradicator include a limited series or special. If well received, this could lead to a continuing series. He also explained that several people seem to be interested in working with Supergirl, but finding the time to do so is difficult. Are you going to vote for Superman over the Hulk!? :) RS: Neither. I donÕt believe in storytelling by ballot. DOWN THE ROAD: Will Sudderth (WSudderth@aol.com) asks: Now that the editorial offices for the Superman and LSH books are one and the same, and weÕve got a damned fine writer working with both series, can we expect a unified answer to the continuity questions that cropped up in ZERO HOURÕs wake? RS: What continuity questions? To follow-up, with KC Carlson at the helm of both the Legion and Superman titles, it would seem that a closer relationship between the two is in order. Granted, the beginnings are in place now (as a result of the Superboy/Legion crossover), but as was indicated by Will and echoed by a few other readers, the fans still arenÕt happy with the apparent conflicts between Legion and Superman continuity... Anything being tossed around? RS: Again, IÕm afraid that I really donÕt know what youÕre referring to. I wasnÕt aware of any existing conflicts between Superman and the Legion. If there are any, IÕm sure weÕll address them eventually. KC: I explained to Mr. Stern the basics of the perceived problem Ñ namely that the reboot of the Legion wiped out all previous Superman continuity involving the prior version of the Legion and the Pocket Universe, as well as SupergirlÕs origin. As Dan Jurgens and Mike Carlin have done before him, Mr. Stern insists that all of these stories did take place as told in the relevant comics. The reasoning is that ZERO HOUR did not simply replace the prior time line with a new one. Rather, it created an alternate time line which split from the first during the events of ZERO HOUR. His best explanation of this was a reference to the second BACK TO THE FUTURE movie. Doc BrownÕs chart showed a divergent time line which had split from the original, the split caused by the insertion of a temporal anomaly Ñ the Sports Almanac. To the best of my understanding, a similar thing has happened here. The current version of the Legion is a part of a divergent time line created by the events of ZERO HOUR. The events in the DC Universe which occurred prior to ZERO HOUR were not erased. The Legion which Superman encountered actually existed, but they have now been replaced. When (if) Superman makes another trip to the 30th century (or compares notes with Superboy), heÕll realize that this is a different group. (And heÕll probably be just as confused as IÕve probably just made most of you! :) RS: That about sums it up, Jeff. As KC [Carlson] put it, that other future happened (once upon a time), itÕs just folded neatly away in the fabric of space and time. ÒYa canÕt get there from here!Ó Aron Head (aronhead@dfw.net) wants to know: I truly loved the SUPERMAN VS. ALIENS crossover that wrapped up a few months ago. What plans Ñ if any Ñ are there for another such crossover? Also, are there plans for the Kara character that we saw escape from the doomed planetoid? Will we be seeing her anytime soon? RS: First, SUPERMAN VS. ALIENS wasnÕt a crossover ... a lot of things are called crossovers which arenÕt. SUPERMAN VS. ALIENS was a prestige mini-series which featured characters controlled by two different companies. A crossover would have been the Aliens appearing in a Superman comic and Superman appearing in an Aliens comic. As for the Kara character, I know of no plans for her. But then, I didnÕt know anything about SUPERMAN VS. ALIENS until photocopies of the penciled pages started showing up in my weekly packages from DC. Carter Lupton (lupton@mpm1.mpm.edu) asks: Is the Clark/Lois wedding being held back for SupesÕ Diamond Jubilee in 1998? What other events are planned? I personally feel this is a historical moment and calls for a major historical component to the celebration. (IÕd like a nice archival book representing all the various origin stories showing how SupermanÕs mythos has evolved.) RS: Actually, 1998 will be SupermanÕs 60th Anniversary. The 75th or Diamond Anniversary wonÕt occur until 2013. Both anniversaries are a ways off, so I doubt that anyoneÕs yet given either of them much thought. For the time being, IÕd just like to see more of the SUPERMAN ARCHIVES ... and a MAN OF STEEL ARCHIVES, reprinting the stories from ACTION COMICS. As another follow-up, can you comment on the rumor that DC and LOIS AND CLARK are planning a big cross-media wedding in the next year? RS: While IÕm sure that DC would like the idea of a cross-media wedding, IÕm not certain how that could be coordinated. I donÕt have any idea what the LOIS & CLARK people have planned, and I suspect that many of you folks see the shows long before I do. And people are *still* asking if and when SupermanÕs going to cut his hair!? RS: DonÕt know ... but I finally had mine cut. Of course, Superman has a great head of hair and looks better with it long than I did. (You know, itÕs a funny thing, but so far I havenÕt heard any complaints about the manÕs hair from our women readers. The only ones who seem threatened by the longer hair are the guys. Why is that?) With the new animated series set to begin next fall, does DC have plans for a new title such as THE BATMAN ADVENTURES to tie-in with the show? RS: Oh, I hope so. IÕd love to see that. MISCELLANEOUS: Cory Strode (BINETWORK!BIHQPO!strode@biattgw.attmail.com) and Brian Morris (bkmorris@prairienet.org) raise a question you probably hear a lot: ItÕs no secret that you had someone specifically in mind to be the Hobgoblin when you wrote Spider-Man, someone other than Ned Leeds. So who was that person and why didnÕt the editor just go ahead and use your idea? And if you canÕt tell us, where are the best clues to figure out who *you* would have had the Hobgoblin be? RS: No editor ever used my idea because no editor ever knew. I never told anyone at Marvel who the Hobgoblin was Ñ not my editor, not my artists, no one! Ñ the entire time I was writing SPIDER-MAN. (I never even told my wife!) It was the only way I could be sure that no one could give away the secret. When Tom DeFalco took over the assignment, he told me that heÕd do it on the condition that I give him a name ... and I did. I refused to tell him, however, if it was the right name. Why? Because it didnÕt matter! If he was going to be writing the series, he could make Hobgoblin be anyone he wanted him to be. And eventually, yet another writer or editor (I donÕt know who) decided, after the fact, that Ned Leeds was the Hobgoblin. The wonderful thing, of course, is that the story was told in such a way as to prove that Ned couldnÕt have been the Hobgoblin. [The Proof: Ned was jumped and killed by three ordinary men. But the Hobgoblin was about as strong as Spider-Man; if Ned had really been Hobgoblin, he would have reduced those three men to red paste. But he didnÕt. He couldnÕt. And he was killed. Therefore, he wasnÕt Hobgoblin.] Obviously Ned was set up by the real Hobgoblin ... who is still out there, waiting for some Marvel editor to take me up on my standing offer to write a Hobgoblin miniseries. William Kone (kone@courier1.sha.cornell.edu) asks: What is your favorite Convention? Do you always play an MC at the ITHACON? RS: WillÕs being funny. He should know by now that I donÕt have any one favorite comics convention ... although I have a special attachment to Ithacon, I always enjoy Mid-Ohio-Con ... and San Diego is a lot of fun, even as big and overwhelming as it is. And I donÕt always play MC. But if they ask me Ñ and IÕm up for it Ñ I can usually be convinced to step up to the mike. Aamir Lakhani (lakhani@nevada.edu) wonders: (a) Are there any Superman stories youÕd like to see happen which probably wonÕt? (b) Is there any chance of a self-contained Superman title which is separate from the others? (A stand-alone...) (c) Since word is out about SUPERMAN REBORN, discussions have begun about casting the movie. Do you have any ideas about the perfect actors and actresses for the main Superman roles? Any specific stories you think would make for a good movie plot? RS: a) Yes, IÕd like to see a story that proves absolutely that Kryptonians and Terrestrials are not interfertile. b) Sure ... thereÕs the possibility of the aforementioned book that would tie in with the new animated series. Actually, my goal with MAN OF TOMORROW is to give you an issue which Ñ while it is part of an on-going continuity Ñ stands on its own as a story, with everything you need to know to enjoy it. ThatÕs how IÕve approached every series IÕve ever worked on. Considering that every issue is potentially someoneÕs first comic, itÕs the only fair thing to do. c) Sorry, IÕm a blank on this one. I donÕt think thereÕs even been an approved treatment as yet. Casting would be pointless ... though if thereÕs a part in any picture for a Lex Luthor, they really should give John Shea a call. And most comics stories would be too complicated or too expensive to film. (Although, now that I think of it, you *could* build a pretty decent movie around SUPERMAN FOR EARTH.) David Chappell (dtc@acpub.duke.edu) asks: Although DC does not accept unsolicited story ideas from non-professionals, I recall that the Krimson Kryptonite came from an idea mailed in by a fan. Does DC object to receiving simple ideas (not full stories) from fans, or is it feasible that a future letter could lead to another story gem? RS: Krimson Kryptonite came from a fanÕs suggestion? Really? I thought we were just building on a throwaway scene that Dan had come up with in his Superman-Flash Race. But getting back to your question, I donÕt think anyone is adverse to suggestions along the line of ÒYou oughtta have Superman meet/do/go/fight whatever.Ó THE WRAP-UP: Finally, what can the fans expect from Roger Stern in the future? RS: More stories. More new heroes and villains ... not all of them necessarily super. There are several creator-owned projects which IÕd like to pursue as the market bounces back from the recent slump. Also more drama, more comedy, and more fun. Barring an unexpected breakthrough in paper and printing technologies, I doubt that the price of books and magazines will ever decrease ... so I want to try and cram as much story into the comics as is physically possible. I want my readers to feel that theyÕve gotten their moneyÕs worth. Thanks for all of your time and hard work at making the Man of Steel such an interesting read! We look forward to many wonderful stories to come! _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 2 _______________________________________________________________ REVIEWS ------- Ratings Panelists: AL: Arthur LaMarche JH: Javier Heredia RG: Rene' Gobeyn AW: Anatole Wilson JS: Jeff Sykes SF: Shane Furlong DS: Dick Sidbury KM: Ken McKee VC: Victor Chan IC: Isaiah J. Campbell MC: Matt Combes WN: William J Nixon 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 "TRIANGLE" TITLES: --------------------- Uniform Credits: Colorist: Glenn Whitmore Separator: Digital Chameleon Assistant Editors: Mike McAvennie & Chris Duffy Editors: Mike Carlin & KC Carlson Cover Separations: Android Images 1. ACTION COMICS #717, "H'tros City!" Writer: David Michelinie Artists: Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier Letterer: Bill Oakley Cover: Dwyer, Rodier, & Suzanne Bourdages $1.95/$2.75 RATINGS: Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields WN: 3.5 Shields - Lots of action and a great twist of fate in the H'tros station IC: 4.2 Shields - All in all, a good story with only a few rough points. If I had to say what was the worst part, it would have to be the fact that the Cyborg was HIRED? I can't see him as a bounty hunter, but OH well. MC: 3.1 Shields - I thought the initial confrontation between the Cyborg and Superman was pretty weak, and I still don't like Dwyer's art, but the story still held some of its own. JH: 1.5 Shields - A really forgettable part of this entire saga...even after reading all the parts together. AW: 4.0 Shields - Nice action issue (no pun intended). Superman uses brain and brawn, and nobly saves the life of his foe. A hero to the end! Wow. Talk about Action: one on one with the Cyborg, a tie-in to this year's annual, and the dynamic sweeping art of Dwyer and Rodier. In the last few installments, the "Trial" has been shifting into high gear, those early issues were just stoking the fire and now it's really starting to burn. Great cover too, Superman meets the Old West in yellowed intergalactic parchment. A strong-jawed, passport shot of our hero on the run. Superman and Mope have been teleported onto a space station in pursuit of Nrn'Frok - the alien who could clear Mope. Gun barrels emerge from the wall and we are treated to a Dwyer/Rodier splash page with Superman protecting Mope. They find a quiet spot to catch their breath. Superman recognizes the technology as H'tros and offers an explanation for the atmosphere. In Metropolis, Lois is at her desk as Perry offers her a story on Alien Abduction for the Sunday Supplement. The H'tros factory is a deathtrap and Supes and Mope get separated. Superman is thrown out of the station and the Cyborg detects him. On the Tribunal planet, Superboy's suspicions about the Alpha Centurion deepen, and there is still no sign of AC and the Cyborg together. Mope is rescued from certain death as the station's atmosphere is turned off and the Cyborg reveals himself. He and Superman go one on one. Mope "puffs up" to distracts him, giving Superman an opening. Supes uses a shield to protect Mope and they escape in the Cyborg's ship as pure oxygen explodes around their bionic nemesis. The Cyborg interfaces with the station's defense program to blow the fleeing escapees out of space. In a wonderful twist, the H'tros technology in the station rejects him because of his organic component and self-destructs. Superman, true to his nature, rescues the Cyborg by absorbing the station's energy. The Cyborg turns the tables and brings the weakened hero and Mope back to the Tribunal planet. The sentence is execution... immediately. I have to admit I much preferred this installment of "Trial" to the previous month's, but again it's a case of horses for courses. We saw how Lois is doing and Michelinie had a dig at the tabloids. Alien abductions, is the Planet going the way of the National Whisperer? This year's Action Annual was a great story, and here we revisit the H'tros and their genocidal machinations. A perfect match for the Cyborg's homicidal ones. I liked the way these elements all meshed together and my interest in the "Trial" really perked up. I have to also applaud the Super-team for the Cyborg/AC thread, it has been cleverly handled. Each issue has taken care not to reveal too much and to keep us all interested. The journey can be as much as fun as the destination. Seasons greetings to Superman fans everywhere. William J Nixon (W.J.Nixon@lib.gla.ac.uk) ====================================================== 2. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #52, "Crime and Punishment" Story: Louise Simonson Penciller: Jon Bogdanove Inker: Dick Giordano Letterer: Ken Lopez Cover: Bogdanove, Dennis Janke, & Marjorie Strauss $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN RATINGS: Average: 3.1/5.0 Shields AL: 4.0 Shields MC: 2.9 Shields - In my opinion, Cyborg is starting to become a second-rate Superman villain. He's defeated *too* easily. But I did really love the whole AC\Cyborg thing going on here. Pretty good! DS: 2.0 Shields - Slugfest deluxe, if such is possible. JS: 3.5 Shields - MOS gets the climactic battle in the story, and Louise Simonson takes full advantage of the opportunity. Giordano matches up very well with Bog! AW: 4.0 Shields - More action! More Kal-El thinking as well as fighting! This saga is wrapping on high notes, indeed. Superman and Mope again stand before the Tribunal and are pronounced guilty and sentenced to death at sundown. The two are dragged away as the Cyborg begins to try to create another Warworld. Meanwhile, the prison grapevine is passing information about Superman's and Mope's capture. Strengthened by Superman's current situation and with a little help from the Cyborg, the rest of the rescue team break free and rush to Superman's aid. Superboy rushes to confront Alpha Centurion, whom he still believes is the Cyborg in disguise. But by this time, we have seen Cyborg and Alpha Centurion in a brief battle of their own. Before any serious damage can be done, the battle is halted by the launching of the rocket bearing Superman. Superman is able to escape the rocket by shaking it apart just at the moment the rocket begins to warp into hyperspace. He flies back to the planet and tries to stop the Cyborg. Using all the power of the planet, cyborg morphs into a variety of weapons and fires upon the planet and Superman, as Tribunal Prime gleefully watches the melee. But even with everything the planet and the Cyborg can dish out, Superman is not killed. When he is at his most vulnerable, Mope shows heroism by standing between Superman and Cyborg. Before the Cyborg can fry both of them, Superman throws Mope out of danger into a pool of water. Superman regains his senses and, remembering his Greek mythology, rips the Cyborg from contact with the planet, then makes short work of him. Superman brings the defeated Cyborg to the Tribunal. He has shown his character and believing he will be spared by his sentence he confronts the Tribunal. But, an obsessed Tribunal Prime commands "Arrest him!" Lots of action here. The fight between the Cyborg and Superman was well handled. Superman was able to overcome the Cyborg by brains and brawn, not to mention a little help from Mope. I would have liked to see a little more help from the Rescue Team, though. Unfortunately, Cyborg was able to dispatch them in just a couple of panels. Another thing which was handled exceptionally well through the entire story arc was the Alpha Centurion -- Cyborg connection. I admit that I seesawed back and forth on this one. When the story began, and AC was getting together everyone that helped dispatch the Cyborg -- with the exception of Hal Jordan -- and then with statement that he made to SB, I was convinced that he was the Cyborg. But then we were never shown a clear transition from AC to Cyborg. It was always subtle. It was then that I had my doubts. Well, we have the answer now. I hope most people enjoyed it as much as I did. But I am sure all will agree that it was done very well. We also see that Tribunal Prime is really losing it. He is more worried about the punishment than he ever was about the crimes. I am sure this will be exploited in the closing episodes. The artwork was handled very well by Bog and Giordano. Superman's dynamic poses (just about everywhere) and his grim determination (page 16) are just great, and page 21 is a combination of both. If I found any criticism it would be the facial expressions of Superboy and Supergirl, especially the eyes. They are just too fawn-like on page 6. In closing, Superman took on the cyborg and the power of the entire planet. Hulk should just throw in the towel now! Vote Superman (dvmsuper@aol.com) -- but I get ahead of myself, that's next month! 8 ) Season's Greetings Arthur LaMarche (DrArt95@aol.com) ====================================================== 3. SUPERMAN #108, "No Escape!" Story: Dan Jurgens Art: Ron Frenz & Joe Rubinstein Letters: John Costanza Cover: Jurgens, Rubinstein, & Whitmore $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN RATINGS: Average: 4.0/5.0 Shields KM: 5.0 Shields - Another absolutely incredible issue. SF: 4.0 Shields - Great art and a good story showing the nobility of Superman. JH: 3.5 Shields - I liked this, the penultimate chapter, and it really made me think about the way Superman affects everyone, regardless of who they are. DS: 2.5 Shields - The "Trial" continues. Yawn. JS: 4.0 Shields - In perhaps the best episode of the "Trial", Jurgens scripts a powerful story, and Frenz and Rubinstein continue to perform impressively! Once again Superman finds himself standing before the self-imposed cosmic judge of the Universe trying to talk his way out of his execution. He is accompanied by Superboy, Steel, Supergirl, the Eradicator, and Alpha Centurion. To put it mildly, Superman has had enough of this travesty and simply...walks away. I wish he would have punched that Tribunal buffoon...just once. As the heroes are flying to their freedom, Superman realizes Mope is still a prisoner and goes back to rescue him. His friends follow him (well, really, what else could they do?). Meanwhile, the Tribunal Prime has other plans for retrieving his prisoner. He transfers his mind into the body of the Cyborg and flies off to confront the Man of Steel. After a relatively short battle, Superman is knocked unconscious and placed in a restraining rocket. He is launched into space, destination Krypton. The only problem is, Krypton has long been replaced by a deadly radioactive cloud. Supergirl, Superboy, Steel, and the rest try to rescue Superman in Alpha's giant ship. Suddenly, we see "Superman" streaming through space, strapped to the rocket, hurtling towards the kryptonite cloud. But Mope has switched places with an unconscious Superman on the rocket. He took Superman's place. Saving Kal-El's life and dying for his own crimes. He has been lying to Superman all along. Truly guilty and seeking atonement for his crimes, he rescues Superman, meeting a fate very similar to his Milk Brother's. As hard as he tries, Superman cannot reach Mope before the rocket explodes into a million pieces. The Tribunal believes Superman is dead, as do his friends. The last panel shows Superman sitting on a floating asteroid, feeling very dejected. I apologize for the brevity of this review but I have mixed feelings about this story. Individually, each comic has been really good. The artwork has been superb, and the action has been out of this world (no pun intended). But collectively, I just can't get into this whole "Trial of Superman" thing. It just seems a little too hokey to me. On the other hand, it's good to see the other members of the superhero team back together again, fighting the Cyborg. So I guess that makes it worthwhile. I usually read two or three comics at a time, which makes it easier to keep up with the story. But I have read each book as I bought it and have failed to go back and review previous issues. Needless to say, I have forgotten some of the details of the story line. I will say one thing, I loved the cover. Merry Christmas everyone! Ken McKee (stdkrm01@shsu.edu) ====================================================== 4. ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #531, "Justice!" Writer: Karl Kesel Penciller: Stuart Immonen Inker: Jose Marzan Jr Letterer: Albert De Guzman Cover: Immonen, Marzan Jr, & Whitmore $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN RATINGS: Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields AW: 4.0 Shields - Excellent ending to "The Trial of Superman". MC: 3.9 Shields - I was a bit disappointed at the unresolved plot of Tribunal Prime escaping, but the rest of the book held itself together well. Of course, I doubt this is the last we'll see of Cyborg, but isn't that always the case.....??? SF: 3.5 Shields - Good ending to a too-long story. JH: 4.5 Shields - Once again, Karl Kesel saves a boring story and gives it his own special touch. Superman's return was very dramatic and the Cyborg's death should be *very* permanent. If they bring Cy back, I'll drop the books, no matter the reason. DS: 2.5 Shields - Thank God it's over. The trial is a *big* disappointment to me. Nothing of substance seemed to happen in this issue and the entire story arc left too much out: there was no rationale for the trial, the ending of the trial was cheesy, as was most of the ending of the issue. The beginning of the buildup for the breakup of Lois and Superman was here. After this and "Dead Again", maybe I should break up with Superman too. Last month, the slow pace of the "Trial of Superman" story irritated me to no end; AOS 530, especially, "bugged" me. It has been a wonderful surprise that all four Superman titles rebounded this month, ending the "Trial of Superman" saga with an exciting bang, not a dull whimper. This issue begins where SUPERMAN 108 left off. Convinced that Superman is finally dead, the Tribunal turns its attention to Cyborg. Because they have no evidence of his crimes on Earth, Tribunal Prime decides the best evidence is a confession coerced through torture (not that Cyborg needs much coercion; he's pretty proud of his "accomplishments"). Tribunal Prime is not happy just to get the confession, though -- he rules that Cyborg's death must be through a long and painful "disassembly." (I think it's safe to assume that he had plans to harness Cyborg's energy and use it for his own ends.) This is too much for Tribunal Pollux, who tries to execute Cyborg quickly, only to be violently stopped by Tribunal Prime. Tribunal Ternion reluctantly sides with Tribunal Prime, and the torture is about to continue, when who should arrive but Superman and the Rescue Squad, bent on avenging Mope's death. (At least I *think* that's why they came back.) Tribunal Prime shows the damning evidence that proves Mope's guilt, and he and Superman argue whether Mope's crime was worthy of a death sentence. It is Tribunal Prime's pronouncement, "from the most charming to the most powerful...no one is above the law," that becomes his own undoing. Tribunal Pollux levels charges against Tribunal Prime for his gross violations of protocol; this time Tribunal Ternion votes against Tribunal Prime. After a brief struggle with the Super-team, Tribunal Prime is executed attempting to escape the planet. The remaining members of the Tribunal are now more merciful, though still strict adherents to the law. Superman is "sentenced" to a life of fighting for justice, and Cyborg is sent to a black hole, where his energy essence cannot escape. Now all that's left is the triumphant return home; Alpha Centurion broadcasts the news to a relieved Metropolis, Superboy admits he misjudged A-C, and Superman returns to Lois in a very poignant scene. I have mixed feelings about how the "Trial of Superman" ended. Sure, the Tribunal is going to be more likely to tender their judgments with mercy now, but their system of laws which holds descendants guilty for their forefathers' crimes is still pretty flawed. That Superman just left after getting the lighter sentence himself seemed out of character, since he was so concerned in previous issues about the other prisoners who had death sentences hanging over them. And there are several questions left unanswered: Who made the laws in the first place? Who gave the Tribunal jurisdiction over the entire galaxy? What connection, if any, might they have with the now-defunct Green Lantern Corps, the Darkstars, or L.E.G.I.O.N.? Still, I have to say I was pleased overall with the storyline. Last month's stories seemed like padding, but every title made up for it this month, with a lot of action, sharp writing, and good artwork. Superman didn't just throw himself into conflicts and punch his way out; he faced challenges and thought out solutions. He showed compassion for his enemies and a heroic concern for Mope and others around him. And he inspired change, in both Mope and perhaps in the Tribunal as well. To me, this is what Superman is all about. Anatole Wilson (awilson@vnet.ibm.com) _______________________________________________________________ OTHER SUPER-TITLES: ------------------ SUPERBOY #23, "The Limits of Power" Writer: Karl Kesel Layouts: Tom Grummett Finished Pencils: Steve Erwin Inkers: Doug Selogy & Ken Branch Colorist: Tom McCraw Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft Assistant Editor: Chris Duffy Editor: Frank Pittarese Cover: Grummett & Kesel $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN RATINGS: Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields VC: 3.0 Shields JH: 3.0 Shields - I don't know what Kesel is building up to with Knockout (maybe she is a Female Fury) but he should do it quick. Other than that, it was a normal day for Superboy. AL: 3.5 Shields - I like Knockout. Great issue as always. JS: 2.5 Shields - Feels like we're marking time for the big story beginning in issue #25. Grummett is much more effect as a penciller than as a layout artist. AW: 4.0 Shields - I never thought much of Knockout before; with this issue, she's become much more complex and interesting. The Technician appears once again, albeit briefly. His motives are unknown, but he appears at S.T.A.R. Labs and destroys the telepathic earplugs that were left behind by the Legionnaires. In the meantime, Knockout is training Superboy on a beach. Ironically, it's Knockout's very presence that's caused Tana and Roxy to become friendlier with one another. However, the mood doesn't last long as Dubbilex announces a summons from Professor Potter regarding the lab incident. Upon Superboy and Knockout's arrival at S.T.A.R. Labs, the professor describes the assailant, mentioning that the intruder used goggles similar to the pair Superboy lost. However, it is not until Superboy and Knockout are caught in a battle with robots downtown do they encounter the Technician again. This time, he's prepared to deal with Superboy, using Professor Hamilton's goggles, which have been modified. The Technician displays his arrogance as he boasts to Superboy, but quickly loses that superior feeling as the kid telekinetically knocks him off his feet and retrieves the goggles. By that time, the automatons in the street have already been dispatched, all of them lying in heaps. As the Technician is taken away, Superboy destroys the goggles, telling Tana that to him, the goggles aren't as important as she is. Back at the compound, there is a more jovial mood. Rex has scored another merchandising coup, putting out the first Superboy comic (which is published by DC Comics), while Roxy receives a call from Agent Makoa, telling her that she passed her police entrance exam and will soon be ready to begin training. All in all, I have to reluctantly admit that I was disappointed with this issue. It wasn't bad by any means, but the buildup with the Technician led me to believe that he would be a powerful villain, and it seemed that he had big plans that were in motion. This issue only tied up a few loose ends. There's a beginning to some sort of reconciliation or friendship between Tana and Roxy, Knockout is somewhat established as Superboy's partner, Roxy has been accepted to the police academy, and Agent Makoa's on the move to set up a special crimes unit, similar to that in Metropolis. If I didn't see Kesel and Grummett's credits, I'd swear that this was a fill-in issue. After the story-arc with the Legionnaires, this issue was somewhat of a letdown. Even the artwork left something to be desired. The cover was great. However, the interior looked like it was produced haphazardly, as if it was rushed. Of course, that *may* be the case. No next issue spoilers were printed, so we'll have to go with the flow and see what happens next month. Personally, I'm hoping that Kesel will soon establish a definite arch-villain for Superboy. There have been too many small-time villains that can't be sustained for more than two issues. Victor Chan (vichan@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca) _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 3 _______________________________________________________________ OTHER SUPER-TITLES (cont): ------------------------- STEEL #23, "Wired!" Writer: Louise Simonson Penciller: Phil Gosier Inkers: Rich Faber, Howard Porter, & Ron Boyd Colorist: Dave Grafe Letterer: Pat Brosseau Asst. Editor: Chris Duffy Editor: Frank Pittarese $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN RATINGS: Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields DS: 3.5 Shields - One of the best covers ever for STEEL. Some government agency is out to get Steel -- I guess he's not supposed to help the downtrodden and capture the wicked. AL: 3.0 Shields - I thought Superman was the second-coming of the "Sun" god. Well, with the 20 pieces of currency reference maybe it is Steel 8 ) Merry X-mas everyone. JS: 3.5 Shields - This book has improved steadily over the past few months, and Simonson, Gosier, and Faber show no signs of letting up. However, I get the feeling that the drastic change coming is a result of poor sales. Part I of a multi-part story. S.P.E.C., an agency so secret that I don't even know what the letters stand for, has taken a two-bit hood, who was paralyzed by a bullet in a shoot-out with the DEA and allowed Hazard to turn him into a fighting machine(TM). He has so many cables sticking out of him that he looks like a cross between the late Kenny Braverman and the late Hank Henshaw (would not say late. Doesn't DC have a major Universal crossover coming soon? And, SF often claims that black holes are portals to other universes. Convenient, eh? HH will be back.) The new monster, er, agent, is called Hardwire. From the limited knowledge of electricity I have, I think that with hardwire you don't need a conduit. Where does DC get these names? Meanwhile, John Henry Irons' grandma is fixing a Thanksgiving dinner, a turkey with all the trimmings. Tyke is wallowing in self-pity watching TV where a news report speculates that Steel has abandoned Washington because he feared an encounter with the higher-powered Metallo, whom he had defeated in Issue 21. SPEC has plotted Steel's sightings and discovered that he has been seen all over the Beltway area except in a small area near Washington General Hospital. They conclude that Steel's lair must be in that neighborhood and send agents there to learn what they can. Tyke is reading "The Whisper", a tabloid newspaper which reports the existence of Hardwire. Tyke still harbors hopes that Hazard can wire him so that he'll be able to walk again. But he realizes that it will cost a substantial amount of money. Hardwire is having second thoughts about being the kind of monster that he was turned into and wants to be allowed to die. SPEC promises him that they will allow him to do this right after he captures Steel for them. Tyke broods over being in his wheelchair and blames John Henry for not allowing him to get the help of Hazard to be able to walk. The government agents go to a playground and try to get information about Steel's whereabouts from the kids playing there. They tell him to look up if he wants to see Steel. The agents promise a substantial reward for the revelation of Steel's secret identity. Tyke asks how much but he has to leave before the government agents can come to an understanding with him. He agrees to return at four-thirty the next day. The agents talk with Hardwire, and it is revealed that the government is interested in Steel's sentient armor rather than Steel himself. After the triumphant return home by the rescue squad and Superman himself after the unsuccessful "Trial of Superman" [in more ways than one], Steel returns home to Washington to be with his family. His family, all except Tyke, the foster child, is glad to see John Henry. John Henry talks to Tyke and tries to explain why being helped by Hazard was not a good thing to do. The next day Tyke shows up at the playground and tells the federal agents that Steel is John Henry Irons. They give him twenty dollars for the information -- possibly a reference to the twenty pieces of silver that Judas was paid. With this knowledge, SPEC sends Hardwire to Irons' home, where he breaks in during Thanksgiving dinner and shoots wildly, wounding everyone except Tyke and pumping four or five slugs into John Henry's midsection. John Henry's armor *failed* to activate itself, and he is in critical condition, where we will pick up the story next month. The art follows its usual style with lots of panels overlaying several splashes. The colors were crisp and vivid. The cover is one of the most striking I've seen in a long time. Tyke sits in his wheelchair wrapped in a gray blanket carrying a large sledgehammer covered with blood. The background is pure white with a black shadow of Tyke and the wheelchair running diagonally across the page. The image it evokes is very powerful. This issue was somewhat of a disappointment. I think it is because Tyke's angst seems to be laid on with a large trowel, and after watching him wallow in self pity for so long it has become boring. The SPEC agents are properly menacing and cold, but Hardwire seems to just be another cheesy villain. Maybe he'll become better in the next issue. Dick Sidbury (sidbury@cs.uofs.edu) ====================================================== SHOWCASE '96 #1, "Friends, Foes, and The Other Guys" Featuring Steel and Guy Gardner: Warrior Story: Beau Smith Pencils: Sergio Cariello Inks: Rob Leigh Colors: Dave Grafe Letters: Ken Bruzenak Asst. Editor: Chris Duffy Editor: Frank Pittarese Cover: Cariello, with Gloria Vasquez & Android Images $2.95 US/$4.25 CAN RATINGS: Average: 2.6/5.0 Shields RG: Story: 3.5 Shields - Story mostly a lead in for next month. Art: 3.0 Shields - Could have used more background detail. AL: 2.5 Shields - I liked The Turpin story the best. JS: 2.0 Shields - Decent art somewhat rescues a mindless Steel/Guy Gardner team-up. Boring Dan Turpin (contrary to the cover, the rest of the SCU ain't here) story. Sledge and The Enforcer (Guy's evil clone) team up to try to draw Guy to them by trashing his mother's home. They intended to take her captive and use her as bait for Guy, but as luck would have it, she isn't home. She is attending a salute to Baltimore's greatest athletes at Camden Yards stadium. Guy and John Henry Irons (Steel, in case you didn't know) happen to be two of the sport stars invited. When The Enforcer calls Guy on his cell phone to tell him where he is and what he intends to do, Guy takes off from the stadium to try to stop him, and John Henry changes to Steel to see if he can help. The story ends just before the "Big Fight". Not all that bad for a part one, but unless something really terrific happens next issue there isn't enough here to justify a part two. Most of the book is taken up showing The Enforcer and Sledge deciding to team up. There are some nice scenes where Guy and John Henry are "reminiscing" and kidding about the old days. One nice bit is that John knows who Guy is, but Guy (as usual) doesn't have a clue. I'm wondering if he'll figure it out next issue. [Doubt it -- Art] My biggest peeve with the story (and so far with SHOWCASE in general) is the lack of detail in the art. Many of the stories (and this is no exception) lack the finishing details of the main line books. I do realize that the details can take the longest time, but their lack really shows in the final copy. It gives the whole story a rushed, or unfinished look. "Charted Courses" The FINAL appearance of Aqualad Story: Phil Jimenez Art: Scott Kolins Colors: Tom McCraw Letters: Albert De Guzman Editor: Eddie Berganza RG: Story: 4.0 Shields - Solid complete story, nice intro. Art: 3.0 Shields - Need backgrounds, too dark in places. Aqualad has been missing from the DC universe for several months (last seen in AQUAMAN #9). We knew that he had been taken into some other dimension, but not much else. This story is meant to fill the gap, and to let us know what has been happening to him. He finally breaks free of this other dimension and we get a taste of some of his new powers, costume, and name. "All The Old Familiar Places" Starring Dan Turpin of the SCU Story: Scott Ciencin Pencils: Roger Robinson Inks: John Nyberg Letters: Gaspar Colors: Roberta Tewes Editor: Chris Duffy RG: Story: 4.5 Shields - Great story! Complete too. Art: 3.5 Shields - Sketchy in places but very good overall. Dan is reliving a bit of his past while watching a documentary on the Boy Commandos. He is rudely interrupted by his neighbors (a bunch of computer hackers). He is just about to go next door and have it out with them when another neighbor, Nora, drops by. She is looking around the apartment at Dan's memorabilia when the hackers manage to summon a demon by downloading a file (don't ask). Dan takes on the demon, learns its weakness and defeats it, coming to the realization that living in the past isn't really living at all. It opens up the door to some interesting possibilities for him. A terrific story, this one is easily worth the price of the book. While the art could have used some detailing to smooth some of the blocky sketch-like features on the people, I have few real complaints. Dan Turpin is one of my favorite supporting cast members. He has a long and detailed history in the DC universe. He started off as a member of the Boy Commandos during WWII. This story shows elements of his past, gives us some bridging details, and also gives a bit of hope for the future. Not bad for a ten page story. Rene' Gobeyn ====================================================== THE NEW TITANS #129, "Desperate Measures" (Meltdown #1) Writer: Marv Wolfman Penciller: William Rosado Inkers: Jordi Ensign & Will Blyberg Colorist: Chris Matthys Letterer: Albert De Guzman Editor: Dan Thorsland Cover: Rosado & Blyberg $2.25 US/$3.25 CAN RATINGS: Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields RG: Story: 4.0 Shields - Pulling everything together, well told. Art: 4.5 Shields - Beautiful backgrounds, superb detailing. JS: 3.0 Shields - Would have rated higher had Raven not shown up again. Yawn. Oh, and still no Supergirl. Why did they even bother making her a member? As this title comes to an end next issue, Marv is pulling out all the stops. We have an interplanetary war, romance, heroism, and sacrifice. I just hope that the direction of the replacement book will continue to carry forward the superb characterization. He has the best feel for what I identify as the characters of Green Lantern, Darkstar, Arsenal, and Jarras of any of the DC writers. I missed Terra, Mirage, Impulse, and especially Supergirl in this book, but I think we will be seeing more of them shortly. Will Rosado's lovely detailed art manages to carry a sense of foreboding with it. You are able to see the weariness of the people, and their determination not to let the Gordanians and their allies profit from the destruction. The art is a bit darker than what I've come to expect, but it does carry the mood of the story. The clever use of shading and the stark backgrounds to convey moods is very well done. Last issue the Gordanians and their Psion allies had attacked and destroyed the Tamaran home world, killing the King and Queen in the process. Komand'r is now the queen. As this story opens, she, Koriand'r, Ph'yzzon, and the Titans are leading the survivors to a new world. There, they are again attacked by the Gordanians and their allies. Ph'yzzon and The Titans manage to beat them off, but Koriand'r is captured in the battle by a shadow figure that we have seen several times. The Technis ship is infiltrated and destroyed by the shadow figure who is after Changeling. That this figure turns out to be Raven is no real surprise to anybody. The Titans and their allies are attacked again, and this time Ph'yzzon reveals that he too, now has powers. He can send out Binaries (energy figures) of himself that have the ability to discharge high powered energy blasts that can destroy spaceships. We get to learn how he developed these powers, and also that he and Koriand'r are now married. Rene' Gobeyn _______________________________________________________________ SPECIALS: -------- SUPERMAN/TOYMAN #1, "Big Fun!" Writer: Karl Kesel Penciller: Stuart Immonen Inker: Wade von Grawbadger Colorist: Patricia Mulvihill Separations: Digital Chameleon Letterer: Albert T. De Guzman Editor: Mike McAvennie Cover: Immonen & von Grawbadger $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN RATINGS: Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields RG: Story: 4.0 Shields - Excellent old fashioned story, complete in one issue! It would rate a five if it wasn't a commercial. Art: 5.0 Shields - Beautifully detailed use of perspective and shading. DS: 4.0 Shields - Fluff, but high quality fluff, and a nice portrayal of a humorous Lois, even if Immonen makes her face look ugly on the last page. JS: 2.5 Shields - I wanted to like this. The art was okay, but the story was just plain dumb. I expect more from Karl Kesel. AW: 3.5 Shields - Okay--it's a long commercial, but well-drawn and not a bad story. (Where do I get one of those Capt. Carrot dolls?) This is one that gets my highest recommendation. If you are a fan of the "old" (60s) style Superman stories, get this one. Kesel has done a wonderful job on this story. You may not even mind that this story is a long and detailed advertisement for the new line of Superman Action figures. Each of the figures in the line gets some small piece of the story. Still, I loved the book. A Superman toy is used to bomb the Daily Planet building. This leads Superman to believe that Winslow Schott, The Toyman, might be up to his old tricks. Superman discovers that Winslow has escaped from prison leaving a robot in his place to avoid suspicion. Toyman leaves behind a clue that leads Superman into an obvious trap. He lets himself fall into it and is briefly aided by both Superboy and Steel. I don't want to take a chance on spoiling the story for anyone by giving away any real details. Kesel has done a superb job of bringing the savvy and intelligent Superman of today and dropping him into one of the more corny plots right out of the 60s, complete with giant props and exploding robots that backfire on the villain. This story was more than just a book-long fight scene with a few panels of gratuitous characterization thrown in. The Toyman is portrayed in a manner consistent with his more recent (psychotic and vicious) personality. Superman knows what is going on every step of the way and still goes along with it. Yes, there are a lot of panels dedicated to fight scenes, but they are brief and very well done. They even manage to contribute something to move the plot along. I always thought that Superman was smarter than the way he has been portrayed of late. In the sixties, the writer would have led you to believe that Superman had fallen victim to the trap, and only in the last panel would he let you know that he had discovered (something) that had given the trap away very early on. The readers were expected to discover the small details (that were always there, if you looked closely) and watch as Superman (or any of the other DC heroes of the time) outfoxed the villain. Even the criminal masterminds would always leave some small clue that the clever hero could exploit. It may have been formula writing, but as a reader you became very observant. It was great fun to read and examine every panel looking for the clues that you knew would be important later in the story. I suspect that this is one of my problems with comics today. The writers and artists have stopped putting the clues into the story. You don't have to examine every panel and word of dialogue for details, and I miss it. Rene' Gobeyn ====================================================== LEAGUE OF JUSTICE, Stave One: Hero Quest Writer/Penciller: Ed Hannigan Inker: Dick Giordano Color Artist: Tom McCraw Letterer: John Costanza Assistant Editor: Alisande Morales Editor: Brian Augustyn Cover: Hannigan & Giordano, with McCraw & Cynthia Morris $5.95 US/$8.50 CAN RATINGS: Average: 2.7/5.0 Shields RG: Story: 4.5 Shields - Excellent characterization and build up. Art: 5.0 Shields - Beautifully detailed, lovely perspectives. AL: 1.0 Shield - I like archetypes. Elseworlds stories should not change the nature of the heroes. An evil Kal-El was harder to swallow than the price. Combine this with the last Elseworlds and I think I will skip the next one. JS: 4.0 Shields - I enjoyed the heck out of this one. The art is wonderful, and Hannigan is weaving an intriguing tale, with interesting new takes on all your favorite heroes. Just wish it could've been something other than prestige format... AW: 1.0 Shield - Not much interesting or new here, just bad faux-medieval names and dialog. This may be the best Elseworlds story I have read this year. In most of the Elseworlds stories, one of the DC heroes is cast into a different world or situation where the main character is shaped by new and different forces. Usually facing their most recognized foe (Joker/Batman, Luthor/Superman) and usually ending up much the same as they are in the DC Universe. This story is much the same, but something a bit different has been added to the mix. Four kids from our(?) world are brought into a world where sorcery and necromancy have (almost) replaced science. They are sent on a quest to try to find their way home. Three of the kids are camp counselors and the fourth is a drug-using-burnout. To top it all off, they are told that one of them will not be going home. While this is a fairly common fantasy premise, this story takes a few twists that add some spice to the mix for us comic readers. The twists are the (mostly) magic-based versions of the heroes of the DC Universe's Justice League. In part one, we meet Longbow GreenArrow (Green Arrow), The Lady of the Birds (Black Canary, I think), Phaeton (Flash), Atomus The Palmer (Atom - Ray Palmer), The Martian (Martian Manhunter), The Green Knight (Green Lantern), The Batmancer (Batman), and Lobo (why?). Some of the take-offs are obvious, others aren't, but all are well done. We are promised that the next book will bring us this world's version of Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman. Batman is a wanted criminal and a true scientist who has forsaken magic because of its side effects. Phaeton is almost never around when you need him, Atomus is a palm reader, The Martian is killed about two pages after we meet him by (are you ready?) Sovereign (Superman). Sovereign was found by this world's Luthor and raised to manhood to seek power. Overall this book is mostly introduction and setup for part two. It helps to establish the characters of the kids who have landed in this world, and to point out some of the differences between this world's heroes and the ones we are used to. We get to watch as the kids grow to accept the way things are and begin to try to use what they find to get home. The kids are more than window dressing. They have personalities that grow and change as the story progresses, and some find strength where you would least expect it. The art in the book is drop dead gorgeous with (very minor) twisted perspectives and viewpoints. The detailing is rich and carries over to the backgrounds that are complete and almost three-dimensional. The rich colors and high quality paper make the art stand out even more. I really enjoyed this one and hope the quality caries over to part 2. Rene' Gobeyn _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 4 _______________________________________________________________ AFTER-BYRNE: Reviews of the post-Crisis Man of Steel ---------------------------------------------------- ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #472, "Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite, Part Two" Story and Layouts by Dan Jurgens Finishes by Art Thibert November 1990 $0.75 US/$0.95 CAN/50p UK RATING: 3 Shields The story thus far: Lex Luthor has made a deal with Mr. Mxyzptlk which caused Superman to lose his powers. Lois Lane's mother lies in a hospital bed, dying. Superman, wearing gloves and tied with a rope, is strung up over a trucking sign, hanging upside down. He wonders how things could possibly get worse, as Mammoth is about to take his head off. The Man of Steel attempts to bluff his way through the situation. Earlier that morning, as Clark Kent wakes up, he feels a sensation that he has never felt before - muscle pain. After showering and nicking his face while shaving, he decides that Superman needs help. Picking up the phone, he calls Professor Emil Hamilton, who agrees to meet with him later in the morning. Then, realizing that he is running late to meet Lois at the hospital, Clark rushes out and hails a passing taxi. Arriving at the hospital, Clark sees Lois near the front desk and talks to her. Her mother is not doing any better, and the doctors don't know what to do next. They meet Lois' father and sister. Lois explains to Clark what happened to her mother: she had been working as a secretary at a chemical plant when there was a freak explosion which doused her with chemicals. Lex Luthor had come to Lois afterwards, saying that the plant was one of his subsidiaries and that he could develop a serum which would save her mother's life. The problem was that the serum had to be regularly administered, or Lois' mother would die. Unfortunately, over the years the serum lost its effectiveness, and so Lois' mother is facing death once again. Later, Clark changes into Superman and goes to meet with Professor Hamilton. The professor runs every test he can think of on Superman and they all point to the same conclusion: Superman is now an ordinary human being. He has no way of restoring the Man of Steel's powers and is completely at a loss. Meanwhile, the super-villain Mammoth robs a jewelry store: he is just looking for a nice present for his sister's birthday. Superman hears the sirens of the police as they head to the scene. The professor helps Superman even the odds a bit by giving him a force field belt and a bullet-proof vest. Luckily, Mammoth is pretty dumb, so Superman may have a chance defeating him. Taking a rope and grappling hook, Superman swings onto the scene, where Mammoth is on a rampage. As Superman swings towards Mammoth, the chimney onto which he had fastened the rope gives way causing the Man of Steel to fall directly on top of Mammoth. After a brief confrontation, Mammoth wraps the ropes around our hero and strings him up over the sign. Tearing a light out of the nearby wall, Superman burns through the ropes holding him by crossing the wires of the light. Dodging all of the things that Mammoth throws at him, Superman sees that the Metropolis SCU is about to fire everything they've got at Mammoth; they do not realize that it will probably take out the Man of Steel as well. Several explosions later Mammoth rises from the rubble, as does Superman, who was able to duck for cover in the sewers. Superman goads Mammoth on; Mammoth obliges by charging our hero. At the last instant, however, Superman is able to bluff his way out of the situation. Mammoth stops his charge and apologizes, and is then turned over to the SCU. Back at his apartment, Clark now realizes he has to call in some super-powered help. He calls Starman (Will Payton) at Star Labs in Phoenix, Arizona. The story depicts well Superman's struggle with becoming an ordinary human being. He still has the impulses to jump into the fray whenever needed, but no longer has the power to back up these impulses. Dan Jurgens wrote a story which showed these things very well, although all I can say is that it was a good thing Dan picked a very dumb super-villain to send against the Man of Steel. Even though the writing wasn't as good as part one in this arc, it is definitely worth reading. As for the artwork, Jurgens does a great job of dealing with Superman's loss of power. The drawing of Superman looking kind of like a Batman-style character is very humorous. And of course, Dan's pencils have always been extraordinary. Out of a possible 5 shields, this issue gets 3. Stay tuned next month for a review of both STARMAN #28 and ACTION COMICS #659 - parts two/a and three. Mark Lamutt (markdl@netcom.com / mdlamut0@wcc.com) _______________________________________________________________ COMING ATTRACTIONS ------------------ A List of Upcoming Comics Featuring The Superman Family of Characters Assembled by Jeffery D. Sykes This monthly section is dedicated to giving you official information concerning which comics you should watch for in the near future in order to keep up with Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, and all the rest of the Superman family of characters. The information which follows is reprinted without permission from Diamond Previews and is in no way meant to serve as a replacement for that magazine. I strongly recommend that each reader find his or her own copy for additional detailed information on the entire DC Universe! Note that Diamond is now the exclusive distributor of DC Comics! NOTES --------------- This month's COMING ATTRACTIONS reflects a recent shift in DC's shipping schedule, brought about by Diamond Distributors' new uniform shipping date. Anyway, as a result of this shift, everything which was expected to ship as listed in previous issues of KC has been delayed by one week. I have updated the dates for comics which have yet to arrive. In addition, the end of February is something of which I am unsure. December's PREVIEWS (which lists books for February) indicates that on the week of February 27, Marvel and DC will both suspend their normal publications, and they will be replaced by twelve special projects related to DC VERSUS MARVEL/MARVEL VERSUS DC. It is my understanding that these books will not be replaced, but rather they *will* appear, in order, the week of March 13. We'll know for certain next month. Now, as to what's happening in the world of Supes in February. I think a *lot* of people are going to be unhappy with this news, but Lois and Clark's engagement suffers a *major* set-back in the February titles. I'll leave it at that and refer you to the section of spoilers below for more information. The "Bizarro's World" arc is being collected into a trade paperback, which will be available on February 14 for $9.95 (US). DC is offering yet another collector's pack featuring "Superman's Greatest Foes." It will contain eight individual issues starring villains such as Darkseid, Lex Luthor, and the Cyborg. You can find out more information about these two items in the new (or revived, actually) Merchandise section of KC -- it also contains information on a new card set, apparel, and a special edition of one of the Kenner Superman two-packs, among other things. On to the schedule... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIST OF TITLES BY EXPECTED ARRIVAL DATE --------------------------------------------- Arrival Date: Comic title and information: ------------ --------------------------- December 13: Action Comics #718 Michelinie, Dwyer, & Rodier $1.95 DC Versus Marvel #1 (of 4) Marz, Jurgens & Castellini, Rubinstein & Neary 48 pgs, $3.95 December 20: Superboy #24 K. Kesel, Grummett, & Hazlewood $1.95 Superman: The Man of Steel #53 L. Simonson, Bogdanove, & Rodier $1.95 December 27: The New Titans #130 (Final Issue) Wolfman, Rosado, & Blyberg Cover by George Perez $2.25 Showcase '96 #2 (of 12) Steel and Guy Gardner, Part 2 Beau Smith, S. Cariello, Leigh Steel Supporting Cast vs Metallo L. Simonson, Rosado 48 pgs, $2.95 Superman #109 Jurgens, Frenz, & Rubinstein $1.95 January 3: Adventures of Superman #532 K. Kesel, Immonen, & Marzan Jr. $1.95 League of Justice #2 (of 2) Ed Hannigan & Dick Giordano Prestige Format, 48 pgs, $5.95 Steel #24 L. Simonson, Gosier, & Faber $1.95 January 10: Action Comics #719 (W) Michelinie, (P) Dwyer, (I) Rodier $1.95 January 17: Marvel vs. DC #2 (of 4) (W) David, (P) Jurgens/Castellini, (I) Rubinstein/Neary 48 pgs, $3.95 Superboy #25 (W) K. Kesel, (P) Grummett, (I) Hazlewood 48 pgs, $2.95 Superman: The Man of Steel #54 (W) L. Simonson, (P) Cowan, (I) Janke $1.95 January 24: Showcase '96 #3 (of 12) Black Canary, Oracle, and Lois Lane (W) Gorfinkel, (P) Graves, (I) Burchett Cover by Gary Frank 48 pgs, $2.95 Superman #110 (W) Jurgens, (P) Frenz, (I) Rubinstein $1.95 January 31: Adventures of Superman #533 (W) K. Kesel, (P) Immonen, (I) Marzan Jr. $1.95 Steel #25 (W) L. Simonson, (P) Gosier, (I) Faber $1.95 February 7: Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #4 (W) Stern, (P) Grummett, (I) Breeding $1.95 February 14: Action Comics #720 Written by David Michelinie Art and Cover by Kieron Dwyer and Denis Rodier $1.95 February 21: Marvel Versus DC #3 (of 4) Written by Ron Marz Art by Claudio Castellini and Paul Neary and by Dan Jurgens and Josef Rubinstein 48 pgs, $3.95 Superboy #26 Written by Karl Kesel Art by Staz Johnson and Doug Hazlewood Cover by Grummett and Kesel LOSIN' IT: Part 2 (of 6) $1.95 Superman: The Man of Steel #55 Written by Louise Simonson Art and Cover by Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke $1.95 February 28: AMALGAM COMICS! DC/Marvel joint project to be solicited in the next issue of PREVIEWS March 6: DC Versus Marvel #4 (of 4) Written by Peter David Art by Dan Jurgens and Josef Rubinstein and by Claudio Castellini and Paul Neary 48 pgs, $3.95 Showcase '96 #4 Firebrand and Guardian Written by Brian Augustyn Art by Scot Eaton Cover by Lee Weeks 48 pgs, $2.95 Superman #111 Written by Dan Jurgens Art and Cover by Ron Frenz and Josef Rubinstein $1.95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPOILERS ------------------ February 14: ----------- Action Comics #720 It's a shocking new turning point for the Man of Steel! Under the strain of recent events, Lois and Superman's relationship hits the skids as Lois makes a painful decision -- calling off their engagement! February 21: ----------- Marvel Versus DC #3 (of 4) THE MAIN EVENT IN THE BRAWL FOR IT ALL! Hulk vs. Superman! Batman vs. Captain America! Storm vs. Wonder Woman! Superboy vs. Spider-Man! Wolverine vs. Lobo! The outcome of these battles determines the fate of the top two universes in all of comicdom! And best of all -- YOU PICK THE WINNERS! Plus an industry first: the birth of a super-hero -- jointly owned and created by both Marvel and DC -- who will impact the continuity of both universes! It's 48 historic pages of knucle scrapin' calamity! Superboy #26 LOSIN' IT: Part 2 (of 6) - Snare, the daughter of Superman foe Deathtrap, shows up in Hawaii with a plan to impress her father by trapping Superboy. Plus, Superboy and Tana reach a turning point in their relationship. This issue is pencilled by guest-artist Staz Johnson. Superman: The Man of Steel #53 As the dust settles from Lois and Clark's cancelled engagement, Clark's relationship with Lori Lemaris intensifies. And Lois finds herself pursued by two potential suitors: Alpha Centurion and the returning Jeb Friedman. Plus, the Metropolis Lottery jackpot grows larger. March 6: ------- DC Versus Marvel #4 (of 4) Issue-specific information in next month's KC! Showcase '96 #4 (of 12) When Firebrand comes to Metropolis, he's drawn into battle against one of the city's oldest defenders, Guardian of the Cadmus Project. This story is written by Brian Augustyn, with art by Scot Eaton. Plus, a meeting in the past between the Golden-Age Shade and the original Doctor Fate has dire consequences in the present day in a story by James Robinson and Matt Smith. Jason Blood has begun to sleepwalk and must learn if his nights are being manipulated by Etrigan... or some other Demon. Written by Jim Higgins, with art by Christian Alamy. Superman #111 Vinnie Edge is fired from GBS... leaving Cat Grant in charge! Meanwhile, Edge's son, Intergang leader Morgan Edge, returns. And Superman is bewildered by the strange things going on throughout Metropolis. More information next month about the AMALGAM COMICS books! _______________________________________________________________ THE MAILBAG ----------- David Chapman writes: Re: The Not-So-Great Superman Book Note: nice review; I thought the same thing when I bought it back in the 70s. My copy is somewhere in my attic. I was out of reading Superman back then (as I am now) and thought it was a way to catch up on the 70s. However, it was almost like the book had been written earlier (1969 or 1970) and put on the shelf for a number of years. As you mentioned, "Black Zero's destruction of Krypton, the elimination of green K..." were left out (although I've always thought the former was something that the DC folks probably wish wasn't written because it goes against the grain of a natural disaster). By coincidence, I picked up an S'man in the mid-80s during the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS and continued into the "new" stuff for about a year or two. Unfortunately, I'm a "Silver Age" guy and so lost interest until recently (and keep up with things via Jeff Sykes' stuff). For me, two of the saddest stories I ever read were (a) the Death of Superman ('60's imaginary story) and (b) the "final" Silver Age Superman 2 parter (before the beginning of the "new" look... [Of course, I'm still upset that DC changed Batman's logo on his uniform from a black bat on a gray uniform to a "bat signal" on a gray uniform back in the 60's! :-) ] ============================================ Paul Hooper (KalofEl@aol.com) writes: Hi. I might sound picky, but in the "Help From My Friends" column of November of this year, it read that Maggie Sawyer was part of the Chicago police force. I might add that she also was in the Star City PD. (Adventures Annual 7 - 1995 Year 1). I don't know if I'm contradicting or just adding to your info. Thanx for the great mag. It continues to be entertaining. *** Hmmm. Good observation, Paul. I seem to recall something about the Chicago PD, but the annual you mentioned indicates that she came directly from Star City to Metropolis. Perhaps she served in Chicago before serving in Star City? Readers? ============================================ Keep your letters and comments coming! We always welcome your feedback about how we can improve KC! -- Jeff Sykes _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 5 _______________________________________________________________ THE PHANTOM ZONE: Reviews of the pre-Crisis Man of Steel ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Many readers and fans out there in cyber-land miss one of my favorite characters; so when Jeff asked me to continue writing for the Kryptonian Cybernet, we agreed that I could go back and write reviews of some of the stories about Kara Zor-El, otherwise known as THE SUPERGIRL FROM KRYPTON ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ by Jenny Stosser Unfortunately, I donÕt own copies of all of her appearances. However, it made sense to start a series of reviews with her first appearance, in ACTION COMICS #252, cover dated May 1959. (Anyone got a cheap or free copy of the original print of this? IÕm working from the reprint under the banner DC SILVER AGE CLASSICS that came out in 1992.) Surprisingly to me, and probably many others who joined in the fun of reading comics at a later date than this, despite appearing on the front cover of this comic, Supergirl was NOT the lead story in this book. However, since my series is going to be concentrating on Supergirl specifically, IÕll only mention that the book had two other stories in it. The first is called ÒThe Menace of MetalloÓ (and yes, for you L&C fans out there, his real name *was* John Corben, and the Professor who rebuilt him was Professor Vale). The second story features Congorilla, in a story called ÒCongo Bill Dies at Dawn!Ó The less said about that one the better. Finally, and at last, we come to the origin story for Supergirl. THE STORY itself is a fairly basic origin story. Superman is at work when he hears a rocket about to crash to Earth. He goes to rescue the passenger on the rocket, but thinks he is too late when it crashes just before he gets there. The rocket, he thinks, reminds him of the one that brought him to Earth as a baby. But when he opens the rocket, a Òyoung girl, unharmed!Ó emerges from it, and announces to him that she too is from Krypton. In answer to SupermanÕs baffled questions, she tells her story (as we see in flashback mode): When Krypton exploded, a small chunk came away intact (Òby sheer luckÓ although this would change in later retcons); one of the survivors was Zor-El, a scientist, who determined that the other survivors would be able to stay alive indefinitely, as they had access to food machines. But soon the survivors found that the ground here had turned to Kryptonite which would slowly poison all of them (in later retcons, it was revealed to be a unique form of Kryptonite, which was poisonous only to non-powered Kryptonians). Once again, Zor-El saved the city by rolling out sheet lead to cover the Kryptonite ground. Some years later, Zor-El married (Allura, though her name wasnÕt mentioned in this story) and had a daughter, whom they named Kara. The Kryptonians obviously intended to survive there a good many years. But when Kara had grown into girlhood, Òfate played a cruel trickÓ, as a meteor shower rained down onto the city, tearing holes in the lead shielding, and once more releasing the Kryptonite radiation. Zor-El started building a rocket to send his daughter to safety on another world, and his wife used the Òsuper-space telescopeÓ to choose an appropriate world to send her to. By chance she came upon pictures of Superman. Learning that he came from Krypton, it was decided to send Kara to him; Allura makes a Super costume for Kara to help identify her to Superman, and knowing that it will become indestructible super-cloth on arrival on Earth. ÒBarely in time,Ó KaraÕs rocket is shot into space as she weeps, ÒIÕm an orphan of space now...Ó Upon hearing the story, Superman sympathizes with Kara, revealing that his fatherÕs name was Jor-El; Kara realizes that the two fathers were brothers, so she is SupermanÕs cousin. Kara assumes this means that she will be able to live with Superman, but he says that wouldnÕt work, due to his secret identity. Instead he checks that she does in fact have super powers and they fly together to Midvale Orphanage. Superman devises a disguise for Kara, with a brown plaited wig to cover her short blonde hair. While he is off purchasing the items, Kara uses her super-hearing to choose an earth-sounding name and comes up with Linda Lee (yet another LL in SupermanÕs life, he thinks). Superman explains to Kara that she should practice using her powers in secret, but Òsomeday the outside world will hear of you as Supergirl! But for a long time to come, youÕll live here quietly as an ÔordinaryÕ girl until you get used to earthly things!Ó Kara agrees to keep her powers a secret and promptly uses them to fix the leg of her bed (it was bent), the mirror in her room (it was cracked) and blows all the dust out of her room with super-breath. The story finishes with Kara going on a secret patrol of Midvale that night and coming across a film poster advertising a history of Superboy in Smallville. Unlike the last story I reviewed for Kryptonian Cybernet, this is NOT an imaginary story; in fact it ends with the following blurb: ÒIf you want to find out (what the future will bring for Supergirl), you can! SupergirlÕs adventures will continue regularly hereafter in Action Comics... a brand new member of our super-family.Ó COMMENTS The art and writing on this story were not credited in the actual story itself; however, in the copy I have before me, we are told that Otto Binder wrote and Al Plastino was the artist here. The cover was by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye. As I mentioned above, there were a few retcons to the basic origin story over the years; SupergirlÕs hometown and her mother were given names, Argo City and Allura; Argo was supposed to have been domed to keep the air in; these are two of the more simple retcons. Later on it was revealed that Zor-El and Allura had survived the doom of the rest of Argo by projecting themselves into the Survival Zone, similar to the Phantom Zone, and Kara later rescued them from there (they went to live in Kandor). Linda was eventually adopted by Fred & Edna Danvers. She attended Midvale high, and eventually Stanhope College; She had a friend, Dick Malverne, who suspected and constantly tried to prove that Supergirl and Linda might be one and the same; she had a friend Lena who was telepathic and secretly Lex LuthorÕs younger sister; She was revealed to the world; she lost her powers and gained them back intermittently; she went into the future and met and fell in love with Brainiac 5. Our Supergirl has quite a history! Over the coming months, IÕll pull out some other old Supergirl books I have and tell you more of the history of my favorite Kryptonian. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do! Jenny Stosser (jennys@melbpc.org.au) _______________________________________________________________ SUPER FRIENDS ÑÑÑÑÑÑ- by Joe Crowe (j.crowe4@genie.com) Welcome to my first ÒregularÓ column. IÕve been reviewing Superman team-ups for the past several months, and now IÕm official. The only thing not official is the title! I need help. I would also like suggestions for a column title. :) I like the title ÒSuper FriendsÓ, but people would think that IÕd be reviewing the cartoons. IÕm also taking requests. If you have a favorite team-up story involving Superman or any of the S-Family, drop me a note. LetÕs get down to business for this month. SUPERMAN VS. WONDER WOMAN 1978 Written by: Gerry Conway Artists: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Dan Adkins Cover Price: $2.00 Rating: 3.5 shields Right after the Battle of Midway in June 1942, a US naval carrier comes under attack by Japanese zeroes. Superman arrives on the scene and discovers that the planes are all robot-piloted. He takes them out, then discovers an enemy sub nearby. After capturing the Japanese troops aboard, he makes his way back to Midway Island for a meeting with Chester Nimitz, commander of the US forces in the Pacific Ocean areas. Lois Lane, also on assignment in Midway, fumes about Clark KentÕs disappearance. A captured Japanese reveals that the sub attack was meant as a diversion while a Japanese agent hooked up with the Germans for a plot to disrupt the Manhattan Project. Admiral Nimitz freezes Ñ Superman thinks heÕs stumbled onto something big. Then heÕs called to Washington for a meeting with the Secretary of War. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman saves some scientists from Nazi agents. A sedan speeds away from the scene, and WW follows it to New York. There, she rescues Albert Einstein. Later, Captain Steve Trevor doesnÕt believe Yeoman Diana PrinceÕs story. Her contacts also freeze upon mention of the Manhattan Project. ÒFor the good of humanity,Ó Diana says, ÒI *must* learn whatÕs being hidden!Ó Cut to Germany, and a meeting of the aforementioned Japanese agent. He is Sumo the Samurai, and he hooks up with GermanyÕs Baron Blitzkrieg. The sumo uses his mental powers to get information from a prisoner about the Manhattan Project. There is a model of an atomic fission reactor in two pieces, at two locations. Wonder Woman sneaks into the intelligence command center in Washington and finds out about the Manhattan Project. Stunned, she heads to Paradise Island for advice. She tells her mother, Queen Hippolyte, about the project, which will design the first atomic bomb. The queen tells her to examine her choices, then make her decision about how to protect ÒmanÕs world.Ó Back at the Daily Planet, Lois blows up at Clark, until Perry White interrupts with news that Wonder Woman is attacking Chicago! Superman flies there immediately, into the middle of a super-rampage. The angered Amazon flips Superman like a cheese omelet, claiming that she must destroy the Manhattan Project for the good of the world. Superman trusts his country, though; hence the argument. Superman proposes a trial by combat so they can settle their differences without harming innocent people. Meanwhile, Baron Blitzkrieg and Sumo attack the two military compounds which house the pieces of the reactor model. Separately and simultaneously, they rip off the pieces and escape clean. Superman and Wonder Woman go to the moon. There, they find mysterious ruins. The two get into a heated fight. The US tries to contact Superman for help, and the Mount Palomar Observatory finds him on the moon. The two heroes head back to Earth and get briefed on the situation. They learn that one of the models is highly unstable. They table their argument and split up to find the two reactors. SupermanÕs target heads to New Orleans, Wonder WomanÕs to Japan. Superman thumps Baron Blitzkrieg, and Wonder Woman whips Sumo in a battle of honor. At their arranged meeting site in the South Pacific, Wonder Woman and Superman arrive with the Baron and Sumo as their prisoners. Supes and WW are about to get into it again over who gets the reactors Ñ then the Baron uses his mental powers to change the reactors into a super-weapon. While Superman and WW are helpless before its energies, Sumo revives and jumps the Baron, aiming to take the weapon for his own country. While the two bad guys scuffle, the super-weapon goes unattended. Superman uses x-ray vision to examine it Ñ then Wonder Woman points out that, by doing so, he has turned it into a nuclear bomb! Oopsie. The Baron and Sumo keep brawling, while Superman and Wonder Woman agitate the gravel. From a safe distance, they witness the worldÕs first nuclear explosion. They then meet with President Roosevelt, who promises Wonder Woman that the US will never use the atomic bomb to kill. Diana fears, however, that once the PandoraÕs box of nuclear weaponry has been opened, the dangers therein will never be stopped, she says, Ònot if we try and try...till the very end of time.Ó Once again, it appears that the biggest stories from DC in the 1970s were literally the biggest Ñ in tabloid size. ItÕs a good format for over-the- top stories like this, because the scope of the story is more obvious, more in your face. During DianaÕs rampage, she swings a lamppost at an empty building, and the post extends over an entire splash page. She punches Superman and he flies backwards toward the reader. Continuity was not a big deal back then. Remember the simple fact that Superman and Wonder Woman were not in World War II? Well, according to this story they were. :) Actually, a single nod was given to explain: Superman hollers for Wonder Woman to stop her rampage Òin the name of the Justice Society!Ó Kind of a strange request, but that little comment tells the comics fans that this story takes place on Earth-2. Perhaps the tabloid comics were aimed at the more general reader. I, for one, was only able to find my tabloid books at grocery stores. The casual fan would be thrown off by niggling continuity tidbits like parallel Earths. So the writers put such stuff aside and concentrated on the story. And itÕs not a bad story, either. The Wonder Woman TV series was set in WWII around this time, and the comics were done likewise to tie in with the show. 1978 was around the ERA era, and Wonder WomanÕs role at this time was the ultimate feminist. During her fights, she yells about the Amazon ideal and the weakness of men. ThereÕs a great bit of dialogue when Trevor berates Diana when he doesnÕt believe her story. She thinks ÒIf I didnÕt love him, I could tear him to ribbons!Ó The threat of nuclear war had never been addressed in this historical context in superhero comics before. Real people such as Admiral Nimitz and President Roosevelt added an odd sort of authenticity to the story. And, of course, still defying all history, was the presence of the petulant, fuming Lois Lane, who in this story never speaks below a scream. I recall that Roy Thomas mentioned that he was going to recount this story when it came up chronologically in ALL-STAR SQUADRON. Other than that, I donÕt think it ever made any kind of impact, or has been anything but ignored. But itÕs a solid story and a good find. I think itÕs what Superman would have been like had he guest-starred on the WW TV show. Now, *that* would have been cool. :) _______________________________________________________________ SUPERMAN #121 (May 1958): ÒThe Bride of FuturemanÓ Story: Jerry Coleman Pencils and Inks: Kurt Schaffenberger ÒThe Great Superman SwindleÓ Story: Alvin Schwartz Pencils: Wayne Boring Inks: Stan Kaye ÒJimmy Hits the JackpotÓ Story: Otto Binder Pencils: Curt Swan Inks: Ray Burnley Editor-in-Chief: Whitney Ellsworth Story Editor: Mort Weisinger This issue is more or less typical of the Superman comics of its day, but at the same time itÕs indicative of the variety of the titles of the time. Whitney Ellsworth, the listed editor, was close to retirement, and the influence of story editor Mort Weisinger, who within a year would become full editor and remain so for a decade, is increasingly felt in the three stories in the issue. While Superman has several titles in the Ô90Õs, with different writers and artists but usually the same ones for each title, in the Ô50Õs and early Ô60Õs the writers were almost interchangeable, with artists being more identified with a single title but still moved around. Not only are this issueÕs stories by three different writers and three different sets of artists, but internal evidence seems to indicate that they were originally prepared for three different titles, with missed deadlines leading to their all appearing together in this issue. Curt SwanÕs cover features the first story, ÒThe Bride of Futureman,Ó showing Lois Lane and a handsome blond man in a yellow costume in a time-bubble of the sort later to be popularized by the Legion of Super-Heroes. ÒGood-bye, Superman!Ó sheÕs saying. ÒIÕm leaving with XL-49 to marry him in the 22nd century!Ó A dejected Superman is looking on, and his thought balloon...covers had a lot of balloons in those days...says it all: ÒThat time machineÑitÕs taking Lois Lane hundreds of years into the future! IÕll never see her again!Ó The story itself is by writer Jerry Coleman, with art by Kurt Schaffenberger in what seems to be his first Superman story proper. Yet I doubt it was originally intended to be a Superman story, since the first page refers to the heroine simply as ÒLois,Ó not introducing her by her full name as was the general practice at the time. Schaffenberger, a former artist for Fawcett, had been recently engaged as the artist for the new title, SUPERMANÕS GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE, for which Coleman was also one of the regular writers. From what IÕve been told of editor WeisingerÕs general practices, IÕm almost sure this was originally prepared to appear in LoisÕ title, with her logo, being moved into SUPERMAN (since, after all, Superman was prominent in the majority of LoisÕ ÒsoloÓ stories, including this one) because of tight deadlines. Since the vast majority of Superman readers certainly knew who Lois Lane was even if theyÕd skipped past the cover (especially since the original TV series with George Reeves and Noel Neill was still in its first run), it fit in well. The story opens with Futureman arriving in the 20th century in his time-bubble, seeking out Lois Lane, and rescuing her in a deliberately contrived manner (saving her from a falling tree heÕs actually weakened himself, though in his defense it can be said that heÕd realized it had already been on the verge of toppling). He explains that heÕs been given the same powers as Superman by the scientists of his time, in which heÕs also a super-hero. As soon as he and Lois are alone, he reveals whatÕs ostensibly his secret identity of Jack Wilton, though heÕs evidently still getting used to what his books describe as the Òdress of [an] American male circa 1958.Ó His disguise consists of a mustache and beard thatÕs obviously false, particularly since itÕs black (he seems to think the hat that would go completely out of style a few years later hides his blond hair, but it doesnÕt). Why heÕd even need a secret identity in a time period to which heÕs only a temporary visitor remains unexplained, except as an attempt to ingratiate himself with Lois. Futureman goes on with his whirlwind courtship, taking Lois for a ride on a meteor and on an isolated picnic. Superman still refuses to marry her for the standard reason (his enemies might try to get at him through her, which the recent ÒDeath of Clark KentÓ story convincingly showed to be much more than the cop-out Lois and many fans considered it), so she accepts his proposal, and the two prepare to set off for his time. Superman is jealous but surprisingly unsuspicious, and ever the good sport, he gives her a going-away present: a gold plaque with the names of LoisÕ colleagues at the DAILY PLANET inscribed on it by super-pressure. But no sooner has the bubble disappeared in the distance than Lois parachutes down via FuturemanÕs cape (he didnÕt have time to fly her back with super-speed? And it seemed woefully inadequate for the purpose, even if the Comics Code wouldnÕt let Schaffenberger depict the likely consequences of parachuting through the air in a dress, not to mention high heels). It seems the plaque had contained a hidden acrostic, ÒI love you,Ó which was enough to convince Lois she had some chance with Superman after all, since heÕd cared enough to engrave it. (Aside from the familiar names of Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Clark Kent, and the final ÒsignatureÓ by Superman, none of the names was familiar, and seem to have been chosen simply to facilitate the acrostic Ñ though the continuity-minded Jim Shooter did bring back Brad Hunter in another walk-on role in SUPERMAN #220, almost exactly 100 issues later.) Or had he? At the very end, we find Futureman explaining to a friend of his own time that heÕd actually visited his past to learn some historical information, and had Òmade up my mind that if they *werenÕt* planning to get married, *IÕd* play Cupid!Ó So the highlighting was his, but there must have been some subconscious inspiration on SupermanÕs part to get him to line up the letters so perfectly in the first place. This friend is also the only person in the story to address Futureman as ÒXL-49,Ó as on the cover. In those days it wasnÕt uncommon for science fiction writers to assume people of the future would have such Ònames,Ó but theyÕve long since gone out of style as their unlikelihood and impracticality has become more apparent. Still, ÒXL-49Ó could just as easily be another designation of some kind, no more FuturemanÕs real name (which, for all we know, really *was* Jack Wilton: he had no reason to lie to Lois on that matter) than my own AOL designation of RMorris306 is *my* real name. A very different story follows: ÒThe Great Superman Swindle,Ó by writer Alvin Schwartz and artists Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye. Boring was one of the earliest artists to work on Superman after Joe Shuster began to hire assistants in 1939, and drew the Superman newspaper stripÑon which Schwartz was the major writer apart from Jerry Siegel himselfÑfrom its beginning to its end in 1966. HeÕd largely parted company from Superman and DC by the end of 1967, but came back to draw a handful of stories shortly before his death in 1986. Eldredge Coram, the elder of two sons adopted by a critically-ill millionaire, persuades his father that his younger brother is really Superman, and hence has no need of a share in the family fortune. The disinherited William Coram seeks out the real Superman, and they arrange to turn the tablesÑfaking evidence to make it look as if Eldredge is really Superman, making him so beset by souvenir-seekers and hangers-on that he admits his fraud and agrees to restore his brotherÕs share of the inheritance. The final story, ÒJimmy Hits the Jackpot,Ó once again shows signs of having been prepared for a different titleÑin this case SUPERMANÕS PAL, JIMMY OLSEN. Jimmy is spotlighted in a story by writer Otto Binder and artists Curt Swan and Ray Burnley, the most frequent team on his own magazine. Impersonating an Indian rajah to expose the proprietor of an illegal floating casino, Jimmy finds himself unexpectedly winning, until heÕs won the entire boat and all the money on it. It turns out the owner had found out a rival gangster was about to raid him, and had set up ÒRajah RupeeÓ to take the fall. Superman, of course, doesnÕt take long to set things right. On the whole, this wasnÕt the most memorable issue of its time, with only one of the stories ever being reprinted. (ÒThe Bride of FuturemanÓ was included in SUPERMAN ANNUAL #4 in 1961, a mere three years later.) ThereÕs not a single punch thrown in the entire issue, and only two of the stories contain any criminals at all, most of whom commit only minor crimes like fraud and illegal gambling. Yet, only in part because of the origin of its stories, it focused closely on SupermanÕs best friends as well as the hero himself, while depicting a Superman who had time for social interactions and quiet moments with his friends as well as earth-shattering battles. In a time when Metropolis seems to careen from one disaster to another, itÕs not hard to have some regrets at the passing of an admittedly simpler era. Rich Morrissey (RMorris306@aol.com) _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 6 _______________________________________________________________ THE PHANTOM ZONE: (cont) ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ SUPERMAN #167, ÒThe Team of Luthor and BrainiacÓ February 1964 SUPERMAN #167 tells the story of the first teaming of SupermanÕs two greatest enemies - Lex Luthor and Brainiac! The story begins with Luthor escaping from prison using only a balloon and a metal wire tied between it and the bars of his cell. Lightning strikes the balloon and burns out the bars and the Òcircuits of the whole prison!Ó Luthor flees to ÒLuthorÕs Lair IIÓ, a lead-lined astronomical observatory on a hill outside Metropolis! There Luthor ruminates on his hatred for Superman! We see a Òtime-space thought-scannerÓ, which Luthor perfected just before Superman previously caught him! We see a room with calendars and months crossed out, fueling LuthorÕs hatred by reminding him of how much time heÕs spent in prison! Then LuthorÕs Òstrange Hall of HeroesÓ, which include Attilla the Hun, Genghis Khan, Captain Kidd and Al Capone! Luthor swears to destroy Superman once and for all! At the offices of the Daily Planet, Jimmy Olsen comes to get Clark to cover the story of an explosion at a chemical factory! Clark, reading of LuthorÕs escape, begs off, saying itÕs too dangerous, while thinking he must recapture Luthor after dealing with the fire! Superman then rushes to the scene of the accident and lifts a chemical tank high into the air where it explodes harmlessly! However, Luthor has caused the explosion to cover Superman with ionic particles, invisible to the eye but visible to LuthorÕs radar! Luthor then sends a missile with a green kryptonite warhead after Superman! As the missile is lead-lined, Superman canÕt fuse its circuits, so he tries the only chance heÕs got - running away! Or to be more precise, flying away, around the Earth, over and over, until air friction melts the missile and destroys it! Luthor realizes he wonÕt be able to beat Superman by himself, so he uses his time-space thought-scanner to search for the Òmightiest intelligence in time and spaceÓ for help! Soon Luthor contacts a Òvastly powerful mindÓ! He sees a planet of scientists who have created a powerful computer, one with a tenth-level effector, whereas a human mind is only a sixth-level effector! Continuing to scan, Luthor learns that the computers have taken control of the planet and enslaved the green-skinned humanoids! The computers decide to extend their rule to other planets, so theyÕll create an agent to spy on other worlds! As they build their spy, Luthor observes the computers showing how they could increase their spyÕs intelligence to 12th-level intelligence, but the computers decide not to do that as then their agent would overthrow them! The computers err in creating their agent by allowing the electric terminals to show on his head! They decide to disguise them as red-colored ornaments! Then a dying humanÕs brain patterns are fed into the agent to make it act more human! The ruling computers then name their spy ... Brainiac! Luthor is stunned at learning that SupermanÕs other great enemy is actually a computer! Following the history further, Luthor sees the computer rulers give Brainiac a human son named Brainiac II to complete his disguise! This son runs away, and a note tells us that Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes isnÕt actually descended from the original Brainiac at all! Brainiac then scours the universe, shrinking cities, including Kandor on Krypton, before being captured by Superman and imprisoned on the planet Kronis! Luthor vows to free Brainiac, increase his intelligence, and together theyÕll destroy Superman! Luthor then builds a spaceship and takes off for the planet Kronis! Cleverly eluding SupermanÕs satellite sensors above Kronis, Luthor uses a robot double to learn of the defenses on the surface! Then Luthor himself gets close enough to talk with Brainiac! Luthor tries to cut the bars of BrainiacÕs cage with an atomic torch, but he fails! Brainiac tells him that the bars are made of Supermanium, Òthe strongest metal known to science! It was named after Superman because it was forged by him from the heart of a mighty star!Ó Luthor deduces that Superman wouldnÕt let a prisoner die if a natural disaster occurred, so Brainiac sets a fire inside the cage, and voila, the cage opens and Brainiac is free! Luthor then reveals to Brainiac that he knows Brainiac is a computer! Luthor is told that Ònobody must know that secret and liveÓ, but Luthor convinces Brainiac that heÕll increase his intelligence to 12th level! Together they begin to search the universe for the many materials theyÕll need! Superman, unable to find any trace of Luthor, tells his friends in Kandor of LuthorÕs escape and attack on him! TheyÕre unable to help as the attack took place on their celebration of Krypton Day and their monitors werenÕt fully manned! Superman then looks into the Phantom Zone to see if Luthor has freed any of the Kryptonian criminals! They gloat that Luthor and Brainiac have teamed up to destroy Superman! The Kandorians are crushed that Brainiac is free! While Superman rushes to Kronis and verifies Brainiac is missing, Luthor is rewiring BrainiacÕs computer brain but adding one extra modification! When Brainiac revives, he tells Luthor he doesnÕt need him any more! Luthor reveals heÕs put a timer in BrainiacÕs head that periodically shuts down the computer! Brainiac realizes Luthor has a life-or-death hold on him! The villains continue their search for rare materials until they reach the one planet in the universe where Luthor is considered a hero! The people idolize him, as does a woman named Tharla (who looks exactly like Ardora, the woman Luthor later marries)! Luthor tells Brainiac these people need the materials more than they do and theyÕll get the items elsewhere! Brainiac scoffs at Luthor for his human emotions! They then visit BrainiacÕs home world and are surprised to learn that the computer tyrants who created him have been overthrown and destroyed. Superman uses his telescopic vision to check the world where Luthor is a hero and figures out how their ship is disguised! Then Superman sees their ship landing on Earth in a cavern and goes after them! Entering the cavern causes SupermanÕs powers to be lost due to LuthorÕs serum-gas! Brainiac then shrinks the vulnerable Superman. The powerless Superman is then imprisoned in a common bird cage, high off the ground! While Luthor and Brainiac argue over who gets to destroy Superman, Brainiac says he has an ingenious way and begins to build a device! Superman, looking to escape, tears his Clark Kent clothes into strips, ties them together, and uses them as a rope to lower himself to the ground! He runs to the top of LuthorÕs Lair and sees another of LuthorÕs missiles! Superman plans to fire the missile, knowing the Kandorians will see it on their monitors and come help! But Superman is too small and weak to pull the firing lever! Meanwhile, Brainiac has finished his device, but he uses it on Luthor! ItÕs actually a hypnosis machine and Luthor is forced to remove his timer from BrainiacÕs head and forget Brainiac is a computer! When Luthor is finished, Brainiac tells him the machine didnÕt work. They then realize Superman has escaped! Just as Superman fires the missile, he is paralyzed by BrainiacÕs Òcoma-rayÓ ring. However, Kandor has seen the missile and the Superman Emergency Squad hurries into action. They quickly arrive, inches tall but super-powered, and use BrainiacÕs own shrinking ray on him and Luthor. Unable to free Superman from the effects of the coma-ray, they blindfold the villains and return to Kandor. Then Òthe greatest hour in KandorÕs history comes... the trial of Brainiac.Ó Luthor acts as defense attorney but loses the case, and Brainiac is condemned to eternity in the Phantom Zone. Brainiac bargains for their freedom by agreeing to free Superman from his coma. After a city-wide vote, the bargain is reached and Superman, Brainiac, and Luthor leave Kandor. The latter two then leave Earth uncontested while Superman vows to one day capture them both and restore Kandor. A few miscellaneous notes from this issue ... all sentences end with exclamation marks, the Silver Age way ... although this issue was $0.12, you could get a two-year subscription for only $0.10 per issue on SUPERBOY, JIMMY OLSEN, SUPERMAN, ACTION, LOIS LANE or ADVENTURE ... you could buy 100 toy soldiers or 116 planes for $1.25 or 132 Roman Soldiers for $1.98 ... or learn to be a He Man from the American Body Building Club for $0.10! In a ÒSpecial AnnouncementÓ on the letters page (where thereÕs a letter from future Superman writer E. Nelson Bridwell), the editors tell us that shortly after the first Brainiac story in 1956, they found out that a ÒrealÓ Brainiac existed in a ÒBrainiac Computer KitÓ, invented in 1956 by Edward C. Berkeley, Òa distinguished scientist and world authority on automation, computers, and robots.Ó Mr. BerkeleyÕs computer kits were available for purchase. In respect to the already existing Brainiac, they were changing the characterization of the comic Brainiac to possess a Òcomputer personalityÓ. In a final note, itÕs mentioned that Brainiac was created by Otto Binder, who also wrote the Ògreat Superman novel ÔKrypton Lives OnÕÓ. Has anyone ever heard of this book ? Does anyone know where to find a copy? Jeff Epstein _______________________________________________________________ SUPER MERCHANDISE ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ- Information on Forthcoming Superman Merchandise Assembled by Jeffery D. Sykes The information which follows is reprinted without permission from DiamondÕs PREVIEWS and is in no way meant to serve as a replacement for that magazine. For further information on (and in most cases, pictures of) the below merchandise, see recent issues of PREVIEWS! DiamondÕs STAR SYSTEM is a service through which fans can order in-stock trade paperbacks, trading cards, and graphic novels. Contact your local retailer for prices not listed below, a complete listing of merchandise available through the STAR SYSTEM, or information about ordering. ABBREVIATIONS: ÑÑÑÑÑÑ- FC: Full color HC: Hardcover PB: Paperback PI: Inquire about price SC: Softcover If no manufacturer/maker is listed, the product is from DC Comics. _______________________________________________________________ DECEMBER: ÑÑÑÑ Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey Trade Paperback by Dan Jurgens with Brett Breeding Writer/penciller Dan Jurgens and inker Brett BreedingÕs popular limited series is offered in one spectacular volume! Superman travels to Apokolips to learn the shocking origin behind his killer with the help of the time-surfing Waverider. At the same time, the Man of Steel must battle alongside the evil Darkseid against the awesome power of Hank Henshaw, the deadly Cyborg. Now available through the STAR SYSTEM and various bookstores SC, 7x10, 160 pgs, FC $14.95 DC CollectorÕs Binder A great display album, this 3-ring binder (vinyl, 2Ó spine) features four-color art of several DC Universe heroes and comes with 10 hole- punched comic book protector sleeves, five comics to begin (or add to) a collection Ñ including BATMAN GALLERY #1, CATWOMAN #1, SUPERBOY #1, ACTION COMICS #700, and GREEN LANTERN #0 Ñ plus a free 5-minute phone card featuring DC Universe heroes. Scheduled to arrive December 13 PI Marvel Versus DC: Rivals Cards Fleer/SkyBox This December, the DC and Marvel Universes will clash in a long-awaited four-part cross-company event! In the spirit of this crossover, Fleer and SkyBox (Marvel and DCÕs card licensees, respectively) join forces for this 100-card crossover series, featuring foil-stamping, UV-coating, and the best of *both* worlds! The set features these great subsets Ñ Marvel Heroes (12), DC Heroes (12), Marvel Villains (10), Rivalries (11), Hero Vs. Hero (16), Hero Vs. Villain (13), Villain Vs. Villain (15), and one checklist card. Chase cards for the series include an 18-card ÒImpactÓ set of painted and embossed cards (1 in every 2 packs); A 12-card ÒHolo/FXÓ set featuring recrops of the Rivalries subset (1 in every six packs); and the ÒMirageÓ set: two different lenticular cards, each showing a DC and Marvel character morphing into one unique character (1 in every 360 packs)! Each pack will also include a ballot for collectors and readers to determine who will win the five big Marvel/DC ÒRivalryÓ duels, which will be played out in the comic book series! Scheduled to arrive December 13 8 cards per pack; 36 packs per box PI DC Versus Marvel Retail Poster Tying in with the incredible history-making DC VERSUS MARVEL crossover event, Marvel and DC offer this special, oversized, 27Ó x 40Ó four-color retail poster featuring some of the greatest heroes from each universe, locked in the slugfest of the century: Superman vs. Hulk, Spider-Man vs. Superboy, Batman vs. Captain America, and more are drawn by Dan Jurgens and Josef Rubinstein! Each poster comes rolled. Scheduled to arrive December 20 FC, 27x40 $7.95 Superman Transformation Vehicle Kenner TheyÕre not many phone booths around anymore. So whereÕs a Man of Steel supposed to change into his Òwork clothesÓ? Kenner has the answer with the Superman Transformation Vehicle! What appears to be a sleek, stylish stealth vehicle allows Clark Kent to change into Superman. By pulling back the ÒSÓ shield spoiler, the Clark Kent figure (included) inside the cockpit is Òmagically transformedÓ into Superman (not included). During this change, glide wings rotate out of the chassis, exposing two Superman logos. The vehicle also features a disk launcher hidden under the rear spoiler, which can be fired in either mode! Boxed, #62923 PI Superman 8x10 Hologram Lightrix All-new format; all-new packaging! This outstanding, multi-stage Òred beamÓ hologram captures a stunning 3-D image of the Man of Steel! Ships matted and ready to frame, complete with instructions for illumination and display. Measures approximately 8Óx10Ó (image area: 5Óx5Ó) $24.00 Superman T-Shirt Graphitti Designs by Kevin Nowlan Kevin Nowlan provides an Art Deco take on the Man of Steel with never-before-seen artwork and coloring screenprinted on a black 100% cotton heavyweight shirt. L-XL $16.95 _______________________________________________________________ JANUARY: ÑÑÑ- Best of Ô95 CollectorÕs Set Newcomers to the world of comics will get their moneyÕs worth and more in this cool DC sampler set, featuring editorsÕ picks of seven of the best issues published in 1995, reprinted specially for this package. The Best of Ô95 CollectorÕs Set includes SOVEREIGN SEVEN #1, WONDER WOMAN #101, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW #1, BATMAN #520, BATMAN ADVENTURES #33, IMPULSE #3, and LEGIONNAIRES #29. Quantities are limited. Scheduled to arrive January 17 PI Mega Superman Cap Fresh Caps This all black cap features an embroidered silhouette of the Man of Steel on the cap front and brim. One size fits all (#346015) $13.95 Superman Logo Caps Fresh Caps Choose from: black cap with blue brim or blue cap with red brim Ñ each with an embroidered Superman ÒSÓ on the front. One size fits all (#346005) $12.00 Superman Hero Poster OSP This poster features the Man of Steel flying fist-first towards the viewer. [The artistÕs identity is not given, and I canÕt tell from the illustration.] Ships rolled. FC $3.95 _______________________________________________________________ FEBRUARY: ÑÑÑÑ Superman: World Without a Superman Trade Paperback Reprints the complete ÒFuneral for a FriendÓ storyline from SUPERMAN, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, ACTION COMICS, and SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL! Now available through the STAR SYSTEM (DC: 471D) and various bookstores SC, 8x11, 240 pgs, FC $7.50 Superman: Return of Superman Trade Paperback Picking up where the WORLD WITHOUT A SUPERMAN edition left off, the monumental 480-page SUPERMAN: THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN collection reprints the entire ÒReign of the Super-MenÓ storyline! Now available through the STAR SYSTEM (DC: 547D) and various bookstores SC, 7x10, 480 pgs, FC $14.95 Superman: BizarroÕs World Trade Paperback Cover by Stuart Immonen and Josef Rubinstein SupermanÕs imperfect duplicate threatens Metropolis in this trade paperback reprinting the now-classic story from SUPERMAN #87-88, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #510, ACTION COMICS #697, and SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #32. When Lex Luthor comes down with a mysterious illness, he seeks answers in an old experiment: the brutish, flawed clone of Superman known as Bizarro. But when Bizarro gets loose, the creature may tear up Metropolis trying to find Lois Lane! BIZARROÕS WORLD is written by Dan Kurgens, Karl Kesel, Roger Stern, and Louise Simonson, with pencils by Stuart Immonen, Barry Kitson, Jackson Guice, and Jon Bogdanove, and inks by Josef Rubinstein, Ray McCarthy, Denis Rodier, and Dennis Janke. This collection also features an introduction by Bogdanove and a new cover by Immonen and Rubinstein. Scheduled to arrive on February 14 SC, 7x10, 128 pgs, FC $9.95 SupermanÕs Greatest Foes CollectorÕs Set This 6-issue set features some of the greatest battles the Man of Steel has ever fought. The comics included in this set are ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #520 (ÒNight of 100 VillainsÓ); SUPERMAN #104 (featuring Darkseid and the Cyborg); SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL #30 Standard Edition (guest-starring Lobo); ACTION COMICS #713 (featuring Saviour); SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW #1 (featuring the return of Lex Luthor); and SUPERMAN/TOYMAN #1. Scheduled to arrive on February 14 PI Outburst: DC Firepower Premier Edition Cards SkyBox Feel the excitement with Outburst: DC Firepower Ñ the first DC Comics trading card series to feature an all-embossed format! With original computer-enhanced artwork, Outburst: DC Firepower just may be the hottest DC Comics trading card set in years! In addition to the embossing and computer-enhanced artwork, each card in this 80-card set features UV-coating on both sides and the highest quality card stock. Chase cards for this premier edition include: Maximum Firepower cards Ñ specially embossed cards featuring your favorite DC heroes; PowerBurst cards Ñ foil-enhanced versions of the basic set and Maximum Firepower cards; and four different HoloBurst cards, each featuring jaw-dropping holographic detailing on an *embossed* card image! Plus! YouÕll find ten different Batman and Superman *OverPower Game Cards* Ñ a sneak peek at the upcoming DC Comics collectible card game! Seven cards plus 1 ÒPowerBurstÓ card per pack; 36 packs per box (Samples in the December 1995 issue of PREVIEWS) PI Superboy Symbol T-Shirt Graphitti Designs From the death of Superman, we get the Kid of Steel, Superboy! Screenprinted with the Superboy symbol on the back of a black 100% cotton shirt, this is one nifty t-shirt. Get one and maybe you can be heir to the Superman name, too. L-XL, $16.95 XXL, $19.95 Superman: The Man of Steel Limited Edition Watch Fossil Packaged in a full-color lithographed collectorÕs tin, this limited edition watch features a chromed body, blue dial and white face, and platinum-like Superman ÒSÓ in the watch center. (#LI1299) $85.00 DC Comics Collectible Embossed Metal Signs Tin Signs International The folks at Tin Signs International know whatÕs cool, in fact, theyÕve taken the most significant comic book covers they could find and reproduced them on these incredible tin signs! Each sign is an exact replica of the original, classic comic book cover. Each measures 8Óx11Ó and features decorative, gold-beveled edges and a built-in easel/wall mount hanger. Available are: ACTION COMICS #1 (ACT-1), ACTION COMICS #41 (ACT-2), SUPERMAN #1 (SUP-1), and SUPERMAN #24 (SUP-3). $14.95 each Superman/Batman 2-Pack Platinum Edition Kenner/Hasbro A PREVIEWS Exclusive! Superman and Batman are the ÒworldÕs finestÓ super-team, and Kenner/Hasbro and PREVIEWS have teamed up to bring collectors this special, limited edition two-pack available only through PREVIEWS! Limited to only 25,000 pieces, this two-pack (similar in design and contents to the mass market version) comes with two all-new Superman and Batman action figures Ñ and a special 16-page Platinum Edition Elseworlds comic book by Christopher Priest, Eduardo Barreto, Dick Giordano, and Mike DeCarlo, and featuring an all-new cover illustration by John Byrne! (#62910) PI DC: A Celebration of the WorldÕs Favorite Comic Book Heroes Little, Brown, & Company by Les Daniels Welcome to a guided tour of DC Comics! From the author of MARVEL: FIVE FABULOUS DECADES! The definitive history of DC Comics: from its roots in the 1930s to its brightly shining Golden and Silver Ages, and beyond! Rediscover the classic heroes Ñ mythical trailblazers like Superman, Batman, and many others! Thrill to todayÕs cutting-edge comics Ñ from the enigmatic complexities of THE SANDMAN to the cataclysmic chaos of multiple universes! Feast your eyes on 600 illustrations in full-color. A must-read for any fan of the WorldÕs Greatest Superheroes! HC, 9x11, 256 pgs, FC $40.00 _______________________________________________________________ MARCH: ÑÑ- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Ñ Heat Wave Harper Collins by M.J. Friedman Based on the hit ABC-TV series, this novel finds Lois and Clark involved with another hot news story, and their ongoing, on-again off-again romance! Includes an eight-page photo insert and photo cover. PB, 128 pgs $4.99 _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 7 _______________________________________________________________ AND WHO DISGUISED AS... --------------------------------- A Column of Opinion By J.D. Rummel (jrummel@vulture.creighton.edu) If J. Made Superman Movies Just a quick non-Superman note here: If you have not already purchased Andrew Vachss' wonderful Batman novel, THE ULTIMATE EVIL, do so *now*! It is probably the best prose super hero piece I have ever read, and to ignore it is to risk living in a world that is not as good as it could be. Now, back to our regular Kryptonian content: I am very fortunate in that the letters I receive are usually very nice. In fact, no one has ever sent hate mail despite the fact that I sometimes say some pretty inflammatory things. Some letters fill in the gaps on subjects that I have covered, some share the same feeling of wonder that I have mentioned comics bringing to my life. I got one in November, however, from a gentleman who raised an interesting question. Jorge Chapa ("Mexico's number one Superman fan") had read a column where I ranked the Chris Reeve Superman films. In it, I made my usual opinionated statements based solely on my own elitist tastes. Jorge felt that I was saying that Superman had never been done right on the big screen. I had to think about that. So now I state here for the record that while I enjoy all the Superman films, from Kirk Alyn's to George Reeves' through to THE QUEST FOR PEACE (as I've mentioned before, even that bad bit of cinema can make me cry), I don't think that Superman has been well served by film. Anyway, Jorge asked, what should be done with the new Superman movie? What would any of us do? I hadda admit, it was a fine question. I know what I like, but what about the specifics, things that Peters and Lemkin, the talent behind SUPERMAN REBORN, the new film, shouldn't do? (read about it by webbing out to: http://www.nuke.com/cgi-bin/addin/moviesc/features/superman.htm) If I were suddenly transported to Hollywood with lots of clout, aside from trying to date Dana Delany, what would I do? 1. Get the essence of Superman. Reading the interview, one gets the idea that they about half get it. Superman doesn't need only to save the world; we would like to see him just be around to fix crappy things that happen today. There is joy in watching him stop street thugs and urban goblins. Let's face it, even though it took weeks to film, the scene of him rescuing the cat speaks to all of us. 2. Honor the past. I remember back in 1978 how sad I was that Superman wouldn't be using the springboard that propelled George Reeves into the air. (I know, it *sounds* dumb, but I really enjoyed watching him run and leap--still do, for that matter.) However, upon seeing the '78 Superman turn and effortlessly step upward in complete disregard to gravity, I realized that my viewpoint was too narrow. I now understand that something as steeped in tradition as Superman can easily calcify, so it is important to keep shifting the paradigm of what he's all about. Of course, some things must remain the same (Superman is Clark Kent, for instance) but I would be willing to see the creation of new villains, new supporting characters. 3. Play it straight. The biggest mistakes made by Donner and Lester were displaying the winking mentality, as if the artists were saying, "I know this Superman thing is really silly, so watch how clever I am." I don't mind an in-joke, but make us believe that a man can fly, and let Dennis Miller be funny. The Batman series avoided the camp that people feared, and Peters, of all folks must know how well it's done at the box office. 4. Don't get too complex. Again, when reading the article, Lemkin sounded like the Death of Superman is going to figure in this. God I hope not. To use a boondoggle like that on the public twice is pretty insulting. The vast bulk of movie audiences are not familiar with that story line, and should not be subjected to its shameless mercantile spirit. In his letter, Jorge made the statement that the fans would be disappointed by the end product, and I don't wanna believe that. I wanna believe that the guys making this movie will improve on the work that went before them. Now, I put the question to *you*, the reader. What does SUPERMAN REBORN *need* to do? What do you, the spending public want? Send mail to: jrummel@vulture.creighton.edu and let me know. Any ideas, any comments that I think deserve mention will be put out in a future column. I will judge arbitrarily those ideas which I think have merit. Nah, I won't mock anyone, I'm too pure of heart for that sort of behavior. Please place only the word "movie" in the subject header. Don't expect a response from me. Just look at the next issue and see if you made it. So fire up those e-mailers boys and girls! Away. _______________________________________________________________ TELEscopic VISION: ------------------ Superman on the Small Screen Well, thanks to David Chappell for the main title of this section! Doesn't it make perfect sense!? :) And furthermore, we'll be able to add in SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (title tentative) when it begins next fall! (*Two* Superman series on television at the same time!? Pinch me, I *must* be dreaming! :) We've got three new reviews for you this month, in addition to Zoomway's conclusion to her look at Lois and Clark's relationship and the obstacles it faces. Here are the writing and directing credits for the three episodes which have aired since last month's issue: 9. "Super Mann" (11/26) Written by: Chris Ruppenthal Directed by: James R. Bagdonas 10. "Virtually Destroyed" (12/10) Teleplay by: Dean Cain Story by: Dean Cain and Sean Brennan Directed by: Jim Charleston 11. "Home Is Where The Hurt Is" (12/17) Teleplay by: Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner Story by: William M. Akers Directed by: Geoffrey Nottage Christmas Eve brings us (finally!) the rerun of "Season's Greedings" from last year, and then I believe that New Year's Eve is scheduled for a pre-emption. But, new episodes begin again in January! And just as a teaser, Dean Cain's recent interview on "Tom Snyder" seemed to indicate that the train is really bearing down on the wedding.... See ya in 96! Jeff Sykes _______________________________________________________________ DANCING IN THE DARK, PART II: Clark Kent, the Relationship Impaired --------------------------------------------- by Zoomway (Zoomway@aol.com) Last month I wrote about Lois Lane's long journey of self discovery, as well as discovering that her best friend and partner was more appealing than the Man of Steel. Well, actually, she also discovered that her best friend and partner *was* the Man of Steel. Lois had a lot of obstacles, baggage and a rotten past with men to overcome before she could learn to love Clark Kent. This month it's Clark's turn. Pieces of this article came from a post I made on the listserv. "Nine *hundred* and fifty?" "You want cheap, go back to Iowa." "Kansas" Clark in the pilot is a very affable, optimistic, world-traveled young guy. He's intelligent, determined (though I wouldn't say ambitious), and knows what he wants -- well, mostly what he wants. There was a charming naivete to Clark. He was clueless that a big city editor of a major metropolitan newspaper would be less than impressed by the mating habits of the knobtail gecko. This inexperience, or naivete, really wasn't incongruous with the fact that he was world-traveled, because that in no way made him worldly-wise. Why not? I think it's because for one thing, Clark had no responsibilities. He's traveling the world, but not like you or I would have to travel the world. He doesn't have to pay for airfare, work his away across on a cattle boat, etc. He just has to float up and fly. He doesn't even have to hold a job because he doesn't have to eat, drink, and has no need for shelter. In a strange way, he's like a child of wealthy, indulgent parents. This naive, sweet, charming Clark Kent, has *never* paid his dues. If he wanted to throw his hands in the air and say "I'm outta here" '''''whooosh''''''' he was outta there. "Good morning, Mr. Kent, your mission, if you decide to accept it, is to try and win the heart of one Ms. Lois Lane." According to Clark, he fell in love with Lois about two minutes after meeting her. From the pilot episode, this seems to be true. Had Clark ever been in love up until this point? My guess, based only on the episodes, would be no. He acts almost like a fourteen or fifteen year-old boy at Luthor's party. He cuts in on Lex and Lois's dance. Lois is furious, "Clark, you idiot! I was this close to getting an interview with Lex Luthor." Clark pulls her against him (completely ignoring her anger) "This close?" Lois re-establishes the space between them and comments that she thought square dancing would be more his style. He now tries to impress her, "I was taught how to dance by a Nigerian princess." Lois, completely unimpressed by his juvenile approach says, "How fascinating" and leaves him. Clark (listen to his tone of voice here, and see if you don't agree he sounds like a kid) says, "Where ya goin'!?" Clark is doing everything wrong, and that is no doubt due to the fact that he's had no experience. He then pulls the biggest point-loser of the whole episode with Lois. When she says they can't have their celebration dinner, because she has her prior obligation (the Luthor interview), does he smile and say, "Okay, but you owe me. How about the next night?" or "Okay, how about some coffee at Dooley's afterward if you're not too tired?" Noooooo, Clark went off like a jealous boyfriend, and made his nasty little comment about how *far* was she willing to go to get her story with Lex. Ouch! "Hollywood's made over a dozen versions of Frankenstein and you still didn't get the point" Ta-da! Here comes Superman! This one brainstorm can never ever be underestimated in the morphing of Clark Kent. Lois was bowled over by Superman almost as quickly as Clark was bowled over by Lois. He never counted on this, but then neither did Lois. Clark was now his own rival for Lois Lane's affections. Clark wanted her to love him as 'Clark', but at the same time, he accepted her attention to Superman. As time passed, Lois warmed up to Clark as a friend, but she was still in love with Superman. Both Lois and Clark took turns playing Dr. Frankenstein where Superman was concerned. Lois named him and gave him his credo, and Clark flew off accepting the name and giving practical application to the credo. When the creation hesitated, doubted, or strayed, Lois would apply more electricity to the neck bolts, and Superman would come off the slab again, ready to tackle anything. Even this far back in their relationship, Lois and Clark, and Lois and Superman were partners; Lois just didn't know they were the same guy. "Think about it, Lois, why would I ever *have* to learn how to do this?" I've asked this before, but I'll ask it again. Have you ever tried to tie your shoe with one hand? Well, probably not, and it would probably never occur to you to try, unless you lost your hand of course. My point is, we don't tie our shoes with one hand, because we don't have to. Clark has super powers, with or without the suit, but as a reminder of how Superman changes things for Clark, just watch "Ordinary People". This is almost a bit of "Green Green Glow of Home" from the first season, but with Lois knowing Clark's secret. "This is always how I imagined camping with Clark would be." "Well, Lois, you *are* camping with Clark." It's the same warm and relaxed atmosphere that Lois and Clark shared in "Green Green Glow of Home", but this could only be achieved in the older episode when Clark lost his power, and therefore there was never any chance of slipping up in front of her. The pressure was off for a while. In "Ordinary People", the pressure is off again, but this time, it's because Lois knows his secret. "Why be Superman?" "Because no one else can." What Clark told Lois in "Ordinary People", regarding how he felt about her, could almost apply to what Superman did for him in the beginning. It made him 'happy/scared, excited/calm, lost/found, safe/in danger'. What Clark has to do, *with* Lois, is step out of the way, and let Superman be Superman. "Couldn't you just think of me as a very busy, very fast, very strong-- doctor?" They both have to let Superman do what he has to do, and accept it as part of their life together, or Superman will always get in the way of that life. "But a relationship? That's completely new. If I blow this, I lose everything." Clark admits in "Just Say Noah" that he's never been in a relationship before. This by itself explains a lot of Clark's mistakes with Lois. His big secret, which has caused him to keep others at a safe distance, also took away Clark's ability to relate and interact within a loving relationship. So now both he and Lois have to work to resolve their relationship problems with a combination of trial and error, and the knowledge that neither one of them have the proper tools for this apprenticeship together. However, both are so determined and committed to making the relationship work, they will tackle it bare handed. ============================================ EPISODE REVIEWS: ---------------- Episode #3-07: "Ultra Woman" ---------------------------- by Marta Olson US Airdate: November 12, 1995 Special Appearance by Shelley Long Guest Starring: Mary Gross and Kenneth Kimmins Written by: Gene O'Neill and Noreen Tobin Directed by: Mike Vejar Have you ever sat and tried to picture an event through someone else's eyes? Ever thought about what it would be like to be, say, John Elway, Michael Jordan, the President of the United States, the homeless person sitting at the corner, or any other person who has a totally different life than your own? I'm not talking about what I would do if I had their money or anything like that, I mean how their view of a certain event is. What would it be like to be John Elway, take the snap from center, shuffle back three steps, and look for a receiver? A defensive player is coming from the right side, you can't quite see over the offensive lineman on the left side, is the receiver really open? The defensive player is getting closer, you let the ball fly, only you are tackled by the defensive player so you can't see if the pass is complete or not. How different that really is from the fan sitting halfway up in the stands yelling "What did you do that for! So and So is open on the OTHER side." There's a saying something like "until you've walked in someone else's shoes you can not understand where they are coming from." In this episode, Lois has the unique opportunity to walk in Superman's shoes. We are introduced to Lucille and Nell Newtrich, two sisters who have planned a caper to obtain $200 million, but first they must incapacitate Superman so that he will not be able to stop them. They have heard that red Kryptonite causes Superman to become apathetic. Their plan is to use a red Kryptonite laser to make Superman apathetic enough to let them go. They put a battery operated crying baby into a well. Superman, of course, comes to the rescue. Lucille is posing as a TV news reporter and Nell is her cameraman. Superman sees over Lois' shoulder that a red beam is coming towards them so he inserts himself between them and Lois. The laser burns up and the sisters run. Superman is about to go after them when Lois becomes very dizzy. When Superman does try to go after the sisters, he learns that he cannot fly. He has no super powers! He and Lois run off in the direction of the sisters. Lois opens the gate, only it comes off its hinges, and she's holding it by one hand like Superman could have. Loved the sound effects when she tossed it aside -- windshield shattering, car alarm sounding. Clark tries to teach Lois how to use some of the powers such as heat vision. Just as they are starting on flying, a truck loses its brakes. Clark starts to rush off, loosening his tie and shirt revealing the "S", when Lois zooms past him. Lois stands in front of the truck and slows it down to a stop. The driver immediately starts asking "What's your name? I'm calling the papers!" When Clark, dressed as Superman, steps out from the back, he assumes Superman stopped his truck. Lois now sees the necessity of a costume. Of course, the perfect person to make the costume is Martha, so off to Smallville she goes. Lois raises the question of how Clark must be feeling now that she has his powers, and she is reluctant to "take his place". Martha and Jonathan convince her that Clark can handle it. The look on Jonathan's face when Lois steps out in her costume is great! Back at the Daily Planet, Perry finds a note from Alice saying she's leaving him. There is an anonymous tip that the Daily Planet will be torched if Superman doesn't show up, so they evacuate the building. Superman comes running out the door, where he finds kerosene spilt on the ground, leading to bottles filled with liquid. Nell lights the kerosene and Superman is trying to put it out. He can't do it, but Lois arrives in her costume and puts the fire out. There are definitely some parts of the show that I liked better than others, most of them dealing with Lois and Clark acknowledging the differences in who they really are. After Lois puts the fire out she and Superman are approached by Perry and Jimmy. Lois is convinced they will recognize her, Superman says no they won't. Lois replies with "How blind do you think people are?" Superman is saved from answering by Perry saying "Miss, you saved the Daily Planet!" Two of my favorite scenes involved the "role" switching between Lois and Clark. When they are at the Planet the next day, she hears someone call for help. She is wearing a suit and tie. As she leaves she begins to loosen the tie the same way Clark does as he is leaving. Also, later in the show, after her powers have been transferred to Lucille Newtrich, Lois and Clark are walking down an alley. Lois is heading back to the Planet, Superman to Star Labs. They are walking in step, reach up and take his glasses/her mask off at the same time, stop at the end of the alley, kiss quickly, and then leave in opposite directions. I'm not sure why, but I really liked this scene. Clark also has some adjusting to do to not being invulnerable. Without his heat (?) vision he has to shave normally and comes to work with cuts on his face. He is walking over to Lois' one night and sees two guys robbing another guy. Clark, being Clark, steps in not thinking and tells the guys to leave him alone. One of the guys comes at Clark with a knife, and Clark uses his arm to block the knife, resulting in a cut on his arm. Meanwhile, Nell has put two and two together and actually gotten four. She figures out that Ultra Woman is Lois, so they kidnap Clark to try and get to her. He is able to get away and calls for Ultra Woman. They search where the Newtrichs held Clark but can find no clues. Angry, Lois slams her hand down on one of the work benches, causing things to go flying. One of them cuts Clark above the eye. This also parallels how Clark always felt he was putting Lois in danger, or was responsible for her being hurt. I really also liked the next scene. Lois has come to realize that just because Superman is super-fast and super-strong, he still can't do everything. How do you deal with not being able to help everyone? Clark's reply is you just have to accept it. My very favorite scene in the show is back at the Planet. Clark is trying to open a jar of fruit juice. Lois opens it. "Please don't tell me I loosened it for you," he says. She comments on how she hates wearing the costume under her clothes, it feels like long underwear. Clark says it feels good after awhile, it's snug, and you kind of miss it. Lois replies you don't like just wearing your boxers? Clark says I wear briefs. Lois says I know. Stunned, Clark says, "Did you use your x-ray?" Lois laughs and says I'm just kidding, and she walks away. But when he stands up to get something from the printer, Lois turns and x-rays him. Needless to say, Ultra Woman and Superman stop Nell and Lucille and are able to return Superman's powers to him. I also liked the end of the episode. I won't spoil all of it for you, but the tables are turned on Lois, and SHE proposes to Clark, at the fountain, on one knee. She asks "Will you marry me?" Clark replies, "Who's asking? Lois or Ultra Woman?" See the episode for his answer. Let me end by saying what I did not like about this episode. Through the first two and a half seasons of Lois and Clark, we have seen Superman's powers transferred from Superman to Resplendent Man accidentally, and from him to a rat, and also to Dr. Gretchen Kelly, and then back to Superman by design. In this episode we see them accidentally transferred from Superman to Lois, and then by design to Lucille Newtrich and back to Superman. We have also seen them transferred to Jesse in "Chip Off The Old Clark" accidentally. Is there no end to who and how people can get Superman's powers? _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 8 _______________________________________________________________ TELEscopic VISION: ------------------ EPISODE REVIEWS: (cont) ----------------------- Episode #3-08: "Chip Off the Old Clark" --------------------------------------- by Marta Olson US Airdate: November 19, 1995 Guest Starring: Susan Batten, Joel Brooks, Kenneth Kimmins, Alex D. Linz, Michael Kagan, Dave Nemeth, Michael Burger, and Maty Monfort Special Appearance by Dave Coulier as "The Real Anonymous" Written by: Michael Jamin and Sivert Glarum Directed by: Michael Watkins Imagine that you are a woman in a growing relationship who has had trouble opening up to people in the past. Imagine that this woman is now comfortable enough in her relationship to become engaged to the man in her life. She feels that life is now finally "right" and everything is heading in the right direction. Though this stage in the relationship is advanced, it is still new and her confidence is not quite what it should be. Imagine her reaction when she finds out that there is a very important thing about her fiancee she may not know. Suddenly there is a woman who claims to have had his love child. Imagine the blow to her confidence in not only herself but her relationship when confronted with the information that it could only be the truth. This is what Lois faced in this episode. What makes it unique is her fiancee is Clark Kent and Superman. When the story breaks, even though they discuss what this means and that Clark does not know the woman, her confidence is still shaken. The woman claims that Superman is the father of her child. At work the next day Perry decides the story is totally wrong and not worth covering. Lois and Clark are assigned to cover the arrival of the president from Tanzor. He is coming to town to sign a peace treaty with Fostonia, the enemies of his country for many years. Lois decides that "the story is already written" regarding the president -- they should check out Leigh-Anne and her son Jesse. They are talking about how it is a hoax when they enter Leigh-Anne's house and are confronted with what appears to be irrefutable evidence that Superman is indeed Jesse's father. Jesse is carrying around a sofa over his head. Jesse immediately bonds with Clark but takes a dislike to Lois. While Lois and Leigh-Anne are talking, Jesse and Clark are playing. Jesse can move as fast as Clark, hear things that no one but Clark can hear, and when he and Clark watch the President's arrival on television, he floats just like Clark does when he is relaxed. Clark and Jesse hear a noise and Clark rushes off to investigate. Leigh-Anne continues to talk about her relationship with Superman, recounting things that Superman has in fact done for Lois, cheese from France, chocolates from Switzerland, shaking Lois' confidence even more. He would cook dinner for her instead of bringing presents, which is exactly what Clark was doing when the story broke about Jesse. Leigh-Anne gives Lois a picture of her and Superman. Meanwhile there is an aborted attempt to kidnap the president of Tanzor. We find out that a radical faction inside Tanzor has hired a hit-man named "Anonymous" to steal the launch codes from their president and launch their nuclear missiles onto Fostonia. Because of his aborted attempt, Anonymous decides that in order to ensure success he needs Jesse to help him kidnap the president. Anonymous is a master of disguise so he takes on the role of an attorney and approaches Leigh-Anne. One conversation between Lois and Clark that really sums up what she must be feeling is when Clark says "Lois, I wouldn't lie to you." She replies "See. That's the thing, you did, every day for three years." She then hands him the picture of Leigh-Anne and Superman. It's definitely him. He is able to read a name on the mailbox in the picture and learn that it was taken at the "Ding Dong Motel". Jimmy begins researching. Martha and Jonathan Kent are waiting at Clark's when he gets home. They assure him that they know the story is false, "impossible, laughable". Surprised, Clark says "I have dated." His parents then explain that they knew if Clark had been responsible, he would have taken on the responsibility for his actions. One difference between Clark and Jesse is that Clark didn't start lifting furniture until he was in Junior High. Superman pushes for a DNA test. There is a really neat scene between Jesse and Superman when they are waiting for the DNA test. Superman talks about being different and being able to help people and doing good for people. When Leigh-Anne and Superman finally meet alone face to face we find out that Superman really is not Jesse's father. Leigh-Anne is very frustrated. Jesse used to be a normal little boy, but she doesn't know what changed. She feels that she cannot provide for her son. She can't work outside the house because no day care will take Jesse. He is growing so fast she can barely keep him in clothes. They have to move because he keeps wrecking the house they live in. She wants Superman to help. When he says he has no money she says that he will not have to worry about that, she has a book offer, a movie deal and a manufacturer wants to do a "Jesse" line of clothing for kids. "But it will all be based on a lie." Each came to the meeting thinking the other one had called them and they would get things resolved. When they realize neither one called the other, they know Jesse is in trouble. While the police are searching for clues at Leigh-Ann's house, Jesse having been kidnapped, Lois arrives. Clark tells her he can't explain why but he feels really close to Jesse. Lois has reached a decision in their relationship and tells Clark that he is the most caring and most honest person she ever met. She is also used to having to track down the truth, that nothing is ever what it seems, even when it's staring her in the face. "The truth is what you tell me and what I tell you, because that's the kind of relationship we have." Clark replies that "The best day of my life was when you found out I was Superman. That meant no more lies." Clark finds a clue and turns it over to the police. When they get back to the Planet offices, Jimmy has some information about the Ding Dong motels. There was one in Traver City, Michigan, where a plane was caught in an electrical storm. Superman saved the plane but was struck by lightning. Jesse was sitting in the window seat where Superman was. The lightning transferred some of Superman's powers to Jesse. Clark now does feel responsible for Jesse being the way he is. Anonymous uses Jesse to fly away with the President and uses truth serum to get the launch codes. When watching the tape of Jesse flying away with the President, Clark hears him say "red choo choo". Thinking he means "choo choo train", Superman flies off to check out the trains along the coast. Meanwhile the doctor from Star Labs, where they are doing the DNA test, arrives with Leigh-Anne. Jesse is losing his powers. He may already be back to normal by now. Leigh-Anne says "choo choo" is also Jesse's word for smoke stack. Metropolis Chemical Plant has a red smokestack. Lois heads to the plant and finds Jesse. She tries to get Jesse to come with her while Anonymous is distracted with the launch codes, but he won't because he didn't like her. She holds Anonymous in check with a lead pipe he thinks is a gun. He gets Jesse to punch the button to launch the missile. When Jesse hits Anonymous a few minutes later, he does not hurt him. His super powers are truly gone. Anonymous leaves, sealing them in the room and sending in a gas to soak up the oxygen. When Superman arrives, he stops to see if any of the women at the bus stop have seen anything. He smells the same substance found at Jesse's house - theater makeup. He uses his heat vision to melt the wax and for the first time we see Anonymous' real face. (It was supposed to be a surprise, but TV Guide revealed that Dave Coulier from "Full House" was Anonymous.) Superman ties Anonymous up with a street sign and saves Lois, Jesse, and the President. There is not enough time for Superman to catch the missile by flying around the world so he goes through the Earth to catch it before it hits and explodes. Naturally, he arrives just in time. When I first watched this episode, I was not really thrilled with it, but the more I took it apart to think about this review, it began to grow on me. I find myself almost wishing that Anonymous would have gotten away so that he could return to challenge Superman again. Even if he does come back when he gets out of jail, they have his picture now and it won't be the same. There were places where I felt that this was another time when an hour may not have been quite enough time to really do justice to the full plots. I felt that the plot actually worked better than some of them have in the past, and I liked the way the road block that was raised in their relationship was tied into the action plot. The relationship continues to be the primary focus of the series, and I am pleased with the direction they are taking this season. I did enjoy this episode and the transferring of Superman's powers to Jesse because it was different. We haven't seen a child with these powers before. Is this a preview of what it might be like if Lois and Clark ever have kids? ============================================ Episode #3-09: "Super Mann" --------------------------- by Shane Furlong US Airdate: November 26, 1995 Guest Starring: Sean Kanan, Paul Kersey, Sandra Hess, and Kenneth Kimmins Written by: Chris Ruppenthal Directed by: James R. Bagdonas Story: The episode begins on May 7, 1993, where three casket-like chambers open automatically below the streets of Metropolis. Emerging are two men and a woman -- Nazis placed in suspended animation fifty years ago as a fail-safe against the loss of the war by Germany. Once on the streets of Metropolis, they discover the outcome of the war and witness Superman saving a little girl from a falling sign, a scene that was first shown in Season One. The three are then picked up by a United States Senator. The scene then cuts to present day with Lois and Clark walking down the street. She is engrossed in worrying about wedding plans while he relishes in their latest journalistic triumph. Just then a car crashes in front of them and the driver, who had been shot, tells them that a bomb is planted in the Metropolis Trade Tower. Clark leaves as the ambulance comes to take the man away, but he finds no bomb. We next discover the fate of the three awakened Nazis. One, Steve Law, has become the quarterback for the Metropolis Tigers -- apparently an NFL team. Hank West, the new identity for the other male, is a country singer, while the female, Lisa Rockford, is a super-model. The Senator, Truman Black, who picked them up two years earlier, we find out is a friend of Perry's. The man in the car accident was a part of their conspiracy but had decided he didn't want to take over America. The super-model goes to kill Lois and Clark in case he told them about their plans. She shoots a rocket-propelled grenade through the window of Lois' apartment, but Clark catches it in mid-air. She kills herself by biting down on cyanide before Superman can question her. Lois and Clark do some computer detective work to discover that Lisa Rockford was actually a Nazi born in 1921 who was involved in a suspended animation project. A television report comes on that says five people are trapped in an old coal mine, and while Lois does some covering, Clark races away. The news flash turns out to be a fake and Clark discovers a nuclear bomb at the bottom of the mine instead of trapped miners. The bomb explodes, leaving him alive but radioactive. Back at the Daily Planet, a pirate signal takes over the television and the Nazi football player, Steve Law, comes on screen. In a chilling scene, the American flag behind him dissolves into the Nazi flag as he announces that nuclear warheads are placed in cities across America and will be detonated unless control of the country is passed to his group, the NSBA. He also says that Superman has been eliminated. Lois is frantic but then receives a call from STAR Labs. She goes there to find Clark in a containment chamber to protect everyone from the radiation. After vowing their love in a touching scene, she returns to the Planet to try and find the hide-out of the NSBA. The office is taken over by the Nazis as Skip, a toady guy who works in classifieds, marches in in uniform. Perry punches him, and Jimmy shows some nice moves to allow Lois to escape. She returns to STAR Labs, solves the problem of removing the radiation, and informs Superman where the Nazis are located. Clark leaves to go to the sun, while Lois proceeds to get captured by the Nazis. After the sun sucks out the radioactive particles, Clark returns in time to save Lois and America from the nuclear blackmail. The story ends with Perry finding out about the involvement of his longtime friend, Senator Black. What I Thought: This is, for me, the best episode of the season so far. After some shows that were bordering on the silly, this one came in and rescued the series from turning into camp. The reality of terrorism and people ready to take up arms against the government is all too real in this day, and the treatment here is serious. The performances by the series regulars were fine as usual, but the scene with the radioactive Clark and the grieving Lois was especially good. Jimmy showed a nice sense of humor and comic timing this episode too. The developing subplot about Perry and Alice is also nice in that it adds depth to the character. The plot had two problems for me. I think two years is an extremely short time for someone to develop into any of the high profile positions that the three sleepers had. An NFL quarterback is not hired off the street. He has to go to college (three to four years there) and get drafted by a team. It seems a little farfetched that it only took two years for them to attain the level of celebrity that they had. The two years date was needed to fit in with the scene of Superman saving the little girl, which I will admit was nicely done and a good touch to the story, but it still seems a problem. The handling of Lois in the show was my other problem. When she first meets Hank West, the singer, she goes all giddy acting. Shouldn't she be used to meeting celebrities? I thought the way she turned into a teenager with a crush was way out of character. Then when she solved the problem of removing the radiation, she was also out of character. It was almost painful to watch her give the explanation. She shouldn't have known that. It seemed like the writer decided to make Lois appear smart here, but it didn't work. I wish they could write her as a smart (in her realm), self-assured woman instead of having her swing from being a schoolgirl to a nuclear physicist in one episode. Overall I loved the show. I hope the remainder of the season is as smartly done as this one. _______________________________________________________________ ************************************************************ End of Section 9/Issue #20