__________________________________________

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


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

        Issue #30 - Late September 1996

__________________________________________



CONTENTS
--------
Section 1:  News and Notes
            Superscripts: Notes from the Editor
               The Start of Something Big
            Uncork the Champagne
               Reactions to the upcoming wedding, by Chip Chandler
            Steel Going
               Priest talks about his plans for STEEL
            
Section 2:  Superman: The Animated Series
               Premiere: "The Last Son of Krypton"
                  Review by Neil Ottenstein
               Episode #1-04: "Fun and Games"
                  Review by Scott Devarney
               Episode #1-05: "A Little Piece of Home"
                  Review by Mark C. Dooley

Section 3:  "I've Already Bought Stock in Polybags!"
               The long roads taken to get us to the weddings, by Zoomway
            The Mailbag

Section 4:  New Comic Reviews
               The Superman Titles
                  Superman #117, by Shane Furlong
                  Adventures of Superman #540, by Anatole Wilson
               Super-Family Titles
                  Showcase '96 #10, by Rene' Gobeyn
                  Steel #32, by Dick Sidbury

Section 5:  New Comic Reviews
               Super-Family Titles (cont)
                  Supergirl #3, by Patrick Stout
               Miniseries
                  Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #3, by Matt Combes


STAFF:
------
Jeffery D. Sykes, Editor-in-Chief
Arthur E. LaMarche, Executive Coordinator of Reviews
Nancy Jones, Executive Coordinator: Lois and Clark, S:TAS sections

Editors:
   Chip Chandler         Curtis Herink         William O'Hara
   Joe Crowe             Bill Meeks            Shane Travis
   Steve Hanes                                 Steven Younis



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

All original material published in The Kryptonian Cybernet, including but not
limited to reviews, articles, and editorials, are copyright 1996 by The
Kryptonian Cybernet and the respective authors.  Reprinting in any format is
expressly forbidden without the permission of The Kryptonian Cybernet and the
contributing author.

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

This magazine can be distributed, in whole, freely via e-mail.  Should you
desire to share this publication with other on-line services, please contact 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 -- to subscribe, send the
commands

        subscribe kc
        end

in the body of an e-mail message to "majordomo@novia.net" (without the
quotation marks).  The program ignores the subject line of the message.

Back issues are available via ftp at oasis.novia.net.  These archives can also
be reached via the Kryptonian Cybernet Homepage:

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

__________________________________________


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


CHOOSE OR LOSE!

    Remember that through October, this semi-monthly schedule is only a
    temporary thing.  Whether or not we continue to publish twice a month
    is going to be largely up to you.  Read through this issue, and maybe
    the next, and then make up your mind.  Is splitting up the issues a
    good thing or bad thing?

    Once you've decided, send an e-mail message to KCVote@aol.com.  In the
    subject of the message, simply put either the word semi-monthly or the
    word monthly, to specify which publication format you prefer.  These
    messages will not be read, but simply tallied according to the subject,
    so you shouldn't put anything in the body of your message.  We will
    count only one vote per person.

    Sometime during the coming week, we will place a voting ballot on the
    KC web site, so that you can register your votes simply by clicking a
    box on a form.  Voting will remain open until 11:59 PM EST, Thursday,
    October 31, 1996.  A decision about the publication schedule will be
    made the following weekend.


FANPUT

    This season of LOIS AND CLARK, it will be easier than ever to add your
    opinion to the mix.  A joint effort by the various internet sources of
    information and discussion about LOIS AND CLARK will result in a "net
    rating" of each new episode.  Here's what you need to know:

    Note: This information can also be accessed and e-mail voting done via
    the following web site:

        http://members.aol.com/lcsurvey/main.html

    Several elements of L&C cyberspace have set up a simple system to poll
    fan opinion on specific episodes. This system is evolving, and we'll
    let you know more as it does, but here's how it works right now:

    1. Watch the current week's episode (that's the easy part);
    2. Rate it on a scale of 0.0 to 10.0 (decimal point *optional*); and
    3. E-mail your rating (put the episode acronym or title in the subject
       line) to:

       lcsurvey@aol.com

    If you don't know the title, put the date it aired in North America in
    your subject line. (Outside North America, we'd need the title to know
    what episode you're rating). In the body of the e-mail all you need is
    your rating number. That's it!

    If you want to, you can include a second line in the e-mail with a
    three-character code that identifies yourself as follows: M or F for
    Male or Female; 1 (under 18), 2 (18-49) or 3 (50 and up) for your age
    category; and Y (yes), N (no) or P (previous) for whether or not you're
    a reader of the Superman comics. So if you're a 25-year-old female who
    used to read the Superman comics but doesn't now, the code would be F2P.
    You don't have to include all three codes, for example if you don't
    want to give your age category in this example, you could simply put FP
    on that second line.

    Don't vote more than once for any one episode, because it won't be
    counted. Try to be as discriminating as you think is appropriate, and
    not vote 0, 5, or 10 on every episode. If you want to, comments can
    also be included, but make sure the rating number is on the first line,
    and the personal description codes (if any) on the second line.

    You can also group your ratings of one or more past episodes in a
    separate e-mail with "Past Ratings" in the subject line. List your
    personal description codes, if any, on the first line. Then list each
    episode acronym or title and your rating for it, one episode per line.
    Any past ratings you send will be saved for later analysis and
    reporting, once sufficient votes for an episode have been accumulated.

    The results of current episodes will be tabulated before the next one
    airs and reported on the survey web site, so try to get your ratings in
    for the latest episode within four days or so after it airs. But this
    will be an ongoing survey so there is no absolute deadline.


HELP WANTED

    And if that's not enough for you to participate in, we're currently
    looking for anyone who might be interested in helping to publish KC.
    Nancy is looking for people interested in supplying ratings for new
    episodes of both LOIS AND CLARK and SUPERMAN, the animated series.
    Art is looking for people interested in writing new comic reviews --
    there's a flood coming through the end of this year!  And finally,
    we've got openings for anyone interested in helping us edit reviews and
    articles, especially those from the LOIS AND CLARK portion of the
    e-zine.  If you're interested in reviewing or rating, contact Nancy
    (Nljfs@aol.com) for information on contributing to either the LOIS AND
    CLARK or SUPERMAN sections, Art (DrArt95@aol.com) for information on
    contributing to the new comic reviews and ratings, and/or Jeff
    (sykes@ms.uky.edu) for information about becoming an editor!


SUPERMAN REBORN CASTING INFO

    This just in!  E! Entertainment Television reports that it is now
    almost certain that Dean Cain will *not* play Superman in the upcoming
    Warner Brothers film.  They also report that Sandra Bullock's name may
    be being tossed around for the role of Lois Lane!

__________________________________________


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


THE START OF SOMETHING BIG

Well, it certainly hasn't been easy for these two has it?  But after what many
have called a too-long engagement, Clark Kent and Lois Lane are finally about
to cross the threshold of marriage.

And not just in one medium, either.  While we could argue until we're blue in
the face as to whether or not Time Warner has done the right thing in pushing
DC along, there's really no point.

I'll admit that I'm as disappointed as anyone that the comics wedding was
forced to be hurried along, but you know what?  It doesn't do me a lick of good
to sit around moping or despairing about what might have been.  It's certainly
not going to change anything, and it *could* be taken as an insult by the
creators who have been working their tails off for the past few months to make
this possible.  At the very least, we owe them enough respect and courtesy to
approach the event with an open mind, without pre-conceived judgments.

Instead, let's look ahead to what this can bring us.  For the first time in
history, we're going to have an extended period of in-continuity stories
involving the Man of Steel as a married man.  I'm not trying to start an
argument with Pre-Crisis fans here -- I *know* that Superman was married on
several occasions in the Pre-Crisis universe.  But I believe it's safe to say
that the current books are entering an entirely new realm here.

If DC carries it far enough, we could watch the children of Lois and Clark grow
up.  Imagine reading about Superman having to throw in parenting
responsibilities on top of his already hectic schedule.  Imagine Clark teaching
his son or daughter how to use his or her powers responsibly.  There are a
world of possibilities and original story ideas.  

For so long now, I've heard fans complain about how there are no original ideas
in super-hero comics anymore.  This is the perfect opportunity to shake things
up and bring Superman back to the forefront of the industry.  This could be the
spark that sets the creators on fire, taking the Man of Steel to never-before
seen heights!

Be a grouch if you want.  Whine and complain about how things shouldn't be
happening this way.  But in the end, you're just making yourself miserable.  I
prefer to be optimistic and enjoy myself!

The more I let the magnitude of this event sink in, the more excited I am about
the future of the Man of Steel!  Things are looking ... super!

See you at the reception!

Jeff Sykes
Editor

__________________________________________


                              UNCORK THE CHAMPAGNE
                     --------------------------------------
                     By Chip Chandler (chchand@pan-tex.net)


If you haven't heard by now about the wedding of Lois and Clark, then you've
probably been under a rock somewhere -- at the very least, you didn't read our
previous issue (for shame)!  While many fans remained skeptical until the early
word was verified, comic fans on the DCU-L internet mailing list reacted
generally positively to the announcement of Superman's wedding.

"I'm excited about the wedding.  It's a major event, on ... par with the death
of Superman, but better because a) it's a much more positive thing than death
(unless you listen to some wags out there), and b) because we know that (unlike
the death) this will not be undone inside of six months," posted list owner
Greg Sheets.

"I think it's about time!  They've pretty much done everything they can for a
"single" Superman (right now), so I think [marriage] is the natural next step,"
posted Jeremy Dennis.

Many fans saw the impending nuptials as a chance to return to what some termed
the "heart" of the titles.

"I'm glad it's finally happening.  The [S]uperman titles lost their heart
around the time Doomsday appeared, with good writing being replaced by cliches
and dialogue snipped from the show (which is largely why I finally dropped the
titles).  Maybe the wedding will spark a return to the pre-Doomsday rich
characterization," wrote Andy E. Nystrom.

Daniel McEwen agreed: "I read all the way through the Death of Superman, the
Reign of the Supermen, and Superman's subsequent resurrection.  To me it seemed
like it was then that Superman stopped being a guy who dressed up in a costume
and did good (John Byrne's version).  Instead, we got this virtual god who can
defy death ... which put too much focus on the 'Super' in Superman.  I admit to
often saying that I don't like reading Super-books because there are so many.
... However, if I felt time was given to focusing on the 'man', I might just
give it a try.  As it is, I'll probably read the Legion crossover in the
Superman books, as well as the Wedding issue.  If they're good, I might read
them again!"

Still other fans were concerned that the popularity of the television show LOIS
AND CLARK was dictating the direction of the comic book.

"I *hope* it will last.  If they break up again, I'll probably leave the books.
I must admit that I'm still in shock over this event ... but my only concern
is that this is a rush-job on DC's part in answer to the show's wedding," Jack
R. Grimes wrote.

"I do think that waiting to have the wedding until they got married on the show
was rather dumb; talk about the tail wagging the dog.  Still, I am glad that
Lois and Clark are getting married.  And I hope it lasts forever," agreed Scott
Steubing.

__________________________________________


                                  STEEL GOING
                       ---------------------------------
                       by Jeff Sykes  (sykes@ms.uky.edu)


Information and quotes from Christopher Priest secured by Chip Chandler.

As we've announced previously, STEEL is about to undergo some changes. 
August's issue #31 was the final issue for the team of Louise Simonson, Phil
Gosier, and Rich Faber.  Beginning with November's issue #34, Christopher
Priest (THE RAY, TOTAL JUSTICE) takes over the writing chores on STEEL, and he
will be joined by the new art team of Denys Cowan (HARDWARE) and Tom Palmer
(UNCANNY X-MEN).  Dave Johnson will become the new regular cover artist.

A feature on the upcoming changes recently appeared in PREVIEWS, and Priest has
discussed some of his plans for the character on the internet newsgroups.  Not
only will the creative team be changing, but so will much about the characters
in and the setting of the title.

The tone and overall direction will change dramatically, beginning with a
change of venue.  Dr. John Irons, reclaiming his long-absent degree title and
dropping the use of his middle name, and his niece Natasha relocate to Jersey
City, New Jersey, where Irons takes a position as head of Research and
Development for a major medical complex.

Rather than the villain-of-the-month, Steel will find himself up against an
endless array of urban crime, and he will constantly be trying to distinguish
himself from the Superman stereotype with which he's been tagged since his
early adventures in Metropolis.  He'll find that he must convince people that
he just doesn't have the powers of a Superman.  For example, in STEEL #36,
Steel is begged by a fireman to hold up a burning building until the building
can be cleared, a task Steel simply can't handle.

Steel's new adventures will also spill over into New York on occasion, as well
as other New England cities such as Philadelphia -- Priest still has a Ray
story to tell there.  These forays will lead to encounters with other heroes,
such as the aforementioned Ray and Jesse Quick.

Steel's appearance will also receive a face lift, as his armor will be
modified, and the "S" plate on his chest will return, albeit in a slightly
altered form.  Priest wanted to get rid of the hammer, but DC said no (maybe
something to do with the Shaquille O'Neal movie).  

Priest will also be changing Steel's powers, quickly packing away the
teleporting abilities that Steel's been developing for the past few years.  As
well, Priest mentioned that he felt Steel's armor used to "amp him," but that
his new suit would no longer do so.  He simply will not be as strong as he has
been in the past.  That's not what Priest feels the character is about:

    Irons is courageous because he's just a *guy* sticking his neck out.  He
    is *not* Iron Man.  He's a lot closer to ... no, was gonna say Batman,
    but Batman is driven by other things.  Irons is an altruist, like Kent.
    Exactly like Kent, I think.  He is a purer character, somebody who just
    wants to do what's right.  Regrettably, he now lives in Jersey City and
    the schmuch keeps his telephone listed (what would happen if you could
    just look up "Superman" in the white pages?).

    In as much as Superman is an alien who grew up here and wants to be more
    and more human, Irons is pretty much the end result of that goal.  He is
    pretty much who Superman wants to be.  And, on some levels, he is every
    bit as brave, if not more so, than Superman, because a simple systems
    failure could kill him.

    This is why we want to back away from the super-strength and the
    teleportation and all that.  We want to get to *the man*.

Priest and Cowan will also be introducing a lot of ironic humor, as Steel will
be "the only sane man in a world full of nuts."  Fans of THE QUESTION will
recognize Denys Cowan's "bottomless trick bag of urban mutants."  Vic Sage was
the only sane person in town, and Priest and company will be shooting for
exactly the same kind of tongue-in-cheek in this book.  Examples: In STEEL #34,
Steel saves a driver at the scene of an accident, only to have the driver pull
a gun and try to shoot him.  But the bullet ricochets off Steel's armor,
killing the driver/shooter, and then "all the rubbernecks pull guns, and it
just gets insane."  In issue #36, John stands in the rain in his Steel costume
and tries to hail a cab -- for three pages.

Priest will re-emphasize the fact that Natasha is still a teenager, and then
he'll compound that with her emerging sexuality and the onset of "natural
pubescent rebellion."  She will become "an extremely impulsive, self-centered,
streetwise smartass who is constantly driving Steel to drink."  This will often
throw a wrench into the normal course of events -- in issue #35, Nat and her
latest boyfriend try to steal John's car, only to end up trapped inside it for
six hours!  But John and Natasha's relationship, the love and respect for each
other which has been developed so well by Louise Simonson, will always prevail.
This is the series' emotional core.

STEEL remains an ongoing Miraweb format series edited by Frank Pittarese. 
Priest, Cowan, Palmer, and Johnson's debut issue is scheduled to arrive in
comic book stores on November 6, with a US cover price of $1.95.

__________________________________________

                         SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
                    ---------------------------------------


This issue, the Kryptonian Cybernet is excited to debut its coverage of the new
SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES.  We have put together a great team of reviewers
and editors.  The ratings panel is not too shabby either ;-)

For those of you that have not heard or watched the show yet, it is a 30-minute
animated action/adventure series showing on the KIDS' WB! TV network.  It
premiered September 6, 1996 with a 90 minute prime-time special and started
showing regular episodes the following day.

The regular cast includes:

Superman/Clark Kent  --  Tim Daly
Lois Lane            --  Dana Delany
Lex Luthor           --  Clancy Brown
Perry White          --  George Dzundza
Jimmy Olsen          --  David Kaufman
Angela Chen          --  Lauren Tom
Martha Kent          --  Shelley Fabares
Jonathan Kent        --  Mike Farrell
Bibbo                --  Brad Garrett


The producers are:

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:           PRODUCERS:
Jean MacCurdy                 Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Bruce Timm

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER:           STORY EDITORS:
Haven Alexander               Alan Burnett and Paul Dini


The regular writers and directors are:

WRITERS:
Hilary J. Bader, Stan Berkowitz, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Robert Goodman

ANIMATION DIRECTORS:           ART DIRECTOR:
Curt Geda and Dan Riba         Glen Murakami

MUSIC DIRECTOR/COMPOSER:       VOICE DIRECTOR:
Shirley Walker                 Andrea Romano


We wish the entire production team, crew and cast the best of luck on their
series and now, onto the reviews of the first 3 episodes!

nancy in chicago

__________________________________________


Ratings Panelists:

  CH: Curtis Herink         JS: Jimmy Stewart          NA: Nate Al-Haddad
  DH: Denes House           LF: Lee K. Fink            NO: Neil Ottenstein
  DS: Dick Sidbury          MD: Mark C. Dooley         SD: Scott Devarney

The first rating given after the average is that of the reviewer.  The average
rating given for a particular episode may correspond to a larger sample of
ratings than what is printed following the average.  Given airdates correspond
to the date of first US airing as regularly scheduled on the Warner Brothers
Television Network.

__________________________________________


                 Premiere: "Superman: The Last Son of Krypton"
                           (Episodes #1, #2, and #3)
             -----------------------------------------------------
               Reviewed by Neil Ottenstein (otten@gluon.umd.edu)


September 6, 1996
Written by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini
Directed by Curt Geda, Scott Jeralds, Dan Riba, and Bruce Timm

Guest-Starring: John Corben  --  Malcolm McDowell
                Sul-Van      --  Tony Jay
                Jor-El       --  Christopher McDonald
                Lara         --  Finola Hughes
                Brainiac     --  Corey Burton

RATINGS:

Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields

NO: 4.0 Shields
MD: 3.0 Shields - SUPERMAN has arrived.  Accept no substitutes.
LF: 4.0 Shields - A great beginning to the new series.  Clark's reaction to
        learning that he could fly was the best moment.  Superman isn't as
        powerful as we are used to, especially from animated series, but it
        gives a more exciting effect with him truly struggling.
CH: 3.0 Shields - Despite the fact that I spent half the episode vacillating
        between being bored by the re-telling of well-known incidents and
        upset by the changes being made to the traditional story (Sound
        contradictory?), a good start to the series.  I liked the new take
        on Brainiac.
DH: 3.5 Shields - Didn't really hang together as a movie.  I enjoyed the
        voice casting, and the Brainiac/Krypton connection.  The scene where
        he learns he can fly were outstanding.  The overall pacing was not
        smooth, so the movie dragged a lot.  Worst of all were the insipid
        cut-ins during commercial breaks.


Summary: 
Part 1: Jor-El collects what is for him conclusive data about the end of the
planet Krypton.  His father-in-law, Sul-Van, says that Jor-El has no supporters
and that his theories will only be given serious thought if Brainiac agrees. 
Brainiac is the self-aware super computer that was built to monitor all of
Krypton.  At the council meeting, Brainiac says that Jor-El is in error and
thus the meeting ends with Jor-El in disgrace.

Jor-El goes to Brainiac Operations to find out why Brainiac does not agree with
him.  It turns out that Brainiac does agree with Jor-El's theories, but doesn't
want to be put to work on an evacuation plan.  Meanwhile Brainiac is saving
itself by transferring its memory to one of the satellites it uses to monitor
Krypton.  In order to keep Jor-El from revealing this information, Brainiac
sends the police after Jor-El.

After a chase, Jor-El reaches his home and with Sul-Van's help he and his wife
Lara have the opportunity to send their son, Kal-El, to the planet Earth in a
rocket.  The rocket leaves just as Krypton is exploding.

Part 2: As Kal-El's rocket lands on Earth it passes over a road on which a
young couple, the Kents, are driving by.  They discover Kal-El and decide to
adopt him into their family and call him Clark.  The scene goes forward many
years later to Clark daydreaming in class about flying.  After class he tells
his friend Lana Lang that he has been feeling weird of late.  He has been
hearing things from far away and seeing things through walls.  He then hears
the sound of screeching tires and realizes there is going to be an accident. 
He runs off to help the family in the crashed vehicle, walking through fire to
save their little girl and is not even burned.  When talking with his father
later he demonstrates that he can now bend steel and can heat it with his
vision.

His parents realize now is the time to show him the spacecraft in which he came
to Earth.  They give him an item they found in the rocket which turns out to
contain a message to him from his dead parents.  They tell him he is the sole
survivor of the planet Krypton, that he draws his abilities from Earth's yellow
sun, and warn him not to use his powers in anger.  Clark runs away distraught
over these revelations.  While running, he leaps over a canyon and soon
discovers that he can fly.  With the ability of flight that he had been
daydreaming about, he accepts his powers.

Part 3: All the news has been buzzing about a "guardian angel" that has come to
Metropolis, helping people here and there.  Lois Lane, of the Daily Planet, is
skeptical about it and is very upset that her gun smuggling story has been
forced off the lead headline for this nonsense.  She is then introduced to
Clark Kent, who is joining the staff there.  She does not want to associate
with someone from Smallville, Kansas, and instead of taking him under wing, she
succeeds in losing him at the first opportunity.

To Lois' surprise, Clark is already at Lexcorp Laboratories when she arrives. 
There the Lexo-Skel 5000 military defense battle suit is demonstrated. 
Terrorists manage to crash the party and leave with the suit.  Clark manages to
change into Superman and saves Lois from a falling beam.  He battles the
terrorists in the sky, but has to let them get away with the suit when a
passenger airplane is put in danger.  Superman struggles, but manages to help
the plane land safely.  Clark has a discussion with his parents who have saved
newspaper clippings for a time knowing that whenever there is some unexplained
"guardian angel" it must be their son.

Clark and Lois interview Lex Luthor, and Clark poses a theory that Lex's losing
the suit might actually provide him with some new business.  He and Lois do
some research on the terrorists, and he tells her that he believes the
terrorists were from Kaznia -- and that Lex essentially gave them the suit (He
could not legally sell it to them because the US does not currently have
friendly relations with the country).  Lex has been seen associating with the
Kaznian government at previous times.  Lois realizes from her gun-smuggling
story that there was a Kaznian ship at the docks.  John Corben, a special
attache to Kaznia, lets her onboard their ship.  She accidentally sees the
Lexo-Skel and is taken captive.  Meanwhile, Clark sees the Kaznian tanker in a
photo Jimmy Olsen shot for Lois.  Superman arrives just as Corben is about to
kill Lois.  He frees Lois and flies her to safety and has a long battle
ultimately defeating Corben in the suit.

Luthor cannot get the money promised for the suit as it has been destroyed in
the battle.  Superman arrives outside his window and just stares at Luthor. 
Luthor tells him that he owns Metropolis and tries to tempt him into his
service.  Superman refuses and says he would be watching him.

Final tag: The Brainiac satellite is found by an alien spacecraft.  Brainiac
kills the crew and continues on its journey.

This premiere movie of the new animated series was very good, but did not
instill me with the same kind of excitement that I felt when watching the
premiere of LOIS AND CLARK.  One drawback that it had was way too many action
scenes instead of more character development.  Still there was a lot of fun in
the episode and lots of little bits here and there to delight anyone who has
seen the Superman origin in many of its forms.  I have already seen
advertisements for the movie for sale at various video stores, so if you did
miss it, you can easily pick it up.

Many of the nice bits that I liked:

Part 1: the new origin for Brainiac; Jor-El's conversations with Brainiac; the
mention of Argos and that Kal had a white puppy; Jor-El's plan to put people in
the Phantom Zone -- is the means to get them out on the ship?  Will we see the
criminals in a future episode?; the declaration "Great Rao"; Jor-El lands with
a roll on the ground after his escape from Brainiac Operations -- it takes some
thought to do that instead of just feet first; crash bags in those vehicles --
a good attention to detail; green parts of the planet following the rocket into
hyperspace -- thus we will see Kryptonite.

Part 2: the rocket actually lands and doesn't crash; the verbal segue from
picking the name Clark to Clark being called on in class -- similar to what is
often used in the comics; Pete Ross and Lana Lang in Smallville; Clark takes
off his backpack before going to rescue the people in the fiery crash; the "S"
symbol lining up on the message device from Jor-El and Lara; a nice segue to
part 3 in Metropolis.

Part 3: Lois' first meeting with Clark is quite similar to their interaction at
the beginning of LOIS AND CLARK; Perry White's referring to "the great and
benevolent Lex" -- he knows Lex isn't all that he seems; Jimmy Olsen starting
out as a copy boy, "but really a photographer"; Jimmy being used by Lois "all
the time"; Clark saying "I just flew" to Lexcorp Laboratories; the mime falling
down from the close encounter with the plane; Lois saying "nice S" seeing the
photo of Superman flying; Ma Kent referring to "that nut in Gotham City" (there
is supposed to be a crossover in the future, but maybe not this season); the
cityscape of Metropolis; the photo segue of the Kaznian flag -- a technique I
always liked in the Fleischer cartoons; Bibbo appearing and a reference to
Police Commissioner Henderson; Bibbo spending the phone money on a "soder;"
Superman's quiet encounter with Lex Luthor; the tag ending the movie with
Brainiac, just in case anyone doubted that Brainiac was going to turn into a
future villain.

As the above testifies, there are a lot of things I liked about the premiere
movie, but as mentioned before, there were things I didn't care for as much.  I
have high hopes that we will be getting some great episodes in the future.

__________________________________________


                          Episode #4: "Fun and Games"
             -----------------------------------------------------
               Reviewed by Scott Devarney  (devarney@ll.mit.edu)


September 7, 1996
Written by Robert N. Skir and Marty Isenberg
Directed by Kazuhide Tonomaga

Guest-Starring: The Toyman         --  Bud Cort
                Bruno Mannheim     --  Bruce Weitz
                "Spider" Spinelli  --  Joe Nipote
                Cop                --  Kevin Richarson
                Electrician        --  Joe Lala

RATINGS:

Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields

SD: 3.9 Shields
NA: 2.7 Shields - I just can't take the Toyman seriously.  He's like the
        Penguin.  Otherwise, it was a good script.
LF: 3.8 Shields - A pretty good follow up to the premiere.  The professional
        rivalry between Lois and Clark is beginning to show up.  But Lois
        "saving" Clark from the toy planes shows that she must care.
NO: 3.0 Shields - Several unacceptable plot points: Mannheim's men being
        locked in; the bouncing thing should have hit a window; we should
        have seen someone remote controlling the toy planes; where did the
        Toyman get the money for his toys - that giant duck at the least
        should have been very expensive?  On the other hand, the Toyman's
        origin was nicely done.
DS: 4.5 Shields - A good start to the regular series.  Lois is feisty.  Clark
        is smooth and less of a wimp than he was in very old comic books.
        The Toyman is a credible villain.


The story opens with a gunfight between some armored car thieves and the
Metropolis police.  After eluding the police, the crooks are holed up in a
warehouse when someone dressed as a ventriloquist's dummy emerges from the
shadows, demanding that they take a message to their boss, Bruno Mannheim. 
"The Toyman is calling time out on his little games."  He then drops a ball
which starts bouncing with increasing velocity until it smashes whatever it
touches.  Superman, hearing the crooks' cries for help, arrives, crushes the
deadly ball, and delivers the armored car with the thieves inside to the
police.

Later, Lois and Jimmy meet Clark at a rehearsal for the dedication of Mannheim
Park.  Lois asks Mannheim for his reaction to the armored car heist and the
Toyman.  Mannheim feigns ignorance and declares that he is a legitimate
businessman. Armed toy airplanes start shooting at Mannheim and the reporters,
wrecking the ceremony preparations.  Just as the planes have Mannheim cornered,
Clark uses his heat vision to destroy the planes.  Back at the Daily Planet,
Lois gloatingly shows her story to Clark; it includes a psychological profile
on the Toyman.  The scene shifts to the ventriloquist's dummy, revealed as the
Toyman, reading the article and getting angry.

On a boat in the harbor, Mannheim is reading the riot act to his henchmen for
not protecting him in the park when a giant toy duck rises out of the water and
begins attacking the yacht.  Superman shows up to tackle the duck.  Mannheim
escapes but runs into Toyman, who incapacitates him with gas-filled soap
bubbles.  Superman finishes off the duck and begins searching for Mannheim, but
only finds his gun and Toyman's bubble wand.

Meanwhile, Lois opens her apartment door and picks up a package containing a
fairy doll.  The doll puts Lois to sleep and she awakens dressed as a doll in
the Toyman's lair.  The scene shifts to Clark and Jimmy at the Daily Planet
discussing the missing Lois.  Then the scenes cut between Clark and Jimmy using
Clark's office computer and Toyman showing Lois a pop-up book; between the two
scenes, Toyman's origin is revealed.  A toymaker, Winslow Schott, needed
capital to build a toy factory.  Bruno Mannheim provided the money in exchange
for using the factory as front for a numbers racket.  Schott and Mannheim were
both suspects but only Schott was arrested and convicted.  Schott died in
prison but was survived by a son who wants revenge.

Toyman leads Lois to Mannheim, who is in a striped prison uniform and strung up
like a marionette in front of a firing squad of life-sized toy soldiers.  Lois
knocks down the soldiers, spoiling their aim.  As Toyman grabs one of the guns,
Superman flies down and disarms him.  Toyman throws some "Dopey Dough" onto
Superman; it starts growing and threatening to engulf the Man of Steel.  To
remove the slime, Superman starts spinning like a tornado, creating enough
centrifugal force to splatter the slime.  Toyman then drops hundreds of ticking
bombs that cover Superman, Mannheim, and Lois.  Superman flies Lois and
Mannheim to safety as the bombs explode, destroying Toyman's lair.

Outside the building, Lois is discussing the case with Clark.  Mannheim opines
that Toyman was a freak and declares that he will be skipping Toyman's funeral.
An officer arrives stating that no body was found and displays Toyman's
cracked mask.

Overall this was a very good beginning to the series.  The threats that
Superman had to contend with were worthy of his super powers and exciting to
watch. The Toyman was weird; even with his dangerous actions, it was tough to
feel menace when he was onscreen but this worked for his character.  The Toyman
should be an underrated villain.  Bruno Mannheim was intriguing and definitely
worthy of a return appearance.  Although his role was as a victim rather than a
criminal mastermind, he showed potential as a villain through the voice
mannerisms of the excellent Bruce Weitz.

Superman was depicted as somewhat aloof, rarely speaking when in costume, yet
always appearing in the nick of time.  As Clark Kent, he was shown to be gutsy,
trying to shield Mannheim from the attacking planes in the park.  Clark's
relationship to Lois is that of a friendly rivalry instead of a potential
romance.  Lois kids Clark, calling him Smallville, and brags about her story on
the Toyman, yet she shows that she is fond of Clark by trying to save him at
the park and by discussing her feelings about the Toyman with him at the end. 
One characterization that crossed over from LOIS AND CLARK is that of Jimmy as
a computer wizard.  He shows Clark how to cross-reference information from his
computer to discover the Toyman's origin.

The plot clearly focused more on action than on characterization.  It set the
tone from the beginning as being more adventure-driven than character-driven. 
The fast-paced story was presented well, but I do have two gripes.  First, Lois
is captured because of a doll delivered to her door in an unmarked package. 
She knew that there was a nutcase on the loose using toys as weapons yet she
still removes the doll from the package instead of just leaving it and getting
away from it.  Hello, anybody home??  Hopefully this does not indicate that
Lois' sole purpose will be as a hostage for Superman to rescue.  The second
gripe is that there is no explanation as to how Superman found Toyman's
hideout.  It is never specifically stated where the hideout is, although the
toy factory mentioned in Toyman's origin would be a logical assumption.  A
quick mention from Clark that he is going to check out the factory would have
cleared this up.

The art was wonderful.  The artists achieved the look of the Fleischer cartoons
updated for the nineties.  Superman looked especially heroic and Lois looked
lovely.  A great job.

All in all, an auspicious start.  The future looks very bright for this latest
incarnation of Superman.

__________________________________________


                      Episode #5: "A Little Piece of Home"
             ------------------------------------------------------
               Reviewed by Mark C. Dooley  (mdool00@dns.cpbx.net)


September 14, 1996
Written by Hilary J. Bader
Directed by Toshihiko Masuda

Guest-Starring: Joey            --  Tom Wilson
                Prof. Peterson  --  John Rubinstein
                Hanes           --  John Garry
                Sam             --  Scott Valentine
                Mercy Graves    --  Lisa Edelstein
                Prof. Hamilton  --  Victor Brandt
                Tour Guide      --  Tress MacNeille
                Security Guard  --  Yuji Okomoto

RATINGS:

Average: 4.0/5.0 Shields

MD: 4.5 Shields
SD: 4.5 Shields - This version of Lex Luthor is proving to be every bit as
        ruthless and devious as the man we've grown to love and hate from the
        comics.  Clancy Brown's portrayal of Luthor is almost as good as John
        Shea's portrayal in LOIS AND CLARK.  Plus, Lois saves the day instead
        of just needing rescuing.  The reason for her being in trouble was
        very logical.
CH: 3.6 Shields - A great mix: Luther, Luther's female aide (following John
        Byrne's approach), Kryptonite, Prof. Hamilton, STAR Labs, and more.
        Will Lois' basketball skills show up in later episodes?
DH: 4.1 Shields - A solid episode, highlighted by some sparkling animation
        and a terrific background score.  Luthor was evil to the hilt, and
        the welcome addition of "Mercy Graves," his henchwoman, was a
        delight.  Unfortunately, Kryptonite seems as though it will be more
        plentiful in this Universe than in the comics or on LOIS AND CLARK.
JS: 3.5 Shields - Just when Superman thought it was safe to go outside -- 
        Kryptonite!  It would be nice if the creators in the different media
        could agree how badly Green K hurts Superman.  Also, another
        Superman/Luthor confrontation.  I wonder if the dinosaur exhibit at
        the Smithsonian is joystick-controlled like Luthor's?


The series really pulls into high gear with this episode as Kryptonite, the
greatest threat to the Man of Steel, is introduced into the series, and some
new supporting players become part of the Superman family.

Originally, Kryptonite was conceived as an excuse for Bud Collyer to take a
vacation from the 1940's SUPERMAN radio series (while his pals Batman and Robin
scoured Metropolis for two weeks in search of Superman, the bad guys had him
trapped in a closet with the stuff, so all that was needed was the sound of
someone groaning).  Since then, the fictional artifact has become a vital part
of the Superman mythology, and has appeared in nearly every aspect of
Superman's media career, including TV, cartoons, and films.

The problem in reintroducing it into the cartoon series is the same problem
almost every aspect of the show will have in modifying Superman for a 1990's
Saturday morning show: without violating the spirit of the concept, bring a
fresh new approach to everything.  Without doubt, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and
Alan Burnett are succeeding wildly on all levels.

Two new characters are introduced into the show who will undoubtedly be making
Superman's life interesting for both good and bad.  Professor Emil Hamilton,
Superman's scientific advisor from the comics, has been brought in, and
Luthor's bodyguard/chauffeur/hitman Mercy Graves makes her first appearance. 
As with her counterpart in Gotham City, Harley Quinn, she is a reflection of
her boss: all business ... deadly business.

To be honest, while the animation on this show is light years away from the
first SUPERMAN TV cartoon effort by Filmation back in the mid-60's, I get the
same thrill from this show that I got then ... the powerful image of Superman
soaring through the air, hurling into danger, appearing absolutely unstoppable.
And there was even a bit of nostalgia in the second act of the episode during
the pursuit of the rocket thieves; the music switches from the blood and
thunder of the Shirley Walker theme to a jazz riff VERY reminiscent of the
Filmation music (which I still occasionally find myself humming every now and
then).

Without doubt, as the weeks roll on, we're finally getting to see Superman at
his finest outside of comics.  Oh, what fun....

__________________________________________

                    "I'VE ALREADY BOUGHT STOCK IN POLYBAGS!"
                    ----------------------------------------
                          By Zoomway (Zoomway@aol.com)


That shouted whine from Mxyzptlk was one of many humorous allusions to the
busted engagement and thus the non-wedding of Lois and Clark in the comics. 
MAN OF STEEL #56 was one of the best post-breakup issues put out by DC Comics. 
For the comic book uninitiated, a 'polybag' is a plastic protective sleeve in
which comic collectors put their treasured books, and a wedding issue of Lois
and Clark would certainly be a treasured book.  Little old Mxyzptlk was
throwing a fit because Lois had broken off her engagement to Clark Kent.

This whole issue seemed to be taking some digs at the television series for
their role in keeping the wedding from happening.  It's apparent by recent
events that DC Comics has had a wedding ready to fly for some time, and then,
apparently with little warning, the plug was pulled.  The how, why, and when I
won't even speculate on, just that the comics were not only ready the moment
the television series announced that Lois and Clark would get married this
October, they also had backup storylines and issues all ready to go if the
wedding were further delayed.  This simply points to a comic book marking time
... waiting.  Instead of crying over spilt ink, let's take a look at how the
romance progressed on both the comics and the TV series.

Lois and Clark had a strong and sometimes nasty rivalry going in the comics. 
Lois' resentment started when Clark got the exclusive on Superman after she
nearly killed herself trying to get the story.  This resentment almost turned
to contempt when the Kents, in an effort to protect Clark's identity, told Lois
that they had raised Superman and Clark as brothers.  Lois then felt that both
men had played her for a fool.  Lois now believed Clark received preferential
treatment from his "brother".  Time healing all wounds, wounding all heels, and
absence making the heart grow fonder, Lois began to warm up to Clark.  It was
slow, and subtle at first, but in SUPERMAN #43, the famous "bury the hatchet"
hug took place.

Clark, not wanting to blow this first step, invited Lois to talk things over
during dinner, and so Lois and Clark's first date was set.  Clark, increasing
the pace, said that they should take chances, and when Lois asked "Chances like
what?"  Clark replied, "Like this." and gave her a passionate kiss even before
the souffle was cool.  From that point on, Lois and Clark were an item.  Though
there were some dings and bruises along the way -- like Clark telling Lana
about his relationship with Lois, and she not taking the news very well; like
Lois noticing that Superman was becoming judgmental of her reckless behavior;
and like Clark losing his powers -- the relationship managed to prosper anyway,
and led to the proposal in SUPERMAN #50.

Surprising most readers, Lois said yes to Clark in the same issue, instead of
dragging things out.  A few issues down the line, Clark told Lois he was
Superman.  The truth out, the engagement on, Lois and Clark were working
together in the comics as a real team for the first time with Lois in on the
Superman secret.  With the breakneck speed the comics were approaching the
romance and engagement, it was speculated that the couple would get married in
SUPERMAN #75, and then perhaps have a blessed event in SUPERMAN #100. However,
Superman died in #75 (some wags dubbing this the "better dead than wed" issue).
Mike Carlin, the big cheese with the Superman titles at the time, confessed in
HERO ILLUSTRATED that Superman had been killed off in an effort to give the
couple on the TV series LOIS AND CLARK (which had yet to even debut) a chance
to catch up.

Well, we all know that it took a long, long time for LOIS AND CLARK to catch
up.  This left the comics little option but to hit the couple with one event
after another, and each event designed so that it would seem inappropriate for
Lois and Clark to get married.  The comics began to see some light at the end
of the tunnel with the proposal in the series at the end of 2nd season.  The
light got brighter when the engagement happened for real.  Then, and for
reasons that may never be satisfactorily explained, the plug was pulled and the
tunnel was darker than ever.  This is my cue to switch to the romantic timeline
of the television series.

Lois and Clark were rarely *rivals* on the show, nasty or otherwise.  There was
a brief flirtation with it here or there, but the chemistry being so strong
between the lead characters, separating them for extended periods weakened the
stories.  So it was decided they would be partners.  Lois resented this
situation at first, but things began to change about the time of "Green, Green
Glow of Home".  Before this episode, Lois was still prone to ditch Clark
whenever convenient and viewed Clark as someone to *use*.  After their
friendship became genuine, another and subtle event happened, Clark began to
warm up to Superman.

Now that might sound odd, but in earlier episodes, Clark was often saying
things about Superman that weren't terribly complimentary, and that mainly
because Clark was down on himself.  That is, in "Neverending Battle", Clark was
upset that he couldn't be everywhere and save everyone, and wondered aloud, and
quite sourly, "What good is he [Superman]?"  This caused Lois to stand up for
Superman.  This pattern happened often, and Clark was completely blind to the
fact that Lois's love for Superman made her stand up for the Man of Steel every
time he was in trouble, or being "bad mouthed".  This would also cause a bad
mark in Lois' book regarding Clark because his put downs of Superman just
sounded like jealousy or sour grapes.  Then, in "All Shook Up", when Clark had
no memory of being Superman, he was actually amenable towards his alter ego. 
The telling episode in this vein was "Vat Man".  There were literally two
Supermen, and Clark seemed to show great concern for Superman for the first
time.  This did not go unnoticed by Lois.  It brought them closer and to a
mutually comfortable place.  Clark was now able to laugh when Lois brought up
her affection for Superman.  Then, like an ill wind, Lex Luthor entered the
romance Olympics with Lois, and all good works and strides between Lois and
Clark were put asunder.

With the fiasco of Lois almost marrying Lex, and Clark prematurely confessing
his love for Lois and then later taking it all back, the couple went back to
square one as just good pals at the end of the first season.  It looked bleak
for any advancement in the romance department in 2nd season when ABC wrongly
thought that Superman action would attract a larger male audience.  It didn't
work of course, given that most grown men don't sit through the POWER RANGERS
either, but LOIS AND CLARK had to pay the price, and almost suffer cancellation
due to ABC's stereotype.  Even in this dark time though, there were some tiny
advances.  Lois and Clark held hands and listened to carolers in "Season's
Greedings", Lois compared all of Superman's positive qualities to Clark in
"Metallo", and then the big step happened.

LOIS AND CLARK, losing more and more ground in the ratings, caused ABC to
relent and give romance a try, because they now had nothing to lose.  The
switch worked, and with "The Phoenix", and Clark boldly, though nervously,
asking Lois out on a date, their romance had its start.  It did not go smoothly
since Clark had this rather large secret still unspoken, and this secret caused
the lion's share of their problems.  Most viewers knew it was time for Clark to
fess up if he ever hoped to have a true romance with Lois, but, reenter
clueless ABC.  They felt that Lois being in on the secret would ruin the show
(there truthfully is no end to the network's stupidity).  So LOIS AND CLARK
ended 2nd season with Clark proposing rather than a revelation.

Over the summer, and a few thousand letters later, ABC relented ... again ...
and decided to let Lois in on Clark's secret.  This was an incredible boost to
the show.  It was a lot of fun seeing Lois helping Clark for a change and the
two of them working together (as with the comics), having Lois in on the
secret.  Again, all was not smooth sailing: Clark broke off the relationship
"for Lois's own good" when he felt her association with him put her too much at
risk, Lois refused to let Clark off the hook when he wanted to reconcile, and a
batch of nightmares and daydreams caused by not talking about the "M" word. 
However, with all the roadblocks and speed bumps, Lois and Clark finally become
engaged in episode #7, "Ultra Woman".

>From this point on, they worked towards their wedding day.  Even with mishaps
here and there -- hey, it is Metropolis after all -- the big day arrived on
February 11th.  Well, we all know what happened from this point forward.  Clark
married a frog-eating clone, the clone died, Lois became Wanda Detroit, lost
her memory, fell in love with her unethical therapist, and then, when viewers
were beyond caring, got her memory back, and got back together with Clark.  No
new wedding date was set and the five previous episodes were treated as if they
had not happened.  Would that it were true.  At this point DC Comics was
probably yanking out its hair, throwing darts at LOIS AND CLARK posters, and
painting the ABC logo in bus station urinals.

Forgetting the non-wedding disaster (yes, I was hit by a rock and can't
remember a thing), the depiction of Lois and Clark's romance and engagement can
now be compared in the two mediums.  Clark in both the comics and the TV series
took the big step and finally asked Lois out.  In the comics, things went
smoothly after that, but in the series, Clark's unscheduled disappearances
became a wedge between them; this was never an issue in the comics.  Also, both
Clarks proposed without telling Lois the secret first.  Where they differ after
this is that Lois in the comics had to be told the truth by Clark, but the Lois
on the series figured it out.  Now for just a dash of controversy to finish the
article out.  In the series, Clark confesses to Lois that he's a virgin.  Is
the same true of the Clark in the comics?

I ask this, because it is often argued in comic forums.  I must confess that
the majority of readers believe that Clark was not a virgin before he fell in
love with Lois, and that once he and Lois became serious, they also became
lovers.  The body of circumstantial evidence does seem to point to them having
an intimate relationship, and Clark is even referred to as Lois' lover in one
issue.  However, it is still just that, *circumstantial*.  They, like their TV
counterparts, will be having a honeymoon in October, and it will be interesting
to see if this is a subject that is even broached.

It's been suggested that Clark on the TV series was made a virgin due to the
hour the show airs.  This I don't believe for a moment.  If a concession to the
hour were being made, they would have left the subject as ambiguous as it had
been up to that episode.  Not to mention they made no secret of the fact that
Lois was *not* a virgin.  If there were a *stunt* associated with Clark's
virginity, it would likely be one in the area of a great marketing ploy.  How
much does a honeymoon really mean if the two of them have already been
intimate?  With Clark being a virgin, the interest in him losing his "patience"
with Lois becomes intense.  Not to mention that any conversation afterward will
be his first impressions, feelings etc., and thus not out of place as they
would have been had Lois and Clark been intimate before the honeymoon.

Next month, hopefully, I'll have a comparison of both weddings in addition to
an overview of the premiere.

__________________________________________


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


                 KC Responses are indented and begun with ****

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

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

In regards to the polybagging of the August comics:

My first reaction to what you're saying is "right on!"  Not only did I have to
mess with opening all those cheesy polybags on the "Super" books, but on some
of the Bat ones and other DCs, and I got tired of doing it very quickly. 
(Matter-a-fact, a good motivation for buying the more expensive BATMAN
Collectors Edition that month, besides the fancy cover, was that it did NOT
come polybagged with the magazine while the Standard Edition DID!)

**** Hmmm...  Makes you wonder, doesn't it? :)

However, the way you phrased this made me reconsider.  If you had cut off what
you said at "special or collectible," I wouldn't have thought of it.  You point
out that this item polybagged with the comics is an "advertising supplement." 
That's what it is, all ads.  You know what ads do, don't you?  They generate
money.  One of the repeated solutions for either lowering comic book prices or
preventing them from rising is putting more ads in them.  Not stock ads from
the publisher hocking their other books, but real, revenue generating, ads. 
This is a valid solution. When you see a comic announce on the cover, "No
Ads!", you'd better believe that you are paying for it!  I know you (and I)
hate to lose story pages for ads, but if it will either lower the monthly cost
of a comic a quarter or prevent it from going up, I can live with it.

**** I collect the comics that I read.  This means that I am very careful
     about how I handle them, and I make certain they are well protected once
     I'm done with them -- note that I DO NOT SPECULATE!  The polybags greatly
     increase the risk of damage to the comic, as it is not a simple chore to
     remove them from the bag.

     I'd actually prefer that they increase the number of pages, and print
     the ads on the interior.  Perhaps a solution here is to reduce the number
     of in-house ads, and convert that space to paying advertising.  

(You point out in another section of your remarks about how expensive it is to
buy all the "Super" books.  Those great "prestige" books NEVER have any
interior ads and look at the prices--$4.95, $5.95, sometimes $6.95 and more.  I
agree their quality (paper, painted artwork) is higher, so they should be a
little more expensive than the average book, but come on!)

**** Keep in mind that the prestige format books are all at least 48 pages
     with no ads.  This means that there are more than twice as many story
     pages than the regular $1.95 comics.  Tack on the square-bound cover for
     the additional $1.00, and the price is reasonable in comparison.  My
     complaint with the prestige format books is that since they are both
     special *and* expensive, they should be treats -- DC shouldn't use the
     format as often as they currently are.

You will notice that the books with the "advertising supplement" weren't any
cheaper than normal.  I'm sure that's partly because no one-time advertising
promotion will make enough revenue to lower the entire line.  On the other
hand, Marvel said somewhere recently (I think in their MARVEL VISION magazine)
that the reason they dropped the "slick" paper from most of their comics was
that the rising cost of paper would have forced them to raise their cover
prices even higher than $1.95 a book!  I grumble because on the "X" books and
"Spider" books they kept their prices $1.95 for standard paper and added extra
pages of their own ads instead of dropping them to $1.50 like INCREDIBLE HULK,
PUNISHER, and SILVER SURFER.  However, if this is genuinely a move to prevent
the prices from going up higher, I support it.

**** <g> Since I only read two books from Marvel, I can't really complain much
     about their practices.  I *do* think that if they were *really* trying to
     keep the cost down, they would not have used the additional pages for
     intra-company hype and in-house ads.

(There is NO reason for big companies like DC and Marvel to have books with
cover prices over $1.95, with the possible exception of their smaller, more
selective, imprints like Vertigo and Helix.  Why are we having to pay $2.25 for
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, LEGIONNAIRES, GREEN ARROW, or HITMAN?  What are we
getting for $2.25 that we don't get in SUPERMAN and BATMAN for $1.95?  Here's
an example--Recently DC did a four part crossover with GREEN LANTERN and GREEN
ARROW, titled "Hard Traveling Heroes: The Next Generation."  It was a cool
story.  I enjoyed the $1.75 GREEN LANTERN issues just as much as the $2.25
GREEN ARROW issues.  What's wrong with this picture?)

**** Oooh!  I actually know this one!  The Legion folks have indicated that
     the reason they have a higher price is because there's lower demand.
     Keep in mind that when the demand for a product is lower, the price tends
     to increase.  The $2.25 books at DC are generally priced that way so that
     they can continue to be published.  I imagine that if the Legion becomes
     more popular as a result of the 20th Century story line, the books
     *could* receive a price drop.

Anyway, after rambling all over the place for awhile, my point is this. 
Annoying though they are, if "advertising promotions" such as the Ralph Lauren
magazines recently polybagged with most of the DC books can keep the cover
prices down, I'm all for them.  I haven't seen any sign of DC dropping the
"slick" paper any time soon on their major characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder
Woman).  Chances are, they'll have to deal with the "rising cost of paper"
again sometime soon.  I just hope they find some way of dealing with it without
raising the cost of comics again.  If they do, I'll have to seriously rethink
all these comics at $2.25 a pop.

**** I tend to believe the "rising cost of paper" argument.  The fact that
     *everything* printed on paper (books, comics, newspapers, etc.) is going
     up in price backs up the claim.  Hopefully, the Justice Department
     investigation into these rising costs will result in some sort of
     alleviation.

One last aside here.  How come the animated comics (SUPERMAN ADVENTURES, BATMAN
& ROBIN ADVENTURES) are the only Superman and Batman titles not on the slick
paper when their animated style would benefit from the bright colors a whole
lot more than the standard Superman and Batman books?  I mean, come on, Batman
works at night.  I think a lot of black looks just as good on regular paper as
it does on slick paper.  Want an example of what I mean?  Go out and read the
BATMAN: MAD LOVE one-shot if you haven't already.  It looks great on the slick
paper.

**** I don't know the actual reasons, but I can guess.  I would think the
     cheapest format DC offers would tend to bring in a greater number of
     non-comic readers.  At the very least, it saves us each twenty cents a
     month pre book! :)

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

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

In regards to Denes House's Review of SUPERMAN/DOOMSDAY: HUNTER PREY:

Let me begin by stating right away that I have always been a fan of both 
Jurgens' and Breeding's work for the very same reasons that Denes House seems
to be opposed to it:  it's a comic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                      it's not meant to be realistic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                      it's supposed to be over the top!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's review the basic premise: An alien from another planet arrives on Earth
as a baby, is adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife who (surprise, surprise)
DON'T TELL ANYONE.  Aforementioned alien develops super-powers (I mean, the man
shoots heat rays from his eyes for God's sake) and becomes mankind's greatest
hero.

After fighting maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaany battles with maaaaaaany weirdos he is
killed by a seven foot tall monster with bones growing out of his nostrils and
ears.  He is then resurrected (hello?) and later re-fights the monster with the
help of a spiritual computer/deity and a man who co-exists in umpteen bazillion
different time-lines.

Stop me where I missed the part which the aforementioned scenario was not meant
to be fantasy.

We all love Superman because he is completely over the top and we have fun
debating plot points and tie-ins and continuity issues because we try to make
sense out of our hero's bizarre and marvelous adventures.  But let's try to
remember that Superman is fantasy.  He's not, as are many other comic titles,
grim, gritty, dark, malevolent.  He's not meant to represent anything serious.
If he is then I'm definitely missing the point here.

**** Well, I was with you until here.  I *do* think that Superman represents
     something serious.  I've always been one to identify with the altruistic
     nature of the Man of Steel.  I believe that even though he's an alien,
     Kal-El is supposed to represent as close to the best in mankind as
     possible.

A comic is comical, the art is just that little bit left of realistic (although
let's be honest, Bog & Janke do get a little carried away on this one) and
surely it's meant to be.

**** Yeah, Bog and Janke sometimes get carried away with the lack of realism,
     but you gotta admit that it *really* works on occasion -- case in point,
     MAN OF STEEL #56 with Mxyzptlk!

I'll give SD:HP a 4/5 or higher.

Why?

'cause it's fun... simple as that.

**** I think you'll find that for most of us, you're preaching to the choir.
     Unless my memory is horrendous, HUNTER/PREY received very high marks from
     most readers.  However, *everyone* is entitled to their opinion, and I
     can understand why some people wouldn't have liked the series.

     In general, I'll argue plot points and botched continuity, but I try not
     to get into arguing taste, and that's what this comes down to.  You liked
     the series, and Denes didn't.  It's not likely that either of you are
     going to convince the other to change his mind, but everyone is certainly
     entitled to explain why they disagree.  Just because our reviewers are
     printed doesn't make them the absolute last word -- if (any of) you ever
     disagree, and feel like a dissenting opinion needs to be heard, don't
     hesitate to write us, as Steve has done!
                                                    -- Jeff Sykes

__________________________________________

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


Ratings Panelists:

  AL: Art LaMarche            JS: Jeff Sykes          PS: Patrick Stout
  AW: Anatole Wilson          KM: Ken McKee           RG: Rene' Gobeyn
  DS: Dick Sidbury            MC: Matt Combes         VV: Vic Vitek
  JG: Jack Grimes                                     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:
    Colors:           Glenn Whitmore
    Separations:      Digital Chameleon
    Associate Editor: Mike McAvennie
    Editor:           Joey Cavalieri


42. SUPERMAN #117, "Sanctuary"
    A FINAL NIGHT Tie-in
    Writer:   Dan Jurgens
    Art:      Ron Frenz and Joe Rubinstein
    Letters:  John Costanza
    Cover:    Ron Frenz, Joe Rubinstein, and Patrick Martin
    November 1996
    $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN


RATINGS:

Average: 3.25/5.0 Shields

SF: Story: 3.0 Shields
    Art:   4.0 Shields
MC: 3.5 Shields - Loved the cover -- it was a small, albeit nice, change.  
        However, I have a bone to pick with the Superman team over introducing  
        Dick Armstrong as some kind of Nazi-conservative parody of Rush  
        Limbaugh.  I've talked to Dan Jurgens, who says they plan to introduce  
        him more into the Superman titles and "flesh him out" a bit.  I have  
        no idea if that'll be good or bad, but the portrayal in this issue  
        didn't thrill me any. The rest of the issue was great, though.
JG: 2.5 Shields - Didn't live up to the quality of last week's MOS #61.
DS: 3.5 Shields - The cover was so strange that if it hadn't been on my pull
        list I might have skipped the issue.  The danger to Superman in the  
        fortress never seemed credible to me.  Someone needs to give Franklin  
        Stern a good talking to.
VV: 3.0 Shields - A fairly good lead-in to FINAL NIGHT.  Always good to see  
        MacGy... sorry, Dr. Hamilton, around, ready to invent nuclear power  
        with stone knives and bear skins.


Plot:
This story was billed as a FINAL NIGHT cross-over, but really that's only on
the last page.  The story begins in The Daily Planet with Perry back in the
office.  He has a problem with the politics of the newest columnist, Dirk
Armstrong, who resembles an in-print Rush Limbaugh.  I hope this sub-plot
doesn't continue on.  I really don't turn to the Superman books for political
commentary.  Clark on the other hand is not in the office, but instead he's in
his Fortress trying to convince the robots there he's Kryptonian.

He's taken Professor Hamilton there to try to stabilize the atmosphere in the
Bottled City and figure out a way to restore it to regular size.  An
interesting development happens when the robot says his DNA does not match the
previous scans of Kal-El.  Though Clark thinks the robot must be
malfunctioning, I think there's another sub-plot brewing.

Meanwhile, Jimmy has a moment in the sun on the Whitty Banter show for his
expose of Lori from a previous issue.  Speaking of Lori, she's still being
pursued by the media and has to go so far as to jump off a bridge to escape a
reporter.  Then the story shifts abruptly back to the Fortress, where Clark,
weary of the fight, puts the robots out of commission.  The Professor quickly
gets Kandor stable and Clark leaves when word comes in that an anomaly has
appeared in the solar system on the other side of Jupiter.  Clark flies off,
leaving Professor Hamilton to try to restore Kandor, into THE FINAL NIGHT.

Story:
I enjoy Dan Jurgens' writing as much as anyone in the Super books, but in this
issue it seems like he has too much going on.  Sometimes these books seem to
have so many subplots going that the writer has to keep them all going to the
detriment of the main story for the issue.  I always picture the writers on the
Super books as jugglers who occasionally let a ball drop.  This one felt like
the balls were dropping.  I don't know what to make of the robots not knowing
Clark.  It may be a non-issue, but it appears to be the start of a new subplot.
It would be nice to see some conclude before others were started.

Art:
I loved the spoof cover, although I had to look twice in the story to tell what
title it was.  I was hoping for an appearance of Turtle Boy inside though.  The
interior art was nice.  I do like Frenz, although some of this issue seemed
sketchier than usual for him.  Several spots, especially in the Fortress, had
no backgrounds or at most a few lines denoting machinery.  The coloring was top
notch as usual.  I think the colorists on the Super books have adjusted to the
shiny paper well and figured out how to use it to their advantage.  Compare
this issue with the first few with the new paper and you'll see a marked
improvement.

Overall:
Mostly a good issue, but since the story jumped around so much, no one plot
seemed to advance much.  Kind of a marking time issue where we are reminded of
a bunch of things going on.  Wish we could have gotten a look at Banter though.
Why does it seem they are being purposely coy about this guy?  

Shane Furlong (Shane.Furlong@evolving.com)

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

43. ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #540, "Curtain Call"
    A FINAL NIGHT Tie-in
    Plot:    Karl Kesel
    Script:  Jerry Ordway
    Pencils: Terry Dodson
    Inks:    Karl Story
    Letters: Albert De Guzman
    Cover:   Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan, Jr., and Patrick Martin
    November 1996
    $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN


RATINGS:

Average: 3.8/5.0 Shields

AW: 3.5 Shields - Good artwork tells a simple story, but many questions are
        left unanswered.
MC: 2.8 Shields - Ferro, to me, just isn't all that interesting.  Maybe it's
        because I don't have any knowledge of the character before this issue,
        but he's just kinda...there.  Anyways, I thought it was great to see
        Dodson with Story's inks on these pages.  I loved their work on the
        Supergirl story in SHOWCASE.
WN: 3.5 Shields - Big hand for Jerry the mailman and new member of the cast
        Ferro.  An uplifting issue overall with enjoyable art by Dodson and
        Story.
PS: 5.0 Shields - This story offers a look at individual responsibility in the
        face of world catastrophe (THE FINAL NIGHT):  Jerry Jenkins delivers
        the mail, Nancy Nolan puts on a free theatre performance, Clark puts
        out the latest edition of the Daily Planet, and Ferro sees that copies
        are delivered.  As Clark Kent reflects at story's end, "Against all
        odds and prevailing wisdom, we did it.  We did our jobs."
VV: 4.0 Shields - Can I believe this is how some people will react to the end
        of the world?  Yup.


This issue of ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN left me confused and rushing back to my
issues of FINAL NIGHT to see if I could figure out how the Ferro introduced in
this story is or isn't the same Ferro Lad who serves as an integral part of the
FINAL NIGHT storyline.  My answer?  I still don't know.

For those who need a little background, the story behind Ferro Lad is one of
the great mysteries of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  His first "appearance" was
in the 1960s in a team-up between Superman and the Adult Legion.  They are in
the hall where they've erected statues to honor fallen comrades, and one of the
most prominent is the statue of Ferro Lad.  No explanation was given, but it
set the minds of Legion fans to wondering, and they've been wondering ever
since.

Now, in this ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, one Ferro is introduced.  He's apparently
Andrew Nolan, son of famed actress Nancy Nolan, who was sent away to some sort
of clinic -- with his twin brother -- because of their "facial deformities."

So now that THE FINAL NIGHT has cast an eternal darkness over Metropolis, Nancy
Nolan has decided to give a free performance, in hopes of distracting people
from their worries in this time of crisis.  Andrew, wearing a metal helmet,
hides in the shadows of the theatre while his mother prepares for the show.

Superman, meanwhile, has his own problems.  He has to lead the efforts of the
other heroes to deal with the panic and chaos ensuing around the world, calm a
raging Franklin Stern, distract a worried Lori Lemaris, and get a paper out
almost single-handedly to fulfill a promise to Perry White.  Perry, gaunt and
exhausted from his cancer treatments, is still determined to make sure the
Daily Planet doesn't miss even a single issue because of the current crisis.

To distract Lori, Clark sends her to review the Nancy Nolan performance.  It
turns out to be a distraction for Superman as well.  Just as Nancy Nolan goes
out on stage, she is gently confronted by Ferro, and then the heavy snows cause
the theatre's roof to collapse.

Superman flies to the scene, and extracts people from the rubble, with Ferro's
help.  Later at a hospital, Nancy and her son pretend not to know each other.

Ferro, eager to be a hero, offers to help Superman in his last important task
of the issue: keeping his promise to Perry.  Though Superman has to get on with
confronting the Sun-Eater, Ferro single-handedly uses the subway system to
deliver the Daily Planet.

I should add here that I liked the artwork.  It is less trendy than last
issue's, and the simplicity of some of the panels gave the comic its own
special feel.

So I'm confused.  This Ferro doesn't display any super-powers, although I would
think pulling all those papers around would take some sort of super-strength,
and there is one panel where Ferro's hand glows.  The Ferro in FINAL NIGHT has
the ability to change into iron.  So are these two Ferro's the same person? 
Maybe.  And what about his twin?  There are many questions left unanswered.

Anatole Wilson (awilson@vnet.ibm.com)

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

SUPER-FAMILY TITLES:
-------------------

SHOWCASE '96 #10, "The Bridges of Metropolis County"
    Featuring Bibbo
    Writer:        Paul Castiglia
    Artist:        Denis Rodier
    Colorist:      Dave Grafe
    Letterer:      Ken Bruzenak
    Assoc. Editor: Chris Duffy
    Editor:        Frank Pittarese
    Cover:         Denis Rodier
    November 1996
    $2.95 US/$4.25 CAN


RATINGS:

Average: 2.0/5.0 Shields

RG: 1.5 Shields - This one is a miss.
JG: 3.0 Shields - Light, fluffy, an okay read.
JS: 1.5 Shields - Cute story idea, but not very good execution.  There should
        have been much more of a humorous edge.  Rodier's art is okay, but he
        uses heavily-inked lines to portray shadows in several places.
        Shouldn't he be letting today's advanced coloring techniques take
        care of that?


Well, SHOWCASE has always had its ups and downs.  I guess it could be expected
that there would be some stories that just don't make it.  Unfortunately this
is one of them.  This is not to say that there weren't a few good bits -- there
just weren't enough to make a good story.

Bibbo Bibbowski has always been one of my favorite Superman supporting
characters.  Of the Metropolis characters, he has always been the view of the
common man.  He recently won the world heavyweight championship (MOS #56), and
is probably better know as the proprietor of the Ace O' Clubs, perhaps one of
the best known of all the bars in the DC universe.

This story cast him in the part of a clown living in a fantasy world.  It
doesn't look like that was the intention, but that was the end result.  In
short, this one didn't make it for me.

Bibbo tries to stop a man from jumping off the Hobs Bay Bridge by telling him
how no matter how bad his problems seem, the only way to get past them is to
fight back.  He tries to show him how he has faced his own problems over the
years.  It seems that somehow in all the stories told of the DC universe, Bibbo
has been there behind the scenes.  He has faced down and beaten The Joker, The
Cyborg, Black Adam, Major Force, Gorilla Grodd, and Doomsday.  The scenes are
short, and for the most part 'cute,' but few are well done.

Sorry, this one's a miss.


    "The Future"
        Starring Captain Comet
        Writer:    Terrance Griep, Jr.
        Penciller: Scot Eaton
        Inker:     Rob Leigh
        Letterer:  Kurt Hathaway
        Color:     Carla Feeny
        Editor:    Peter J. Tomasi

No "Super" content - not rated

This one is worse than the Bibbo story.

Captain Comet has developed a planet from a tribal society to an industrialized
one in six months (No, that's what they said!  Honest).  It's too much of a
stretch for even a bad comic book.


    "Straight Time"
        Starring Ultra Boy of LEGIONNAIRES
        Writer/Inker: Ron Boyd
        Penciller:    Dean Zachary
        Colors:       James Sinclair
        Lettering:    Chris Eliopoulos
        Editor:       Mike McAvennie

No "Super" content - not rated

Not a bad story, by far the best in the book.

Ultra Boy (an ex-gang leader himself) takes on a small Metropolis gang and is
tempted to take over the gang himself.  He is helped out by Cosmic Boy.

Rene' Gobeyn (gobeyn@kodak.com)

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

STEEL #32, "Herculean Labors"
    Writer:            Darren Vincenzo
    Penciller:         Roger Robinson
    Inker:             Ken Branch
    Letterer:          Pat Brosseau
    Computer Colorist: Stu Chaifetz
    Associate Editor:  Chris Duffy
    Editor:            Frank Pittarese
    Cover:             Roger Robinson and Dennis Janke
    November 1996
    $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN


RATINGS:

Average: 3.2/5.0 Shields

DS: 2.9 Shields - A filler.  Reasonably good, but still just a filler.
JS: 3.5 Shields - The new Blockbuster is one of the more impressive results
        of last year's UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED, and these two make formidable
        opponents.  Decent fill-in art by Robinson and Branch, but the real
        art star of this book is Stu Chaifetz' colors!


Story:
Louise Simonson is now gone from STEEL.  This issue and the next one are
fill-ins until the new team is in place.

The story opens with a knock at John Henry's door.  He comes to the door
dressed in a towel, having apparently just stepped out of the shower.  At the
door is his niece Natasha and Senator Sarah Weaver.  John seems somewhat
embarrassed to be meeting two ladies late at night in his apartment dressed
only in a towel.  One wonders why he opened the door dressed like that in the
first place.

Senator Weaver tells a tale of terror: she has been stalked for about a month. 
Someone unknown has sent emissaries to her to prove that she is vulnerable and
that the 'Boss' can get to her, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.  And now this 'Boss' is
demanding that she meet him at the Lincoln Memorial tonight at 2:45 AM.  John
Henry agrees to go in her place and really give what-for to the emissary of the
'Boss'.  Steel arrives at the Memorial at the appointed time and meets a very
large man who goes by the name of Blockbuster.  Apparently Blockbuster or his
boss wanted Senator Weaver to vote in a certain way on a bill.  Blockbuster
agrees to cease his persecution of Sarah Weaver if Steel will do him three
favors.  He hears the offers one at a time and successfully undertakes each one
of them:  1) steal an item from a defense contractor, who had allegedly stolen
it from Blockbuster, 2) protect the Circus during its unloading at the railyard
the next morning, and 3) procure a safe from a yacht that had sunk off the
coast a few days earlier.  Steel manages to perform each of these tasks without
breaking the law.

Sometime near the end of the third task, Steel realizes that these tasks are
nothing but tests for him and that the terrorization of Sen. Weaver was only
for the purpose of getting him to meet with Blockbuster.  When Steel tells
Blockbuster that he realizes this, Blockbuster resorts to a fight.  A slugfest
occurs for about two and a half pages after which Blockbuster decides that
Washington, DC would not be a good place for him to have a base of operations. 
He then leaves, and Steel tells him that they will meet again.

Art:
Not only is Louise Simonson gone, but so are Phil Gosier and Rich Faber -- and
you can tell it -- particularly in the layouts.  There is a lot of variety in
the art.  Some of the skies and the flames shooting from John Henry's jet boots
look almost painted.  Other scenes look very "modern" with their fine parallel
lines used to indicate motion.  The Senator's story is portrayed in standard
panels in a blue and mostly gray motif, giving that part of the story a dank,
dreary feeling, similar to an old black and white mystery movie.  Stu Chaifetz'
colors are up to his usual standards, and Steel continues to use glossy paper
to great effect.

The cover changes Blockbuster slightly.  Instead of having blond hair, it is
white with the blood vessels sticking out of the bald spot of the top of his
head -- giving him a somewhat Doomsday-like appearance.

Summary:
A single self-contained story in which Steel has to prove his mettle to a new
villain by performing Herculean tasks.  Solid and workmanlike but not
inspiring.

Dick Sidbury (sidbury@cs.uofs.edu)

__________________________________________

SUPER-FAMILY TITLES (cont):
--------------------------

SUPERGIRL #3, "And No Dawn to Follow the Darkness"
    A FINAL NIGHT Tie-in
    Writer:      Peter David
    Pencils:     Gary Frank
    Inks:        Cam Smith
    Letters:     Pat Prentice
    Colors:      Gene D'Angelo
    Separations: Digital Chameleon
    Editor:      Chris Duffy
    Cover:       Gary Frank, Cam Smith, and Patrick Martin
    November 1996
    $1.95 US/$2.75 CAN


RATINGS:

Average: 3.2/5.0 Shields

PS: 3.0 Shields
MC: 2.5 Shields - The Gorilla Grodd story seems like one that could be wrapped
        up all in one issue, rather than carry on to the next -- especially
        since all this "humanity's basest instincts" stuff is only happening
        because FINAL NIGHT is, and the next issue of SUPERGIRL takes place
        after FN has blown over.  Whatever the case, this issue's premise was
        good, but it moved a little slower than I liked.
JS: 3.8 Shields - The revelations continue, and Peter David gives us a good
        look at the reactions of the townsfolk to the impending doom of the
        FINAL NIGHT, but this book continues to exhibit extremely dark
        overtones.  I absolutely *loved* Gary Frank's take on Grodd!
VV: 3.5 Shields - This is really a convoluted read, at least to me, but I am
        intrigued by it. And Grodd was well written and drawn.


All of the FINAL NIGHT covers for the Super titles are unbelievably striking. 
This issue's cover portrayal of Supergirl smashing through a glass window to
confront some shadowed mastermind adequately summarizes the 22 pages of story.

Not only does Leesburg have to cope with the effects of THE FINAL NIGHT, but
someone is transforming the populace into bestial throwbacks to their simian
ancestry.  Supergirl attempts to get at the cause of the problems, but she may
become just the latest victim rather than a savior of the catastrophe.

Peter David has brought back a favorite Silver Age villain, and keeps him in
the shadows until almost the very end of the story.  But then he gets Supergirl
in his clutches and ... CONTINUED NEXT ISSUE.  The writing and art are so good,
you do want to get that next issue to see what happens.

Speaking of the art, Gary Frank and Cam Smith have done the best so far in
adjusting their style to astonishingly reflect the darkness that is THE FINAL
NIGHT theme.  Each outdoor panel frames the image in darkness, while each
indoor shot exaggerates the shadows.  When you first pick up this book, you
sense that it's different from the first two issues though the art team is the
same.  Then you realize that the guys have changed things to reflect a FINAL
NIGHT art style.

One especially enjoyable plot development is that we learn more about Mr. and
Mrs. Danvers, Supergirl's "new" parents.  Mr. D is a Leesburg police officer,
while Mrs. D. is secretary at the local Methodist Church.  Given the typical
crime-fighting role of a superhero -- and given the cult and supernatural story
bent this series has followed so far -- these occupations may provide
significant plot leads in the future.

The overall story is not as satisfying as those in the first two issues,
basically because writer David must do a balancing act between providing the
obligatory FINAL NIGHT tie-in and advancing his own Supergirl story.  But he
does manage to work in the hell-raising nemesis Buzz, who tells the shadowed
villain that he believes in the future and does not fear the events of FINAL
NIGHT.

Buzz also appears to Supergirl, to confirm to her that she's lost many of the
powers she had in her previous incarnation.  "You've defined yourself as Linda
and Supergirl," he says.  "You have psychic boundaries now."  He makes a total
of three half-page appearances during the story, taking center stage in the
final three panels as he decides to give up smoking.  I'm not bright enough to
figure out the significance of this, and will scan cyberspace for any
enlightenment from Mr. David.  Or maybe I'll have to wait for a subsequent
storyline.

Patrick Stout (mfpms@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu)

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

MINISERIES:
----------

JUSTICE LEAGUE: A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE #3 (of 3), "Daze & Knights"
    Writers:    Fabian Nicieza and Mark Waid
    Pencillers: Jeff Johnson and Darick Robertson
    Inkers:     Jon Holdredge and Hanibal Rodriguez
    Letterer:   Ken Lopez
    Colorist:   John Kalisz
    Editor:     Ruben Diaz
    Cover:      Kevin Maguire and John Dell
    November 1996
    $2.95 US/$4.25 CAN


RATINGS:

Average: 3.3/5.0 Shields

MC: 4.5 Shields
SF: 2.0 Shields - Really sort of a weak ending to a series that started
        strongly.  I did like the Immonen-like art though.
DS: 2.6 Shields - Three issues is WAAAY to many to use as a setup for a new
        book.  I defy you to remember the main story line of this mini a year
        from now.
JS: 3.5 Shields - Wonderful miniseries, though the characterization of Wonder
        Woman seemed a bit weak to me.  Waid and Nicieza do an incredible job
        with Martian Manhunter.  Having two art teams made this a little
        jarring.  Separately, however, the art was pretty good.
VV: 4.0 Shields - A very good conclusion to the series, and a prequel to
        KINGDOM COME <g>, or at least how some of it might have come about if
        the JLA had not defeated Know Man.


According to reports, the first two issues of this excellent series have sold
out, and a trade paperback is in the works.  And there's a very excellent
reason why!

>From the first issue, this series has produced a story that has amazed me, made
me laugh (somewhat), and even had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what
happened next.  It certainly has earned its popularity.  But, as it is with any
comic, it has its faults.

And that's what we'll start off with for this issue.  The faults.

There really isn't a whole bunch I can think of, but my main beef with this
issue is the fact that Know Man, being as powerful as he was, just "gave up." 
He had it within his power to pretty much destroy the new League because of his
belief that they hindered his plan to save the world from the inevitable evil
that would fall on all of them.  Instead, he took off to who knows where,
telling the League it's all up to them now.  An easy way to band them together
to be the new League, but a cheap way.

There's only one other fault I can think of, and it doesn't deal with the
story.  Rather, the art is what got on my nerves here.  Robertson is my
favorite artist out of the two that worked on this series, and, while Johnson
didn't do too bad himself, the two art styles just didn't flow together.  The
biggest and most embarrassing contrast I can point out is from page 26 to page
27.  Robertson has a much better "action" feel going on with his art, while
Johnson is more relaxed and settled.  Robertson's art is more hard-lined and
conformed compared to Johnson's, which carries more of a curve and flow.  The
differences are very apparent, and to me that takes away from this comic.

Okay, that's the faults.  Now let's get on to the praising...

Waid and Nicieza have put together a well-written story.  The plot goes easily,
with no pertinent mistakes.  I was, until this last issue, convinced that Dr.
Destiny was the one pulling this off.  Yet we were introduced to a new villain
(if you could call him that), Know Man, that was running the whole shebang.  I
think Waid is still on a roll from KINGDOM COME, really.  He gives almost all
of the characters a pretty good share of in-depth exploration (I felt Flash
could have used some more, but I'm not complaining).  And he certainly
progressed Martian Manhunter (making up for the lack of him in KINGDOM COME, I
guess), a character that 1) I wasn't exactly too familiar with, and 2) many
other fans weren't exactly familiar with.  But now he seems just as one of the
"big guns" as any of the rest -- if not more so.  It's too bad Waid's not
writing JLA full-time when the monthly series debuts.  Let's hope Morrison
pulls it off just as well.

Waid and Nicieza really made the seven main DC heroes (the ones most
recognized), Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, and
Martian Manhunter, a team.  They watched each other's backs, supported each
other, and, as was said in the book, "played to one another's strengths almost
instinctively."  I can definitely see this working out nicely when the monthly
starts up.  With the exception of Kyle Rayner and perhaps Wally West, the rest
are a group of real friends that have known each other for awhile, and that
helps abundantly.  Add in the inexperience of Rayner, and you've got a mixture
that could prove to be just right.

This last issue gave an ending (even if was cheap) to a series that deserves to
be up there among DC's best.

Matt Combes (MrNandoX@aol.com)

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

Reviews of SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL ANNUAL #5 and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #1
are being delayed until the early October issue due to a miscommunication.
I highly recommend both of these books!

                                            -- Jeff Sykes
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End of Section 5/Issue #30