One man's exploration of his love/interest/puzzlement over comic books, adaptations, and other related mediums, as they serve as a solid foundation for sanity!
This is kind of unusual, in that I REALLY don't have any tertiary comics updates for you, this Sunday. I have been reading since my blog entry, yesterday. I came across a KILLER "Batman" issue in my readings, with artwork by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (PRAISE BE HIS NAME), and JLGL can make even the Crime King awesome! I also came up with the ROUGH guidelines for the impending 100th. post contest! So, I may as well present you readers with the details for it, right now! I came up with 3 questions that can ONLY be answered if you've been a regular reader of the blog, since I started it. And there will be up to 3 winners, depending on the arrival of entries, along with the correct answers. If you're one of the lucky trinity, you'll walk away with a mailed package FULL of comicky delights! Graphic novels! Random crazy single issues! "Wizard Magazine" issues! Maybe even an action figure or two! But that's coming for this weekend, and I'll not only provide you with the questions, but the email address to best send those answers to!
Now... Let's talk about the main reason why I decided upon a "Turkey" theme for the weekend. This topic came from my time of material questioning from the "Gentleman's Guide to Comics" Facebook group. It was on that group that a fellow member, James M., gave me a rather interesting challenge. Instead of providing me with a expansive topic, he requested I cover maybe one of the most INFAMOUS event stories of modern comic publishing. At first, I teased him about it, because c'mon... Me, cover THIS story?!? I know I have a bent towards comic masochism, but to visit a story I know I read only ONCE, and apparently was so "impressed" by it, I couldn't even remember a detail of it? Then, the more I thought about the Thanksgiving connections to "Turkeys", this story just sounded more and more viable to cover for discussion. So... James M... and fellow readers... I present you with my coverage of DC's Wonder Woman event leading into the build-up of "Final Crisis"...
Amazons Attack #1: Before I fully begin, I want to provide you readers with two key bits of personal background on this event.
This storyline may have been more notable for being an influential series of episodes of Linkara's "Atop the Fourth Wall" video review show. I believe it was this series that helped bring "Amazons Attack" back to some kind of awareness.
This storyline ALSO came during a really... weird... time for Wonder Woman, creatively. After the first "Crisis", where George Perez helmed the title, Diana Prince achieved TRULY great heights in story interest! But once he departed the title, the title became a bit of an ebb and flow. At least before "Infinite Crisis", Greg Rucka provided some form of "return to greatness" for the shaped daughter of Hippolyta, but after THAT particular "Crisis"... and in the wake of the "One Year Later" story for the main DC characters, Wonder Woman's own title was... less-than-impressive. Artistic delays, WEIRD writer choices... like one of the creators of the "O.C" television program, and Jodi Picoult, an Oprah-centric fiction writer... and the notion of Wonder Woman having to piece her life together after her televised murder of Maxwell Lord, just made the book an experience in trying to rationalize why we LIKED Wonder Woman in the first place.
The caveat I should mention for this article is I read ONLY the trade paperback collection of the six-issue mini-series. There are text pieces in between the issues that I THINK summarize events that took place in "Wonder Woman", and in other titles tied in to the "Amazons Attack" storyline. (For example, I get the itching feeling this story touched down in "Teen Titans" and "Catwoman", based on certain connections.) Got that all? Good! Shall I start banging my head against the wall? LET'S!
The background for this story involves Hippolyta being brought back to life, after dying in the "Our Worlds at War" event by Circe. But we know Circe don't have much good intentions in mind for THIS act of kindness! So she notifies our resurrected Queen that Princess Diana is being held prisoner by the United States government, to gain knowledge of Amazonian secrets. Oh, and Diana's being "tortured", too, according to Circe. (Probably by being forced to read the Jodi Picoult issues of her own series.) Diana WAS captured by government forces, true, under the direction of a shape-changing plant in a security agency she works for, but she has already escaped. However, Hippolyta knows NADA about this, and decides the best way to approach the situation is NWO-style. Namely, USA... "You want a war? You got one!"
Our first issue opens up with the Amazonian army zapping into Washington D.C., and right off the bat, killing off a father and his son. So we can begin sympathizing for their anger... right? The President, some aides, and some Secret Service agents are about to evacuate the White House, only to be cornered by Amazonian soldiers... and THEN rescued by Black Lightning. (Who says this character gets NO highlight moments in comics?) Hippolyta decides to chill at the Smithsonian, delivers some Pro Wrasslin' speeches to her fellow Sisters, and converses with Circe... who mutters about her "brilliant" scheming. Our issue essentially ends with 'Lyta chopping the head off the Lincoln Memorial, Batman talking to our fake shape-changer government plant, and Diana INSTANTLY showing up with no background to talk to Mommy Dearest in the middle of the razing of Washington.
Amazons Attack #2 opens up with a trope we will see at the opening of EVERY subsequent issue, with a LexNews "Special Report" detailing the events of the last issue. The text piece talks about some TRULY inspired craziness in other titles, like how Hippolyta apparently "kills" Circe, after revealing that she intends to launch a nuclear missile at Themyscira. We also apparently miss the capture of the shape-changing inside agent of Circe, and the recovery of PROPER defense control by a character known as Nemesis.
The full-on action of the issue begins with Amazons taking out Air Force jets over D.C.... with ARROWS. But before they can begin killing a FEMALE PILOT... the attack is halted by Black Canary's "canary cry", and the arrival of the Justice League of America. Batman... OF COURSE... acts as strategic coordinator. Because... y'know... Batman. Nemesis updates Batman on the fact that the Amazonian attacks are extending out to a Californian Air Force base. Cut to Donna Troy... who for a stretch of time in the post "Infinite Crisis" WW title POSED as Wonder Woman... beats up some Amazons on the way to have a chat with Hippolyta about bringing Diana to her for a conversation. (Which ALREADY HAPPENED!) Hippolyta's two leading generals wonder if she's truly flipped her gourd, Batman finds Wonder Woman and asks "what side is she on", and we end the issue with Superman flying off to his adoptive home territory of Kansas, where the Amazon have apparently set the "grain belt" to the torch. ALL. OF. IT. Makes "perfect sense", right?
Amazons Attack #3 gives us another news update, and Superman arrives in Kansas for the GREAT CRISIS of the crop fires... by blowing on it all, just ONCE, with his freezing breath. Crisis averted pretty darned fast, eh? Hippolyta issues a video statement to the nation, commanding complete surrender to the Amazon rule, with only ONE DAY to decide. (I have to make note that for the "replay" of this video in the next issue, apparently Hippolyta has a change of heart, because her video playback states she gives the nation ONE WEEK to decide on Amazonian surrender.) The cameraman taken hostage for this video piece is beheaded, and we cut... bad joke, I know... to the President and his aides on Air Force One, speaking cryptically about "issuing the order". Cut to the Korean War Veterans Memorial, where Batman fights some Amazons... in the rain... because, Batman. We then get to find out what this Presidential order actually is; the order of house arrests against any women's shelter that was sponsored by Amazonian initiative. Apparently we COMPLETELY missed agent Nemesis being incapacitated by an... well... I'll let Batman describe it for you.
My god, indeed.
Cut to Supergirl and Wonder Girl meeting with Hippolyta, for reasons yet to be revealed, Wonder Woman saying she needs to eventually get to Themyscira to recover the antidote for Nemesis' "bee sting"... but saying that can wait to help out with the Amazonian attack, and Oracle/Barbara Gordon notifying Batman of a nuclear plant bombing in Star City, which Green Arrow managed to help put into order. Ollie Queen also notices the bomb was of completely TECHNILOGICAL make, which is outside of usual Amazonian tactics... but NOT to a rogue group of Amazons known as the Bana, who are interested in Grace Choi... then-member of the then-current Outsiders team. Our issue ends with Air Force One being halted in mid-air by Supergirl and Wonder Girl, demanding the President's surrender to the Amazons. Oddly enough, are we beginning to notice some character choice parallels to my blog entry, yesterday?
Before we talk about Amazons Attack #4, some story updates we missed.
The then-lame version of the Freedom Fighters team were supposed to be tasked with the President's safety, but they were entrenched in a mission, which lead to the Air Force One evacuation. (Forget CANCELLING the mission. Maybe it's because the story was becoming so bloody messy, even the lameoids of the Freedom Fighters didn't want to show up.)
I forgot to mention that Hippolyta met with Diana... AGAIN... to talk about this aggressive action. Did we already forget that this was started all about Hippolyta had NO IDEA where Diana was being held, and what was happening to her, but they've already talked IN PERSON... TWICE since the attack began?!?
Our text piece mentions that Wonder Woman meets with her mother... AGAIN... which leads Diana asking Hippolyta if she would kill Diana to win this battle? Before we know the answer, Superman evacuates Wonder Woman from this family conflict, to fly her off to the Justice League for a strategy meeting, and to discuss the revelation of the Bana's involvement with some of the terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, Wonder Girl and Supergirl convince the President to ground Air Force One... just in time for an Amazonian army on Pegasai to start chucking spears at the plane, killing off the pilot and gravely wounding the President. They damage one of the jet engines, and the forced landing escalates into a forced CRASHING. Cut to Grace Choi invoking the Marvel team-up tradition of beating up, then being convinced to join with, the Bana group of Amazons. Supergirl and Wonder Girl start to see that with the Amazons being so blood-thirsty, they may have chosen the "wrong side" of the conflict, and they struggle to defend the President from being killed by the Amazonians. Superman arrives on the scene, and attempts to talk some peace-sense into the Amazons. (But not before he gives them the PATENTED red-glowy eyes of ANGER!) Clark does manage to talk down the Amazon army... in time for a stealth group of Special Forces soldiers to show up, and gun down the Amazons, and evacuate the President to medical care, where the commanding officer talks DOWN to Superman. (And if I were in Kal El's shoes, this would be the point where I would freely backhand some ingrates...) We end the issue with Hippolyta beginning to doubt the effectiveness of the battle, when all of the sudden the battle-zone is covered by an energy dome, trapping in the Central D.C. area, and keeping out more powerful heroes like Superman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter. All this is achieved by Circe, who stands in the shadows... like a "dead person" does.
The text opening for Amazons Attack #5 tells us of how Catwoman helps Batman in averting a Bana attack in Gotham. (I also forgot to mention in the last issue that Batman was about to COMPLETELY bail on the D.C. defense, because his "turf" in Gotham was being threatened, because... Batman.) And we find out Wonder Woman finds the "Amazon bee" medicine on Themyscira, only to find out Circe DID end up launching a nuke at the island! Diana prevents the nuke missile from landing, and has a chat with the goddess Athena, to talk out all this insanity, and basically gets a lot of godly "non-answers" from this conversation, and is teleported back to D.C. The issue opens with Superman crossing over with "Under the Dome", as he collides with the mystical D.C. dome. Grace Choi gets the Bana backstory, and a plea to join forces with the renegade Amazon faction. Superman runs into the Bana, and Grace, and tells Grace that the Bana aren't quite as "benevolent" as they make themselves out to be. The Bana hold Grace hostage, freely enter the dome... BECAUSE... and then stab Grace in her side for their trouble. We... as readers... were given the impression that the Bana DESPISED the Amazonians-proper. So why is it that Hippolyta seems so happy that they've arrived to "join forces"? Circe is disabled by some magic words that Zatanna told Batman to recite, when he sneaks up on her... because, Batman. He then decks her across the face, and notifies the powerhouses that could not PREVIOUSLY enter the dome that, with Circe de-powered, they're clear for entry! Our issue ends with the DC Heroes and the Amazons beginning to square off for the final GRAND MELEE! Which Circe is apparently overjoyed about, because this is just what she... wanted? Er, WHAT?!?
No opening texts for Amazons Attack #6. Just an opening of Hippolyta screaming about where Wonder Woman is. Diana's a bit busy meeting with Circe, threatening the sinister sorceress, when Mommy Dearest shows up for a loving "slobber knocker". Diana challenges her mother to kill her for the victory of their cause... AGAIN. Hippolyta sees "wisdom", but Circe shows up to say the fight ends only when SHE says so. Oh yeah, and her magic is back. But then Athena shows up on the scene in her Low Rider. (I can wish, can't I?) Athena exiles Circe to Hades, browbeats the Amazons in a long-winded lecture, and... I STILL really can't figure out how she punishes all Amazons outside of Wonder Woman. I THINK she draws Themyscira closer to "Man's World", and then basically makes all Amazons forget about their heritage, and zaps them into normal "womanly" lives. So... the war is OVER? But we find out Athena was actually Apokaliptian headmistress, Granny Goodness, in disguise, leading towards the developing "Final Crisis". And I end up wanting to punch myself, after it all.
What shocks me, the most, about this event was it was a series I collected when they FIRST CAME OUT! I was completely hooked on DC Comics after the "Infinite Crisis" event, and was curious where they would go with the lead-in to "Final Crisis". What I GOT, instead, was a BOATLOAD of really confused and train-wrecky mini-events, leading to a VERY confusing main event. And "Amazons Attack" falls more in the train-wreck category of the storytelling spectrum. Events, and character beats, are often recycled and forgotten in the span of SINGLE ISSUES. The artwork by Pete Woods is pretty uninspiring, not really carrying the action to any degree. And I really can't say I'm moved by either Wonder Woman, Hippolyta, or Circe's roles in the conflict. While I may have slightly been involved with this story when it was originally hitting the shelves, I now find it reads TERRIBLY, and is a certifiable low-point for DC story arcs. But I imagine if I argue against it TOO long, I'll also suffer from a near-fatal Amazonian bee attack...
Another week come, another week gone, with my hump THROUGHLY busted through my labors in my job, wondering when I will FINALLY hear back about an opportunity that will be less physically intensive, and more lucrative for my wallet. Oh well... I can't stop trying, can I? Anyways, I hope you all had yourselves a very Happy Thanksgiving! Mine was certainly an... interesting one at least, BUT I still ate like a king, and pretty much exhausted all of my food supplies the following day at work. On the VERY plus side, my girlfriend had some Kohl's cash online to spend before the holiday, so the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, she took me out to the store, knowing about a 2 for $20 sale on Men's design t-shirts, and this ACTUALLY ties in to comics, because both choices I made were somewhat related to the medium! One being a "Heroic" cast design for "Masters of the Universe". (I STILL think Kohl's is blatantly anti-Skeletor, but what can you do?) Another was a general Marvel character t-shirt, but ANY shirt that features jolly blue-eyed Ben Grimm and the Silver Surfer earns my apparel attention!
The MAIN impetus of this weekend's blog theme has yet to arrive, when hopefully I finish reading my "homework" for the intended post. (And the person that suggested it will receive full credit for the idea, tomorrow. ... Or maybe he'll shoulder ALL the blame for it! Heh!) But upon accepting the challenge of reading a generally regarded "turkey" of a comic event, which WILL be a DC event, it made me wonder what offering I could make for my Marvel half of a "Turkey Day" weekend. Then it came to me; the event that started to MAJORLY turn the tide against modern Marvel Comics storytelling. The event that began what now seems to be a bi-MONTHLY event schedule for the company. The event that is so repugnant to my sensibilities, I didn't EVEN want to re-read it for review purposes, because I already KNOW there's no changing my mind for how much I dislike it...
Civil War. Ugh... I remember the year VERY well of the release of this event. This was the beginning of my SECOND major comics phase of my life. You see, my first major phase began around the time I was entering my teenage years, with a mixture of new titles from both Marvel and DC, then later transitioning into older titles from the companies. I believe when I started becoming more entrenched into High School... and thereupon trying to feel more "comfortable in my skin", comics became less interesting for a few years. (Trust me, there were NOT replaced by interest in girls: the ladies would have NOTHING to do with me back during those awkward years of my existence!) My second buying phase came on the wings of interest in a widely advertised DC event known as "Infinite Crisis", and not long afterwards, Marvel began to launch "Civil War". And when you think about it, both projects serve as inverses towards their ultimate storytelling end games! But first... and bear in mind, I did NOT get a copy of the core series for review of this storyline, but while my disdain for this story is strong, it was MAINLY due to my not being able to track down a library copy... a brief summary of events.
The opening threads of the "Civil War" storyline can be traced back to the launch of Brian Michael Bendis' "New Avengers", the "Secret War" event, and even Warren Ellis' run on "Iron Man". Tony Stark was becoming more convinced that the "policing" of super-heroic activities was becoming a credible idea, after some BAD encounters with the Extremis human-alteration program. S.H.I.E.L.D, after Nick Fury's disappearance, was starting to shift focus under the leadership of new director, Maria Hill. (No... Sam L. Jackson did NOT just step in, afterwards.) And after the Scarlet Witch broke asunder the Avengers, a new team rose from the ashes... but it was a VERY tenuous alliance, at best. But the floodgates for "Civil War" were broke WIDE OPEN when this period's "New Warriors" team... a "reality television"-based squad of teen superheroes... assaulted a villain hideout in Stamford, Connecticut. There, a villain known as Nitro, whose power is being able to generate powerful explosions with his body, blew up in the middle of a peaceful neighborhood, killing off 600 innocent bystanders, and even some of the New Warriors team. Not only was the loss of innocent lives tragic enough, but this was also the point that series writer, Mark Millar, decided to kill off ANY credible characteristic moments for our Marvel Universe, so he could squeeze out his steamy loaf of "narrative commentary".
While before this series, Tony Stark was only thinking about the Superhero Registration Act, due to this event, Iron Man became the FIGUREHEAD for the Registration Act. Before this event, the name of Captain America was respected by the government of the nation. But upon launching, he became a TARGET for the very government he represented. Now granted... this ISN'T exactly a new turn for Captain America, because similar events happened during the 70's for the "Secret Empire" storyline, along with the late 80's when the latter U.S. Agent replaced a dismissed Steve Rogers, but these two events involved a RATIONAL and STRATEGIC Captain America, that was STILL respected by the heroic community. And probably... most irritatingly for me... the series basically made the S.H.I.E.L.D organization a villainous group under the sneering dogmatic leadership of Maria Hill. Latter story beats for Maria made her a FAR more interesting character, but in "Civil War", with her reflecting "real world" political agendas in the comic book pages, the spy agency that we all grew to love as a general Marvel policing agency became a group of "stormtroopers" to enforce the Registry Act. Oh, but that's not ALL of the "delightful" twists this story had to offer us!
For one, remember that Stamford, CT explosion event with Nitro? You would think in a SANE universe, the general public would realize that Nitro... a VILLAIN... was the one at fault. But they hair-triggeredly pointed their venom towards the superhero community, even going so far as to spit at Tony Stark during a public event, and assaulting Johnny "Human Torch" Storm at a nightclub. Geez... You build up public heroes just to tear them down, eh? A tilting linchpin of the series comes in the place of Spider-Man. For Peter Parker, while Tony Stark gave him a SPECTACULAR job at Stark Industries, along with the nifty Iron Spider armor, Spidey surely believed in his right to retain anonymity in his heroic activities. So, what's the best way to dissolve the tension... which was being reflected in Tony Stark, all of the sudden, DOGGEDLY chasing after Captain America, and both heroes gathering other heroes to "sides" in their conflicts? Of course! Why didn't I of it? Why not REVEAL YOUR SECRET CIVILIAN IDENTITY IN A PUBLICALLY TELEVISED PRESS CONFERENCE? NOTHING COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG WITH THAT!
Have we had enough stupid decisions, yet? Then how about a few more? Such as Reed Richards building a Negative Zone "detainment camp" for heroes resistant to the Registration Act, acting as a cold-hearted scientific ally to the EEEEVIL government forces. (And thereupon FORCING a wedge into the characters of the Fantastic Four.) Or maybe we could create a cyborg clone of Thor as a Registration weapon, POINTLESSLY killing off Black Goliath for a "shock" moment of the "Civil War" event. (But to be fair, Ragnarok DID become an interesting character, later, in the latter run of "Thunderbolts".) Or since Spider-Man decided to show off his secret identity to the world, why don't we have him AGREE to Captain America's stance, and have him hounded by Tony Stark and his S.H.I.E.L.D. forces, which ALSO includes a new team of Thunderbolts agents, headed by LONG-TIME Spidey villain, Norman "Green Goblin" Osborne. (And I will ALSO be fair in saying that this period's run of Thunderbolts stories were some of my FAVORITES since the original Kurt Busiek/Mark Bagley comic run!) Sigh... Are we at the end of the train, yet?
Not quite, since the end of the train involves the Resistance group being betrayed by Tigra, which leads to a MASSIVE hero VS hero battle in New York's TIME SQUARE. Now... I KNOW part of the "Marvel Charm" is that sometimes our heroes can scuffle with each other, but usually it will lead to some sort of understanding at the end, but the tone of this series... again, shoe-horned by an atmosphere of gross negativity by Mark Millar... is one of outright dismal bloodshed, in an effort to give the Marvel Universe a "new season" to run under. So our entire story ends up with Captain America seeing the results of his brawl with Iron Man upon Times Square, weeps, and surrenders to imprisonment. So we walk into a new Marvel Universe where Tony Stark is a complete jerk and villain figure, Captain America is in prison... and in a few short publication months, MURDERED, Spider-Man is a hunted man, nearly gets his Aunt May killed, and has his marriage with Mary Jane Watson absolved via a mystical deal with Mephisto, and the start of a BAJILLION Avengers books to come, with the launch of "Mighty Avengers" and the rebel "New Avengers" rebranding. It's not so much the end result of this core mini-series was the sole factor in my losing interest in a majority of current Marvel events, but the publication tone of this series that REALLY did me in!
Because it WASN'T enough that the core 7-issue series contain the main story beats. No, no... Marvel Publishing execs wanted to tie this event into EVERY BOOK, along with side mini-series. And if you missed ONE CHAPTER, certain events in the main series would make ZILCH sense! It also wasn't enough that for about 2-3 years, our Marvel heroes... who we came to love in their years of developments, had to conform to their outright nasty treatments due to this mini-series. I thought the trend this series established would FINALLY end after a nearly 3-year continuous story arc transition, from "Secret Invasion", to "Dark Reign", and HOPEFULLY to a conclusion with the ending of "Siege", which was supposed to be the beginning of the "Heroic Age", where all wounds would be mended from the events of "Civil War", and HOPEFULLY we could receive an event breather! ... But that's just the foolish thoughts of a man that feels that not EVERY story needs to be written to tie into a bi-monthly EVENT SCHEDULE, and not every story needs to conform to a "Written for the trade" mentality. Yes, I did still dip my toes into the Marvel Universe during the "Civil War" event, and even a little bit afterwards, but it also never felt like it was completely the same place I grew up to love throughout my life. I even start to worry about the outcome of the third "Captain America" movie, which will APPARENTLY serve as a semi-adaptation of this storyline, but I think the cinematic Marvel Universe can hopefully pull us viewers from the potential morass that came in the comics' wake of this misguided attempt to bring current "news" relevancy to a fictional universe, and to grossly mangle characters that may have their disagreements, but in the end, still worked for a cause of justice. Oh... but once my "homework" is done, we'll see ANOTHER similar scenario play out in tomorrow's entry, only in the case of the DC Universe, involving a major figurehead character that usually finds HERSELF in rather difficult relevancy footing, especially when she is being tentatively tied into a lead-in to ANOTHER upcoming event!
Comic book geek highlights of the day, before I begin today's post... which like yesterday, comes thanks to John B of the Gentlemen's Guide to Comics group!
Having my girlfriend not only watch the latest episode of "The Flash" without rolling her eyes TOO much, along with her asking me questions about the "Reverse Flash" concept.
Starting my reading of the second volume of Ed Piskor's "Hip Hop Family Tree". Man... If there's ANY comic series that is a MUST-READ for fans of music history, this would be one of those ESSENTIAL reads! Plus, the style is decidedly vintage-Marvel in artistic charm! (It also makes me want to pull out my compilation CD of "Sugar Hill Gang VS Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five"!
In an unusual way, today's blog entry offers you a BIT of a sneak-peek for my intentions for postings 99 and 100. Consider today's writing to be the "lead-in" issue to the anniversary spectacular! I discussed today's topic... again, WHOLLY suggested by John B... with my girlfriend, trying to process whether the concept is more "homage" than "rip-off", but the argument could be made either way. What IS undisputed is these concepts helped create some TRULY excellent stories, and even in some cases, left some genuine comic book legacies! I speak of the "bleeding-over" of certain recognized teams in other comic universes... WITHOUT involving true crossovers. Today, we speak of the "homage" teams of Marvel and DC! And what better place to start than with one of the most recognized homage teams in all comics history...
Squadron Supreme: Originating in "Avengers #69" as a creation of the Grandmaster in one of his galactic games, the Squadron was THEN recognized as "Sinister", with the core members consisting of Hyperion, Nighthawk, Doctor Spectrum, and the Whizzer. Eagle-eyed comics readers may have noticed some... slight "similarities" between another particular super-team in the DC Universe with some of these characters. I can offer you some of my "theories":
Hyperion = Superman
Nighthawk = Batman
Doctor Spectrum = Green Lantern
The Whizzer = The Flash
That didn't EXACTLY change when the PROPER Squadron Supreme was introduced in "Avengers #89", and expanded upon later with some other cases of, "Didn't I see this guy/gal somewhere else?" Such as with:
Amphibian = Aquaman
Power Princess = Wonder Woman
Arcanna = Zatanna
Blue Eagle = Hawkman
Golden Archer = Green Arrow
Lady Lark = Black Canary
Nuke = Firestorm
The Shape = A kinda "special" version of Elongated Man
Tom Thumb = MAYBE a crossover of Atom with Oberon?
One of the main gimmicks of the Squadron's appearances is that they seemed VERY susceptible to mental manipulation, in terms of battling with their oft-opponents, the Avengers. That was later explained to be caused by the Squadron's main nemesis, the Overmind. In a battle that nearly destroys their home world... because the Squadron Supreme exist on an ALTERNATE Earth... the Overmind is defeated, along with his influence. This then launches one of the most MEMORABLE comic mini-series of ALL time, the 12-issue "Squadron Supreme" series written by Mark Gruenwald. I speak with no small hyperbole in saying this series was essentially "Watchmen", in terms of the exploration of superheroes as fallible human beings, before Alan Moore launched his big legacy piece. I REFUSE to spoil anything about the "Squadron Supreme" series, because this 12-issue masterpiece is ESSENTIAL reading for any comic book fan! Seriously, I don't care if you've never read an appearance of the team prior to, or following, this series. YOU. MUST. READ. THIS. STORY.
After Gruenwald's magnum opus on the team, along with a following graphic novel sequel, the team remained dormant until about the 90's, when they appeared in "Quasar", and was integral to a story for the Kurt Busiek/George Perez "Avengers" run after the HIGHLY faulted "Heroes Reborn" period for the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Another incarnation of note for the team is due to the "Supreme Power" series run for Marvel's "Ultimate" universe, created by J. Michael Straczynski... he who REFUSES to finish any project he starts. I personally have not read this run, because for the most part, I am personally ambivalent towards anything in association with the Ultimate Marvel Universe... something I SHOULD explore in a future blog entry... but the Squadron Supreme managed to dip their "familiar" toes into another aspect of the Marvel Universe, as well. Heck, to prove HOW influential the Squadron Supreme concept was, the team earned their own "Marvel Zombies" mini-series! When you're zombified, you've made it, team that KIND OF resembles another company's "heavy hitters".
But it's not like the "Distinguished Competition" was above such "homage" creations, as well, because not only did TWO of Marvel's superstar teams get the "tribute album" treatment, but as we'll also explore, they even hosted FANS of the "House of Ideas" in their conflicts, and we start things off with...
Champions of Angor: Serendipity creates some interesting crossbreeding, because while Roy Thomas gave Marvel the Squadron Supreme, Mike Friedrich introduced in "Justice League of America #87" a team of Champions from another planet called Angor that also seemed to "resemble" another team of heroes for the opposite side of company fencing! Roll call for this introductory team, along with my "BEST GUESSES" for who they seemed to be modelled after:
Blue Jay = Yellowjacket
Silver Sorceress = Scarlet Witch
Jack B. Quick = Quicksilver
The Bowman = Hawkeye (Though to be fair, ANY "super archer" is equally sort of a riff on either Hawkeye or Green Arrow. NO. ONE. was going to riff on Shaft from Youngblood, though.)
Wandjina = Thor
Later additions to the team, via an issue of "Justice League Quarterly #3" include other "tribute" characters like:
Tin Man = Iron Man
Bug = Spider-Man
Unlike the Squadron, the Champions were NEVER influenced by mental manipulation for their clashes. LIKE most Marvel characters, though, they often clashed with the Justice League, due to simple misunderstanding. But also LIKE the Squadron Supreme, it was later revealed that the world of Angor was also devastated... but the MAIN difference is that the Champions were unable to regain control of order, when they were ultimately defeated by their opposite number team, the Extremists.
Might the Extremists also look a little bit familiar? That may be because they KIND OF "resemble" some of Marvel's most infamous villains, such as:
Lord Havok = Doctor Doom
Gorgon = Doctor Octopus
Doctor Diehard = Magneto
Dreamslayer = Dormammu
Tracer = Wolverine, with SOME Sabretooth mixed in
What's interesting is that the Extremists seemed to have a MUCH lengthier creative life than the Champions of Angor, but there's no denying that the Champions fulfilled their niche spot as DC's none-too-subtle Marvel analog. But that's not all, because one of Superman's greatest foes... later to become a thorn in the side of the Green Lantern Corps... began life as a "nod" to Marvel's "First Family"...
Hank Henshaw: I know, I know... "Hank WHO?!?". I do not aim to mislead you readers, because before Hank entered life as the Cyborg Superman, in "Adventures of Superman #466", himself and his fellow crewmates of the doomed space shuttle Excalibur were affected by solar radiation, before crashing back to Earth. You could say that this even "four" of a crew's chances of survival after such a crash was "FANTASTIC", but alas, fate was not terribly kind to this foursome. (Maybe if they were only JUST exposed to garden-variety cosmic rays?) The pilot of the ship was transformed into a behemoth made up of ship parts and the ground they crashed into, the youngest member of the crew became a living entity of cosmic energy, Hank's wife started phasing out of our reality at intervals... becoming "invisible" in streaks..., and Hank suffered premature white hair, along with an accelerated rate of body decay. Heck, there was a point in the issue where he was STILL working on curing the crews' conditions, despite being little more than a skeleton with some stray bits of flesh attached to his frame! So what's the end result of this issue? The cosmic energy being goes mad from the power, and seeks solace in the depths of space... where he essentially fizzles out of existence. Our "Thing" of minerals and ship parts decides to commit suicide in a particle dispersal unit. Hank's wife IS restored to our reality, without phasing out, but is driven insane by the entire experience, and later commits suicide due to being unable to cope with the tragedy of her life. And Hank Henshaw DID "die" at the conclusion of the issue, but a spark of his existence still lived in in the LexCorp mainframe, where he was able to construct robotic forms to maintain a physicality. Superman would later give Henshaw the ability to explore the cosmos, after being rejected on Earth, via installing Henshaw's "spark" into the ship that launched Kal-El to Earth.
But the blame game is what Henshaw decides upon with Superman, after travelling the universe, and when Superman dies after his battle with Doomsday, Hank Henshaw decides to undo the legacy of the Man of Steel by turning into the Cyborg Superman! And to think, all this started with a rather "fantastic" first appearance!
Now, to spice things up, we see "kind of" appearances by the Marvel luminaries in various DC books, and it was all thanks to a Halloween tradition of a famous Rutland, Vermont comics fan, Tom Fagan!
"Batman #237" not only featured the now-classic "Night of the Reaper" story by Dennis O'Neal (who ALSO had a cameo in the issue!) and Neal Adams, it also featured an appearance of the Rutland Halloween Parade, which was started by Tom Fagan in 1965, when he and a group of friends started a parade in mixed Marvel/DC character costumes. Marvel TECHNICALLY first recognized Fagan's Rutland tradition in an issue of the "Avengers", but the DC books were the first that featured people dressed as characters from the opposing company. Note this panel, where somehow "Thor" and "Spider-Man" happen to show up!
And in "Justice League of America #103", SOMEHOW, thanks to the mystical schemes of DC's Sorcerer Sinister, Felix Faust, some of Rutland's costumed partiers end up with magic power enhancements, along with mental manipulations! So we get to see "Thor", "Captain America", and "Spider-Man" battle with the JLA! And as all current convention goers know, sometimes imitation really IS the best form of flattery!
Preamble time, as per usual on Saturday! And then I PROMISE I'll get to the comic talk for the start of the weekend! (And before I forget, since I was drawing a blank on what to select for this week, I decided to put the call out for topic suggestions, and the members of the Gentleman's Guide to Comics Facebook group pulled through in a VERY rough spot! So today's blog, and it's subject, is dedicated to that FINE Gentleman, Todd C.! By the way, I also recommend the group, because one thing Todd does EVERY day is picks a character for the day. It generates a LOT of interesting talking points!)
This week at work was a serious buzzkill. Aside from working probably WAY too hard... for just minimum wage... since the building has zilch in terms of comfortable private offices, I also was witness to a workplace disagreement that got... out of hand. Keep crossing those fingers for a better horizon, readers, because...
... It feels like this week offered me some peeks at the "sun" of promising employments, but no real solid connections. Heck, I KNOW one pre-test for a position I bombed out on, because this was the VERY first time I've attempted anything associated with Office 2010. And this test was MERCILESS about failed attempts at a question.
Winter arrived in Michigan in a H-A-R-D way. Just in my neck of the woods, alone, we're already an inch away from having the snowiest November in city history. And the month isn't even OVER yet! So dealing with three non-stop days of road slop, snow, and ice doesn't give me the ability to maintain a fully "sunshiny" demeanor.
Hence, why I put the call out for people to help me generate some talking points for this weekends' blog entries. It was just enough for me to wake up and put one foot in front of the other EACH weekday of this week. Oh well... At least next week is Thanksgiving, where food, family, and... "spirits"... await to help me unwind! And another suggestion I received helped form the genesis of my intentions for next weekend. So stay tuned...
Back to the subject of Todd's suggestion, one of the topics he threw my way was discussing the merits of certain villains that aren't afraid to get their toes wet. In fact, you could say they're AWASH in their sense of doing harm unto others! At the risk of dropping one more pun into the bucket, this blog entry is SOAKED with sinister swimmers! That's right... Today we speak on UNDERWATER VILLAINS!
Before I begin with the actual image-associated posts, I was ITCHING to make one more brief trip into EXTREME territory with this post, because there was a 4-issue arc of Image Comic's "Brigade" regular series that dealt with the universe's return... to "modern times"... of the NOT-Sub Mariner, Roman. Issues 4-7 of the title detailed the brawl with Roman, then the reveal that the father to Seahawk and Coldsnap was STILL alive, and living with an Atlantean civilization, who are being attacked by a foe named Warlok. (Yay, poor spelling!) The only thing really "unique" about Warlok, in comparison to the other entries I'll be mentioning, is how EXTREME his appearance was. He resembled the standard Liefeld-ian random assembly of over-processed muscles, and carried a face that one his mother could have loved, having resembled a starfish with piranha jaws and teeth. As with all Extreme Comics villains, his return was "teased"... but the more likely option that would happen in comparison to that "promise" is my waking up, tomorrow morning, looking EXACTLY like Chris Hemsworth. But again, poor Warlok... The Internet doesn't want to acknowledge your image spread to the masses, but you live on in my memory!
Our quest begins in the depths of the Marvel Universe briny deeps, with...
Attuma: First debuting in "Fantastic Four #33", Attuma comes from a barbarian side-civilization of Atlantis. (Y'know, Namor's Princely turf...) Like MANY of Namor's foes... but Attuma originated the trend... Attuma covets the throne Namor possesses, and often attempts to lead rebellions against the Atlantean throne to gain control. Upon gaining that control, Attuma's other main goal is to not be as "soft" on humanity as Namor tended to be, and make a gambit... with technological assistance to overcome the underwater citizen's limitations on the surface world... to conquer Earth! You will notice a trend with underwater bred villains in that their powers really DON'T vary all that much; enhanced speed, strength, and reflexes. (It makes them NO LESS SPECIAL. I wish people would remember that, more often, when cracking wise about Aquaman!) But what makes Attuma unique is that he's certainly more of a "brute", compared to Namor. I'm guessing if you performed the standard "tale of the tape", you would find that Attuma has more of a body mass than Namor, giving him the weight advantage. Plus, Attuma relies a LOT more on armor and bladed weaponry for his combat excursions. Attuma may also have the most crossover appeal of many of the Marvel underwater villains, having appeared in multiple video games, cartoons... and I HOPE eventually winter stocking replicas of his signature head gear! SERIOUSLY! I have always had a soft spot for Attuma's "bunny ear" helmet!
Tiger Shark: Interesting that a topic suggested by a Todd ends up getting another infamous "Todd" for a mention, with the deadly underwater hybrid previously known as Olympic champion swimmer, Todd Arliss, who first appeared as a Marvel threat in "Namor the Sub Mariner #5". Todd was a glory-hogging Olympic swimmer, who in a gambit to achieve further fame, sought to rescue a drowning man at sea. That... doesn't EXACTLY go to plan, as Todd is pushed so forcefully against the nearby ship the rescue was being performed at, his spine is damaged. Still, there is the miracle of modern science to see him through! ... Maybe more like the sick designs of MAD SCIENCE, as a deviant scientist named Doctor Dorcas decides to strike at Namor through Todd, by fusing the famed Atlantean's DNA with that of a tiger shark, and infusing that genetic cocktail into Mr. Arliss, transforming him into Tiger Shark. Tiger Shark's abilities are... you guessed it... enhanced speed, strength, and agility. He also possesses the "natural aggression" of his genetic kegger mix, along with implanted gills for his underwater survival, and... apparently at some point... Adamantium-coated shark teeth! What makes Tiger Shark interesting for me is that he was kind of a Wolverine-level "savagery" villain before Logan even stepped foot out of the Canadian wilderness of his comic existence. And true to my claim, he DID even cross paths with the "Best there is at what he does, Bub"!
Llyra: I know... I know... This last entry for the Marvel Universe only gives you the impression that I HEAVILY stacked the list in favor of Namor/Atlantis foes. You may notice that BOTH of the two main companies' underwater threats are basically NEVER far removed from their centerpiece aquatic heroes. So let's just accept that as fact, and say hello to my ONE femme fatale of the fathom depths, that Lemurian lusty lady, Llyra, who first appeared in "Namor the Sub Mariner #32". Llyra hails from Lemuria, which bears ties to Atlantis, in terms of being a fabled city that was fated to sink beneath the depths. (Lemuria ALSO achieved side fame for its inclusion into the Conan mythos by Robert E. Howard!) Llyra was also a bit of a mutant, with a shape-shifting ability. From what I read, a REALLY weird twist for Llyra was that she was able to shift into a "surface dweller's" pink skin pigment, and when she did, her personality would be subverted by another more "innocent" persona. Llyra may not carry the name recognition that the previous two Marvel nominations garner, but she DOES hold a few trump cards that make her a special sinister personality:
Llyra was responsible for the capture, and murder, of Namor's true love, Dorma!
Llyra was the ONLY member of this Marvel underwater cadre that earned membership into the famed "Frightful Four".
Llyra was ALSO a key factor to a MAJOR summer-long Annual crossover called "Atlantis Attacks", which dealt with her forming alliances with Attuma, and Ghaur, a priest for a race of mutations known as the Deviants, in the cause of mystically summoning the serpent god, Set, onto Earth.
Whereas Llyra DOES share some of the enhanced strength and speed of your standard underwater villain, she also carries her shape-shifter card, along with a measure of psychic manipulation, AND thanks to her worshiping at the alter of giant cosmic snakes, some ADDED measure of mystic powers. Not a bad resume, I must say!
We cross the Multiverse to take a dip in the other main ocean of villainy, the DC Universe, with my first nomination...
Black Manta: Aquaman offers up a WEALTH of submersible sneaks and oceanic outlaws, but the MOST well known of that lot has to be a man named David, who carved a niche for himself with the high-tech identity of Black Manta. In an origin story that was created 40 YEARS after the character first appeared in "Aquaman #35", the boy named David was an autistic orphan, adopted into and "treated" at Arkham Asylum. His obsession with water began with cold water being able to calm his rages, and after years of mistreatment, after a round of experimental treatments, David unleashed his killer side, and remembered his fixation on Aquaman as a boy, making Arthur Curry his PRIME target for rage. Black Manta served as a multi-functional villain; as initially a pirate, then as a mercenary, then as a "Black power" advocate for the oceans (For Black Manta is the ONLY African-American nominee for today's list.), and even at one point a LITERAL manta/human hybrid! But we all best know David for his black armor and signature helmet, which is one of the COOLEST helmets in comic history! (And if you're anything like me, you're ALREADY hearing in your head the voice of Black Manta from the "Challenge of the Super Friends" animated series.) And one of Black Manta's most nefarious deeds was the cold-blooded murder of Aquaman and Mera's son, Arthur Curry Jr. Yep... Gotta be one COLD guy to murder a child! What makes Black Manta so cool, aside from his appearance... and the fact that in a way, he is KIND of like an underwater Iron Man, due to the many tricks and gadgets he implements... is that unlike the other nominees, David still retains MOST of his humanity, while still being a water-based criminal exclusively!
The Deep Six: I've talked before about my general LOVE for Jack Kirby's "New Gods" creation. Orion scored his own entry in a blog, and eventually I DO want to write about the Apokalyptean "crew", but we test that entry a LITTLE bit with talking about an ENTIRE TEAM of underwater threats under the employ of Darkseid. Their first appearance mention is... kinda murky... I DO remember the group was first mentioned in "New Gods #2", and one particular member, Slig, first appeared in "New Gods #5", but the group as a WHOLE didn't show up until "New Gods #6". Ironic that for a group I enjoy SO much... I ALWAYS seem to forget the names and abilities of each member. But thank you Wikipedia for filling in some gaps, so time for the roll-call!
Gole- Loves his sais as much as his full-face helmet.
Jaffar- NOT related to Disney's "Aladdin", he loves the color green for his armor, and has the ability to mutate beings.
Kurin- NOT related to "Dragonball Z", loves shiny golden armor, tridents, and long walks on the beach.
Shaligo the Flying Fin Back- LOVES rocking a blonde "Prince Valiant", along with being the only member of the team that can remain airborne for extended periods of time.
Slig- Loves being able to mutate living beings with one hand, and being able to dissolve their very matter with the other, but REALLY dislikes being pummeled by Orion's helmet to his face.
Trok- Loves impractical weaponry, with his use of an axe head attached to the lash end of a whip.
All six of these cuddly critters carry with them the enhanced strength and speed of an underwater citizen, and they ALSO carry the love I have for my FAVORITE part of the Jack Kirby "Fourth World" saga!
The Shark: If I'm going to end today's blog with one last entry, may as well make it the WACKIEST one of the lot! Science went a long way in establishing some of today's featured villains. It made a human into an Atlantean/shark hybrid. It made an average man a technological terror of the seas. But in "Green Lantern #24", science made a shark into KIND of a man! As he would later be known as Karshon, the Shark started off life LITERALLY as a tiger shark. But nearby atomic experimentation evolved his body into first a standard man, and then into a fully realized man-shark hybrid! (Todd Arliss could've achieved the SAME result if he just hung around atomic weapons testing sites! ... Or maybe developed some form of fatal cancer...) As if his origin wasn't crazy enough... or the fact that he's an aquatic villain that DIDN'T originate from Aquaman's universe, his powers... Oh lordy, his power set... Let's put it this way; if people thought the Silver and Bronze Ages of Superman's existence were ridiculous for his power levels, check out what the Shark was able to achieve at various points in his existence:
Strength, speed, agility... yadda-yadda for underwater villains
Fear projection. That's right, if the Shark THOUGHT about you being scared about him, forcefully enough, you WOULD be scared of him!
Flight. ... Because, as we all know, atomic sharks are just SIMPLY ABLE to soar upon the winds.
Size alteration. If the Shark wanted to be teeny, then by willing it, he'd be no bigger than a piece of Swedish Fish. But if he wanted to challenge Godzilla, he'd shoot up faster than Hank Pym popping his growth pills like they were Skittles!
As you can plain see, not ALL fish are all that "fresh" from the sea, in conclusion...
Part 2 of my special Image Comics project arrives, today, with an extended look at Rob Liefeld's OTHER main introductory creation to his own side company of the revolutionary comic company, Extreme Comics. At some point I will ALSO touch on some of the other aspects of the Image Comics founding features. For example, I own the complete "Shadowhawk" Archive, so I am open to discussing that Jim Valentino creation. I also STEADILY collected Erik Larsen's "Savage Dragon" into the 50-some issue mark, so that could bear some eventual commentary. And as of late, I've been DRUDGING my way through Todd McFarlane's "Spawn", so that may be up for a future topic. (I say "drudging" because man... Just my personal opinion, but that book can be pretty darned self-important and poorly paced at times. At least it was a book that gave Greg Capullo a major artistic spotlight to develop his skills!) The opening development I can offer for this introduction is I had a rather interesting library find with the IDW collection of the "Batman" newspaper strip from 1966-67. I remember reading about this strip in the "Batcave Chronicles" published by TwoMorrows Publishing. This piqued my interest, because these strips part of the initial wave of Bat-Mania, as product of the "New Look" Batman at DC, and the popularity of the Adam West television series! Maybe this won't result in a full article for the blog, but I'll at least mention my reading project from time to time!
Rob Liefeld, for ALL of his faults as an artist and storyteller, had one leg up on his other Image Comics forefathers, in that he actively pursued an expanded universe before the others could. ... REALISTICALLY, you could say that's because he had a knack for creating characters, and that's about it. But he was TRYING as a creator to stir up a larger corner of his own neck of the Image woods. And you see this in a lot of early Image titles, when despite different splinter companies in the Image group, they would attempt co-mingling creations between titles. Examples of this being Savage Dragon and mention of the Youngblood team showing up in Spawn, Badrock of Youngblood showing up to fight Savage Dragon in his own title, and the entire Youngblood team brawling with WildC.A.T.s! But before any other creator attempted to expand on their creations, Rob Liefeld handed the artistic reins to Marat Michaels for the first issue of his SECOND creative endeavor to be launched on July 1st, 1992...
Brigade #1- Our intro issue opens with John Stone AKA Battlestone jogging on the beach of Brigade's Malibu, CA base. With his cute lil' skull widow's peak jewelry and his MASSIVE pigtails trailing behind him, ruminating on being the leader of a untested team of heroes. He then runs into a beachside argument between the Barrios brothers, best known as Seahawk: Guy who can generically fly, and Coldsnap: NOT-Iceman during his control belt phase in "X-Factor". Atlas, NOT-Hank Pym or Colossal Lad, is lounging in a beach chair while the fight is being broken up. Next we meet with Thermal, NOT-Firestar, as she makes a covert phone call to her later-to-be-revealed journalism boss... because she's a MOLE on the team as part of an expose! Kayo, NOT-Iron Fist or the generic Japanese "kung fu" guy of the team, walks in on her, as she quickly hangs up the phone. Kayo worries about her PATHETIC excuse for being upset, when the brawl between the brothers carries over into their base, and Battlestone breaks it up. Just when you think such "delightful" character moments are going to overwhelm the potential action of the book, Battlestone sees a report of a terrorist attack on the Maruko Tower. Time for Brigade to go-Go-GO!!! Reporters worry that unless the Youngblood team acts on the terrorist act, then NOTHING will possibly be resolved. That's when the Brigade group shot makes an appearance, including a member we've NOT EVEN SEEN YET shows up, the young lady that raided Namorita's closet, Stasis. It's time for the group assault on the terrorists as they crash the Maruko Tower, and beat up lots of guys REAL good! A wrench is thrown into the sense of Brigade victory when Battlestone tackles one fleeing terrorist, and finds out that the bomb threat they promised was not by way of an external bombing, but one terrorist that serves as THE bomb. Uh-oh, Spaghetti-Os! Inexplicably, the team manages to escape the Maruko Tower, to watch the building fall-down-go-boom on top of Battlestone. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth occur... despite the fact that throughout the book the team seems to THRIVE on snapping at each other... until Battlestone rises from the building's rubble. Their victory and reunion are witnessed by an extraterrestrial life form who calls himself "Genocide". ... Yes, it will later be revealed that this IS his birth-name! I guess with a name like that, you shouldn't expect your child to become a leading figure in charitable organizations.
We didn't see the release of "Youngblood #0" by this issue's release, but we have been given hints of Battlestone's past with Youngblood, along with the team being mentioned by reporters in light of the terrorist attack in the 'Blood's native stomping grounds of Washington D.C. But the very generic nature of the team has Liefeld's paw prints ALL over them! What does set this title aside is the fact that it sure is EASIER to follow Marat Michaels' artwork! He's still an acolyte of Liefeld's style, and during the height of the Liefeld Universe, his artwork would grown to some of Rob's exaggerated sense, but I will give Michaels more credit for being more of a credible storyteller. And unlike MOST of the issues I discussed during my Youngblood exploration, yesterday, this was a COMPLETE story in one issue! Conflict started and finished, with just enough threads left to follow in a sequential next issue. Which just so happens to have fallen into comic readers' laps on August 1st, 1992...
Brigade #2- Our second issue wastes NO time in establishing Genocide's interest in "socializing" with Brigade, as his flying saucer lands in Washington. One member of the innocent crowd mentions a timely reference about moving from L.A. due to the riots, and now THIS! Hand this comic to a person that was born at least from 1995 on, and I'll EASILY bet $10 that that "current event" reference will just fly right by their radar. Genocide gesticulates wildly in the middle of the street, as maybe an interpretive dance will grab the attention of Brigade. ... And it WORKS! The team and Genocide exchange dialogue worthy of an average professional wrestling promo, and in the words of Michael Buffer... "Lllllet's get ready to RUMBLLLLE!!!". Genocide showcases prodigious strength, and the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes... and what looks to be on certain panels, from his general HEAD vicinity. We take a break from the fighting to meet with two Congressmen, discussing the arrival of Brigade, and especially the return to active superheroic duty by Battlestone... whom as we remember from "Youngblood #0", was told to STAY HIDDEN to avoid prosecution for his "fragging" of a fellow U.S. trooper in combat. Ominous developments, which MAY bear investigation later... But anyways, back to the battlin' Brigade and Genocide! Battlestone manages to score a solid K.O. punch, until Genocide recovers, with his Universal Translator being disabled. Still, you would imagine if you can't understand Genocide any further, you can still guess he's spewing forth more, "I am the supreme combatant, and cannot suffer defeat from you miserable rabble!", dialogue. And apparently he gathers enough strength to blast the ENTIRE TEAM with some kind of concussive blast. The brawl continues until the point where Genocide upends an ENTIRE BUILDING on his own. Atlas grows to attempt to stem the collapsing structure, but then Brigade are mysteriously "zapped" away by an energy field. Genocide seems to DELIGHT in this disappearance, until "Scotty" beams him up in turn. Turns out Genocide is the Prince of a planet called Taraban, and his daddy isn't too thrilled by his running out on the royal responsibilities to play "bully boy" on another planet. But hey... Prince Genocide DID manage to bring back some entertainment to Taraban, because they all CONVIENTLY are transported to a coliseum! End the "Brigade" portion of this issue, because like the Youngblood issues I discussed, this issue has a split feature to talk about, the first of a four-part back-up story introducing the character called "Infiniti". (No... She's NOT a car!)
I won't detail "Infiniti" too much, because it's only just the first chapter of a four part story, and I REALLY can't remember how the rest of the story plays out. A walking department store mannequin shows up at a research facility, throws a "Return of the Jedi" thermal detonator, and awakens a 90's Jean Grey cosplayer called Infiniti, who is supposed to be a SUPER-BEING. As Infiniti awakens, and discovers "awesome power", a group of government armored troopers show up, and cue cliffhanger! What happens next?!? You... WON'T be finding out, next issue, because this was one of only TWO split issues that were featured in the first Brigade mini-series! But also unlike Youngblood, you had no real time gaps to wait for what happens next to Battlestone and buddies, for in September 1st, 1992, we saw the release of...
Brigade #3- Before I begin, I should open with a note I REALLY should have brought up, last issue. Y'see, "Brigade #2" was one of the FIRST Image Comics I actively owned! It was part of a 7-comic collection that featured coupons in each issue. If you mailed in the coupon "proofs of purchase", you could order a copy of "Image #0". (I should eventually troll eBay to see how much a copy of this comic would set me back... if it was even produced, because I know I at least NEVER saw my copy arrive in the mail, after sending out my coupons!) But none of this bears any importance on the events of the third documented issue of Brigade!
The Taraban High Council exchange words... probably by way of ACTIVE Universal Translators... with Brigade. We get the usual "Earth dog" speechifying, and Brigade taking offense to such insults, until the team has enough of "polite discourse" and BLASTS their way out of the arena. They find themselves on the run in a world they are not familiar with, battling various nameless grunts, until they find escape in the sewers. Cut back to the High Council, who reassure the concerned Taraban citizens with assurances that if they manage to evade the standard "red shirts", there is always... "THE FACTOR"... waiting for them in the poo-gas tunnels. I'm guessing the "Factor" the High Council refers to finds Brigade taking up sewer sanctuary, and it's best described as a cross between Killer Croc and elements of Hentai. (No further explanation needed for that reference; I DO still want to keep this blog mostly "family friendly"!) But cue MORE battling and brawling, until Brigade escapes the sewers, and REALLY runs into the "Factor"... who appear to hold in their membership a palette-swapped version of Superman, a version of the Marvel villain Equinox... only as a woman with a ridiculous bald head with a LONG topknot, and a guy who looks EXACTLY LIKE GENOCIDE... but really isn't. Did you order another fight sequence? Because you got one! But what appears be a dire situation, with Brigade being up against the ropes of defeat at the hands of the Factor, seems to be a save at the hands of an unnamed intervening team that LOOKS to be made up of Thanagarian social club rejects! End. Of. Issue.
... But end of story? I HARDLY think so! You see, the concluding issue of the initial "Brigade" mini-series is a little bit of something special. Because not only do we witness the end of the first adventure of Brigade, but it ALSO features the conclusion to a series we explored as of yesterday. October 1st, 1992 closed the book on the first adventures of BOTH Youngblood and Brigade in the form of...
Brigade #4/Youngblood #5- Since I don't want Battlestone and friends feeling short-changed, I'll focus on the conclusion of their story, first. It also bears mention that the "Brigade" half of this split-comic is FAR more lengthy than the "Youngblood" half, and for those that waited with baited breath for the ending of the initial Youngblood story to see how Liefeld delivered a panoramic climax... they would be disappointed not ONLY by the brevity of the story, but ALSO by the fact that Liefeld didn't even provide his bizarr-o artwork for the comic that was his creative BABY! So, what's up with Brigade, as we take on the patented bullet-point approach?
We find ourselves FINALLY being formally introduced to the Hawkman appreciation society, who go under the collective team name of Birds of Prey. They serve as the rebellion forces against the brutal Taraban regime. What IS kind of refreshing is the only introductory hostility we see between the two teams are just some heated words, but that's as FAR as it carries over. Then cooler heads prevail, after the Birds' leader assures Battlestone that he can get the team back to Earth. They decide to team up, clobber upon some MORE poor Tarabanian grunts, until just as our collective arrives at a shuttle launch space, they run into Genocide, who is given the offer to regain his honor by means of destruction of the TWO teams that has caused the High Council nothing but embarrassment. Battlestone and Genocide fight, and fight akin to Itchy and Scratchy, until the leader of the Birds breaks up the fight, and Genocide launches a stray hand blast... RIGHT INTO ATLAS' CHEST! *Cue the "Mortal Kombat" "Fatality!" sound clip* Battlestone breaks loose upon the murder of a fellow teammate, and pummels Genocide nearly to death, until the Birds' leader stops him from delivering the killing blow. (WHY this was the case, when having a member of the tyrannical High Council disposed of in such a brutal fashion would be SATISFACTORY to a freedom-seeking group, is beyond me...) But anyways, with a heavy heart, the team of Brigade find a shuttle to fly back to Earth. So it's a bittersweet return home, and things are developing to become yet MORE difficult for the team, when our epilogue brings us back to the earlier mentioned Congressmen, discussing the assigning of the Bloodstrike team to bringing Brigade to justice. (And if you want to read more about that, please look up my previous article about the "Blood Brothers" crossover!)
Sigh... Do I HAVE to talk about the Youngblood story? Okay... okay... Badrock is still possessed by NOT-Darkseid, but at least because of the tag-team approach against the Youngblood teams, the Berzerkers, and Prophet, the Disciples stop arriving on the scene. We're then "treated" to some of the WORST fight progression sequences in comic's history, as Badrock is knocked out, apparently Prophet is beaten by Darkthornn, the gates of Hell unleash demons to battle the Youngblood team, and some other members try to tackle Darkthornn. Psi-Fire... who has NOT SHOWED UP since the very first issue of Youngblood is apparently part of the team, again... only with a power-restraining collar attached. Vogue and Riptide debate on setting Psi-Fire free, but they realize the brown-stuff is hitting the fan in the Darkthornn battle, and release the man from his power-negation manacles. Apparently Psi-Fire is SO impressive in his showing, Darkthornn just up and turns tail into one of his NOT-Boom Tubes... and the battle is over. ... Yes, this is REALLY how the long-awaited battle concludes. The Berzerkers run off into another NOT-Boom Tube in pursuit, Prophet and Kirby decide to wander the Earth like Kain in "Kung Fu", and our issue concludes with Badrock making the HILARIOUS quip about "who will clean up this mess?". Har-de-har-har...
In conclusion, while BOTH conclusions leave much to be desired in being utterly satisfactory, I WILL give the "Brigade" opening series more credit for sticking through with a sequential story from beginning to weak ending, without losing ANY focus. As you witnessed in my commentary from yesterday's blog, and exhibited in the last issue of the opening Youngblood story arc, the series reads like it was dictated by an 80's film executive hopped up on straight-line cocaine and Pixie Sticks. There's no question that BOTH teams are certainly products of their time, but I will give the "cohesion" bonus to "Brigade" as a title. Of course, as with all things Image Comics, and ESPECIALLY related to Rob Liefeld, this is but just another chapter in a storied book that I shall divulge in later blog entries, so the EXTREME insanity is FAR from over!
Back to my regular weekend schedule, again. Despite the fact that an employment interview opportunity came, and went with a rejection e-mail, despite having a TRULY frustrating week at work, despite having Momma Nature decide Winter was PERFECT to start this week, and despite wondering when I'll get my next paycheck... It's FINALLY the weekend. Time to rest, recoop, and touch base with discussing my daily hope and joy, COMICS! Before that, a few minor points to bring up:
I polished off the first graphic novel collection of "Afterlife With Archie", this past week, and I was VERY impressed by the melding of serious Horror storytelling, and imagery, to that familiar and cozy setting of Riverdale with Archie Andrews and friends. Not only do I really wish to continue on with this series, but I ALSO want to start exploring more of the recent general "Archie" comics. Hey, it can't always be about men-and-women-in-tights!
This week's "Flash"... WOW! I can only hope the end episode tease will lead into next week's episode. And it was a LOT of fun to see a "Firestorm" character feature in the episode's content, along with a "Captain Atom" alumni!
Upon viewing the blog's main dashboard page, I am not only proud to say that I am just a FEW WEEKS away from "issue" 100 of the blog, I've also FINALLY surpassed 5,000 blog views! I cannot thank you readers enough for making this passion project feel like it's truly enjoyed. In the next week or so, I should come up with plans of how the 100th blog post celebration will occur, but I have a feeling that instead of just having ONE blog reader reap the rewards for the celebration, I may go so far as to create THREE prize packages for three people that wish to throw their names into the "Contest of Champions" I will develop for entry 100. So stay tuned to this blog for further details.
Speaking of which, I guess I'd better start writing this entry, eh?
On February 1st of 1992, I imagine I was probably not even entertaining the thought of an impending Valentine's Day. (Or maybe I was... I mean, I WAS still in Grade School by that point, when Valentine's Day celebrations was a mandatory class participation kind of thing. It wasn't until Junior High that I started learning how cruel that holiday could occasionally be!) And I'm fairly certain, by this point, the music phenomenon of the 90's, Grunge, was starting to show its unwashed head in the popular culture with the explosion of Nirvana. BUT there was another revolution taking place under a partial banner of the Malibu Comics company. It was, on simple glimpse, a side-branding, maybe akin to Vertigo Comics for DC. But it was the start of a brand new company, built upon a "brave rebellion" of artists that longed for "creative freedom" and "artist rights", and laid the foundation for what would be commonly known as Image Comics. (I use all quotation marks, because the REAL way to read that statement would probably be more along the lines of a company "built upon the money-grubbers of artists that longed for not being told what to do by editors, and MAYBE artists rights, as long as they can snag it for themselves.") And the opening salvo for the company was a project originally teased as a side title for "Teen Titans", and later "X-Force", then upon that rejection, taken over to Malibu under a suspicious X-Title heading. Then the artist company split from Marvel, and Rob Liefeld "gifted the masses" with "Youngblood #1" on the very date I quoted.
Youngblood #1- Rob Liefeld is an artist that can INSANELY divide people. Some argue that despite a lack of ANY recognizable anatomy to his characters, and changings of a given character between a page's panel layout, and an amnesiac's ability to tell stories with illustrations, there is STILL an energy to his artwork. Others argue that that "energy" is akin to the same "energy" it takes to pass gas from your system, and that latter example is more pleasant than a Rob Liefeld comic. I cannot deny that, being a child of the 90's, I was WHOLLY pulled into the hype that was Rob Liefeld! His art was so DIFFERENT to standard comic art, along with most of the founding fathers of the Image Comics line. So his labour of love with the "Youngblood" concept was the book to launch Image Comics as a household name! As you will see for this weekend's entries, outside of ONE issue I'll discuss, today, all of the "Youngblood" issues serve as a flip-book comic, containing two stories. This first issue covers the adventures of the two separate branches of the government-sponsored Youngblood teams: Home and Away teams. I may just tackle this on different bullet points, not just to cover the two teams, but just to discuss the separate features of the issues. So, what's our "Home" team up to?
The Home team's story opens up with Shaft (NOT-Hawkeye or Speedy) taking his girlfriend out to a mall, and foils a purse snatching... then an assassination attempt. (Against who is STILL a mystery.) He does so by throwing a pen at LETHAL TRAJECTORY at the assassin, making Shaft also NOT-Bullseye. Reporters go nuts. Cut to NOT-Ben Grimm/The Thing member, Badrock, as he eats lunch his Mom made for him. Because the gimmick about Badrock is he's a TEENAGER! WHOH! AWESOME! Cut to Die Hard, NOT-Captain America with Vision, who awakens from some kind of cryo-chamber. Cut to Chapel, our token cynical womanizing African-American member of the team, as he ends another "date" to answer the call for team action. Cut to NOT-Black Widow, Vogue... who must love Prince because she LOVES Purple, leaping on roofs to make the group meeting. Cut to Photon, NOT-Human Torch by way of Alf, manning the emergency console of Youngblood HQ to detail a prison break by the Four. (I won't even describe the Four, because they only appear TWICE in an initial series run of SIX issues, and even those appearances probably don't number 10 total pages.) Youngblood arrives on the scene, Die Hard a generic strong guy, and freeze-frame end on a Youngblood group action shot, with Shaft aiming his bow... that has NO STRING... Chapel flying in on an Anime-esque motor cycle with guns in both his hands, Die Hard just flying in, and Badrock just running around like a dope. That's it, we don't even get to see the main fight between the Four and Youngblood!
So... For a whole $2.50 of 1992 currency, you got two stories that BARELY would have made one story in one book! I will give the advantage to the Away team story, because that one actually FEATURED a conclusion and some sense of forward action. But it also features PLENTY of the artistic traits that would fuel Liefeld detractors for years to come. And even though I'm one of the casual defender's of the man's energy, this issue also showcases why Liefeld should NEVER write his own comics. Shockingly, Rob would end up being ON-TIME to release the second issue right on the first of March, 1992! (You'll see a difference in that trend, soon enough...)
Youngblood #2- This issue starts the differing trend I mentioned, in that while the title is still a split-book, it's no longer a divide between Home and Away Youngblood team stories, but it serves as a portion of a Youngblood story, and a preview feature for a coming Image Comics title. That's a differing factor in this book, but we're still taking the same approach as issue one!
Our Youngblood Away story opens with a group called the Berzerkers battling against the robotic Disciple hordes of Darkseid... er, I mean Darkthornn. The only member of the Berzerkers worth mentioning is Kirby, who is BASICALLY Jack Kirby, only Liefeld-ized. (Namely that he has the weird body proportions, and carries a lot of pouches and guns to look "KEWL" with!) Cut to Germany, where the Away team are looking into John Prophet, better known by his self-titled comic name of Prophet. Before the character concept became a REALLY unique trippy Sci-Fi series, John Prophet began his life as a Bible-passage quoting NOT-Captain America with swords. And to showcase how "different" Image Comics were from their former Marvel home... when Prophet is awoken from his cryo-sleep, he immediately begins a hero-VS-hero fight against Youngblood, until a group of Disciples show up to break up the party, and remind our heroes who they should be fighting AGAINST!
The previewed character for this issue is Jim Valentino's "Shadowhawk". I often think out of all the Image Comics founding fathers, Jim Valentino is the one that falls below the recognition radar the MOST. In a way, he's almost the REAL founder of the current Image Comics, because outside of "Shadowhawk", with his Shadowline imprint, he began publishing comics that were of a more genuine "creator centered" spirit. One day I should REALLY take a look at Shadowhawk more in detail! But the gist of this preview involves the character, who started off as a NOT-subtle Batman riff with some Bane spinal trauma fixations, brutalizing a group of street thugs. Not especially special, but it did herald the arrival of a new Image character!
So, at least with issue two, we had a fight start, and reach a SEMI-logical conclusion. But we also begin to see another criticism of Liefeld; he just LOVES throwing in characters to his books with ZILCH background, so they really offer up no solid impact or impressions. I didn't even bother detailing the Berzerkers to you because there IS nothing to detail! They're just a generic as generic can be! But by now you're wondering, "Say... When do we get to hear about the Home Youngblood team?". Shockingly... because it was OBVIOUSLY linked to April Fool's Day, on April 1st of 1992, you only had to wait until the release of...
Youngblood #3- In a way, this is ALSO another unusual issue, in that the Youngblood story is a SPLIT STORY in and of itself, where we switch from the developments of the Away team from the previous issue, leading into the Home team's adventures. And we have ANOTHER character intro for a split issue preview. So, off and away we go!
John Prophet brawls with the Disciples, as he keeps talking to SOME kind of omniscient computer, while members of Youngblood and the Berzerkers are reenacting the Drowning Pool song, "Bodies on the Floor", with standard Liefeld agony faces and bloody mouths. Cut to Shaft and Badrock chatting with a PR guy about hairstyles and action figures. This is done while off to an interrogation of Strongarm, a member of the Four. Cut to outer space, where members of the alien races that Combat and Photon belong to exchange REAL pointless veiled threats against Earth. (You won't be seeing developments from them, again, until about 1997 or 1998, so don't get TOO excited.) Cut to the EXCITEMENT... of a press conference helmed by Shaft. Said press conference DOES feature a Clark Kent cameo, if that counts for anything. But also aforementioned press conference is interrupted by the news of ANOTHER jailbreak involving the Four, instigated by a mysterious woman in purple and green armor, with a V-Shaped mask-visor. Want to know who she is? SORRY! You don't get a name! Shaft, Chapel, and Badrock show up for the fight, because the mystery lady brings ninjas to help her out in the fight. Ninjas... who in the case of a jailbreak... wear BRIGHT-WHITE costumes. Maybe to showcase all of the blood spatters that show up when the Youngblood team basically massacre them? (And Badrock utters his supposed "catchphrase", "Yabba-Dabba-DOOM!" More like "Yabba-Dabba-DEUCE!".) The escape only snags Strongarm, because the NOT-Gizmo member of the Four is obviously SHOT IN THE HEAD by Chapel... but he still lives to utter threats to the team, until Die Hard shows up at the jail to notify the Home team about the events in Germany with the Away team.
Our character preview features a Liefeld creation in Supreme. Even under the latter WONDERFUL series run by Alan Moore, Supreme still could not shake the image of being a PALE Not-Superman with an "attitude". The hilarious thing about Supreme's first comic's "appearance" is he does NOTHING in his story, aside from flying to Earth from the depths of outer space. Rather, this story is a showcase for the team Supreme would be temporarily hitched to for his initial first few series issues, the IMMINENTLY forgettable Heavy Mettle. (Just... don't waste your time looking up these losers.)
So, we had ONE WHOLE... ish... story with the Home team for a change! It's still rather muddled and confusing, but a fight sequence FINALLY starts and ENDS for Shaft and crew within one issue, and it looks like we're FINALLY starting to see the two team halves begin to merge for one important mission! ... That you have to wait until August to see the beginnings of! But before that, we have a bit of Youngblood "history" to cover, for in August 1st of 1992, we SPIT in the face of traditional comic book numbering, and release...
Youngblood #0- Ah... the 90's... the period that saw the genesis of the "Zero" issue, which was meant to be a background-filler issue for any given title. Part semi origin story, part way of fleshing out concepts that saw creation in the regularly numbered series. Does this issue even REMOTELY succeed in either goal? ... We'll talk about that in a moment. But one thing that DOES need to be mentioned for this issue is it's the ONLY issue of "Youngblood" I'll be talking about that, from cover to cover, is NOT a split issue. It's all Youngblood, all the time, for issue numero cero!
Our story begins in 1988, where we apparently are dealing with "Kussein's" incursion into Kuwait, and the insertion of a Youngblood team to combat that incursion. The team members for this mission include Chapel, Die Hard, Riptide... and a character you will hear a LOT more about, tomorrow, Battlestone. Y'see, before his semi-living corpse past was revealed in the "Blood Brothers" saga I've talked about in a previous blog entry, he was just the super-strong leader of the rogue hero team known as Brigade. Again, more on that, TOMORROW! Brawls ensue against the Iraqi forces, and a team of U.S. Army "tunnel rats" investigate a bunker, of which is booby trapped and explodes. A solider wants to try a rescue attempt for his fallen comrades, Battlestone disagrees, they argue, and Battlestone settles the argument... by punching the soldier so hard he clean snaps his NECK. Die Hard is NOT a fan of such disciplinary actions, and cue the in-team fighting! Chapel... of ALL people... breaks up the fight. (Maybe because it's cutting in on his time to mack with the Iraqi ladies...) Battlestone is transported back to the U.S. to undergo a military trial. Instead of, y'know, undergoing an actual PUNISHMENT for killing a fellow officer in the field of battle, the government just tells Battlestone if he "disappears", they'll forget the whole thing ever happened. Ah... Sense of responsibility... But that's BORING, says Mister Liefeld! So we end the issue with Shaft being introduced as team leader to the Youngblood Home program, with such highlights as Badrock reading an issue of "Wizard Magazine", and Combat greeting Shaft with a salutary, "Ugh!", and our meeting a character named Link... who we won't see in ANY comic until about 1997, so enjoy his two pages of existence until he shows up again in about 6 years!
The thing that REALLY derails the zero issue of "Youngblood" is that this story is told via a MAJORITY of double-page spreads. Seriously, I think there may only be about 3 pages of single page layouts. The rest... no matter how much they DIDN'T need the "widescreen" approach... of the issue details double-page spreads. So while we got somewhat of a complete story, along with a bit of Brigade background, the overall brevity of the issue serves to further muddy up the already muddled waters of the Youngblood pool. But will a change of paper stock, along with coloring techniques, save the day with the August 15th release of...
Youngblood #4- This issue returns us to the tried-and-true formula of the split-book approach. Sure, the Home and Away teams see a bit of blending in their main story, but we STILL have to take time to give loyal Image acolytes another taste of a forthcoming "masterpiece" creation! So, with the "concentrated" nature of issue zero covered, it's time to return to those ever-lovin' bullet points to talk about the two stories!
The Home team is on the MOVE in their Quinjet! (All copyrights reserved for Tony Stark and the Avengers.) They've an emergency to respond to in Germany that involves the Away team, along with the unknown factors of Prophet and the Berzerkers. No way to find out until Die Hard and Badrock leap into the fray. (And Badrock... That "Yabba-Dabba-Doom" catchphrase is NEVER going to catch on, so please refrain from forcing the issue.) Badrock and Die Hard brawl with some Disciples, meet with Prophet, are caught up to speed about the whole killer robot thing, then they all team up for another extended brawl. (Die Hard ALSO showcases his SUPA-DUPA energy shield that he's NEVER USED before in the comic, but maybe is of ceremonial significance when dealing with homicidal machines.) Chapel and Shaft show up after the battle concludes, and they have a group meeting to update themselves on the situation. Then Vogue strikes a pose... actually, she shows up with a BADLY beat-up Sentinel. (Y'know, in the last issue, Sentinel was only just unconscious on the ground with a bloody mouth, but in this current issue, he apparently lost an eye?) Badrock and Die Hard investigate a NOT-"Boom Tube", and run into Darkthornn, who punches Die Hard so violently, he sprays blood from his FULLY COVERED BY A MASK MOUTH! The team watches with baited breath as Darkthornn emerges from the dimensional gate with a possessed Badrock in tow!
Dale Keown would end up being another Image Comics recruit, after a VERY successful run with Peter David on Marvel's "Incredible Hulk". So, what did he want to bring to the Image table? How about the HIGHLY muddled, and not very interesting story, of an alien living weapon that seeks release from his wicked war-mongering masters on Earth, where he forms a bond with a little boy after a subway mugging attempt? If that's your bag, then you will LOVE the adventures of the coming title "Pitt"! But don't expect to be seeing too much of "Pitt"; if people thought Rob Liefeld was rather infamous for his comic book delivery delays, they had not seen NOTHING until Dale Keown decided to become his own boss! I think it's one of the VERY few "ongoing" Image Comics titles that has not even reached double-digits to this very day!
This issue was an all-battle issue, which unless you want actual STORY to follow, isn't so bad in the grand scheme of things. I mean, we started off this book's life with a half of a story that didn't even feature a promised fight to BEGIN with! And we had a fight that had a semi logical stopping point for this issue. But I'm sure you have observed that this leaves our story on a cliffhanger. Ah, but that's what makes me rather clever for this weekend's entry, because part 2 of my coverage not only will conclude the adventures of the Youngblood teams, but we'll ALSO conclude the adventures of another Liefeld creation's first conflict... all in the SAME split-issue!
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