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!
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