ciaraldi@rochester.UUCP (10/24/84)
From: Mike Ciaraldi <ciaraldi>
Since I seem to be the first one to get these new
issues, here are some Ciaraldi comments.
This was a big week for long-awaited issues.
No letter-ratings this time, just comments, so here goes...
Tales of The Teen Titans #50
If you liked "Who is Donna Troy", you'll like this one.
Very straightforward, everyone is true to his or her
characterization, and we get to see a lot of old friends.
And, a major break with tradition, no fight scene at the wedding.
For once, the author addresses the question, "how come
this ordinary person has suerheroes for friends?"
(You may remember when Ray Palmer and Jean Loring got married.
He had not yet told her he was the Atom, but the ONLY women
who were seen talmiking with Jean before the wedding, and all
at the same time, were superheroines in their secret identities.
How would Jean even KNOW these people? In that case it was not
a metter of what the rest of the guests would think,
it was rather that Jean seemed to be pouring out her
heart to stragers.)
Gar Logan is his typical frantic/funny self, but shows some
real talents, and impresses everyone. Good stuff.
Joe Wilson (not named after the late President of Xerox,
I presume) reveals his artistic talents.
We get a lot of guest appearances (Marv Wolfman on p. 16,
panel 12, Adrienne Roy, the colorist, on p.30, plus Bruce Wayne,
clark Kent, Lana Lang, etc.) I don't know all the creative
staff by face, so there may be others I missed; anyone
else got some?
And, we also find out what happened to a lot of the old
Titans (although I still don't know what happened to Gnarrk;
anyone remember?).
Dick asks Bruce wyWayne why he never adopted him, like he tried
with Jason Todd, and Bruce admits he doesn't really know,
finally laying it to being involved with his Batman career.
(I remember from the origin story of the Earth-2 Robin that
Wayne couldn't adopt because he was a bachelor, but could
take Dick on as his ward; that made sense in 1940, but adoption
rules have changed a lot since then).
And so on.
All in all, a nice issue, that probably won't make a whole lot
of sense to people who haven't heard of the Titans before.
Rocketeer Special #1:
This is the long-awaited Rocketeer story that was originally
scheduled for Pacific Presents #3, then #4, then the never-published
#5. It wraps up the storyline, but leaves plenty of room for
followups. We get to meet the mysterious inventor of the
rocket pack, although he is never named. Well, he IS, sort of,
but I doubt he really has plans for making wooden airplanes.
Great Dave Stevens art (Betty, drool.....).
And topped off by pinups by Gray Morrow, Doug Wildey,
Murphy Anderson, Bill Stout, Russ Heath, and Bruce Jones.
There's also one by Al Williamson (I think I'm reading his signature
right), and "GF" (George Freeman??). Worth the wait.
Groo the Wanderer Special #1:
This is again Eclipse picking up a Pacific comic that wasn't published.
A 19-page story about where Groo got his two swords,
with an explanation (that makes sense!) of why he has them
slung on his back.
Typical dialogue:
King: The charge of our North Flank was successful!
We shall have to do it again!
Groo! Tell the men I said to REPEAT!
Groo: Listen Mem! The King's order is to RETREAT!
(army retreats, thereby losing the battle)
King: I will Kill you Groo!
Then torture you!
Then kill you againn!
Groo: Did I err?
This story is follwed by an old one from 1977, which shiws
a much more clever side of Groo. Maybe it's his greater
expereince (compared to his origin). Or, as Sergio says,
"Groo change a lot in seven years! This before cheese
dip, even!"
Then we have cutouts of Groo and his friends to play with,
and a reprint of the Groo story published in destroyer Duck #1.
If you like Groo (especially compared to Donna Troy), you'll
love this issue. It's pure Groo without being stale or repecetitive.
Sisterhood of Steel #1:
Story by Christy mMarx, art by Mike Vosburg. The kind
of origin story I like. A minimum of "expsoository lump" to
set the scene, intro to the main characters and at least the
outilines of their personalities and relationships, and
a rite of passage for the main protagonist. In one issue
we know who the Sisterhood are (elite mercenaries who live on
an island without men, and apparently buy their recruits as
young children). Natural-sounding dialogue by Marx and
pleasant-looking (if not spectacular) art by Vosburg.
Lots of potential. The biggest reason I like this as
an origin (aside from it being well-done,, which goes without saying)
is that it is complete. A couple of years fom now they could
reprint it, and you'd know the background of the series.
Trying doing that with the first issue of Infinity, Inc.
Void Indigo #1:
Continuing on from the graphic novel by Gerber and Mayerik.
More of the same. Lots of blood, idiosyncratic (but legible)
art, weird characters. Lisette is spotlighted here, showing
her outlook on life (she won't let anyone mess with her,
but she's not on a hair-trigger either).
Lots and lots of characters introduced, with few
clues so far as to how they all fit together.
I THINK the second and third pages from the end were printed
out-of-order. I'm reserving judgement on the series,
but I would call it much more intense than Gerber's earlier
work.
New Triumph featuring Northguard #1:
This is a Canadian comic ($1.50 U.S.) published in Montreal.
B&W on nice white paper with a color cover. Story by
Mark Shainblum, art by Gabriel Momsette.
You might think of this as a high-tech version of The Masked
Man, but that's only a very superficial resemblnce.
A young man (early twenties, maybe?) is approached by
a mysterious corporation to wield the weapon they have developed,
an armband that taps into the Big Bang. This allows it to violate
all the modernn laws of physics.
He gets picked because his brain waves are very close to the
man who was originally suppoed to use it, and tey don't want
to waste 6 months reprogramming it to someone else.
(Plot hole--what happened to the original guy?)
After they make him the offer, he goes home to think it over.
He looks around his room until his eyes rest on
a Canadian flag. He stares at it, grabs it, and
says, "MEAN something!!" Then he rushes over to his
bookshelf, pulls out a copy of Captain Canuck, Alpha Flight
(with Guardian on the cover), and Firestorm. Stares
at them, and decides to do it.
Naturally, he asks for a superhero costume, and finally convinces
the people in charge to make him one.
After a month of intense training, he is ready for the final
test. He plugs into hte cyernetic armband, and in
a burst of power stands revelaed in his new costume (where
it comes from, I don't now. Maybe they have it stashed back
in the Big Bang?). In the best superhero tradition, he cries:
"It Worked! I am...Northguard" One scientist says to the
other, "Why is he shouting?"
He also manges to squeeze his first mission into the
end of the story. What surprises me is the very nicely-done
art, with a variety of camera angles and panel sizes, that never looks
contrived. The dialogue is OK( a little wordy
but at least it's all dialogue instead of captions).
I think this has a lot of promise. It's straight superhero,
but has the twist of including the conflict between the
real world and the comics mentality.
There's a couple of non-landmark comics that came out this
week that I especially liked, too. The run-of-the mill
stuff I'll leave to the regular reviewers.
E-Man:
The coming of Captain Koala! What can I say?
Teddy finally comes into his own, but doesn't let power
go to his head.
Joe Staon at his best, poking fun at the superhero mythos
right and left.
MythAdventures #3:
Phil Foglio continues his hilarious adaptations of Asprin's
works.
Assasssin: Well, rumor has it that he was exiled from Deva
and is hiding here, ashamed to show himself
in amajor dimension.
Aahz: Exiled? What did he do?
Assassin: They say he actually gave someone a refund!
Aahz: I'm surprised they didn't kill him.
or:
Skeeve: Uh, how are we going to find Frumple?
Aahz: Through quick thinking and subtle cunning, kid.
Watch this...
HEY!! WHERE'S ABDUL THE RUG MERCHANT?!
Shopkeeper: TWO STREETS UP AND FIVE TO THE LEFT--
BIGMOUTH!!
Aahz: See, that wasn't hard.
And finally:
Batman #380:
"End of the Bat", script by Doug Moench, Art by Rich Hoberg
and Alfredo Alcala. I've been following Moench's
progress on this title (and 'Tec) and getting more and more
involved. The Night-Slayer storyline is adding more and more
plot twists, and I just keep feeling that I know the people
better and better each issue. But it's subtle, with the
characterization coming in in support of the plot, not just
tacked on. This is what I liked about Master of Kung Fu.
The coming-issue blurb promises this story will be wrapped up
by the next issue (plus Detective in between).
Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?
I',m looking forward to reactions and others' observations.
Mike Ciaraldi
ARPA: ciaraldi@rochester
USENET: seismo!rochester!ciaraldilmaher@uokvax.UUCP (10/29/84)
< SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT - For Northguard >
/***** uokvax:net.comics / rocheste!ciaraldi / 1:02 pm Oct 27, 1984 */
New Triumph featuring Northguard #1:
...
He gets picked because his brain waves are very close to the
man who was originally suppoed to use it, and tey don't want
to waste 6 months reprogramming it to someone else.
(Plot hole--what happened to the original guy?)
/* ---------- */
No plot hole at all, Mike. The original guy was shown in the
opening pages. He got on a plane, and the bad guys blew it up -
killing hundreds of people to prevent him from reaching the
armband. A very high stakes contest, indeed.
My favorite exchange was when Northguard didn't want to have the
name translated into French as Guardienne la Norde. "Why Not?"
"Respect for the dead." "That is one wierd young man..."
"The grave is a mutant's only lasting sanctuary."
Carl
{allegra,ihnp4}!convex!ctvax!uokvax!lmaher