Month: December 2022

Written by William Messner-Loebs.

Art by Steve Lieber; Curt Shoultz; Albert DeGuzman; & Matt Webb.

Cover Art by Steve Lieber; Rick Magyar; & Matt Webb.

SUMMARY:

Entitled “Godspawn: Conclusion – Into the Dark Aether,” DC Comics released this Zero Hour crossover for September 1994.  In Chicago, as Zero Hour’s time ripples impact Earth, the half-Thanagarian/half-Native American Katar Hol soars into the heavens seeking out his prime suspect: the enigmatic Hawkgod.  Though Shayera “Hawkwoman” Thal chases after them in a jeep, she knows an outmatched Katar is fighting a losing battle. 

Pulled away by Waverider during Zero Hour # 4, the original Hawkman and Hawkgirl (Carter Hall & Shiera Hall) are instinctively compelled to intervene.  The same applies to Katar’s reluctant ally, Mongrel.  A subsequently massive explosion reveals a new, darker Hawkman.  This storyline shifts to Zero Hour # 3 (as that mini-series is numbered in reverse-order).   

Note: This Hawkman title was canceled with Issue # 33 in 1996.

REVIEW:

Continuing DC’s in-progress Hawkman reboot, the issue’s best asset is its art squad’s reliably good visuals.  Unfortunately, writer William Messner-Loebs’ muddled storytelling makes for a generally blah read.  This issue’s climatic twist tries to resolve ongoing confusion (i.e., Thanagarians Katar Hol & Shayera Thal’s co-existence with the Golden Age Hawkman & Hawkgirl), but the idea of a Hawkman amalgam does not cure Messner-Loebs’ creative stalemate. 

It is unsurprising that DC Comics took another seven years to tweak Hawkman’s character before his triumphant 2001 return in JSA.  If only for its artwork, this lackluster Hawkman # 13 merits a bargain bin find.         

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There is a two-page letters-and-answers column.  Lastly, “DC Universe # 19” is a full-page hyping potential plot twists (no matter how absurd) for Zero Hour.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       5 Stars

Written by Eliot S. Maggin & Alan Weiss.

Art by Alan Weiss; José Luis García-López; Digital Chameleon; & Richard Starkings.

Cover Art by Alan Weiss.

SUMMARY:

DC Comics released this 64-page Elseworlds: Batman title in 1992.  In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln (in a manner reminiscent of Commissioner James Gordon) covertly summons U.S. Lt. Colonel Bruce Wayne in his guise as the masked ‘Batman.’  Wayne is ordered out West to Virginia City, Nevada, to recover mass quantities of gold and silver being stolen from U.S. reserves. 

Not only must Wayne contend with renegade Confederate “Bloody Bob” Armstrong’s cutthroat army, there are evidently other sinister rogues lurking about.  Joining Wayne briefly undercover is his aide, Alfred, but the Caped Crusader’s frontier allies include “Wild” Bill Hickok, Samuel “Mark Twain” Clemens, U.S. Colonel Kit Carson, and a young half-Native American nicknamed ‘Redbird.’  Most of all, Wayne’s true secret weapons are his alter-ego: the Batman and his fearsome black stallion, Apocalypse.

Posing as a foppish cavalry officer (resembling Errol Flynn) seeking fresh recruits, Wayne enlists a band of ex-slaves dubbed ‘The Dark Knights’ – essentially, a fictional precursor to the U.S. Cavalry’s post-war ‘Buffalo Soldiers.’  While Batman and his forces press Armstrong’s outlaws into a showdown, Wayne realizes the elaborate ruse being perpetrated by the theft’s true masterminds.  Worse yet, rampant greed may precipitate another foreign conflict on the U.S. border with Mexico.       

REVIEW:

Readers will either love or shake their heads at this ‘bait-and-switch’ alternate reality.  Instead of an East Coast wartime espionage caper, the Civil War serves as a distant historical backdrop for a Lone Ranger-style Western shoot’em up (with Zorro thrown in for good measure). 

Writer Eliot S. Maggin, on a few occasions, gladly acknowledges (in both dialogue and his plotting) that his Batman and Robin are a homage to the Lone Ranger and Tonto.  Yet, aside from his costume, this Bruce Wayne/Batman only superficially resembles the Dark Knight that fans are expecting. 

There is not any grim childhood motivation to fight crime – the brief reason given explaining Wayne’s choice of the Bat-motif is exceedingly weak.  The same applies to no explanation re: how/where Wayne gained his unparalleled fighting skills (other than the U.S. Army).  Instead of relying upon any utility belt, Maggin’s interpretation (ironically, given Batman’s traditional aversion to guns) is a composite of the sharp-shooting Lone Ranger and Zorro.  More so, this Batman’s genius detective work evidently occurs off-screen.

For generally forgettable historical fiction with few welcome surprises, this is Maggin’s worst plot gaffe.  Prior to the decent climax, he twice indicates that Wayne already senses who the true culprits are, but not once is it revealed how/when the hero knows.  Maggin’s scripting, in that regard, does not exactly play fair.   Then again, the ‘big’ revelation itself is closer to laughable tripe than an actual letdown.  Suffice to say, eyes will still be rolling at Maggin’s Grade-B Western finish that practically echoes “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!”    

This storyline’s best asset, however, is José Luis García-López’s artistic style that often surpasses the genre clichés The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat relies upon.  If anything, Maggin might have retitled this story as “The Good, the Bad, and the Bat.”          

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

None.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      5½ Stars

Note: If one likes Batman: The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat, there is also 1997’s (Elseworlds) Justice League: The Justice Riders.  Aside from relying upon various classic Westerns, there is no mistaking that it also homages The Wild Wild West.

Written by Max Allan Collins.

Art by Eduardo Barreto & Todd Klein.

Cover Art by Eduardo Barreto.

SUMMARY:

DC Comics released this 48-page Elseworlds: Batman one-shot in 1996.  In presumably mid-1957, the last days of a middle-aged Eliot Ness are fictionalized.  Collaborating with journalist Oscar Fraley on the posthumous memoir later titled The Untouchables, a boozing Ness relates a secret side story. 

Dating back to Prohibition-era 1928, federal investigator (and Ness’ own brother-in-law), Alexander Jamie, convinces a 25-year-old Ness to join his federal task force going after Chicago crime boss Al “Scarface” Capone – or “Snorky,” as Capone’s associates call him.

Recruiting three trusted operatives: George Koken, Frank Basile, and young war veteran Danny Rasher (who coincidentally  resembles Bruce Wayne), Ness leads an undercover sting to infiltrate Capone’s network of clandestine stills.  Predating the similarly-looking DC comic book icon by a decade, a mysterious ‘Bat-Man,’ primarily armed with a baseball bat and a machine gun, simultaneously haunts Capone’s ruthless underlings after nightfall. 

With Bat-Man’s vigilante heat jeopardizing federal efforts to neutralize Capone, a pressured Jamie orders Ness to help hunt down their rival predator. After an infuriated Capone’s goon squad targets Ness and his men, the ‘Bat-Man’ seeks retribution. 

Note: Given his expertise on the subject, crime novelist Collins is likely the literary world’s best source for historical fiction depicting Eliot Ness.

REVIEW:

Including its well-played climatic twist, novelist Max Allan Collins generates instant credibility depicting one of the best alternate-reality Batmen produced.  Equally supported by artist Eduardo Barreto, Collins deftly intermingles reality and fact-based historical fiction into a thrill ride re-imagining the Dark Knight.  For adult Bat-fans, as well as afficionados of The Untouchables, the gritty Batman: Scar of the Bat merits re-discovery.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The last page is the author’s insightful afterword.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                         8 Stars

Written by Steve Englehart.

Art by Joe Staton; Bruce Patterson; L. Lois Buhaus; D.C. Weiss; & Anthony Tollin.

Cover Art by Joe Staton & Bruce D. Patterson.

SUMMARY:

Titled “1,” DC released this 40-page Crisis on Infinite Earths tie-in for March 1986 (paralleling Crisis Issues # 10-12). 

Courtesy of a renegade Guardian, Guy Gardner (Earth’s newest Lantern) now commands a villainous army consisting of Hal Jordan’s worst enemies to destroy the white circle on Qward’s moon – the Anti-Monitor’s birthplace.  With its annihilation, the near-omnipotent Anti-Monitor will seemingly be destroyed along with it.  Accompanying the psychotic Gardner’s mission is Jordan as a consultant (and Gardner’s reluctant second-in-command).

Approaching John Stewart and Katma Tui on Earth, Sinestro implores them to help thwart Gardner’s forces.  Ironically, should Gardner succeed, it would make Anti-Monitor invincible against any mortal means.  Consulting with the conflicted Guardians of the Universe on Oa, Tomar-Re and Stewart co-lead a Green Lantern Corps strike force to stop Gardner’s bloodthirsty mercenaries at all costs. 

This three-way engagement includes the Anti-Monitor’s deadly Thunderers defending Qward. Suffering tragic casualties, the Corps’ last hope is Jordan & Stewart defying the mentally unstable Gardner, with the fate of existence at stake.  Jordan’s destiny as DC’s Green Lantern comes full circle.  

REVIEW:

Concluding a year-and-a-half storyline dating back to Issues # 180-182, Green Lantern # 198 is a satisfying read.  By plausibly explaining the Green Lantern Corps’ absence amidst the climatic Crisis on Infinite Earths # 10-12, fans receive a well-played secondary storyline.  Above all, the Corps’ battle vs. Gardner’s cutthroats is good storytelling, as is Stewart vs. Gardner; a powerless Jordan vs. Gardner; and DC’s pivotal decision re: who is their main Green Lantern moving forward. 

With Steve Englehart’s plotting in ideal form, the art team’s visuals tread closer to a range between sufficient to slightly above-average, as compared to George Pérez’s stellar work in Crisis on Infinite Earths.  Considering DC’s exhaustive plethora of Crisis tie-ins during that time, the underrated Green Lantern # 198 merits a chance for re-discovery.  Primarily, this issue confirms that Jordan and Stewart could readily co-exist as DC’s greatest Green Lanterns.   

Note: Issue # 198 conveys this Silver Age title’s last triumph. Subsequently retitled after Issue # 200 as Green Lantern Corps, the series ineptly tried co-headlining Jordan, Stewart, & Gardner. Along with some other fan favorite Lanterns (i.e., Katma Tui, Ch’p, & Arisia), they were supposed to comprise DC’s newest Earth-based super-team. Englehart’s pathetic scripting of this concept accelerated the title’s cancellation come 1988 with Issue # 224.      

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Dick Giordano’s “Meanwhile …” column is included, as is a two-page “Letters by Lantern Light” letters-and-answers column.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   8 Stars

Written by Mark Waid.

Art by Mike Wieringo; José Marzan, Jr.; Gaspar Saladino; & Gina Going.

Cover Art by Mike Wieringo & José Marzan, Jr.

SUMMARY:

Entitled “Flashing Back,” DC Comics released this issue for October 1994.  After his enigmatic disappearance in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time # 4, Wally West (without his costume) finds himself uncontrollably pushed backwards in time.  Having glimpsed his recent present-day victory over Team Turmoil, Wally ponders the mystery of why Max Mercury would be observing him in action as the Flash. 

Wally’s journey next takes him to his origin as Kid Flash before finally depositing him in his hometown of Blue Valley, Nebraska.  Realizing that he has stumbled upon a West family reunion from at least a decade before, Wally hopes to resolve a lingering childhood mystery.  Who was the stranger that would inspire a lonely young Wally to keep his hopes up and hint his dreams will someday come true? 

Coming full circle, Wally is left with new questions to resolve as the ‘Fastest Man Alive.’       

Note: Despite his appearance on the cover, Bart Allen’s Impulse doesn’t appear in the story.  

REVIEW:

It’s an instance where wonderfully good intentions surpass an average story.  Apart from soft-landing Wally’s time-traveling road trip without explanation, writer Mark Waid sports this welcome what-if scenario: “what hindsight advice would you offer your impressionable younger self, if given the chance?”

No matter the time-worn clichés involved, it is still a great question to play out.  Supported with the art squad’s very likable visuals, The Flash # 0 is a kid-friendly treat for Wally West fans.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There is a two-page “Speed Reading” letters-and-answers column.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          6½ Stars

Written by Brian Augustyn.

Art by Sal Velluto; Ken Lopez; & Trish Mulvihill.

Cover Art by Sal Velluto.

SUMMARY:

Entitled “Ashes to Ashes,” DC Comics released this series premiere for February 1996.  Emotionally drained from probing missing child cases for years, 28-year-old police investigator Alejandro Sanchez is nearly incinerated by a bomb hidden in his apartment.  Ironically, Sanchez blames himself for failing to save his beloved sister from a tragic housefire sixteen years before.  He briefly encounters his sister’s gentle spirit suggesting that he has crossed into the afterlife. 

Months later, upon awakening from a coma, Sanchez finds out from his older brother (a priest) that billionaire philanthropist Noah Hightower has bankrolled his experimental bionics.  Hightower later reveals a bizarre, demonic-like costume that he recruits a barely-walking Sanchez to eventually test-pilot as a new super-hero. 

Additional months of physical finding a recuperating Sanchez eager to return to action someday.  An ominous gang attack on his police partner, Leo, forces Sanchez to desperately accelerate his future plans. 

Note: This short-lived 1996 series ran a total of nine issues.

REVIEW:

One might equate this character’s debut as Ghost Rider-Meets-The Six Million Dollar Man-Meets Knight Rider.  Visually, the art squad’s contributions are consistently high-caliber – they supply an unexpected asset.  Yet, reminiscent of a busted high-concept TV pilot, writer Brian Augustyn stumbles spelling out his Firebrand’s contrived origin too soon.  For instance, Alejandro Sanchez’s bionics fail to mesh with the costume’s cool demonic look – it is a vital creative element which Augustyn fails to correlate to his plotting.

With broad hints implying Sanchez has supernatural links, the muddled storyline struggles to tie in this intriguing element in the space allotted.  Had co-creators Augustyn & Sal Velluto tweaked their avenging hero concept to streamline Sanchez’s sci-fi origin into something more eerily magical (maybe Ghost Rider-Meets-Firestorm), they would have had better luck. 

Still, finding Firebrand # 1 is a good idea, considering the artwork’s quality is worth the price of admission. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

None.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                           6 Stars

Written by Mike W. Barr.

Art by Irv Novick; Dave Hunt; Albert De Guzman; & Gene D’Angelo.

Cover Art by Jim Aparo.

SUMMARY:

Entitled “Shadow of the Outsider!,” DC Comics released this issue for July 1985.  Below the Wayne Foundation Building, a freak accident renders Alfred Pennyworth unconscious, releasing his villainous Outsider for the fourth time (originally dating back to Detective Comics # 356). 

Even Batman’s Outsiders (Black Lightning, Metamorpho, Katana, Halo, & Geo-Force) can not thwart the Outsider’s considerable mental, transmutation, and elemental firepower.  Further challenging the Man of Steel, the dastardly Outsider confounds Superman in the tornado-stricken Midwest.

Seeking clues in the Batcave, Black Lightning and Geo-Force team with Superman against the Outsider’s control of various Bat-properties being used against them.  Meanwhile, Batman leads Katana, Halo, and Metamorpho in a counter-strike against the obscure villain taking advantage of the Outsider’s latest rampage (including knowledge of Batman’s secret identity).  

REVIEW:

As typically formulaic and kid-friendly for that era’s DC Comics, Issue # 83 does not disappoint.  Both Mike Barr’s tame storytelling and the art squad’s good visuals deliver a rare opportunity to see Superman interact with Batman’s original Outsiders. 

Including a welcome final page, DC Comics Presents # 83 is by no means a must-have, but, in the best nostalgic sense, it is a fun read.    

Note: As this issue points out, Superman had previously fought Geo-Force in Batman and the Outsiders # 19.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There is a two-page “Pair Mail” letters-and-answers column.  Appearing on the back inside cover, Dick Giordano’s “Meanwhile …” column reprints a British fan’s insights.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       6 Stars

Written by Ron Marz.

Art by Darryl Banks; Romeo Tanghal; Steve Mattsson; & Albert De Guzman.

Cover Art by Darryl Banks; Romeo Tanghal; & Steve Buccellato.

SUMMARY:

Entitled “Second Chances,” DC Comics released this issue for October 1994.  Continuing their duel from Zero Hour # 0, an inexperienced Kyle Rayner faces Hal Jordan’s delusional Parallax one-on-one.  An interdimensional time warp deposits the two combatants on Oa.  The desolate planet is now strewn with the Guardians’ corpses and grim evidence left of Green Lanterns that Jordan previously destroyed. 

The idealistic (and somewhat naïve) Rayner does all he can to thwart an unhinged Jordan’s scheme to manipulate time and correct reality’s perceived mistakes.  Yet, will becoming Green Lantern again finally snap Jordan out of his psychosis?  Rayner is forced to make a potentially catastrophic decision, if only to save the universe from his predecessor’s madness.      

REVIEW:

Like with DC’s other ongoing titles, the Issue # 0 gimmick sought to provide a jumping-aboard checkpoint for new readers.  Green Lantern # 0, however, is a mixed bag justifying this experiment.  The art squad’s mostly satisfactory visuals (the last page is the issue’s best) deliver the necessary goods.  More so, writer Ron Marz succeeds in crowning his own creation, Kyle Rayner, as DC’s sole Green Lantern and Jordan’s worthy successor. 

In order to accomplish this task, Marz brusquely trashes Jordan’s emerald legacy of nearly forty years.  Hence, for long-time fans, it is cringe-worthy to see this iconic Justice Leaguer now reduced to a pathetically clichéd and semi-coherent psychotic to make Rayner a fan favorite. 

Aside from Rayner’s plot similarities to Luke Skywalker, Issue # 0 concludes the controversial “Emerald Twilight” transition dating back to Green Lantern # 48.  Too bad for DC, it would take a company a full decade to recognize that Rayner was not the cure for Jordan’s waning star power.  Instead, as of 1994, what was sapping the title’s popularity was DC’s own mediocre Green Lantern storytelling dating back to the mid-80’s that prompted its desperate switch to Marz’s Rayner.

Unlike the revitalizing mid-80’s shift from Barry Allen to Wally West for The Flash, this poorly-conceived Jordan-to-Rayner switcheroo proved a slow-brewing disappointment.  Reading Issue # 0 suggests why that outcome was not much of a surprise.   

Note: In 2004, Geoff Johns retroactively corrected Marz’s misguided storytelling with the Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series.   

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There is a two-page “Ringside” letters-and-answers column.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                        5 Stars