Dynamite's ERB Titles

I almost added “Unauthorized” to the title of this post, given the recent lawsuit that I referred to in my just previous post, but frankly as I see it Dynamite doesn't need authorization to use these public-domain characters and ideas, so I left it off....

Jumping right into them:

Lord of the Jungle #2

“2: The Forest God” (Previous issue here)

Dynamite continues its fairly faithful adaptation of Tarzan of the Apes. It's well-written and -illustrated, but frankly for me the gold standard, defining, iconic Tarzan will be my first exposure to the “real” Tarzan (as opposed to the Ron Ely TV series or movies) via Joe Kubert's masterful adaptation for DC Comics back in the early 1970s.* Getting past that seemed harder this issue than last, for whatever reason, but this remains a fine effort. It's been several years since I last read Tarzan of the Apes. I don't really remember Tarzan fighting the crocodile to save his (unknown to him) cousin William Clayton. I do like Tarzan's written rendition of his ape-name as “White Skin” rather than “Tarzan” although the latter is how he speaks his name to Clayton. Remember, the only spoken language he knows is that of the great apes, although he taught himself to read and write English from the books in his parents' cabin. Although if I recall correctly he suspected that the language he reads and writes represents a spoken language, he has no idea how it should be pronounced and has in fact devised his own rather cumbersome pronunciation.

Art by Joe Kubert

After I wrote up my post on issue #1 a while back, I came across an interesting article (here) containing writer Arvid Nelson's page-by-page commentary on the premier issue. It's well worth reading, especially for his explanation of the major deviation I noticed in that first issue, on pp. 10-13 where the black Africans are attacked by what are clearly sub-human, but very advanced ape-like creatures. Back then I speculated he was bringing the beast men of Opar into the story a bit early, but he makes no reference to them, rather attributing this change to a need to tone down the racism in the original book which was a product of the time in which ERB wrote. I can't say I agree that this was needed, but I understand his feeling.

As far as this second issue goes, it was reviewed here, along with some commentary on the aforementioned lawsuit: http://comicsforge.com/2012/04/lord-of-the-jungle-2/

* Joe Kubert is scheduled to be at Comicpalooza, the Houston Comic Book Convention, late next month. As soon as I saw that I pulled the trigger on ordering the only two of the three Dark Horse archive volumes reprinting his DC Tarzan work, which I'd been considering literally for years. The first volume adapts Tarzan of the Apes. It is my intention to have Mr. Kubert sign that book, and possibly to get a sketch from him.

Warriors of Mars #2 (of 5?)

(Previous issue here)

Dejah Thoris' tale of her mother's first love continues: Gullivar of Earth manages to make his way to the southern lands of the Thither People, and rescues Princess Heru by convincing her captor that he's a ghost come to haunt him. Some of what reportedly is a theme in the original novel comes through as Gullivar finds that “right” and “wrong” in the Hither and Thither Peoples' conflict is not so well defined. Nevertheless, he brings Heru home to great acclaim. But soon after he inadvertently declares his love for her – calling her “My Princess!” – and meets a more positive reaction than her daughter Dejah Thoris would give John Carter in A Princess of Mars (through cultural misunderstanding of the implications), the Thither People attack Seth, having discovered Gullivar's trickery. The Thither People's king and Heru's father are both killed in the battle, but the city is destroyed. Gullivar manages to get Heru away but is himself trapped in the burning palace, never to be seen again according to Dejah Thoris, but passing into Barsoomian legend. And there her tale to John Carter ends ….

… But not this story. In an epilogue, we see that Gullivar managed to protect himself by rolling himself in the magical rug, but is unconscious when a scavenger rummaging through the ruins carries it away.

I have no idea how far this second issue departs from the book, although from the cited review below I gather that a great deal is condensed presumably toward getting Gullivar of Mars past the events of his own book into the real point of this series, bringing him into contact with the later Earthman on Mars, John Carter. I doubt (by which I mean “I'm certain”) that the original book had Gullivar briefly encountering the green men of ERB's Barsoom as he does here!

I found it interesting that during the course of her tale Dejah Thoris refers to a time when people would die naturally before being consigned to the River Iss. Is that from ERB's novels? I never can remember if Barsoomians die naturally, or ultimately weary of life (if they don't die from some unnatural cause, most typically war) and voluntarily take the River Iss.

Incidentally, this series is not the first time that Gullivar and John Carter have met in the medium of comics. Alan Moore brought them together in the first few pages of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II, as allies fighting against the “Martians” of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds who are actually aliens who first attacked that world before proceeding to Earth.

Review: http://jcomreader.blogspot.com/2012/04/comic-review-warriors-of-mars-2.html

Warlord of Mars #15

“Gods of Mars Part 3! Issus, Goddess of Life Eternal” (previous issue here)

John Carter and Phaidar, having been captured by the black pirates, are taken via the “submartianean” (as opposed to “subterranean”) Sea of Omean to the Land of the Firstborn. Phaidor shows herself to be mercurial, deranged, and insecure … perfectly capturing her characterization from the book. John Carter is imprisoned and eventually brought out to die in the games before Issus – where he meets his son, Carthoris.

Another solid issue retelling the story of The Gods of Mars. The major discernable departure from the original is that Nelson – probably wisely – abandons the charmingly unlikely misunderstanding in which John Carter and Carthoris do not realize each other's identities for such an interminably long time, ERB teasing us with them almost making the connection then some new crisis interrupting them. It comes off rather trite even in the original novel.

Review: http://jcomreader.blogspot.com/2012/02/comic-review-warlord-of-mars-15.html

Warlord of Mars #16

“Gods of Mars Part 4! Flight and Pursuit”

The story dashes from John Carter and Carthoris' leading a gladiatorial rebellion to their rescue of John Carter's one-time captor now friend the black pirate Xodar, their escape from the Valley Dor, finding Tars Tarkas without Thuvia who vanished during a Warhoon attack, their rescue by the flagship of the Helium navy and discovery that Dejah Thoris has taken the River Iss, to its culmination with Zat Arras' sanctimonious denunciation of John Carter and his companions as blasphemers for their return from the Valley Dor. Overall, this chapter seemed really crowded and heavy on narration to drive it along, to the point that it often reminded me of reading Prince Valiant where the illustrations were subordinated to the extensive narrative. Overall it is, however, pretty faithful to the original – with one glaring and I would say inappropriate addition.

When John Carter, Carthoris, and Xodar find Tars Tarkas without Thuvia, Tars Tarkas launches off into a bizarre narrative and acting out of Thuvia's longing for John Carter: “You were all she would talk about, Jawn Kar-turr. It was most annoying. … I still don't understand this obsession you two-arms have with procreation. … She said she wanted Jawn Kar-turr to do 'dirty things' to her. … That's what she kept saying, in her sleep, every night.” – At which point John Carter throws up his hands – stop – “Okay. Thank you, Tars. Thank you.” – But Tars Tarkas is not finished – clasping his upper hands below his chin and looking up to the heavens, he continues: “'Jawn Kar-turr, I want you to do dirty things to me!'” – “We get the idea, Tars,” John Carter continues trying to stop him. – The Thark simply rolls his eyes another way, “'I want you to do dirty things to me, for I am a dirty little girl!'” – “Tars...” – Carthoris (who is probably about ten years old, i.e. out of the egg, right now, for all his fighting prowess) eagerly wants to know, “What … kind of dirty things?” (Xodar has a bit of a lecherous grin on his face at this point.) – Tars Tarkas turns his hands up (all four of them), puzzled: “That is the strangest part! Perhaps it is because of our tusks, but we Tharks would never use our mouth-holes to stimulate our --” – “TARS!” John Carter finally gets through to him, “We get the idea.”

Funny enough on its own, in the context of ERB's Mars tales, whose peoples are all portrayed as being very formal and indeed – despite their customary lack of attire – straight-laced, this just does not fit. Seriously, between this and the portrayal of her words after she kills her Thern master in issue #13, breaking down and telling John Carter of the “shameful” things he made her do, Thuvia is not coming off as anything like the character I know from the books, especially the proper and heroic young princess of Ptarth who will give her name to the fourth book in the series, Thuvia, Maid of Mars (original book reviewed here). For all that Nelson generally demonstrates a real understanding of and conveys the spirit and even feel of the original stories, here he does not. And worse, descending into such ribald humor plays right into the hands of the ERB, Inc., plaintiffs who already allege the portrayals here to be “pornographic.”

It's rare that I'm disappointed by anything in Dynamite's Warlord of Mars stories – but in this one instance I am.

Review: http://jcomreader.blogspot.com/2012/03/comic-review-warlord-of-mars-16.html

Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #10

“Pirate Queen of Mars, Part 5 of 5: The Death That Creeps Within the Ice” (previous issue here)

This second story arc taking place 400 years before the advent of John Carter on Mars concludes under the ice of southern Barsoom, beginning in the midst of the confrontation with Xen Brega that ultimately leaves only Dejah Thoris, Phondari, and Joktai alive with part of the treasure Hoard of Segotha. Appropriately, Xen Brega ends up eaten alive by the ice worms – not just once but twice; he doesn't survive the second time he's made a meal of. Phondari upholds her end of the bargain and takes Dejah Thoris hom, splitting the treasure with Helium. She and Joktai retire rich and part ways with Dejah Thoris – if not friends then no longer really enemies. Dejah Thoris' parting with Joktai is quite a bit warmer. Can we hope that we'll see the renegade black pirates again in this series?

This series, in no way canonical, continues to be enjoyable if light and visually risqué entertainment.

Review: http://jcomreader.blogspot.com/2012/02/comic-review-dejah-thoris-10.html

Warlord of Mars #11

“The Boora Witch, Part 1 of 4: Whispers in the Dark”

This new story takes up sometime later, when Dejah Thoris leads a mission into the Toonolian Marshes seeking critical minerals that Helium needs to rebuild from the devastation suffered in the first story arc. Dejah Thoris feels a psychic call that brings her into the clutches of a hideous old woman who admires her body (she ain't the only one) and declares she wants it for herself (…). Man, Dejah Thoris sure can contort that luscious body of hers to best show off her assets! She must be a practitioner of what blogger Fanboy Wife has dubbed “Superhero Yoga” (posts here) – 

Fanboy Wife Superhero Yoga

– the impossible poses that comic book women are depicted in, to accentuate their sexuality to an eye-popping degree.  Kantos Kan is obviously smitten and devoted to Dejah Thoris in these early stories, affording some humorous byplay.

Review: http://jcomreader.blogspot.com/2012/04/comic-review-dejah-thoris-11.html

Thanks for reading! Cheers!

Tarzan the Untamed (1919-1920)

Painting by J. Allen St. John

By Edgar Rice Burroughs, originally published as two stories: Tarzan the Untamed in Red Book Magazine (Mar – Aug 1919) and Tarzan and the Valley of Luna (20 Mar – 17 Apr 1920); published as one book, Tarzan the Untamed (1920)

This is the seventh volume in ERB's Tarzan series. I read it at least once in my youth – perhaps twice. I know I had two of the Ballantine Books paperback editions – the 1969 printing with the cover painting by Robert Abbett (shown below), and the 1976 printing with the cover by Boris Vallejo (shown further below). The latter depicts one of the most memorable scenes in this story. Tarzan, crossing a barren desert, is almost overcome by the heat, dehydration, and starvation. He feigns death to lure down the only living creature in sight, a vulture that has been wheeling above him – and when it's in reach, he snatches it and makes a meal of it. The revolting scavenger's rancid flesh and foul blood sustain him long enough to complete his trek to more hospitable terrain. Wow!

That's not the only image that has stuck with me across the years. Just as memorable is the sequence that opened the book. Tarzan desperately racing cross-country in British East Africa, having just learned of the outbreak of war with Germany, determined to remove his beloved wife, Jane, from their African estate to a more secure location – and finding himself too late. The Germans have already attacked the plantation, massacring Tarzan's faithful Waziri guards – crucifying Jane's bodyguard Wasimbu against a wall and leaving Jane's corpse for Tarzan to find, burned beyond recognition, identifiable only by her wedding band.

At which point, Tarzan is at war – not just with the German soldiers who perpetrated the atrocity, but in his mind with the German race as a whole. This affords Burroughs the opportunity, in the context of the world of the Great War and its immediate aftermath, to indulge and express the typical American view of the “Bosch,” the “Huns” (the working title for the book was indeed, “Tarzan Against the Huns”), etc. Tarzan the Untamed is quite jingoistic. Tarzan's quest for vengeance that wreaks havoc on the Germans in East Africa occupies about a quarter of the book during which he moves stealthily and at will back and forth across the battle-lines, at one point unleashing a starving lion into the German trenches, at another discovering that there is a female German spy in the ranks of the British command.

Eventually, the despoilers of his half-civilized life with Jane destroyed, he determines to make the long trek to western Africa where he will live out his life at his father's cabin, done with the world of man. It's during that journey that the passage through the desert takes place – but once through although still far east of his destination he discovers that native soldiers under German command have rebelled and made their way to the same isolated jungle he has found, along with their captive, that same female German spy. The innate racism of the age when this story was written comes through here, because although she is an enemy there is no way the noble jungle lord can leave a white woman in the hands of the black savages. Further adventures ensue – the German woman, Bertha Kircher, is absolutely taken with the manly Tarzan despite his palpable hatred. When he – along with a downed British aviator, Lt. Harold Percy Smith-Oldwick – are captured by the natives and are to be burned alive for the natives' feast, Kircher manages to communicate Tarzan's plight to some of the great apes with whom he had taken up and leads them on a rescue raid! At length, Tarzan and his charges find themselves in another of ERB's many lost cities that pepper the dark continent – Xuja, whose people are insane masters of a subspecies of black-pelted lions and worshippers of parrots and monkeys. Along the way, Tarzan rescues and befriends one of the black lions which later comes to their rescue, allowing them to hold out against the denizens of Xuja until the clatter of machine-guns signals the arrival of a search-and-rescue party that had been sent for Smith-Oldwick.

In the end, Bertha Kircher is revealed not to be a German spy at all – but rather a British double-spy, Lady Patricia Canby; she and Smith-Oldwick are engaged; but best of all Tarzan has discovered that German documents she had been carrying all the time reveal that his beloved Jane is in fact still alive, that he has been the victim of a cruel hoax while she has been captive of the Germans all along. But the search for Jane will have to wait for the next book, Tarzan the Terrible.

* * *

My reading of Tarzan the Untamed this time was in one of the free Kindle editions. It does not have any cover illustration, so I reverted to that of the first book publication for the post heading. You can't go wrong with J. Allen St. John's paintings!

A few comments, to supplement those included above in my short synopsis:

I believe those two powerful, memorable scenes from this book to which I refer at the beginning were combined by Robert E. Howard in his Conan novella, A Witch Shall Be Born, into the scene that made it into the Arnold Schwarzeneggar movie – Conan, crucified on a tree, tormented by vultures, killing one with his bare teeth!

“Tarzan desperately racing cross-country in British East Africa, having just learned of the outbreak of war with Germany, determined to remove his beloved wife, Jane, from their African estate to a more secure location – and finding himself too late.” – Reading this so soon after seeing John Carter as I did this time, I have to wonder if the creators had this passage in mind when they formulated the addition of John Carter's back-story for the movie. Whether they did or not, the scenes resonated for me. They were similarly powerful, even though since this was a reread of Tarzan the Untamed I knew that here we would ultimately have a happier ending.

Just as the racism and jingoism of the age informed ERB's writing, so did some then popular (and not now entirely dispelled) pseudo-scientific theories linking physical appearance with mental ability and character. ERB was an adherent of the theories of phrenology and physiognomy holding that the shape and measurement of an individual's skull and facial and bodily features reflected and expressed innate personality and character traits. To wit, the Xujans, insane because of centuries of inbreeding in their isolated little valley, sport yellowish skin, wiry black hair, receding foreheads, prominent canine teeth, and a generally wild-eyed aspect which leaves ERB's characters with no doubt from the instant they see them that they are maniacs.

There's one aspect of Xujan feminine fashion that brings to mind the current lawsuit by ERB, Inc., against Dynamite Entertainment. Besides the charges of copyright and trademark infringement which seem to me quite fuzzy since the early books of both the John Carter series on which Warlord of Mars is based and the Tarzan series on which Lord of the Jungle is based (including Tarzan the Untamed) are in the public domain (under US law, at least), ERB, Inc., alleges that Dynamite's portrayal of the characters in Warlord of Mars is pornographic. (See especially the Warlord of Mars:  Dejah Thoris series covers here.)  The definition of “pornography” being somewhat in the eye of the beholder (and Dynamite's practice of releasing “risqué” variants of some of its covers notwithstanding), the counterargument in the case of the Warlord of Mars covers is easy, that the portrayal of scantily-clad or even naked women is perfectly in keeping with ERB's written descriptions, which have the Martians wearing nothing but jewelry and ever-present harnesses to carry their weapons – filtered through the modern comic book artistic convention that more often than not has those women sporting breasts the size of cantaloupes (the appropriateness of which is itself a separate debate). Anyway, what has this to do with Tarzan the Untamed? Well, here we have ERB clearly and explicitly describing the women of Xuja as clad only in diaphanous scarves that wrap around their bodies from below their breasts and down – leaving the breasts explicitly exposed. Forced into this garb to join the Xujan king's harem, Bertha Kircher takes exception! Since Tarzan the Untamed is in the public domain, assuming Dynamite is able to withstand the legal onslaught (which may or may not be driven by the even more famously litigious Disney with its infinitely deep pockets and ability to get intellectual and creative property laws rewritten to its advantage seemingly at will) and continue publishing Lord of the Jungle, if they follow what seems to be the developing precedent of Warlord of Mars then within a few years they will be adapting this book into their comics. Whereas the description of Martian female fashion is ambiguous enough to allow the “jewelry” to conceivably include what Dynamite represents as basically golden pasties covering Dejah Thoris' nipples, I don't think there's any such ambiguity about Xujan female fashion. Were Dynamite to choose to go full broke and represent it as ERB describes (doubtful, but go along with me for the sake of argument), would ERB, Inc., then see that portrayal as “pornographic”?

I noticed something in reading this novel regarding ERB's practice in giving names. More often than not, he tends to use full names where most writers would just use their first or last name. Bertha Kircher is almost if not always “Bertha Kircher,” not “Bertha” nor “Kircher.” The same with the British aviator Lt. Harold Percy Smith-Oldwick is repeatedly called just that – although in this case “Smith-Oldwick” eventually suffices for most of the story. Repeatedly typing all four names must have become burdensome very quickly. This is the first of ERB's non-Martian novels that I've read in many years, and I had believed such repeated use of the characters' full names was a distinctive feature of that series, reflecting the alien culture ERB was trying to portray, but it seems rather to have been a more general feature of ERB's style. I still don't think “John Carter” and “Dejah Thoris” would either of them address or refer to the other with anything less than that full name, however.

Anyway, this was a great read which has me wanting to expand my rereading of the Tarzan series – I'm particularly looking forward to delving into Tarzan the Terrible, the renewed search for Jane that takes Tarzan to yet another lost African world – with dinosaurs! – and even to read some of the volumes I never read as a youth. Unlike the Mars series, all of which I read, I think I only read about half of the two dozen or so Tarzan books. I'm particularly curious how different my reaction to some of the books might be as a fifty-year-old from what it was as a fifteen-year-old. There were a couple of the Tarzan books that, for whatever reason, I did not like at all – most memorable in my own mind being the third, The Beasts of Tarzan. Eventually … Tarzan the Terrible will be next, however, which I remember loving as a kid. But I have the last of the “Christian Adventures of Doc Savage” before it in the queue, so it will be a while.

Cheers!, and Thanks for reading!

Richard Castle's Deadly Storm: A Derrick Storm Mystery (Marvel-ABC Studios 2011)

I mainly started watching the ABC series Castle for Nathan Fillion – like any fanboy, I've really liked him ever since his brilliant portrayal of Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon's Firefly. And Stana Katic ain't bad to look at, either.  I can't say I've been terribly faithful in watching it. I tend to drop in and out, finding it a pleasant diversion that usually doesn't have any overarching story arc that compels me not to miss a week. I go through phases. Often, it's one of my summer shows.

Anyway, the premise – in case you don't know – is that Fillion's character, Richard Castle, is a best-selling crime novelist who, through connections with the New York City mayor, becomes a continuing ride-along, sort of an unofficial partner to homicide detective Kate Beckett (Katic's character) for research in developing his newest main character, Nikki Heat, the heroine of such works as Naked Heat and Heat Wave. There quickly develops, of course, a sexual tension between Castle and Beckett that is generally expressed through amiable sarcasm and bickering reminiscent of the old Bruce Willis-Cybill Shepherd TV series Moonlighting.

Richard Castle and Kate Beckett

In a brilliant multimedia move, the Nikki Heat novels have been appearing in real life (ghost-written, of course) since early in the series' television run. In what I at least consider an even more brilliant move, one of Castle's earlier series of books, the Derrick Storm novels, have been adapted into graphic novel format. Well, at least that's how it's portrayed in the TV series, as a plot point. Of course, it's really a (sort-of) ghost-written “adaptation” of a non-existent book, but the result is sort of the same – a graphic novel that duplicates something of the flavor of the Castle television series, albeit with different characters.

The authors (“of the adaptation”) are Brian Michael Bendis and Kelly Sue DeConnick; art is by Lan Medina. It's a pretty solid story that basically sets up private detective Derrick Storm as a quasi recruit into the CIA. One thing I like is how the character of Storm is written to closely duplicate the voice of Rick Castle in the television series. You can practically hear Nathan Fillion's speaking the words you are reading. Overall, the mood is very much like an episode of the series. There is the beautiful CIA agent who ends up saddled with this amateur, sexual tension and bickering resulting. But it departs from the generally light-hearted style of the TV series toward the end when tragedy strikes ….

… and inadvertently messes up a lot of the carefully crafted verisimilitude that is designed into this volume. By which I mean, the conceit that this is a product of the character we watch on TV is maintained through lists of Castle's “other books” on the front flyleaf; an introduction wherein Castle tells how his first heroes and inspiration for writing were found in comic books and consequently how gratified he is to find his work adapted into that format by “the remarkably talented Brian Michael Bendis and Kelly Sue DeConnick,” “brought to life beautifully by Lan Medina's artwork”; and several pages of plot-blurbs and cover images for his other novels – which is where it breaks down, because obviously whoever wrote the blurbs for the “other” Derrick Storm novels hadn't actually read this one! They are absolutely inconsistent with the tragic plot twist at the end of Deadly Storm which leaves a major character unavailable to play a central role in all those later stories.

Unless, this being comics, after all, we have a bit of retconning or rebooting going on here as well!

It's a faux pas that would not detract from the reader's enjoyment of the story itself, unless said reader has (as I did) already perused those blurbs for “later” stories before finishing this one, with the result being a sudden “Huh--? Wha--?” and a feeling of being played wrongly. I also wonder how Bendis and DeConnick intend to write their way out of that box in subsequent Derrick Storm graphic novels which have already been announced, given what seems to have been a very positive reception for this one. Just from reading various comic creators' blogs as well as comic-related message boards it's been apparent that Castle has a substantial fan overlap with the comic book community – probably like me many from our ranks were drawn to it by Nathan Fillion. But hopefully there have been some fans of the show who were not already comic readers who have been drawn into the graphic novel format by this book. That can only be a good thing.

In any case, I found this a very good little read, a bit different from your typical comic book fare. I recommend it as well as the Castle TV show that is its source to comic fans who may not have discovered them already, as well as anyone else.

Cheers, and Thanks for reading!

The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party (1999)

By Marian Calabro

Probably the Hares' biggest family vacation when I was a kid was ten days to two weeks to Colorado and Wyoming in June of 1970, I believe. I was about eight years old. I have a lot of “flash-memories” of that trip: My dad driving almost a thousand miles, all the way from north Louisiana into Colorado, on the first day. Taking an enclosed ski lift up to the top of a snow-covered mountain. Seeing Colorado's Royal Gorge. Staying in rustic cabins at several different locations. Yellowstone Park. My kid brother (four years younger) belting out Home on the Range (I think) incessantly, giving us someone to blame when we didn't see any bears in Yellowstone. “Home, home on the range! Where the deer and the cantaloupe play!” Old Faithful. Hippies departing from the marked routes along the wooden walkways through the geyser field, my father filming them as they leaned over bubbling pools and commenting that if they fell in he was sending his 8mm home movie to Walter Cronkite. Buffalo Bill Cody Museum. Jackson Hole. My father fishing on one of those lakes. My father gritting his teeth in the night and breaking a tooth. Playing in the snow along the side of the highway … in June! And I'm sure I could come up with more, even though I also remember being fussed at because – laying on the back seat of the green Oldsmobile with the white top as I was, reading and rereading the stack of comic books I'd brought along – I was missing everything!

But among those disjointed memories is a clear recollection of first hearing about the Donner Party. I have no memory of why or where exactly, because we were nowhere near where those horrific events transpired. I have a clear memory of laying in bed in one of those rustic cabins during that trip, being scared spitless. Stranded in the snow! Cannibalism! The stuff of which an eight-year-old's nightmares are made!

Of course, the Donner Party is one of those cultural touchstones that everybody has heard of, that has given birth to a myriad of macabre jokes. It's a subject of endless fascination – how civilized beings can be reduced by desperate circumstance to breaking “the final taboo.” But I have known nothing more than the basic fact of a wagon train snowbound in the mountains through a grueling winter, slowly starving to death, until now.

A couple of weeks ago, our local parish public library (remember, this is Louisiana, so a parish is a civil unit, basically what all you other states call a “county”) had its annual book fair, selling off both discards from the library's own holdings and donated books for next to nothing to help finance buying new books. My wife and I try to hit it whenever we have the chance. This year my haul included (in addition to an almost complete and pristine set of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels in paperback – fifty cents apiece – each of the two that I was missing cost me more than all those I walked away with combined when I compulsively picked them up later, one in a bookstore, the other off Abebooks.com) a slim volume, ostensibly a discard from the youngsters' section of the library, Marian Calabro's The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party.

At about 180 pages, it's a quick read – I flew through it in about three hours. Partly it's the compelling narrative compounded with the horrific subject matter. Calabro bases her account mainly on the observations of Virginia Reed, the thirteen-year-old daughter of one of the leaders of the ill-fated group, but succeeds in bringing many of the other characters in the drama to life even as the reader knows that many of them will be snuffed out, one by one, mostly by starvation and exposure, in a few cases by more direct means. She analyses very well the varying emotional costs the experiences had on the survivors – somewhere around half of the number who had begun the journey early in 1846. And she augments the narrative with a wealth of photographs of individuals, the landscape, their (or similar) tools and transportation, several helpful maps, charts of the members of the various groups who made up the “Donner Party” (named for one of the other men, who was ultimately elected leader but who did not survive), a chronology, and a list of the victims along with the date and circumstance of their demise (whenever that can be determined).

Going into the book with nothing more, as I said, than the most basic knowledge of the event, I can say I've learned a lot. Among many other things, I had no idea where the events actually took place, and how close – on a map at least – they had actually come to their destination when winter slammed shut their way forward and locked them down, many of them to die. As I said above, they were nowhere near where I was during that 1970 trip in the Rocky Mountains but much further west, just west of modern Reno, Nevada, within their destination territory of California, just shy of the eastern ridge of the Sierra Nevada.

Its late, I'm headed to bed … but 42 years later I admit that after this gripping read I dread the darkness just a little. I find myself shuddering a little when I think about being placed in a similarly desperate situation.

Thanks for reading.  Good night.

Dynamite's Warlord of Mars

A couple of quickies to get me a little further along the way toward catching up with where I'm actually reading....

Warriors of Mars #1 of 5 (?) (2012)

I'm presuming this is a miniseries, and guessing at the number of issues based on the length of Fall of Barsoom as well as each of the first two story arcs in Dejah Thoris.

Warriors of Mars is a bit of an odd duck (or malagor) – a crossover between Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom and a book which likely gave him a bit of inspiration in creating it, Lieutenant Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, written by Edwin Lester Arnold and first appearing in 1905, a half-dozen or so years before ERB would have been conceiving A Princess of Mars. It's available under its more well-known title, Gulliver of Mars, at Project Gutenberg. I've downloaded it to my iPad; I tried to read it in preparation for this series, but I can easily see why what the Wikipedia article here calls “its lukewarm reception caused [Arnold] to stop writing fiction.” It's pretty wretched and I didn't make it very far, so what little I know of the plot comes from that article as well as, even more so, a review of a recent scholarly edition at SF Site, here.

Basically, US Navy Lt. Gullivar Jones travels to Mars via magic carpet, where he has a series of misadventures that mainly seems to have afforded the Englishman Arnold a chance to comment both on H. G. Wells' The Time Machine and the image of the “ugly American.” Like Wells' time traveller in the far future meeting the Eloi and the Morloks, Jones meets two opposing races, the Hither and Thither Folk, but the characterization of the races is quite different than Wells'. And like the stereotypical “ugly American,” Jones is bumblingly arrogant and condescending.

How well this can be blended into ERB's Barsoom I'll likely have to let other reviewers address, but my guess is that Dynamite's Gullivar Jones (at least they retain the correct spelling of his name) is going to find a Mars quite different from the one Arnold sent him off to on “vacation.”

Quickly: This story is framed by Dejah Thoris telling John Carter a secret regarding her mother – here named Heru, daughter of Jeddak Hath of the old city of Seth (I think the similarity to DC's Hawkman villain “Hath-Set” is purely coincidence). Before she met Dejah Thoris' father Mors Kajak, Heru had loved another, a man of Jasoom, Lt. Gullivar Jones, USN. As told by Dejah Thoris, the circumstances whereby Jones came by the carpet and was whisked off to Mars follow Arnold pretty closely – I did get that far but not much further, not far enough to know how well the next bit tracks. Jones ends up rescuing Princess Heru from a plot by the Thither People – who look kind of like bigger, meaner, and very red Tharks – but during a feast in Seth to honor him a second plot succeeds in seizes her while he is left unconscious, face down in a canal....

Review: http://jcomreader.blogspot.com/2012/02/comic-review-warriors-of-mars-1.html

Warlord of Mars Annual #1 (2012)

Tars Tarkas tells John Carter the tale of the events that brought the Tharks to that incubator where they first met. It's a fairly well done story, maybe most interesting to me for Tars Tarkas' commentary on John Carter's warlike nature:

“Sometimes I do not understand you, Prince of Helium. … You are nothing less than this planet's savior. You have changed our culture with kindness and friendship. … And yet if I were to count the men who have died by your sword, I might not finish the task in a lifetime.”

“A Thark lifetime?” John Carter asks.

“Certainly not your lifetime. … As you have sometimes made references to the possibility that you are immortal, I have found myself wondering something else from time to time. … Perhaps you are your planet's god of war.”

The brothers in arms laugh heartily over tankards of wine, but it's an interesting notion....

Compared to the standard-length Warriors of Mars #1, this extra-priced ($4.99 as opposed to $3.99) “annual” gets just five extra pages of story (26 as opposed to 21) – and that's including a glossary text page. It does feel heftier because it contains a substantial preview of the Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom trade paperback collection, basically the latter half of the first issue of that miniseries. I just have to keep telling myself this is not one of the big publishers, but one of the smaller “Independents,” and that the quality of what is presented is pretty decent.

Review: http://jcomreader.blogspot.com/2012/03/comic-review-warlord-of-mars-annual-1.html

Cheers! – and Thanks for reading! 

Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

Re-imagined by Ronald D. Moore.

Since last summer I have been watching the re-imagined version of the old TV series Battlestar Galactica via Saturday evening reruns on BBC America, two episodes every week. The original series (1978-1979) was something I really liked in its original airing in the immediate aftermath of Star Wars' reinvigorating the epic science fantasy genre, more for its ideas – the intimated connections with our own past, ancient astronauts and mythology, that “Life here began out there, far beyond the stars,” and so forth – than with how they were executed. And, to tell the truth, I was a bit of a hard sell on the new series when it first appeared a quarter century on. For all that it was stupendous from a special effects standpoint, my initial reaction to the direction it went was not positive. I found fault in particular with what seemed like an unlikely mishmash of contemporary – sometimes even retro – technology, styling, fashions, and the like with fantastical science-fiction elements. It seemed to me that those intimated connections with our own past were being thrown over as much as possible, retaining only enough to make the result barely recognizable as any version of “Battlestar Galactica” at all. Especially laughable were some of the names – “William 'Bill' Adama,” “Lee Adama” (with “Apollo” relegated to the status of his call-sign) – that for me at least ruined the suspension of disbelief that's necessary for the world-building that must serve as the foundation of a series such as this. They seemed to show a lack of imagination. I stuck with the rebooted series through the first two seasons, I think, but had lost interest by that time and seldom dropped in after that. When I did, occasionally, what I saw had departed so radically from the basic paradigm of humanity fleeing robotic aggressors that I had no idea what was happening, and an attempt to watch the last hour of the series to see how it ended made basically no sense to me except that they had found something that wasn't Earth but they were calling it Earth and therefore it was our Earth and they were our distant ancestors.

Nevertheless, a couple of my colleagues remained devoted to the show throughout its original run, enough so that they picked up the DVD sets as they came out, and they kept telling me I should have stuck with it. And when BBC America started its announced running of the entire series straight through I decided to give it another shot. It helped knowing that I would be able to watch it straight through virtually without interruption (there were the occasional weekends when it was bumped for a Top Gear or Doctor Who marathon), and that there was a definite end to the story.

That end came this past weekend.

Honestly, I am glad I have watched this series through to the end. There's a lot of good. It is an incredibly complex story mixing issues of faith and reason, politics and space opera, free will versus fate or destiny, and so forth that I'm sure I only scratch the surface in trying to understand. I do still find the mishmash of sci-fi and mundane unsettling, at times jarring, even with the putative rationale in the overarching theme of the show, “This has all happened before, and it will all happen again,” based on an Eastern mystical paradigm of the endless cycle of existence – except that it's hinted in the final episodes that that cycle is being, or at least can be, broken, which itself may be an “addendum” to that theme. As to the visual stylings, I choose to interpret them as allegorical representations of the world that's being portrayed, kind of an extension of the basic (and necessary) practice of representing whatever languages the characters would be speaking as our own language. (For one way that in particular was carried off, and worked for me to add depth to this exercise in world-building, see my post here.) But ultimately I've gotten past that and am able to appreciate the show for what it is, one of the best science fiction TV shows ever. I think it would hold up very well to another watch-through now that I know (even better than I did this time) where it's all going. And if BBC America (or another channel) does give it another such showing, at a nice, steady pace of one or two episodes a week, I may try it. At four seasons – somewhere around eighty episodes – it's more than I'm going to invest in to buy the DVD set because I figure there's little likelihood of me making the commitment to watching it through of my own volition (especially since, at least for now, it's available on Netflix streaming if I do take a notion). If it's coming on a channel that will automatically pace me, I would, however.

Anyway, I just wanted to get some thoughts on the series down now that it's wrapped up. It's not perfect – what is, in this fallen world of ours? – and I don't think they had a clear plan at the beginning as to how they wanted the story to play out. But they did manage to pull most of the strings together in the end, leaving just enough unanswered questions to keep me thinking about it, as well as an ambiguous ending as to whether we are indeed heading down the same road toward man vs. machine conflict that has, they postulate, happened before. The overarching plot is, in the end, extremely complex even though it's laid out pretty succinctly in one of the last half-dozen episodes, and even then is easier to comprehend via a flow chart. Literally. Luckily, someone in the world of fandom has provided that:

Created by Billy Ray Stevens, Jr. Image from here.

Another resource I found invaluable in keeping things straight as I watched through the series – although you necessarily will have plot points spoiled if you consult it now – is the Battlestar Wiki. Looking at that page just now I see the news item, “BBC America is presently airing episodes of the Re-imagined Series beginning every Sunday at 7 PM,” which may mean they are wrapping back to the beginning and moving it from Saturday evening to Sunday evening. I also see that “CGI Supervisor Doug Drexler reports the special effects for Blood and Chrome are finished.” Blood and Chrome is a second prequel series to the Re-imagined Series, set during the first Cylon War and centering on a young William Adama. Perhaps it will be more successful than the first prequel series, Caprica, which I have never seen but lasted only about half a season or so. I have no idea how recently either of those items may have been posted, but it is good to know that there may be an opportunity for continued adventures in this universe, although I imagine they pretty much shot their wad as far as any kind of overarching mythology goes. And Blood and Chrome may well suffer from that. Time will tell.

One point in the finale that I do want to address. I think the postulated rationale for Colonial humanity's so willingly giving up all but the rudiments of their technology and settling down on the new Earth was quite weak, simply that it was time for a new beginning, a "clean slate."  A far better reason was actually set up and could have been rounded off with a line or two of dialogue. I'm being a bit vague on this since I don't want to give away too specific a plot point, but suffice it to say that there are still Cylons out there. Although they have reason to hope that the Cylon Centurions they know about may not be coming for them, there's no assurance of that – Adama himself says it's a “risk,” albeit one “worth taking.” Better not to draw attention to themselves with a fleet hanging in orbit, or too advanced tech evident on the surface. And there may be still other Cylons out there that they don't know about, with no reason whatsoever not to be coming for them. Especially in that case it would be best not to call attention to themselves. Hence the dramatic end to the grand old lady and the fleet, flying into the sun as in my post image above. I just wish a line or two had been inserted to that effect. It's a minor point, however.

In any case, I consider the time I spent over the past months watching this new Battlestar Galactica time well spent.

Cheers!

DC Comics – April 2012

[Link to last month]

Well, due to other changes in my monthly buying, I decided I didn't need to drop any of my DC titles from my order at this time, so several titles identified as probable drops last month got a reprieve. Hopefully they'll prove deserving....

* * *

Action Comics #6

“When Superman Learned to Fly”

Wow. A very Grant Morrison story. The adult Legion of Super-Heroes – founders only – and Superman from the future somehow save the rocket that is dying without the Kryptonite engine stolen last issue, and in so doing save the future. It turns out that the Anti-Superman Army is holed up inside Superman's head along with the K-engine, in “tesseract space.” To track them, Saturn Woman somehow uses flashes of his memories and their alterations by which we see at least a version of young Clark's first meeting with the Legionnaires.

As they are taking an unconscious, Kryptonite radiation ravaged Superman back to his proper point on the timeline, the Legionnaires ponder their reactions to that first meeting. Saturn Woman: “When I looked at his memories, I fest so ashamed. … Remember we were so disappointed in him that first time? … We'd built him up as this idol in our minds, this myth, and he was just a gawky caveman kid. … But for him... Meeting us, that was when he knew the universe was bigger than he ever hoped. … We were proof that planet Earth had a future worth fighting for. … Meeting us was the greatest day in his life.”

One observation: “Superman Learns to Fly” may be used in the metaphorical sense, because on the last page, a three-quarter page spread of young Clark and the young Legion founders soaring before a sunset, he is wearing a Legion Flight Ring. But it is of course symbolic as well, when his dreams took flight. “And thus was the mission accomplished.”

There is so much in this story that I don't understand, though. Very Grant Morrison!

Review: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-action-comics-6.html

“Last Day”

The backup story is of Clark reminiscing about good times with his parents, who have (recently?) died, Pete Ross, and Lana Lang on his last day in Smallville. It's a nice little character piece.

Review: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-action-comics-6-back-up.html

In both of the stories, in Clark's memories, we get to see a different side of Jonathan Kent – a more humrous side, going along with Clark as they use his powers to teach a neighbor a lesson – or a bank that repossessed another's tractor … “Just, uh ...” – “... Don't tell ma?” Clark finishes with a grin from ear to ear. – “You got it.”

Justice League #6

“Justice League, Part Six”

This is the big fight with Darkseid. Darkseid has come to Earth specifically seeking his daughter. In the battle, Aquaman and Wonder Woman each manage to put out one of Darkseid's eyes … not that that will slow him down or blind him permanently, I figure – since he's “a god” and all. Cyborg uses his control of the Mother Boxes to open a Boom Tube of all Boom Tubes, sending Darkseid and the Parademons (doesn't that sound like a heavy metal band?) away from wherever they are. And the people of the Earth praise them – most obviously astonishing Flash who'd already suggested they make themselves scarce as well.

This issue is framed by a story about a writer and his family, who are among those saved by the superhumans. He is David Graves, a throwaway name on backmatter books in previous issues, now shown as the author of the (somewhat sacrilegiously titled) “Justice League: Gods Among Men.” The implication is that he gives them that name, which is quite a bit better than Flash's off-the-cuff suggestion of “The Super Seven.”

There is furthermore a tag page, in which a couple of shady individuals in London observe that “The Justice League” are being called “super heroes.” Striking up a cigarette, one wearing a familiar-looking lapel pin that I can't place responds, “Well, then … I guess they'll call us super villains.” … “The Beginning.”

Is Darkseid's missing and unnamed daughter Pandora? I don't think I've seen that speculated anywhere.

Overall, this has been a passable introductory story arc for DC's flagship team, although it did not knock my socks off. The story has been solid, but nothing really spectacular. Jim Lee's art is never less than spectacular, but frankly I'd hoped for something a bit more momentous. But it did the job.  Incidentally, even though this comic actually came out at the very end of the month (a week after it had initially been scheduled), I pulled it forward because I was wanting to see how this story, which, after all, is like Action Comics in that it's set in the past of the current DCnU, resolved.

“Pandora”

We finally meet as a character the mysterious purple cloaked woman who appeared in all the New 52 issues #1 as well as in Flashpoint #5 where she seemed to be the one presiding over the melding of three universes into one. She and the Phantom Stranger converse basically over the body of a man who looks like he died of fright. We find out that Pandora is seeking to imprison the Strange and free herself from her curse, and intends that the Justice League help her, “Whether they like it or not.”

Pandora seems to be the Pandora of Greek myth; See above for what I consider to be at least a possibility. One possibility that seems out the window now is that she is Glorith. In her long, rather acrimonious interaction with the Phantom Stranger – which does result in shooting! – mention is made of the Spectre, but Pandora claims to have been judged by a higher power.

Review/Annotation: http://atthehallofjustice.blogspot.com/2012/03/justice-league-6.html

Justice League International #6

“The Signal Masters: Epilogue”

Several vignettes of a few pages each show the “team” in the aftermath of their first adventure. Batman gives Booster Gold a pep talk as they take down the Hall of Justice bombers. Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Red Rocket, and Ice continue the cleanup at various sites ravaged by the giants, Guy bitching all the time about Booster Gold. Ice dissents from his opinion. Neither notices when Red is mysteriously affected by some kind of beam. Godiva and August General in Iron thwart another attack on the UN, inside which Booster Gold, Fire, and Vixen unsuccessfully argue on behalf of the JLI. The deciding vote is swayed when the General arrives and appeals to the Chinese delegate. Weeks later, there is an unveiling of the UN's official team of super-heroes (sans Batman – who, remember, the UN had specifically excluded – he came anyway, and I hope will continue to do so). Then – WHOOOM – a big explosion. Their unseen enemy, looking on, proclaims “The J.L.I. is dead and buried.”

Oddly enough, I found this issue more satisfying than the arc it epilogues – even with the ending. There was excellent character development, especially with The General and Godiva.

Review: http://acomicbookblog.com/2012/02/justice-league-international-6-review/

Detective Comics #6

“Kill Game”

I'm really not caring for this book. Of all the New 52, it may be my least favorite – which I would not have predicted at all. I didn't think Tony Daniel was nearly as bad a writer as his reputation before Flashpoint had it. My mind is changing. Honestly, if I weren't obsessive-compulsive about getting all Bat-titles, this would be gone from my pull list. But I do get it, and I do read it.... I'm not engaged enough in it to try to come up with a coherent summation, though.

Something about Penguin recruiting various weird villains – none of whom I recognize. I'm really tiring of the unlikely multiplication of metahumans – villain and hero – in the DC Universe. It's something I've wondered at for years, but usually just turn a blind eye too. But really, sometimes it seems like “normal” people are a minority. Anyway, in a seemingly unlikely coincidence Bruce's hitherto unknown girlfriend, his date for the opening of the new Iceberg Lounge, is sister to one, although that doesn't seem to have anything to do with her coming undercover to the opening. Anyway, she gets herself practically killed – and Batman too. At least that's the god-awful melodramatic cliffhanger ending with Batman lamenting that his feelings for her have distracted him and gotten them both killed. It's all so out of character – how many damn girlfriends does Bruce purport to have, anyway … and is he smitten with them all as he seemingly professes to be this one? This title is almost a caricature of good Batman stories.

Oh yeah, to foster cross-continuity, I guess, there's an offhand reference to the events of last month's I, Vampire as well.

Review: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/02/new-52-detective-comics-6-review/

Batwing #6

“...I Am Happiest When At War...”

This title, on the other hand, I find to be the biggest surprise. Despite its status as a Bat-title, I didn't even have it on my pull list at the beginning – not even giving it the one issue hard copy trial I did Red Hood and the Outlaws. I did, if I recall after hearing a good bit of surprised, positive buzz about the first issue, pick up the first issue digitally once it dropped from cover price to $1.99. And I really liked it, despite its dumb name and unlikely premise. So much so, that effective with this issue – such is the time-lag from when I added it to the pull list and actually getting my first issue – I'm reading it as part of my regular monthly stack.

The basic pattern of this first story arc continues with more interspersed memories as David catches and fights Massacre in the shadow of the pyramids to save another member of the increasingly dodgy-seeming African super-team, the Kingdom. It's been one year since Batman recruited him into Batman, Incorporated. Batwing realizes that Massacre is the old warlord whom he once worked for, whom he had left for dead, but who somehow survived with a vengeance. Batman shows up, perhaps still in Africa from last issue, and they determine that a pair of Kingdom alumni are now in Gotham City – where Massacre is headed next.

Review: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/01/new-52-batwing-6-review/ … I liked it better than this reviewer did, though.

Stormwatch #6

“The Dark Side, Finale”

Even as it explodes around them, Jack Hawksmoor makes an unholy alliance with the alien intelligence that functions as the spirit of the city that is Stormwatch Headquarters, the Eye, pulling it back together – but not before it briefly falls out of hyperspace and becomes visible to Earth. With the Projectionist taken by Harry, they choose as new leader the Artificial Intelligence. In the discussion, we find that J'Onn J'Onzz has never actually been a member of the Justice League. The AI immediately dispatches them to intercept his search for some hitherto secret Stormwatch Security Caches which contain “some of the most powerful alien artifacts from the hidden history of the world.” Unbeknownst to them, however, their search will be interrupted by their need to save the universe first.

“The hidden history of the world” – the only Wildstorm title I've done any reading in hitherto was Planetary, in which that same concept appeared. They were “archaeologists of the unknown,” uncovering “the hidden history of the world.” “It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way.”

This is Paul Cornell's last issue, which is the main subject of the following review. Cornell was indeed a major draw for me in picking up this title in the first place, and I always greet such creator shifts with trepidation, but I'm hanging with it for now.

Review: http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2012/02/07/stormwatch-6-review/

Superboy #6

“Not So Super”

Superboy vs. Supergirl. Luckily, for once it is not a story of Supergirl hits first and asks questions later. She asks questions, so to speak, doesn't like the answer – and hits him anyway!

We take up with some overlap at the end of Teen Titans #5. Superboy is on his way to NOWHERE and Templar, seeking a reckoning, when he encounters Supergirl. Her touch teaches him Kryptonian, but when he says he is a clone, she shouts, “KON-EL!” and KWOOM. His inner'logue as he tumbles upward: “What the hell does that mean? … Is that her battle cry – or some kind of insult?!? … And what is it about me that makes every woman I meet want to kill me?” They fight a bit, but his telekinetic blast and obvious confusion calm her down a bit, long enough to explain, “<Y-you really don't know, do you? … You don't know about Krypton's disastrous experiments with cloning. … You have absolutely no idea of the terrible fate that awaits you. … You are Kon-El. An abomination. … An abomination in the House of El. … As a clone, you have no choice but to eventually become – a mindless killing machine.>” She then flies off, headed to Metropolis to ask Superman some questions. Meanwhile, Superboy continues to NOWHERE with a lot on his mind: “Everyone I've ever encountered has either lied to me or tried to kill me. … Or both! … It's a process that began even before I first stepped out of the incubation tube. … Someone masterminded my creation. … Whyi?!? … Every question I've ever asked has led to outright lies – or additional questions that are even more disturbing. … I feel like a pawn in a conspiracy so vast, so complicated that I'll never be able to grasp my role. … That ends now. … Here. … The time has finally come for me to return to N.O.W.H.E.R.E. – and learn the truth!” – But NOWHERE is deserted, except for Rose, who is spoiling for a fight.

For Supergirl, this happens after the current arc in her own title – which experience obviously informs her reaction to finding that Superboy is a clone, and which has yet to resolve – and leads directly into this month's Superman. I guess we are to take it that “Kon-El” means “clone”? – which has always been the anagram in the old “Conner Kent's” Kryptonian name, but I don't think ever explicitly meant that. Whence the “El” part, and the explicit connection with “the House of El”? … or is “Kon-El” = “clone” a semantic or idiomatic meaning, with the literal meaning “Abomination in the House of El” as Supergirl terms it?

Review: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-superboy-6.html – (I'm proud to say that I've long perceived the “Kon-El” = “clone” connection that reviewer Anj and Martin Gray both missed. Usually it's the other way around....)

Batman and Robin #6

“The Real Me”

We continue the dual story, with Damian and Morgan “interrogating” the suspect – whom Damian did not kill because the gun was empty – while Bruce searches and mentally relives his history with Morgan. Eventually, Damian balks when Morgan proceeds with killing the suspect – by dunking him in acid – and my hope (see last month) is fulfilled when Damian activates a tracker, giving Bruce a fix on their location. Morgan does not react very well: “I thought you were on my side! But you betrayed me, just like he did! … So this was an elaborate scheme between the two of you to --” – Damian: “No. He didn't know anything about what I was trying to do – Our problems are real – I used them to help me sell you on bringing you closer …and you bought it.” – Morgan: “I was setting you free. Why would you throw away all I had to offer?” – Damian: “Why? … ->tt<- … Because he's my father, you idiot.” Morgan knows Bruce can hear through the tracker link as he starts to beat Damian mercilessly ….

Review: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/10/new-52-batman-robin-6-review/

Batwoman #6

“To Drown the World, Part One”

This issue is framed by a sequence of Batwoman going up against the scythe-wielding thug who just about killed Bette. My impression is she doesn't make the connection and this is rather part of her quest for the missing children. Between a cliffhanger where it looks like she's about to be sliced and diced too and Scythe getting a bit of a surprise on the single last page, there are several vignettes of just a couple pages each: 1) Jacob holding vigil over Bette in the ICU, reading to her from Ian Fleming's James Bond novel, You Only Live Twice; 2) Maggie Sawyer being berated by the mother of one of the lost children; 3) a glimpse of the deliberate creation of the Weeping Woman; 4) Maggie and Kate on the morning after, three weeks ago, the latter still refusing to face her past and open up; and 5) a slightly longer sequence of a team-up of Batwoman and Chase in search of Medusa, wherein we find out that the DEO has “upgraded” Kate's uniform but is keeping her on a short least that is straining.

After five issues of J. H. Williams III's beautiful art, Amy Reeder's is noticeably different and there was a bad reaction to it on the Internet. I'm okay with it, though. Unfortunately, I gather that DC's initial plan for Williams and Reeder to alternate story arcs, mainly to give the notoriously slow Williams a chance not to fall behind schedule, is not going to work. As I understand it, Reeder has left this title after the few issues that begin here, allegedly because it was demanded that she basically ape Williams' style. I don't remember the name of the announced artist for a few issues hence, but I know his style is radically different from Williams'. It will sound like the apocalypse on the Internet, I'm sure.

Review: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/08/new-52-batwoman-6-review/

Batgirl #6

“A House Made of Spun Glass”

Babs works out the mystery of “338” and who Gretel is, and finds a dark reflection of herself. After successfully talking Bruce Wayne down from the trance which he was “mostly” faking for the sake of witnesses, she gets some much-needed affirmation from Batman: “I have something to tell you. … You were always meant to be Batgirl, Barbara.” She works closely with Batman for the rest of this issue in bringing Gretel in, and finds him following her lead and advice. There's also a bit more on the return of her mother, as well as a confrontation with Officer McKenna – where Batman has her back.

All in all, this is an excellent issue, the best of the series so far. The story, the art, the cover – even with the blank background. It has a nice, iconic feel to it, and the stark white background makes sense when you realize that you are seeing the two against the backdrop of a snowstorm. Some doubtless will object to the composition so overtly placing Batgirl under the mantle of Batman, but frankly, as far as I'm concerned, that's her proper place as long as Barbara Gordon is fighting crime under the guise of “Batgirl.” Oracle could be separated to a degree from the Batman mythos. In my opinion, Batgirl cannot. Of course, that stands against Babs' own inner'logue, but I stand by it.

The following reviewer makes some excellent points … that don't matter a whit to me because I liked this issue so much: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/08/new-52-batgirl-6-review/

Huntress #5 of 6

“Crossbow at the Crossroads, Part Five”

While I can't say I really care for the cover to this issue, the opening splash page of a very accurate view of Amalfi at night framed by a silhouette of the Huntress is amazing! Even if the shadows don't match the location of the full moon. Again, I'm certain somebody – probably Levitz, even though he's the writer, not the artist, did some on-site research for this story.

page 1 

Photo of Amalfi from here

Helena penetrates the resort where her target is holed up, fights her way through to him, including a rematch with the opponent from Pompeii, and kills the main perpetrator of the sex-slavery ring. It continues to be solid, straightforward action, good story and art. Not outstanding, but enough to keep me happy.

On page 2, Helena does make reference to “daddy” for his practical advice: “[O]bjects are meant to be used....” Of course, no in-story confirmation about who “daddy” is, but we know from all the releases about the upcoming Earth Two and Worlds' Finest that it's Bruce Wayne of Earth Two. It's also apparent from much of that information that it's a more violent place, which in principle doesn't sit terribly well with me in concept (“Earth Two” carries a totally different connotation for old-timer fans like me, although with Robinson and Levitz helming the titles respectively I'm still looking forward to them), but does track with her willingness to kill demonstrated in this issue. There is an interesting inner'logue on page 5 which may tie in with some more of the pre-Worlds' Finest information here: “Most of the time even I don't remember who I really am....”

Review: http://helenawayne.blogspot.com/2012/02/huntress-5-review-2011.html

Demon Knights #6

“In: The Balance”

The Battle for Little Spring takes up in full force. All the “Demon Knights” get their chances to make sacrifices in the battle against overwhelming numbers, although we don't necessarily see them on the page. One of the more notable – and making the cover – is Exoristos the Amazon vs. the attackers' triceratops battering ram. Horsewoman does break out to Alba Sarum but even as the Demon Knights learn this, the Vandal Savage-led enemies break through the gates....

What can I say? I'm still liking this title enough to keep getting it, but I can't really pin down why, beyond inertia. I like the idea of a medieval setting – that's one thing. Paul Cornell – that's another. The, at least as I see it, connection somehow with Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers – all that's enough to keep me on it for now, at least.

Review: http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2012/02/12/demon-knights-6-review/

Legion Lost #6

“Inevitable”

Tyroc is the narrator in this transitional issue – it's written by both Fabian Nicieza and Tom DeFalco. The time-lost Legionnaires – all but Tellus who is guarding Alastor – penetrate some kind of government facility where Timber Wolf and Yera are being held, under the guard of J'Onn J'Onzz, the Martian Manhunter. After an initial fight, J'Onn helps them escape, but does take something (an “energy signature”?) from Yera for his “associates” – Stormwatch. He also informs them that time travel is one-way only. Meanwhile, Alastor eludes Tellus, vanishing without a trace.

“Time travel is one-way only.” I call bullshit. Why do writers so often forget that, even though travel back in time is probably impossible, if we can suspend our disbelief as we always do to accept that – as we have to do to accept that this series could even take place! – travel forward in time would be a snap? We can do it already. Heck, we do it already – all the time (er... pardon the pun). And to travel faster forward in time, as they would need to do to return home to the 31^st century, would just take acceleration to relativistic velocity where time would pass more slowly for them. Which I would think in the DCnUniverse would be possible. Of the six (or seven? – I lose count) Legionnaires, I'd be surprised if one of them could not, given a little time and resources, whip up some kind of space drive to accomplish this. So there's no way they are “trapped” here in the past. Never have been. At worst, it's an engineering problem. But it's one that for all intents and purposes renders the logic of this series untenable.

You know, that rant probably deserves a post all its own.

Review: http://legionabstract.blogspot.com/2012/02/legion-lost-6-review.html

Wonder Woman #6

“Thrones”

You know, my opinion of this series is deteriorating swiftly. I was hesitant to pick it up when the announcement of the New 52 was first made last year, but I decided to jump on it since she is part of the “trinity” of DC super-heroes. I was a bit hesitant because of Brian Azzarello as well, whom I find to be very hit and miss. I don't think his forte is or ever has been super-heroes. Then the first issue came and I was surprised at how much I liked it. It was so different from anything I've ever seen in a Wonder Woman comic, and the idea of making the Greek gods and their machinations, and their problematic relationship with humanity, central to the story seemed like a very interesting way to go. The art was good as well. So I found myself enthused.

That enthusiasm has waned. I think I've already commented on the tiresome nature of the … puns? – would that be the right word? … that Azzarello uses 'way too much. Once it impinged on my attention, it grew ever more evident how ridiculous it is that multiple characters would engage in such wordplay as they do here. The designs of some of the gods are just dumb. And so far the story just is not engaging me. I know it has something to do with the apparent death (?) of Zeus, his leaving a bastard child in the womb of a pretty ordinary-looking human girl (wouldn't a god only go for the hottest chick around … well, maybe beauty is only skin deep and there's a lot more to a person than the outward appearance, but these gods seem so shallow I'd be surprised if even Zeus would think that way. In fact, he is, in myth and here, portrayed as such a horn-dog that I think going for physical beauty would be part of his nature) whom Hera has plans to destroy while Wonder Woman has sworn to protect – and furthermore the discovery that Wonder Woman herself is Zeus' daughter by Hippolyta has led to Hera destroying that whole race and turning Hippolyta to stone. The revelation of Wonder Woman's true parentage is the one thing I still kind of like. I always thought the idea of her being Pygmalion's statue was dumb. The only thing I would change in this new parentage would have been her father – should have been Ares. My comic-reading colleague is liking this series, and he says to go back and read all the issues from the beginning and it will come together, but frankly I'm so disenchanted at this point that I have no desire to do it. This is currently the title that is nearest to being dropped for sheer unenjoyability.

Sorry for the rambling rant. Here's the gist of this issue: Wonder Woman's confrontation with Boss Nass – er, Poseidon – is ultimately part of a wider scheme with new-found dear brother Lennox to screw over Hera. But Hades (the kid with the melting candelabra head) seizes Zola (Zeus's baby-momma) and drags her to hell.

Review: http://acomicbookblog.com/2012/02/wonder-woman-6-review/

Supergirl #6

“The End of the Beginning”

In a flashback/memory, Kara relives a grueling combat training exercise on Krypton, then comes to still pinned to the wall in Argo City. She's been left to die as Argo falls into the blue sun which saps part of her newfound yellow-sun-energised powers. She continues hallucinating her parents – is it truly a hallucination? – manages to get loose and away and witnesses the destruction of the city from afar. Then she heads back to Earth to confront Reign the World Killer. Unfortunately, she finds more than one … yes, Reign was not just talking to herself at the beginning of the previous issue.

Note the similar design of the combat training attire to her “super-suit.” The art continues to be great in this book. I particularly laud Asrar for properly depicting a teen-age girl as a teen-age girl, not as a fantasy sex-object. Just do something about the cut of the shorts. I do wonder at the gravitational mechanics on the cover and inside that have Kara hanging from a big sword through her cape over her left shoulder, but with her shoulders even – wouldn't she really sag sideways so that her center of gravity was directly below that anchor point? And why is it so hard for her to get loose – is that cape not detachable from the rest main body of the costume? That's relatively minor, I guess … I am a bit disappointed in how often we are now presented with basically useless double-page spreads such as this issue ends with – especially when, as here, you have to turn the comic sideways to view it. At twenty pages of story, throwing away an extra page like that just seems lazy to me.

But this continues to be one of my favorite series of the New 52. I just wish we could get more answers more quickly about this “new” Supergirl's story.

Review: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-supergirl-6.html

Batman #6

“Beneath the Glass”

This story is increasingly surreal, continuing Batman's torture/battle against the Talon beneath Gotham City. Ultimately he rallies and contrives an escape into an underground river – but he's now too weakened and seems to go under. The Court of Owls emerges to kill the failed Talon, but it's okay – they have a large supply in what look like coffins.

This story is getting harder and harder to follow. I went into it with a very high regard for Scott Snyder based on his marvelous run finishing off the previous volume of Detective Comics. I'm not liking this quite so much. I sympathise with Bruce: “I know … that I am sick … to death … of OWLS!” For the foreseeable future, however, the Court of Owls is going to be the center of the Gotham universe.

Review: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/15/new-52-batman-6-review/

Birds of Prey #6

“Clean Getaway”

The Birds have been finding and defusing Choke's unwitting agents, but are now tapped out on leads. The last one they save volunteers to help them, which ends up forcing Choke to activate a whole office-full against them. The overall plot involves mind control via electronic messages and the like to 1) access private information, accounts, and so forth, and 2) use them as “cleaners” – i.e. agents or cannon fodder. This continues to be an excellent story complemented by excellent art.

Review: http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2012/02/20/birds-of-prey-6-review-2/

Catwoman #6

“Welcome to the Hard Way”

Selina is in police custody – or rather, has been taken by the dirty Gotham cops, who let Reach work her over … which costs Reach an ear! The good cop who has been putting together evidence from a host of cases into a “picture” of Catwoman ends up letting her go. But then she ends up in a confrontation with Batman, who tries to talk her out of her self-destructive path. Selina stuns him by telling him that maybe she does indeed want to die. He lets her go – without the money. She finally shows up at a former friend's for help – another fence, who is astonished that Selina Kyle is Catwoman.

This continues to be a far more compelling story than the first issue promised. As usual, the art is generally good, but then suddenly very bad in individual spots – most notably the very last panel where Selina sits on a table basically in a fetal position, her knees tucked up under her chin … her left breast looks like it migrated to beneath her armpit! I also don't like it when artists (albeit maybe at the instruction of the writer) just depict a conversation as a series of repeated panels with no visual difference except the sequence of word balloons. Unless there is a reason to convey the idea that the participants are frozen in place, it's just lazy.

We find out that one problem doubtless facing the “good cop” is that Selina's records – including criminal – are not in the system, which is surprising and a mystery even to her. Well, not so much a mystery because she later accuses Batman of having them scrubbed, and he doesn't deny it. What is his motivation in this? She's not anywhere near being the ally that she had become in recent years pre-Flashpoint. But he does seem to care about her – and although her words, “As long as we keep having sex, I assume I'm buying some time,” are a bit of a low blow, that has to be part of it....

Review: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/17/new-52-catwoman-6-review/

Nightwing #6

“Good Girl Gone Bad”

Haly's Circus has made it to Austin, Texas, but then heads back to Gotham for a benefit show that is really something else entirely. In a story that is concurrent with Batman #4-5 (how do I know that? A better question is, why doesn't Dick express even a little concern when Alfred says Bruce is “still missing”? – Or is it that common that he goes missing? Probably not, since in Batman #5 we saw Nightwing very much involved in the desperate search for his missing mentor that seems to consume the Bat-family. Is that inconsistent, or what?), Dick is still worried about Saiko, while Raya and Raymond plot. Raya tells Dick of a surprise for the anniversary of the death of the Flying Graysons – the aforementioned benefit show, which is a stage for Saiko to attack, threatening to slaughter all the audience. Nightwing fights him and unmasks the villain as his presumed-dead friend Raymond – but Saiko triggers a massive explosion under the big top.

Review: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/16/new-52-nightwing-6-review/

Legion of Super-Heroes #6

“Dragon & Phoenix”

Sun Boy, Element Lad, and Chemical Kid restart some kind of pollution converter in the Sea of Fire, China. Dream Girl and Star Boy have a moment. Mon-El and Brainiac 5, cleaning up the mess left on Panoptes, come to suspect there may be more to the Dominator plot in Res-Vir's attack than they had thought. We get a little bit of Dominator sociology. But all those bits seem ancillary to the main tale of this issue, Dragonwing (also in China) searching for her sister, ultimately finding that she's gone bad. But the bigger problem is whoever she's working for. By the way, Chameleon Boy is working with Dragonwing, “undercover.”

One thing about Levitz's Legion. This can be seen as a typical issue, consisting of a bunch of little vignettes and plots being juggled, weaving in and out, with no clearly major beginning nor end. Kind of like life. But definitely not written for the trade!

Review: http://dangermart.blogspot.com/2012/02/legion-of-super-heroes-6-review.html

Aquaman #6

“Deserted”

“Arthur? … I went into town and I … met the local authorities. We should talk.” Those are the words at the end of the issue where Mera begins to tell her husband what kind of day she had while he was being rescued from the middle of the desert by the US military. And they about sum it up.

This is a great focus on Mera. A trip into town to get their new dog some food brings Mera into contact with a lecherous grocery story manager, the local police, and a crazy wife-murderer – and let us see just how powerful she really is. When said lecher can't keep his hands to himself, she breaks his arm. The cops are called in, there is escalating misunderstanding – then a call comes through that a prisoner, said crazy wife-murderer being transferred has escaped and is headed back to his home and unsuspecting daughter. Mera submits to the authorities – “Put me in the back of your car and go where you need to go, officers. … I give up.” But of course, once there, observing the standoff between the police and the man who has now taken his daughter hostage, Mera effortlessly breaks the handcuffs and almost kills him. “Why does everyone think water is our weakness? … The absence of water is not my weakness. … It's all of yours.” In a matter of seconds she has sucked the water from his body so he is feeling the effects of several days' dehydration – and is perfectly willing to carry it to the point of leaving him a dessicated husk until the daughter tearfully answers her frustrated question, “Who would mourn him? Who?” with “I would. … He's still my dad.” Mera relents, and, mystified, performs one of the New 52 “Aqua-leaps” away.

This is framed by some hints that the background for Mera introduced in Brightest Day are still there – that she was initially sent to kill Aquaman but fell in love with him and ended up being banished into our world. My only quibble is that, again, she is said to have met Arthur only four years ago! I do not like this new, compressed DCnU time-line! I gather some of the defining aspects of Aquaman's character are now gone – most notably Arthur, Jr., his death, the subsequent separation from Mera and their reconciliation. I may not have liked the stories that were told after the death of “Aquababy,” but believe that the basic ideas and characterization that resulted were something that set Aquaman apart from other heroes and should not have been discarded.

Besides the tag-scene where Aquaman and Mera meet and she starts to tell him all about it, there is another postscript in that a young girl grocery employee – being subjected to the lecher's unwelcome attentions until Mera wandered in – tracks Mera down and gives her food for the dog, along with a promise of more. I think/hope we're seeing the beginning of a supporting cast for this book.

The only thing I find mildly disappointing in this issue is the art. It seems that usual inker Prado did full art over Reis' breakdowns here. While it's therefore mostly quite similar to previous issues, there are enough differences, most noticeable in Mera's face, that I don't find this issue quite as finely illustrated as previous issues.

Review: http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2012/02/23/aquaman-6-review/ – The reviewer makes some valid points, but I still loved this issue.

Superman #6

“The Measure of a Superman”

Well, this is the last issue of George Perez's opening arc for the “relaunched” Superman, finally bringing the “bad Superman” story to an end that effects a redemption of a sort. It also provides something of an introduction of Supergirl to the people of Metropolis – still suffering under the language barrier but clearly acting as a hero for which I am very glad. I must say I like Nicola Scott's rendering of Kara's shorts-line better than Mahmoud Asrar's.

As became apparent at the end of last issue, the evil Superman was actually an impostor, a nanite-based adaptive super-computer caretaker of an alien planet long-since destroyed by the Collector – hence this story connects with the opening arc of Action Comics which took place more than five years previously. The nanite entity had hitched a ride to Earth on Superman's Kryptonian battle-armor, acquired during that story but in an issue of Action Comics that we haven't seen (bad scheduling/pacing, DC!). Even Superman's media nemesis the TV guy eats crow when Superman himself rallies, returns, and saves the day.

In an initial epilogue, Clark is in the hospital room with the blonde reporter Heather; she obviously has had hopes for a relationship with him but seems reconciled that he doesn't like her “that way.” She hopes that special someone will come for him. Portentiously, Lois is listening from outside the room with a sad expression on her face. Messing with the Clark-Lois relationship is probably the biggest misstep I think they've made in this relaunch because it's so integral to seventy-plus years of character history. It's part of The Legend. And it always will be.

There is a second epilogue, the significance of which remains to be seen – but it connects with Stormwatch and, I feel, next issue with the new creative team of Giffen and Jurgens. As to Perez's opening story, well, I both liked it and didn't. I didn't like the overall concept, but while it seemed to drag a bit in the middle it was fairly well executed most of the time. I am particularly happy that there was the sense of Superman being redeemed in the eyes of the Metropolitans. It maybe was taken a bit too far in how thoroughly that annoying TV guy changes his tune. Nothing in what happened to him invalidates his basic contention, that Superman himself attracts danger to the city. If anything, it illustrated it very personally.

Review: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-superman-6.html

Batman: The Dark Knight #6

“Run Rabbit Run”

Well, it turns out that Superman accidentally goading Batman's rage counteracted the Venom, so Batman sends Superman off to do the same to Flash. Then White Rabbit reappears – well, at least she looks great! – to lead him into a confrontation with Scarecrow and Bane … who refers to having broken Batman's back at some time in the past. Therefore Knightfall or some facsimile did happen....

Zzzzzzzz. Sorry. I'm not really caring for this series. At least the White Rabbit looks great! We even get to see a great big shot of her very nice bum that's the only redeeming thing on another of the damn needless double-page spreads of this book that really ought to dispense with the pretense that there's a story here and just market itself as a David Finch art book. There's no doubt Finch is a fine artist. Did I say that the White Rabbit looks great yet?

Review: http://batman-news.com/2012/02/22/new-52-batman-the-dark-knight-6-review/

Justice League Dark #6

“In the Dark, Post Mortem: The Bloody Reunion”

Various of our “JLD” “members” have been having nightmares ever since confronting the Enchantress. They are thus led back to Madame Xanadu, who tells them that these are really visions of futures that would have and maybe still will happen if they don't work together. Just in time for her to collapse with a vision of vampires rising – leading into a crossover with I, Vampire. This story may have been a bit more straightforward. I continue to be amazed by the art – this continues to be a beautiful book, with Mikel Janin's style here perfectly suited to the dark, mystical atmosphere that should surround these somewhat offbeat “heroes.” And they're letting him do his own covers. Look at that Zatanna.

Review: http://acomicbookblog.com/2012/02/justice-league-dark-6-review/

Teen Titans #6

“By the Light...”

In the wake of the battle with Superboy, the police are drawing down on the battered “Teen Titans.” Skitter reappears and saves them from capture. She seems smitten with Bunker. But Kid Flash's powers are going haywire, so Red Robin leads them to seek help from Virgil Hawkins, a.k.a. Static (although he never costumes up in this issue) at New York STAR Labs – where there is also held captive a metahuman called Grymm, whom the narrative calls “[E]verything N.O.W.H.E.R.E. And the Teen Titans fear: a teenaged meta construct who cannot be trusted among the human populace.” Meanwhile, it turns out the female police detective who confronted the Titans is actually undercover from the 31^st century and recognizes Bart Allen as a fugitive from the future. Virgil creates a nanotechnology-based suit for Kid Flash that will keep him “in alignment” and focus his power. Bunker and Wonder Girl defeat Grymm, who tries to make a break while they are in the facility. Grymm proclaims himself a victim of US military experiments.

Virgil designed Red Robin's wings. Interesting in that it's not something he got from Bruce. But then I don't think there's been much hint that Tim is still part of the Bat-family circle since the relaunch.

Overall, it's really hard for me to say why I'm liking this book. But I do.

Review:  http://dangermart.blogspot.com/2012/02/teen-titans-6-review.html

Legion: Secret Origin #5 of 6

“Time”

Some dark force is working to stop the formation of the Legion and destroy R. J. Brande. It takes over Mycroft of the Security Directorate and by the end of the issue maneuvers Brande into a cliffhanger ending. Along the way it also preempts the founders' initial attempt – hitherto unknown – to recruit young Superman/Clark Kent to aid against the invaders. Brainiac 5 struggles to find what went wrong with the prototype Time Bubble. Even without Superman, the Legion manages to throw the invaders back through the wormhole, due in no small part to the advent of Ultra Boy, who Phantom Girl already seems smitten with.

I don't think I'm going out on a limb to speculate that the “dark force” has to be the Time Trapper – whatever he/she/that is in the New 52.

Review:  http://dangermart.blogspot.com/2012/03/legion-secret-origin-5-review.html

Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes #5 of 6 (IDW)

Back and forth parallel stories, past and 22^nd century present. In the past, the team ultimately discovers that they have been brought there by a powerful temporal intelligence trapped by Vandar Adg, which turns out to be Q (from Star Trek: The Next Generation, of course, not MI 6 … I have no idea why I felt compelled to point that out) … I had already already suspected that's who it was earlier in the issue just from the characterization. In the “present,” Emperor Vandal Savage/Flint hosts the group and explains that all time travellers provide him with knowledge of time lines to avoid in order to keep himself in power.

This is very much an expositional issue – but got a lot of Internet buzz all about the various time machines in the Emperor's collection depicted in a two-page spread. I've not seen annotations to these, but here are the ones I recognize (or think I recognize). Starting at lower left and moving to right, up and down as needed: the TARDIS, I don't know, the Flash's Cosmic Treadmill, I don't know, a Stargate, the craft from an original Trek episode entitled “The Alternative Factor, I don't know, I don't know, three things on pedestals that don't know but could one be something to do with the Atavachron from original Trek “All Our Yesterdays”?, (up top) I don't know, H. G. Wells' Time Machine, a Legion Time Bubble, I don't know, and I don't know. The big glowing sphere may be significant as well, but I don't know for sure. I suspect the “hot tub” and the pit of glowing quicksand under their platform may be as well, and also the vine draped pillar at left that I initially took to be a support for the platform. (I checked online and found this list of identifications in the comments to the review cited below, that looks pretty accurate. I can't believe I missed some of those – the DeLorean!)

Despite the coolness of this spread, and a host of other Easter Eggs scattered throughout this (and all) the issues), I continue to be very unimpressed with the Moys' art. And this time my random draw of alternate covers got me the most bleh of the three, the one by Mike Allred whose art I have never liked. Once again it depicts Legionnaires who are not part of the story, but so does the one I would have preferred to get, by Phil Jimenez of Jim Kirk and the Legion babes.

Review: http://trekmovie.com/2012/02/14/trekink-review-of-star-treklegion-of-super-heroes-5/#4538888

* * *

Digital …

DC Universe Presents #6

Challengers of the Unknown: “Renewal”

DCUP is an “anthology” title – really, more a series of miniseries in that it's not several stories in one issue but, e.g., the first five issues starred Deadman, the next ever-how many will have the Challengers, and so forth. I didn't pick up the Deadman issues. I can take or leave him as a character. Historically, same with the Challengers, but in concept the idea of a group of adventurers is very pulpy in feel, and I'm in a mood for such, and I really liked the full-page ads of the cover that appeared in the issues I was reading this month. So the ads and the convenience of digital sold me.

This incarnation of the Challengers takes us back to a new origin, based on the modern reality show motif, but with a twist in that this show is unknowingly driven by one of the characters archaeological quest. Anyway, headed to film a new season and hopefully resurrect declining ratings, they crash in the Himalayas – and survivors end up in Nanda Parbat, so there may well be a connection of some sort to the Deadman story of the first DCUP arc. I hope it's not essential to understanding the story. The same alien font that has appeared in a bunch of different contexts in the New 52 appears again. Is there meant to be some overarching connection? Overall, this issue is intriguing enough to bring me back next month. The story is solid enough, and I have a more mature appreciation for Jerry Ordway's art that makes me wonder why, thirty years ago, I considered it pretty mundane.

Review: http://dangermart.blogspot.com/2012/02/dc-universe-presents-6-challengers-of.html

I, Vampire #6

“The Charming Man”

Andrew, his allies, and Batman battle desperately against Mary and her newly turned vampiric minions … which actually were “sired” by another who is hanging back. Knowing that killing the sire within 72 hours will free the victims from the curse, Andrew effects that … but Tig misunderstands and believes that killing him will eliminate the vampire threat altogether because he sired Mary and all her “descendents.” So she kills him. Unfortunately, that was hundreds of years ago … and the only effect is to somehow resurrect Cain, the sire of all vampires, an event “seen” by Madame Xanadu in Justice League Dark, leading into the “Rise of the Vampires” crossovers between the titles.

Review: http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2012/02/29/i-vampire-6-review/

Cheers! – and thanks for reading!