Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 55

Book Review: All Star Archives, Volume 6

All Star Comics Archives, Vol. 6 by Gardner F. Fox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book collects Issue 24-28 of the Golden Age All-Star Comics. This included three issues where due to All American Comics deciding to separate from DC's characters, some regular members were banished and Green Lantern and Flash returned dropping their honorary member title.

Issue #24: This Is Our Enemy: A man is unsure if fighting in the War is worth it, and so the Justice Society takes him on a tour through time highlighting all the cruelty and war-mongering in German history. It's War Propoganda, but it's fairly well done and enjoyable for what it is. Grade: A-

Issue #25: The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime: A man comes to the Justice Society with a very bad case of amnesia, but he does remember that a man convicted of a crime was innocent of it and the Justice Society sets out to investigate. It's a fun, if cliched mystery with some over the top twists. It's still very enjoyable. Grade: B+

Issue #26: Vampires of the Void: The Justice Society takes on a group of metal eating monsters. This is a very traditional superhero story, but enjoyable and a lot of fun in its own right. Grade: B+

Issue #27 : A Place in the World: A lovely and life-affirming story regarding disability. It was very timely because many men returned from war with new disabilities. One of these was a focal point in the story, a football player who lost an arm in the War. Prior to the War he'd been a football player who'd looked down on his own disabled brother. Now, he found himself not being respected and having to be encouraged by his brother. He asks the Justice Society to help a group of young men with disabilities who were struggling with depression. The Justice responds by each having a disabled person assist them in their own unique way. It has a powerful for kids as well as affirming people with disabilities. There are problems you could point to if you wanted to be skeptical but it's heartfelt and particularly for the era, is a brilliant moving story. Grade; A+

Issue #28: A dying man asks the Justice Society to thwart a murder plot he set in motion. The would-be killer is an artist who sent paintings painted with paint that causes the subject to come to life at night. It's an insane concept leading up to amazing insane conclusion. My big problem is that the framing story of people in the future finding paints from the JSA that it says not to use is completely unnecessary. Grade; B+

Overall, these are some of the better All Star Comics stories. I think the limited quarterly publication schedule really does help them maintain quality writing, although the art is iffy at times, though that's to be expected from a book that was produced by a variety of freelancers.

Still, this is a great collection full of sublime JSA goodness.



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Book Review: Essential Thor, Volume 2

Essential Thor, Vol. 2 by Stan Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Thor becomes a far better book in this collection which collects Issues 113-125 and Annual #1 of Journey into Mystery, and the title this is renamed Thor for Issues 126-136, and Annual 2.

Issue 113 has him deciding to give up being Thor but then the return of the Grey Gargoyle changes his mind.

The book then enters a very long interconnected storyline running from Issues 114-122 involving he and Loki engaging in, "The Trial of the Gods" and it's aftermath. It really is a very intricate storyline that has one story running through it but a lot of twists and turns along the way including Loki forced to try and save Thor.


Journey Into Mystery Annual #1 features a battle between Thor and Hercules when Thor crosses into Olympus. The story is your standard, "two heroes stumble onto each other and fight story," but it helps that it's drawn by Jack Kirby who provides superb art on every page of the book. The Annual also features a map of Asgard with a map pointing to a shopping center. (Yea! Verily.)

Hercules begins a return in Issue 124 and is tricked into a deal with Lord Vulcan of the Underworld, battles Thor again, and actually defeats Thor when Odin halves a power because of Thor's continuing love for Jane Foster. Then Thor has to rescue Hercules from the Underworld. This all goes through Issue 130.

Issue 131-135 is my favorite part of the book as Lee and Kirby take Thor into space to fight epic space monsters. Reading it, it's the most brilliantly obvious thing that could be done with the character. He's not Spider-man and shouldn't be primarily focused on street level threats. Thor in space is epic and includes the introduction of Ego, the living planet.

Issue 136 shows a potential resolution to the Jane Foster plot. It's far more reasonable and sensible than last time Odin dealt with it as Jane given immortality and has to deal with the consequences of it.

In addition to the main Thor plot, each issue features a Tale of Asgard. Clearly, Lee and Kirby were enjoying playing around with Norse mythology. This is true in the main Thor titles and also in the Tales of Asgard shorts which Marvelizes a lot of Asgardian legends, most of them center around younger versions of Thor and Loki, playing to the popularity of Loki as a villain (although there is one explaining the "true" version of Little Red Riding Hood.) The stories are often serialized giving them a kind of old style Prince Valiant feel to them. In addition to these serialized stories, Annual #2 is essentially a big tale from Asgard battle which indicates how popular these were.

Overall, this book is very good as Lee and Kirby turn Thor into a truly epic and memorable character.





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Book Review: Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man, Volume 2

Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 2 by Bill Mantlo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The book collects Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man Issues 32-53, Annual #1-2 along with Amazing Spider-man Annual #13. The first eleven issues conclude Bill Manlo's impressive run on the series (though he would return for Issue #53.) Spider-man has some truly epic battles with the Lizard and the Iguana as well as meeting the villain Swarm (who is far more impressive in comics than he would be in later animated appearances.) and Mindworm. Two oversized Annuals battling Doctor Octopus are also very fun to read.

Issue 39 and 40 featuring his mutation into Spider Lizard (which strangely has no effect on Amazing Spider-man.) Issue 41 is a little bit more forgettable as Spidey teams up with the new Giant Man, a character who did't really last as they battle Meteor Man. Issue 42 finishes Manlo's run with a crossover with the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #218. It's a fun crossover that involves a battle with the Frightful Four.

Issue 43 has Roger Stern coming on to write a very clever Superhero mystery. Stern writes most of the rest of the book except for Issues 44, 53 and Annual 2. Issue 44 begins with another mystery over the death of mob bosses and leads into the return of the original Vulture in Issue 45 which is actually a fantastic move that's very well-executed.

Annual #2 is a very well-drawn story that has Spidey battling the Rapier. Rapier is a fascinating character with a great back story. The Rapier is one of those lesser known forgotten characters that really makes this sort of book worth reading.

Issue 45 sees Spidey battling the Cobra and then the next three issues have a very Noirish feel as it marks the return of Belladonna, and a great deal of mystery surrounding her.

Issue 49 has Spidey battling the Smuggler. Issues 50 and 51 have him battling aliens and they Mysterio. Issue 49 also saw the White Tiger getting a back up feature which set up Spectacular Spider-man #52 where Spidey gets White Tiger to the Hospital in critical condition and then has to battle Gideon Mace, an insane ex-military guy bent on wiping out Superheroes. It's a good story that also serves as a book end to White Tiger's story line.

Issue 53 feels a little random as Bill Manlo returns to right a tale of Spidey fighting the Tinkerer and the Toy. It's not a bad story but is a bit forced.

Overall though, this is a great book full of underrated stories and forgotten characters. It's got a lot of atmosphere and some very noirish and atmospheric stories . I recommend this for any fan of Classic Spidey tales.



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Book Review: What If? Classic Volume 5

What If? Classic, Vol. 5 by Mary Jo Duffy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The fifth volume of What If? Collects Issues #27-32 of the original Marvel What If? Series
It begin with, “What if Phoenix Had Not Died?” This story examines what would have happened had Jean Gray lived with the power of Phoenix but not being allowed to use them. It’s an epic tale that includes Galactus coming to call, and it’s interesting story about power and its nature, even though the ending is over the top. Grade: B

Issue #28 had two stories. “What if Ghost Rider were Separated from Johnny Blaze.” Even though I’m no fan of Ghost Rider, this is an imaginative tale that actually ends in an effort by Ghost Rider to go to the Vatican. “What if Daredevil became an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.?” is the big story on the Cover is far less interesting and a bit inaccurate as the story in the book isn’t about Daredevil becoming an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and how in this universe Tony Stark’s company owned the Truck that hit Murdoch and then Tony responds by calling in S.H.I.E.L.D. to examine them. The art is clear about Matt’s age. It’s a poorly thought out story where very little makes sense or even connects with the reader. Grade: D+

Issue #29 also has two stories: What if the Avengers Defeated Everybody?: The original Avengers are tricked by aliens into defeating every one of the Earth’s emerging supers leaving themselves the last heroes standing. It’s an interesting tale of hubris that would actually play out in some ways in the modern Marvel universe with Omega Hulk, but it’s a bit of a downbeat tale. The second tale, “What if Namor Never regained His Memory?” shows that even without his memory, Namor would still have a great sense of justice. It’s a bit downbeat, but the ending is quite ironic. Grade: B

Issue #30: What if Spider-man’s Clone Had Lived: A key tale from the original clone saga where Spider-man’s clone lived and actually was the one who escaped but only had much earlier memories of Spidey from his early days and didn’t know what hit him when it came to battling the Kingpin. This was actually pretty good, if a bit goofy, but goofy can be a good particularly with a series that can take itself too grim and serious. Grade: B+

Issue #31: What if Wolverine Had Killed the Hulk? –The story starts with a solid premise as Wolverine kills the Hulk becomes a wanted man and then ends up meeting with Magneto who helps him infiltrate the X-men to betray them and the story them becomes What if Wolverine were a Traitor to the X-men? Instead as the death of the Hulk has little to do with what follows. It’s not an entirely bad story but there are some leaps here. Grade: C+

Issue #32: What if the Avengers had become pawns of Korvac?: A nightmare scenario plays out in this one as Michael Korvac uses the Avengers to dispatch his enemies. Korvac gets so out of control, this Universe’s watcher tries to pursue his fellows and then a group of cosmic heroes and villains to take on Korvac and his Avengers. It’s a solid story with another over the top ending. Grade: B

Overall, this book isn’t the best in this series and there’s a sense that they are running out of stories at this point. Still, there are some solid ideas . In addition to that, the first four issues contain short background pieces on the Eternals and Inhumans which are a nice feature of this book.




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Book Review: Batman/TMNT, Volume 1

Batman/TMNT Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Batman/TMNT finds the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles having crossed over to Batman's universe and at risk of losing their powers forever as the mutagen that gives them their powers may lose its potency in our Universe. Meanwile, Batman finds himself investigating the Foot Clan and the Turtles.

Overall, a cynic could point out to how much of this is expected. Our heroes meet, fight, and then realize their both good guys and join forces. However, the success of Batman/TMNT is all in the style . Not only is the way the Turtles make contact with Batman surprising, but the Dark Knight develops a very interesting relationship with the Turtles.

The characters are joyous to read. The characters have problems, but angst isn't the driving force of the story. There's a great sense of fun and imagination on every page. The art is gorgeous and manages to capture the epicness of the two Universes. In short, Batman/TMNT is so joyous and fun, it reminds long-time fans how comics can be so awesome.



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Book Review: It's Superman

It's Superman! by Tom De Haven

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It's Superman follows the lives of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor as they're getting started in Depression era America. Rather than happening in the fictional city of Metrpolis, the story is moved to New York City and has them interacting with that real world and its characters. The story is coming of age story for them all as Clark and Lois find their places and Lex Luthor rises from political hack with underworld connections to a predominant force of crime in the Country.

What I have to say for this book is that it's wonderfully researched as the period references role off one by one. It's writing is very pretty and often poetic with some very snappy dialogue. Lex Luthor is very well-written as the sociopathic villain.

What hurts the book? First of all, DeHaven is very indulgent as an author. He can go into great details on every side character....so therefore he does and by so doing slows down the main narrative. My main problem with the book is that this is just not a Superman story I really want. Throughout the book, Clark is shaky and unsure of himself or what he's going to do. His moral compass is often often off. He rarely seems heroic and why he made the decision to fight crime (somewhat) full remains unclear. Most of the main characters are not particularly likable either. Some of the side characters were interesting, but since they weren't in the story for long, it's hard to hold on to that.

If you're looking for a more post-modern unsure Superman than this the book for you. Those who expect Superman to live up to your expectations will be disappointed.



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Book Review: Captain Midnight Archives Volume 1: Captain Midnight Battles the Nazis

Captain Midnight Archives Volume 1: Captain Midnight Battles the Nazis by Various

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Golden Age of Comics is best remembered for characters whose career and fame continued past the golden age: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and Captain America come to mind. Few talk about Captain Midnight. I was vaguely aware of the character because I'd heard of his radio program. I knew he was a pilot of some sort and aviation radio programs and comics have never been my thing. So I picked this book up from the library on a lark and was surprised by what I found.

The comics contained in this book are in the same league as nearly any other comic hero of the time. Whether this was always the case would require some research. The stories included here are cherry picked from the various books that the good Captain appeared in while many other heroes have had every appearance republished. Still, what we have is pretty good. While Captain Midnight is a pilot, he's also a costumed crime and Nazi fighter whose real identity is the inventor Captain Albright. In this story he faces off against not only Nazis but "gremlins," giant vampire bats, and man-made tornadoes. Captain Midnight has a good supporting cast that rotates including a kid sidekick, a dopey sidekick who disguises himself as Sergeant Twilight, and a super strong robot named Samson.

The execution on all of these elements is actually marvelous. The stories are great and the action sequences are really well-drawn. The book doesn't contain an origin story, so you'll leave with no idea why a famous inventor is disguising himself with an obvious pseudonym. Also, while the book references battling Nazis, there are many foes in this book, and Nazis are only one of them. That's just a minor quibble.

For fans of the Golden Age of Comics, this volume offers some great examples of the era at its best and a chance to explore a hero they may have never heard of but should have.



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Book Review: Essential Classic X-Men, Volume 2

Essential Classic X-Men, Vol. 2 by Roy Thomas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects 25-53 of the original X-men series along with Issue 53 of the Avengers.

The first 20 issues are the latter part of Roy Thomas' run on the book and it's mostly fairly mediocre villain of the month stuff. Even the two part return of the Juggernaut isn't all that impressive until Issue 35. The big highlight is Issue 35 with Spidey v. the X-men, Issues 37-39 with the X-Men battling a group of evil mutants, and Issue 42 with the death of Professor X. Also, in Issue 38, the book began to be divided in a similar to the Thor series, with the first sixteen pages dedicated to the main story and five or six dedicated to telling the backstory of the X-men. This was helpful in a way because the X-men were not as well-developed characters as other Marvel groups such as the Fantastic Four or the Avengers.

Gary Friedrich took over with Issue 45 and his idea was to separate the X-men into three different groups with the FBI giving the order. As established in this book, Xavier is established as having federal permission from them to start the School for Mutants. It was an early attempt to address the problem that all these Marvel Superhero teams were in New York, but in retrospect it looks kind of silly because even in three groups, five X-men can't cover the whole country. Given the massive number of X-men in recent years, this actually could work.

Friedrich's tenure was short and he gave to Arnold Drake in Issue 48. Drake was best known for creating the Doom Patrol for DC at about the same time as the X-men. The Doom Patrol had many commonalities with the X-men excepts they were actually more interesting. Drake reunited the X-men fairly quickly and then introduced Lorna Dane in an epic story arc as "Queen of the Mutants" and apparent daughter of Magneto. The legendary Jim Steranko took over the art chores for Issues 50 and 51 in what is the highlight of the book. Steranko art is unique and it gives Drake's story an epic feel. It's a shame that Steranko didn't stick around to finish it in Issue 52 but Don Heck is no slouch. The book concludes with a melee against Blastar.

Overall, despite its failings, there's a lot to commend the book. The Arnold Drake stories are the best and Steranko makes the Lorna Dane story extra special. But even beyond that, the art is consistently good from cover to cover and a Spider-man guest spot and the Death of Professor Xavier (which wouldn't last of course) are enough to make this a worthy read for X-men fans.



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Book Review: Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps by Kelly Sue DeConnick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Kelly DeConnick's run on Captain Marvel ends on a whimper. The book has some decent action and is certainly a brisk read. The idea of Carol Danvers leading an all-female crew of pilots is interesting but the realization is off. With so many characters in the Carol Corps, it's hard to really get a feel for any of them.

Ultimately, the action bits as well as battling the army of flying Thors are the highlight of the book. The book also throws in Issue 17 of Captain Marvel's 2012 run. The issue is still good, but the idea of a libertarian villain just hasn't aged particularly well. Still, it's a sweet story.

Overall, the book is okay but not really a must-read.



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Book Review: Superman Unchained

Superman Unchained by Scott Snyder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There are several elements to Superman: Unchained, but the two big ones are that it's an epic action adventure story and it's a story about the character of Superman.

Superman always has to be a bit restrained in how he fights evil. He could kill most of his opponents easily. As the title implies, Superman gets to cut loose in this book as he battles a genetically engineered opponent who is every bit his equal along with other world threatening menaces. If you want to see what Superman can do when he doesn't have to worry about hurting his opponent, this book shows you. At the same time, it's not a stupid action story. There's a solid plot filled with surprises and nuances.

The book is also a look at Superman, the character. In many ways, it's almost a counterpoint to the classic "All-Star Superman" book. While that book imagines Superman as a demigod or a replacement for gods with a mythic epic feel, this book paints Superman as a bit more human and humble. This book does focus on the New 52 and How much of his characterization still holds up in light of the recent changes to the DC Universe is a fair question. Still, this is a very fun and enjoyable Superman story that comes to a fairly satisfying conclusion.



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