Daniel Sherrier's Blog, page 21

Today’s Super Comic — Starman #12 (1995)

Starman has been a hard series to put down. It evolves with every issue, building on itself almost like a novel. Previous events are never forgotten—they enrich later issues.

Issue #12 opens by addressing a major event in an early issue, when the new Starman killed a bad guy but promised himself he would never kill again. Well, that’s certainly a nice sentiment after the fact, but he still killed a guy and the law has to do its thing. The judge clears Jack of any wrongdoing, and it’s nice to see that Jack’s legal innocence doesn’t entirely clear his conscience. It’s a great weight off, though, and the high point of a day that ends up with him trying to escape a new super-villain without his cosmic staff or any clothes.

The new villain plays nicely into the book’s generational theme, giving us the daughter of Golden Age villain the Mist vs. the son of the Golden Age superhero Starman.

Writer James Robinson employs an interesting technique in this series every now and then, one that wouldn’t normally work in monthly comics. In narrative captions, he flat-out tells us what will happen in Jack’s future. In this issue, we learn Jack will have a daughter years later, he’ll receive a gift from his dead brother, and he’ll visit outer space. Without any specific details, these tidbits tease future stories without really spoiling anything, and they give the sense that Robinson has an exciting grand plan mapped out. And I believe him.

Hmm…sleep, or keep reading…?

Writer: James Robinson

Artist: Tony Harris

Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger

Publisher: DC Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Comixology; included in Starman Omnibus vol. 1 (HC)

Appropriate For: ages 14 and up

Today’s Super Comic — Uncle Scrooge #275 (1993)

If you, like me, were a child of the ‘80s, you probably enjoyed the cartoon Ducktales in between rounds of Nintendo. The show was actually based on a classic comic book series by legendary cartoonist Carl Barks. Yes—Scrooge McDuck and many other denizens of Duckburg are natives to the comic book medium.

I’ve never collected Uncle Scrooge comics, but I have randomly acquired a couple of issues. One, Uncle Scrooge #275, is dated 1993, but it reprints Christmas-themed Barks stories from the 1950s and 1960s.

The first story is a clever ode to capitalism. Through an escalating chain reaction of events, Scrooge’s greed ends up benefitting his grandnephews, Donald Duck, and the entire town, spurring the economy into action. Lest any young readers get the wrong idea, though, the one person who ultimately doesn’t benefit from Scrooge’s greed is Scrooge himself.

The second story involves mistaken-identity hijinks, as Donald and Scrooge pretend to be each other for different reasons. And the comic also includes a couple of one-page stories that could have been Sunday newspaper comic strips (for all I know, maybe they were at some point).

It’s all classic, well-crafted cartooning from one of the greats, and it’s good clean Disney fun for kids. For adults, it’s mostly a nostalgic curiosity or an interesting bit of pop-culture history.

Now I want to listen to the Ducktales theme song.

Writer/Artist: Carl Barks

Cover: Jim Franzen and Dave Hunt

Publisher: Disney

How to Read It: back issues (and there are all kinds of Carl Barks collections out there)

Appropriate For: ages 7 and up

Today’s Super Comic — The New Avengers #11 (2016)

Well, this certainly has some twists to it.

This is still recent, so I won’t give anything away. But I’m not sure where it’s going exactly, and it’s a delightful change of pace.

Writer Al Ewing makes great use of Sunspot (Roberto Da Costa), a character we’ve been half-expecting to grow up into a super-villain since he was a teenager in the original New Mutants. Now he’s the Supreme Leader of A.I.M.—formerly the villainous Advanced Ideas Mechanics, now the ostensibly heroic Avengers Ideas Mechanics. Ambiguity suits him.

Roberto’s got some big plan in store for the world, and it’s been fun watching the pieces slowly unfold. The endgame is probably benevolent, possibly not.

I’m genuinely curious to see where this is going. And issue #11’s final page only has me more curious.

The book’s got a good sense of humor, too. It sometimes leans a little immature, but that also suits Sunspot…and it’s better than a comic taking itself too seriously, in any case.

Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Gerardo Sandoval

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: recent back issues; Marvel Unlimited; Comixology

Appropriate For: ages 12 and up

Today’s Super Comic — Supergirl #50 (2000)

A 50-issue saga reaches its climax as Supergirl saves Heaven and, in turn, everyone on Earth.

Writer Peter David pulls together various threads that have built up over the course of the series, and the result is suitably epic. Taking in the full scope, it’s impressive work. This could almost be a series finale, but it establishes a new status quo that promises ample entertainment going forward (or for the next 30 issues until it gets cancelled).

David absolutely succeeds in distinguishing Supergirl from Superman and giving her room to breathe as her own character (characters, technically). If anything, he goes too far in that direction, to the point where this story would have worked almost as well if he had created an entirely new super-heroine for it.

In any case, this has certainly been a memorable and unique Supergirl, and an engaging read from the start with consistently solid artwork.

And now for something completely different next issue!

Writer: Peter David

Penciler: Leonard Kirk

Inker: Robin Riggs

Publisher: DC Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Comixology

Appropriate For: ages 11 and up

Today’s Super Comic — Starman #4 (1995)

Jack Knight has agreed to serve as Starman on an as-needed basis, but he’s really kind of hoping the need never arises. For now, he’s just trying to rebuild his collectibles store…but he learns that, as his father says, when you’re a superhero, “the weirdness finds you. Like it or not.”

Issue #4 shows us a single weird night for Jack as he’s working to restore a sense of normalcy. He receives an unexpected visit from the immortal Shade, a former villain who now just wants Opal City to remain a tranquil place. And an old rich guy sends a henchman to find a particular magic shirt that has wound up on Jack’s collection, and to retrieve it by any means necessary.

James Robinson’s writing is in top form here, as he continues to steer everything away from conventional black-and-white superheroics. With each issue, he reinvents the preexisting Shade into a character that might as well be his own creation, and one who operates under a unique morality that he’s developed throughout the course of his lengthy life. Also, Jack’s confrontation with the henchman reaches an amusing resolution that’s free of fisticuffs and perfectly in character for this new Starman.

The art by Tony Harris is equally engaging. Harris gives Opal City enough meticulous detail to make it feel like a place rather than a mere location name, and his splash panel of Shade’s entrance is memorable.

Fantastic stuff all around.

Writer: James Robinson

Artist: Tony Harris

Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger

Publisher: DC Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Comixology; included in Starman Omnibus vol. 1 (HC)

Appropriate For: ages 12 and up

Today’s Super Comics — All-New X-Men #1-5 (2012-13)

Pop culture, you may have noticed, is locked in a trend of repeatedly resurrecting old stuff in the modern era. Results have varied, but at least with All-New X-Men, nostalgia serves an interesting story.

The original five X-Men are transported from their early days to the much darker present, and these inexperienced teenagers confront the decades’ worth of convoluted backstory that lie ahead of them (decades to us, about one decade to them).

The X-Men had kind of gone off the rails in the time leading up to this—no X-Man more so than Cyclops, who’s basically on his way to becoming the next Magneto. While possessed by the Phoenix force, Cyclops killed Professor Xavier…and yeah, that sentence pretty much sums up the state of affairs.

So the Beast decides to bring their innocent younger selves to the present as the ultimate guilt-trip to Cyclops. Of course, the plan is to send them right back after modern Cyclops comes to his senses, but also of course, things don’t go according to plan, and five very young founding X-Men must integrate with the present.

Young Cyclops must deal with the fact that he grows up to become basically a villain. Young Beast witnesses the hubris his future self has developed. Young Iceman sees how little his future self has achieved. Young Angel observes that his future self is kind of crazy and not at all himself due to Apocalypse-related machinations. And young Jean Grey learns she’s dead and it wasn’t even the first time she died (she’s truly the standout character in this series).

These five issues are just the beginning of a story that’s yet to be resolved, and it’s a strong start. It’s time-travel shenanigans without a reset button in sight, brought about by one X-Man’s misguided good intentions.

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Stuart Immonen

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Marvel Unlimited; Comixology; ­All-New X-Men vol. 1: Yesterday’s X-Men (TPB)

Appropriate For: ages 12 and up

Today’s Super Comic — Captain America #14 (2006)

I was reading an entirely different comic the other day, one that won’t appear among these all-positive reviews. It wasn’t bad on the whole, but the villain totally fell flat. He seemed formidable, sure, but the writer primarily used exposition to sell this new nemesis. No organic connection between hero and villain ever developed, and the result was utterly generic.

Everything that storyline got wrong, “The Winter Soldier” gets right. The initial arc concludes in Captain America #14 (though the story is far from over), as Captain America finally confronts his friend-turned-enemy.

Bucky Barnes, now the Winter Soldier, isn’t some random villain shoehorning himself into Cap’s life—he was a major part of that life back in their shared glory days. And now Cap needs to not only stop Bucky from hurting others, but he also needs to save Bucky, too. Cap genuinely cares about his opponent. That adds a nice extra dimension to the usual hero/villain conflict—stopping the bad guy means saving the bad guy.

Well…maybe.

Oh, and Sharon Carter/Agent 13 and Falcon are in this, too. They’re a bit overshadowed in this issue, but their presence is always welcome. Lot of great characters in this book.

I remembered this series was great, but I had forgotten just how great. The folks behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe were wise to draw inspiration from this particular story.

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Steve Epting

Cover: Alex Schomburg and Steve Epting

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Marvel Unlimited; Comixology; included in Captain America: Winter Soldier (TPB)

Appropriate For: ages 14 and up

Today’s Super Comic — Captain America #12 (2005)

Retconning is tricky business. The writers are basically meddling with fictional history—changing backstories to suit current stories. When dealing with the Marvel Universe’s elastic timeline, tweaks are often necessary to keep things modern. But when the adjustments are more ambitious, books can easily go off the rails…or, when done properly, they can further enrich characters and stories.

Fortunately, Ed Brubaker’s major retconning of the Captain America and Bucky Barnes partnership falls in the latter category. Marvel doesn’t really do teen sidekicks, but it hadn’t figured that out yet in the 1940s (it also hadn’t even figured out it was “Marvel,” yet—it was Timely Comics back then).

The established story for many years was that teenage Bucky was an Army orphan who stumbled upon Cap’s secret identity, and he convinced Cap to take him on as a partner. And then he died at the same time Cap began his decades-long hibernation on ice. So…Cap fought with the aid of an experimental Super-Soldier serum coursing through his veins, while Bucky fought with the aid of plucky youthful exuberance and somehow managed to keep up. Other than the part where Bucky dies, it never made any sense, even by comic book standards.

In the “Winter Soldier” arc, Brubaker rewrites and fleshes out that backstory. Issue #12, we see Cap in 1941 learning about Bucky for the first time, as his superior officer explains the rationale for Captain America having a young sidekick. Part of it is propaganda, making sure the symbol of Captain America appeals to the youth. But there’s also a more pragmatic side—Bucky’s a gifted natural fighter who has received advanced training, and he can perform some of those wartime dirty deeds that need doing, thereby allowing Cap to keep his red-white-and-blue hands clean.

Brubaker didn’t merely retcon Bucky’s backstory—he gave a previously underdeveloped character an identity worth having. The friendship between Cap and Bucky was genuine, and that’s key, but otherwise the Bucky we had known was just the propaganda front. Turns out he was really Captain America’s secret weapon.

And now that secret weapon is aimed at Cap himself. It’s a rich conflict indeed.

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artists: Steve Epting and Michael Lark

Cover: Steve Epting

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Marvel Unlimited; Comixology; included in Captain America: Winter Soldier (TPB)

Appropriate For: ages 14 and up

Today’s Super Comic — Starman #0 (1994)

I found a bunch of Starman trades in a secondhand bookstore, which is rather appropriate, considering this particular iteration of the character. So I had to buy them, and now I’ve got yet another series I’m reading/rereading.

This is the Starman series by writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris, which was highly acclaimed when it came out in the ‘90s. I bought the first two omnibus collections a while back and was impressed with them, and now I’ve got the later issues (still need to track down the middle ones, though).

The series starts with issue #0, as this was one of the new titles launched after DC’s Zero Hour crossover. I don’t remember any of those others, but Starman feels special right from the start. Robinson and Harris introduce us to a new fictional city, Opal City, and its new protector—David Knight, the older son of the original Starman (cue the David Bowie song).

With his father retired, David takes up the mantle. He’s the typical DC Comics legacy hero…until he’s assassinated right off the bat, setting events into motion that will force younger brother Jack to reluctantly assume the superheroic identity.

Jack has no interest in being Starman, and he even has some disdain for the concept. He’s a geek for antiques and collectibles, and he’s perfectly happy running a store full of them. But a hallmark of a great story is when the hero doesn’t get what he wants, but gets what he needs (cue the Rolling Stones).

Jack Knight will become a superhero, and he will carry on his father’s legacy. But as of this premiere issue, he’s not nearly there yet. And that’s a great start.

I’m looking forward to rereading these early issues and reading the later ones for the first time.

Writer: James Robinson

Artist: Tony Harris

Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Comixology; included in Starman Omnibus vol. 1 (HC)

Appropriate For: ages 12 and up

Today’s Super Comic — The New Avengers #1 (2015)

I’m skeptical about the need for multiple Avengers titles. In recent years, we’ve had All-New All-Different Avengers, New Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Young Avengers, Avengers A.I., Occupy Avengers, and of course, just plain old Avengers. To be fair, we’re not at ‘90s X-Men levels yet, but one solid Avengers team should suffice.

Then again, a spinoff can always justify itself with an interesting premise that distinguishes it from the parent title, and that’s what we get in the latest iteration of New Avengers.

I missed whatever story led into this, but apparently Robert DaCosta, formerly the founding New Mutant called Sunspot, is now a billionaire and running the formerly (?) villainous organization A.I.M. But instead of being Advanced Idea Mechanics, it’s now Avengers Idea Mechanics and has its own team of Avengers.

The roster features several characters I’m not overly familiar with, which is why I almost overlooked this series. We’ve got Songbird, formerly of the Thunderbolts; Wiccan and Hulking, formerly of the Young Avengers; White Tiger, formerly more of a street-level vigilante type; Squirrel Girl, formerly of the very obscure Great Lakes Avengers; and a Power Man I’ve never seen before who definitely isn’t Luke Cage. And then there’s somebody I actually am very familiar with, Hawkeye, who is primarily serving as a not-secret spy for SHIELD (an open and honest spy is a nice inversion of the team-traitor trope).

The focus here seems to be on big science-y scenarios—comic book science, of course, which tends to be more science-fantasy than science-fiction, but either can be lots of fun. The main villain, appropriately, is an evil version of Reed Richards from the now-defunct Ultimate Universe.

The first issue lays out the basics, but I get the feeling there’s more going on, which will be revealed in time. Always a good impression to leave with the reader—that’s an excellent way to bring me back for more.

Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Gerardo Sandoval

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Marvel Unlimited; Comixology; included in New Avengers vol. 1: Everything is New (TPB)

Appropriate For: ages 12 and up