The Watchtower 7.14.04

Archive

Welcome back everybody. Hopefully you all enjoyed my buddy Tim Stevens capably filling in for me last week (I certainly did). Good news for all of you who get a kick out of me and Tim’s inimitable chemistry and writing electricity: we will be attending San Diego’s Comicon International in a week and a half and filing exclusive daily (hopefully) reports with news, interviews and whatever else we can round up. Will that include inducing certain creators to come out and share a few pints with us? Time will tell…

Meanwhile, after a brief excursion into the realm of JLA exclusivity two weeks ago, we’re back to the rest of the wide world of TPBs this week, kicking off with the JLA’ Golden Age contemporaries in their big comeback for the 21st century…


JSA: JUSTICE BE DONE
Reprints: JSA #1-5, JSA Secret Files #1
Writer(s): James Robinson & David Goyer
Penciller(s): Steve Sadowski, Derec Aucoin & Scott Benefiel
The Solicit: “Yesterday: Eight of the world’s finest champions were brought together to halt a power-hungry madman and save their nation.

They soon gave birth to one of the most enduring heroic legends of our age.

Today: Their successors have been called upon to save one of their own from one of the darkest powers ever to walk this Earth…

…and to begin the legend anew.”
Extras: none
The Story: 4
It’s easy to forget that Geoff Johns was not actually there for the very beginning of the series that he gained his fame on, and if you forget that, you may also forget that James Robinson & David Goyer crafted a fantastic story to bring the Justice Society of America out of obscurity and into the main stage of the DCU. This initial arc of JSA perfectly embodies everything that has found its way into every great story to follow involving the book and that the series has tried to capture as a whole. It takes the Golden Age characters and treats them with reverence while also handling them as real people who don’t seem out of place fifty years past their prime. It brings in obscure elements from the Golden Age and from past legacy series and not only explains them well to new readers, it makes them seem important and interesting (which, to the best of my knowledge, Jared Stevens never was). The adventure aspects of the book evoke the wide-eyed era of disbelief the characters were born out of, with globe-trotting, shifting planes of reality (giving artist extraordinaire Sadowski a chance to really flex his muscles) and just plain cool displays of power. The new characters are worked in at the right pace and the big reveal that climaxes the main arc is worth the wait; the choice of villain is also unique and inspired, borrowing a great one from somewhere unexpected rather than creating somebody new just for the sake of it. Sadowski is at his very best here, with practically realistic detail as far as anatomy, and Aucoin does a very good job on his fill-in story. If you have ever enjoyed JSA, this book will remind you why.
The TPB: 2
The individual issues are very easy to pick up and pretty cheap, but the Secret Files story included not only has great character moments for every member of the soon-to-be team, it’s also crucial to the main story.
Overall Grade: 6


THE JUSTICE SOCIETY RETURNS!
Reprints: All-Star Comics v.3 #1-2, All-American Comics v.2 #1, Adventure Comics v.2 #1, National Comics v.2 #1, Sensation Comics v.2 #1, Smash Comics v.2 #1, Star-Spangled Comics v.2 #1, Thrilling Comics v.2 #1, Golden Age Secret Files #1, JSA Secret Files #1
Writer(s): James Robinson, David Goyer, Ron Marz, Mark Waid, Tom Peyer, Geoff Johns & Chuck Dixon
Penciller(s): Michael Lark, Eduardo Barreto, Peter Snejbjerg, Aaron Lopresti, Scott Benefiel, Steve Sadowski, Chris Weston, Russ Heath, William Rosado & Peter Grau
The Solicit: “A mad god named Stalker has hit upon a surefire way to eliminate the scourge of war—ending life itself! And after fighting the fabled Justice Society of America to a stalemate in his crazed, destructive quest, Stalker has dispatched seven powerful Disciples across the globe to finish his work. The members of the JSA must now divide their already-weakened forces into seven teams to pursue Stalker’s Disciples. If they fail, Earth will be destroyed!
Extras: none
The Story: 4.5
I’d like to say this book has something for everybody, but that would be failing to acknowledge that comics are a genre with many niches and this is very much a niche book. This is a story who will appeal to fans of James Robinson’s Starman series and of JSA; fans who enjoy seeing classic characters given the additional characterization and psychological evaluation they did not get to enjoy in their heyday; fans who enjoy straight up superheroics where the good guys are still the good guys, the plot devices are old school, and the way the heroes win might not be entirely believable. This is not a book for fans of Vertigo or Grant Morrison’s New X-Men who are looking for sex, symbolism, etc. It’s an incredible (and I do mean incredible) mix of creative talent combining to tell an epic tale that has the best of Golden and modern age conventions…for fans who enjoy that type of thing. It features just about every Golden Ager you could want to read about, it ranges from science fiction to rumblin’ in the jungle, and the pace never lets down…so if that’s your cup of tea, yeah, it’s really good.
The TPB: 2
You could pick these single issues up in the back issue bins and not all the one shots really need to be read together, but having them all in one volume really does enhance your enjoyment. The Secret Files stories are a nice add-on.
Overall Grade: 6.5


KINGDOM COME
Reprints: Kingdom Come #1-4
Writer(s): Mark Waid
Painter(s): Alex Ross
The Solicit: None necessary
Extras: Introduction by Elliot S! Maggin, bonus section featuring Superman on Apokolips, original character sketches by Alex Ross, character guide, promotional art, model acknowledgments
The Story: 5
If there is one thing I’m a sucker for in comics, it’s stories that get to the heart of why humanity needs heroes; Kingdom Come does many things and does them very well, but this concept is at the center and few (if any) stories have done it better. I’ve often credited Kurt Busiek with being responsible for the salvation of the traditional super-hero comic following the Image era of the 90s, but if Mark Waid wasn’t there right alongside him, he was certainly the guy who hammered the point home. The art gets the lion’s share of the attention when it comes to discussing KC (and it is deserving of such focus, but more on that later), but the story isn’t just good, it’s brilliant; it’s intelligent and thought provoking on the level of the very best novel you will read. In the course of showing what a hero is and should be, Waid explores every possibility of what does not make a hero, and as a result tugs on your heartstrings from frustration, to momentary relief, to horror, to final redemption, but not without a price. KC is about moments, from Superman’s triumphant return in the first volume, to Captain Marvel’s arrival in the third, through to the final touching sequence. The primary focus is on DC’s “big three” (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman) plus Captain Marvel, but so many little touches on the entirety of DC’s lore are brought into play, even if only briefly, that you remember it is indeed a universe you are dealing with; the latter task is accomplished thanks in no small part thanks to the absolutely astounding work of Alex Ross. Marvels was great and everything to come since has been nice, but you can’t convince me Ross has hit any higher artistic water mark than Kingdom Come. Ross can paint far and away the most jay-droppingly real portrayals of the amazing world of the super-hero, Marvels convincingly showed that, but what elevates his work on KC is the insane level of detail incorporated into each and every panel; the cameos, the tips of the hat in every background item, every huge battle scene, it is all nothing short of astounding. His capacity for expressing emotion in the faces and body language of his characters, even those without a single line, is remarkable. Kingdom Come is beautiful, from a writing perspective and an art perspective; it is powerful, it is intelligent, and it takes the reader or viewer on an emotional roller coaster; simply one of the seminal works of this or any other era.
The TPB: 4.5
Now here is a collection in which the extras aren’t nearly great, some are downright necessary. My enjoyment of the story wouldn’t be nearly as enhanced if not for the detailed character guide in the back giving one sentence origins of each of the hundreds of players, old and new, from Superman down to the newbies who show up for a panel (I would not love this book nearly as much if I didn’t know Starman was actually Star Boy or Sandman was actually Sand). The Alex Ross behind the scene stuff is a neat glimpse and the promotional art is fun. Maggin does a superlative job in his intro as I would expect from one so prolific. The sequence on Apokolips with Superman and Orion is so well done I’m shocked it was cut from the original. The only thing holding this back from a perfect score is that Waid doesn’t weigh in.
Overall Grade: 9.5


THE KINGDOM
Reprints: New Year’s Evil: Gog, The Kingdom #1-2, The Kingdom: Son of the Bat #1, The Kingdom: Nightstar #1, The Kingdom: Kid Flash #1, The Kingdom: Offspring #1, The Kingdom: Planet Krypton #1
Writer(s): Mark Waid
Penciller(s): Jerry Ordway, Ariel Olivetti, Brian Apthrop, Matt Haley, Mark Pajarillo, Frank Quitely, Barry Kitson & Mike Zeck
The Solicit: “From the dark future of the award-winning Kingdom Come comes a new tale about a madman, a survivor of the holocaust that consumed the farmlands of Kansas, who threatens to annihilate Superman by killing him over and over as he works his way back through time. Now the heroes of the future must join forces with the heroes of the present to save the Man of Steel from being wiped out of existence!”
Extras: none
The Story: 2
Most people have pegged The Kingdom as a very disappointing follow up to a brilliant series that lacks any redeeming value; I’ll argue that there are some high points to the whole thing, but I agree that there is far more bad outweighing the good and that Mark Waid greatly diminished his legacy and that of Kingdom Come with this story (I don’t blame Alex Ross for staying away). There are two things going on in The Kingdom: a main story attempting to use the KC characters to tell a big cosmic time travel epic and a series of side stories fleshing out some of the younger characters introduced in the original series. The main story is a pretty big flop, with a fairly hokey plot, worse deus ex machinas aplenty, and what should be grand moments (like the KC big three meeting their younger counterparts) being brushed aside to rush the plot. Where Kingdom Come was deliberate and intelligent, The Kingdom reeks of a hastily cobbled together story created for the sake of selling comics rather than making a point. As far as the new characters go, I’ll score them two for four with an asterisk. Ibn al Xu’ffasch, the Son of the Bat (aka Bruce Wayne’s kid) is an absolutely fascinating character, divided between loyalty to his birth father and the massive psychological hang-ups he inherited from being raised by Ra’s al Ghul; he would make for a great ongoing series and Waid writes a brilliant showcase of him. Offspring actually makes for one of the better bits of comic relief I’ve read in quite some time while packing in a pretty emotional Plastic Man story as well. Planet Krypton is a fun little story mostly for the cameo references to the pre-Crisis DCU and various Elseworlds. But that’s about it and that doesn’t account for much of the collection. Nightstar and Kid Flash are dull, cookie cutter characters with predictable stories. Gog has a great origin, but is quickly reduced to generic megalomaniac. The art ranges all over the place, from brilliant work by Jerry Ordway, Barry Kitson and Frank Quitely (whom I normally loath) to a sub-par performance by the usually steadier Mike Zeck on the pivotal chapter. The bottom line is that most people are 100% right in calling this an entirely unnecessary sequel to a great piece of work.
The TPB: 1
You could pretty easily track down these issues, but aside from possibly Son of the Bat, there’s no reason to bother.
Overall Grade: 3


LEGENDS: THE COLLECTED EDITION
Reprints: Legends #1-6
Writer(s): John Ostrander & Len Wein
Penciller(s): John Byrne
The Solicit: “Out of the ashes of the greatest interdimensional holocaust comes a new generation of super-heroes: Wonder Woman…The Suicide Squad…The Flash…and the all-new Justice League! But first they must take on a fight to the finish with the deadly minions of Darkseid the Destroyer in order to earn the right to join Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, and Green Lantern as the mightiest heroes of modern times. This is the story of…Legends!”
Extras: Introduction by Mike Gold, crossover tie-in cover gallery
The Story: 3
Legends had the very difficult task of being the unofficial sequel to Crisis On Infinite Earths, from a commercial standpoint at least; the two stories had nothing to do with each other, but DC was so pleased with the success of Crisis that they elected to have a summer crossover every year, and Legends would be the first. The result is a decent story, not a great one, which is an entertaining read but fails to make its big point (why the world needs heroes) in a way that is convincing or unique. The story suffers greatly from a number of simplistic storytelling Silver Age storytelling devices that Crisis had just shattered the year before, from Captain Marvel’s all-too-easy solution to his moral crisis to the very cheesy way Robin ultimately saves the day. As a villain, Darkseid fails to inspire the awe and terror he should be able to carry with him in every appearance he makes. Still, Legends is hardly a failure; every part featuring the fledgling Suicide Squad (who would receive their own series following the crossover) is pure gold the likes of Blue Beetle and Guy Gardner get some outstanding moments, Wonder Woman has her grand re-introduction into the DCU, and the Justice League experiences rebirth. The art is the real highlight of the book, with John Byrne turning in a masterful performance that is smooth and polished without a hint of being rushed or sloppy.
The TPB: 2.5
I’ve seen the individual issues in stores and you can also pick up some of the better tie-ins while you’re there (the Superman titles, the final issues of Justice League of America); however, the introduction by Mike Gold is an interesting look at the genesis of a DC crossover and the cover gallery is a nice touch.
Overall Grade: 5.5


LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: THE GREAT DARKNESS SAGA
Reprints: Legion of Super-Heroes v.2 #287, 290-294, Annual #3
Writer(s): Paul Levitz
Penciller(s): Keith Giffen, Curt Swan & Pat Broderick
The Solicit: “This is the Earth in the 30th century.

A world of science and technology.

A world of peace and light.

Preserving this peace is the Legion of Super-Heroes, a group of young adventurers who are the best and brightest of their kind.

But a darkness is approaching that threatens to destroy their entire universe.

Herein lies the story of the Legion’s greatest challenge.”
Extras: Introduction by Paul Levitz
The Story: 4.5
At its worst, Legion of Super-Heroes can be an overly-complicated mess with fans trying to make heads or tails of a huge cast, years of continuity, and stories that often go nowhere; at its best, it is The Great Darkness Saga. Nobody knew how to handle the large cast of the LSH like Paul Levitz, and he shows it here, giving every member of the huge roster something to do, shortchanging nobody. The story cuts to the core of what can make the LSH great: these are kids out there, not adults, they’re living a fantasy life, but they have problems like any adolescents and when confronted with a threat bigger than any they’ve ever faced, they get scared and they get overwhelmed. The scale of The Great Darkness Saga is huge; nearly every member of the Legion, their supporting cast and their rogues gallery is used in some capacity; Levitz takes full advantage of having such an exotic and colorful universe to play in with an unlimited capacity for his ideas. And even though the “mystery” villain is revealed on the cover of the collected edition, damn if I don’t still get chills when the Legion finally pieces together who it is. Levitz also does a good job of making sure readers know what is going on with the fun subplots even though some are very much underway by the time the story kicks off. Keith Giffen is phenomenal, channeling George Perez in his ability to beautifully render tons of characters in single panels and convey breathtaking battle sequences. If you’re a fan who is curious why Legion of Super-Heroes fans have stuck around through ever reboot and continuity nightmare, read this book and I think you’ll get it.
The TPB: 2
Slightly higher score for collecting older issues, but Levitz’ introduction is fairly pedestrian.
Overall Grade: 6.5


MARVELS
Reprints: Marvels #0-4
Writer(s): Kurt Busiek
Painter(s): Alex Ross
The Solicit: “Welcome to New York. Here, burning figures roam the streets, men in brightly colored costumes scale the glass and concrete walls, and creatures from space threaten to devour our world. This is the Marvel Universe, where the ordinary and fantastic interact daily. This is the world of Marvels.

Witness the birth of this fantastic universe from the inside. See the world’s greatest heroes in a different light, with a new awe and a touch of fear.
For the first time, experience the Marvel Universe from a whole new perspective—yours.”
Extras: Introduction by Stan Lee, commentaries by Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross & John Romita Sr., afterword by Scott McCloud, art features by Alex Ross
The Story: 5
So here’s that guy I was talking about saving the super hero back in the Kingdom Come write-up…when stacked up against KC (and it frequently is), I think runs neck and neck in terms of story and has slightly better (more mature) art, but Marvels takes the cake for being unique. Never before had a story told from the point of view of the “man on the street” been told with such elegance and impact (nor has it been since). This is the story that makes even the most jaded fan take a step back and say: “Wow, super heroes are f’n cool!” The way the heroes are presented, larger than life in such a realistic way, is unprecedented; I’ve never had a more vivid picture of what I think my life would be like if these people were real. Busiek is also genius in his sequential story-telling; there is a very coherent overall arc with an intense character progression in narrator Phil Sheldon, but each chapter stands alone as a masterful piece in its own right. Speaking of Sheldon, you truly are along for the ride with him, feeling as he does, experiencing amazement, fear, frustration, hope, and ultimately resignation. The final sequence, recreating a pivotal Marvel moment, the death of Gwen Stacy, makes me tear up like few comic books are capable of doing. The way Busiek interweaves his story with the actual continuity of the historical Marvel Universe (as he talks about in his commentary) demonstrates a tremendous work ethic and dedication and really adds to the story as well. Alex Ross’ work speaks for itself; this is the project that put him on the map as a superstar and it is easy to see why. If you know somebody who has never appreciated comics the way you do and you can only show them one work to try and sway them, I heartily recommend Marvels.
The TPB: 5
The perfect collected edition, from assembling four issues that truly belong together, to offering impressive and interesting commentaries from all the people involved and the perfect choices for outside representatives.
Overall Grade: 10


THE NEW TEEN TITANS: THE TERROR OF TRIGON
Reprints: New Teen Titans v.2 #1-5
Writer(s): Marv Wolfman
Penciller(s): George Perez
The Solicit: “Until now, evil has always been an intangible, a thought, a concept. People became evil, they acted evilly, they committed an evil deed. Now the New Teen Titans have seen evil personified!

It exists!

It breathes!

It lives!!

And the Titans don’t stand a chance of stopping this demon called Trigon.

The mysterious Titans member Raven has been battling her (literal) inner demons for some time now, but she can no longer hold in check the evil that is her father Trigon. Now the otherworldly demon has breached his dimensional prison, conquering the Earth—and Nightwing, Starfire, Cyborg, Changeling and the rest of the Titans are mankind’s only hope of defeating him!”
Extras: Introduction by Marv Wolfman, bonus pin-ups and cover gallery, Who’s Who profile pages
The Story: 4
If there’s one thing you can about New Teen Titans (and there are thousands, but I’ll limit myself), it’s that Marv Wolfman & George Perez were certainly not limited by any genre constraints. In the course of the first volume of NTT, Wolfman & Perez pulled off in impressive fashion everything from mythological adventure to sci-fi space epics to down-to-earth stories about hot button social issues to multi-layered mysteries to even a touching love story. To kick off the book’s second volume, he duo elected to turn to yet another genre: horror (a natural choice given that Wolfman cut his teeth on Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula). What they came up with is one of the few stories that, if I read it too late at night, truly does chill me to the bone. Trigon is an absolutely horrifying villain with awe-inspiring power, but creepier is the transformation of Raven, the heroic Titan (and Trigon’s daughter) into a demonic vessel of evil; it took the feel of the classic monster movies of the 50s and 60s and used the unlimited budget of comics to up the scare factor. A tool Wolfman uses effectively is that the Titans are as scared as anybody, and convincingly so, making the readers all the more frightened. The highlight of the story is the disturbing looks Wolfman takes into each of the Titans’ psyche, showing their greatest fears and what it would take to turn them over to the dark side. Perez hits a whole new level, experimenting with his techniques like never before, creating the desolate world of Azarath and portraying the brutal final battle between the Titans, Trigon and Raven with suitable gore; the landscapes Perez renders trump any Hollywood movie set or CGI rendered scene you will ever see. For readers who have followed the Titans saga up to this point, you’ll enjoy this collection more, as it is a fitting conclusion to the Raven-Trigon arc that had been running for over five years (and if only Wolfman had let it remain the conclusion rather than dredging up remnants of Trigon time and again), but for newer readers, it’s still a story you can enjoy. Terror of Trigon isn’t my favorite NTT story of all time (that would be either The Judas Contract or A Day In The Life), but it’s an incredible effort at something truly different by two amazing creators.
The TPB: 3
I could have bought these issues plenty of times, but Wolfman delivers his typical great introduction and the pin-ups are always a nice bonus; the Who’s Who pages are both cool (with great Perez art) and also should prove very helpful to readers less familiar with the Titans.
Overall Grade: 7.5


SECRET WARS
Reprints: Secret Wars #1-12
Writer(s): Jim Shooter
Penciller(s): Mike Zeck & Bob Layton
The Solicit: “It all comes down to this!

WHO was so powerful to bring Galactus to his knees and break the Hulk’s leg?

WHAT prompted Spider-Man to put on that black costume or Iron Man to change his armor?

WHERE were Marvel’s greatest heroes and villains taken?

WHEN would the heroes realize Dr. Doom’s treachery?

WHY was the entire Marvel universe threatened?

HOW did the greatest assemblage of heroes and villains survive the Beyonder?

The first mega-crossover of its kind is collected in its entirety, revealing those answers and much, much more! It’s one of comic book history’s biggest stories featuring the very best Marvel has to offer!”
Extras: Introduction by Tom DeFalco, prologues from Amazing Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Men, Captain America, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four
The Story: 2
This was the first ever big company-wide crossover, and if there’s one thing you can take away from it, it’s that they still had a lot to learn. More than being not a very good crossover, Secret Wars is just not a very good story, and I’m very surprised it has amassed a reputation as even a modest classic. The character melodrama is on a level that the characters had long since outgrown in their individual books. The plot is contrived and makes no pretensions about the fact that it exists solely to get a bunch of heroes and villains together to fight. The X-Men’s “divided loyalty” between the heroes and the villains is drawn out way too long and amounts to nothing and the Avengers act like a bunch of rookies who can’t go to the bathroom without Captain America saying so. If I were Chris Claremont, I’d still be annoyed at Jim Shooter, who not only regresses Magneto from a complex character to B-grade villain (complete with egomaniacal assumption that he can seduce The Wasp), but completely degrades Colossus with an absolutely implausible romantic turn (I’m not sure Claremont gave his go ahead on that one, but if he did…damn). Dr. Doom starts things off well enough, but is also reduced to ranting and raving by the end. Cap and Reed Richards seem to have about three personalities apiece and The Hulk’s flip-flopping from smart to dumb and back again is infuriating. And the art…good lord is the art awful, from Mike Zeck no less, a man I have already defended within the span of this column! The characters are drawn as angular nightmares, the faces look contorted, and too often Zeck will draw key moments (like She-Hulk’s abrupt decision to leave the Avengers and join the Fantastic Four) with the characters not even facing forward; his one redeeming moment is the design of Spider-Man’s costume (Bob Layton, in his fill-in issue, does a vastly superior job). The only redeeming moments of this series are a couple good fights and some laughs with the Molecule Man and the Wrecking Crew. Otherwise, it’s a badly paced, poorly characterized, melodramatic mess.
The TPB: 2
I will give them credit for crating a nice package with the prologues, but DeFalco’s introduction is dull.
Overall Grade: 4


That’s it for this round, gang. Hopefully I’ll be able to bang out my next entry, an all-Superman TPB column, before San Diego and then get another sub in here for y’all to enjoy the week after.

Until next time…go Red Sox!