Teen Titans Go! #34, Oct. 2006

I'm a huge fan of DC's "kids line" of super-hero books!  They've been consistently putting out well-produced comic books based on their animated television shows since the Batman Adventures.  Where the rest of the DC Universe fights a grim and sometimes-losing struggle against continuity control and poor editorial edicts, the "kids" line seems to put out one great book after another.  Stories are often self-contained to an issue or so, and aren't smothered by what is going on in all the other books in the "real" DC Universe.  Often, too, the stories are more upbeat and humorous.

Teen Titans Go! was based on the hugely popular Cartoon Network Teen Titans, a fun, manga-influenced series which in itself was based on DC's influential New Teen Titans comics of the 1980s.  The series followed the exploits of Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy (Changeling) as they fight crime in their city and as they go through the daily struggles of growing up and making friends, and discovering their capabilities and limitations.  The cartoon dealt with these situations in a fun, upbeat way that could entertain both children and adults.  As a treat, the series would bring in guest-star super-teens and villains from the comics like Aqualad and Speedy.

Unlike their regular Teen Titans comics of the past few years, DC carried this style over to Teen Titans Go!  The regular comic was seemingly an unending parade of tragedy and disaster, surprisingly many times darker and depressing than other DC books. The body count in Titans comics is statistically higher than others- watch out, kids!

This issue of Teen Titans Go features a fun criss-crossing, world-wide charity race between super-fast Kid Flash and tornado twins from Guatemala named Mas y Menos as they encounter villains and groupies along the way.  Kid Flash is confident, a bit full of himself, but is the fastest kid alive.  Mas and Menos (Plus and Minus) are Spanish-speaking brothers who derive their speed powers by literally keeping in touch with each other.  

Right before the race! Beast Boy lending his support and Cyborg asking for some food, while Speedy and Aqualad give Mas y Menos a pep talk.

Starfire starting the race in her fractured English!

Fashionable super-teen Argent (nicely borrowed from Dan Jurgens' 1990s run of Teen Titans), one of the many distractions, usually female, that Kid Flash feels confident to stray from the race to help.

Beep! Beep!

Mas y Menos are getting tired of Kid Flash's attitude- Beep! Beep!

Uh-oh, busted by his girlfriend Jinx...right before he reach the finish line!

Blood of the Demon #5, Sept. 2005

Hi, sorry for the long absence! Finally all done with grad school and, of course, no real job- so now, I have a ton of time to go through the giant stash of cheap comics I've accumulated from the abused quarter bins at nearby comic shows the past couple of years! I'm going to try to read at least a comic or or two a day, and then give my "twenty-five cents" on it! 

Today I read John Byrne's "Blood of the Demon" issue 5 from 2005, guest-starring DC's Holy Trinity: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. This issue starts with a detective, Sandra Kinkaid stumbling into the three heroes at the well-decorated Gotham City apartment of Jason Blood, who she doesn't know is also Etrigan the Demon!
 

They are about to explain all to cigarette-smoking detective when a distress call comes in. The Demon is under the spell of Morgaine Le Fay somewhere downtown, causing quite a commotion. The four head out to stop him. Superman fights Etrigan, Wonder Woman goes after the witch, and Batman goes to find help in the form of blind, stuck in the 1960s Hindu mystic named Randu. Randu, though blind, has quite the eye for hippie jewelry and hands over an amulet to Batman that when thrown over Etrigan will release him from Le Fay's spell.

What I Liked!:

Seeing DC's Big Three working together, shades of Super Friends!  (Would like to see a modern DC comics show the Trinity with Robin and Aquaman!)

How cool to knock on someone's door and have it answered by those three!  And oh, Superman is shy about sharing info about "how big" some guy is...but Batman is so willing to divulge!

Jason Blood has such an awe-inspiring apartment, filled with treasure, portraits, rare artifacts- and it has a great view of Gotham City!

I wonder if it smells like a museum?

I was a huge fan of John Byrne's fun-filled, and guest-star-filled run on Wonder Woman, which he wrote and drew back in the mid-late 1990's. The Demon was one of those guests from that run, so it was a nice reunion to read here. Back in that run, one could tell the Byrne was throwing in all his favorite characters from the DC's vast library- many created by Jack Kirby. I must admit, I've never been a huge fan of Jack "The King" Kirby's DC output, The Fourth World titles, OMAC, and the Demon. But Byrne does an excellent job putting his spin on Kirby's creations!

I really dig the way Byrne draws architecture!

Wondering how much money Gotham City would have to spend on crime-deterrance if it wasn't all spent on electric bills.

Batman using his detective skills to dare Le Fay to show her real face! Eep!

Batman, you're not supposed to point out a lady's flaws!  No make-over career for you!

 The speed, wisdom, strength, speed, and beauty of Wonder Woman!

The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told: "The Sorcerer of the Sea!"

This next story in the collection, starring Aquaman (from Adventure Comics #245- Feb. 1958), is, by far, one of my favorites in the book- or anywhere else, for that matter! I've been looking forward to blogging this post since I've started re-reading this book!

Aquaman holds a unique place in the history of comic book super-heroes. Along with DC's holy trinity and a half of super stars (Superman, Batman and Robin, and Wonder Woman) and fellow back-up feature star Green Arrow, he was part of the only fraternity of heroes who were continuously published from the beginning of the Golden Age of comics through the dark days of the 1950's right into the Silver Age Renaissance. Comic book politics may have played a hand in both Aquaman's and Green Arrow's survival into the dawn of a new age.

The man who had a hand behind both of their creations (both first appeared in the 1941 issue of More Fun Comics #73), Mort Weisinger was editor of the Superman stable of comics, including Adventure Comics which featured Superboy, after his move from More Fun Comics. Both Aquaman and Green Arrow had made that move also. Another of his creations, Johnny Quick, a superior knock-off of the Flash, made it well into 1954- but just short of the finish line.

Aquaman's stories through his early years were for the most part rather routine. He adventured around the world and, of course, the sea- fighting Nazis and modern-day pirates and saving lives along the way. Originally, Aquaman was the son of an American scientist who discovered the lost underwater city of Atlantis and who spent his life studying its scientific secrets and haunted remains, passing all that knowledge along to his son. Aquaman's sense of history, though, was rather non-existant, each story ignorant of, and never referencing, those before it. I doubt anyone reading any Aquaman story after his first appearance ever really knew how the orange and green clad hero came to be. He just was, doing his thing, helping people out at sea. No back-story needed!

His first ten years of publishing history followed this pattern. In 1951, one thing did change- the art. A newly graduated Parsons art student, Ramona Fradon, through a friend of her husband (New Yorker illustrator, Dana Fradon) landed a gig drawing a Shining Knight story. She did an alright job and was soon given the regular assignment of drawing the sea-adventures of Aquaman. She was a rare gem in the comic book field. At that day and age, females were even more difficult to be found working in the industry than today. Her clean, slightly cartoony artwork stood out from the pack, it's bold fluidity perfect for the King of the Seas.

The stories still followed the same pattern, however, they were now beautiful to look at! What I enjoy about these tales is that Aquaman was not a super-hero per se. He was an adventure-hero appearing fittingly in a comic called Adventure Comics. (It is here where I'd like to explain the misguided perception that Aquaman is lame. Aquaman wasn't meant to be a super-hero, really. He was the King of the Seas, having fun in his dominion, keeping all those safe within his realm. He didn't fight super-villians, just those imprudent enough to not follow his sea rules. He was a benevolent man of action who showed up, with a golden smile, to help things go smoothly.)

It was during this time, under Fradon's pen, though, that the perennial back up star's life started to evolve a bit. The Silver Age was starting and the various characters were getting their modern mythologies, as we know them now, built. Superman gained Krypto the Superdog, Supergirl, Brainiac, the bottled city of Kandor, and Bizarro. Batman and Robin gained Ace the Bat-hound, Batwoman, the first Bat-girl, and Bat-Mite. Wonder Woman gained a crazy cast of multiple selves! Up until this point Aquaman, for the most part, operated alone. In 1956 he gained an underwater ally in the poly-dexterous Topo the Octopus. In 1959, Aquaman was given a proper background story and origin, the union of a classic love between a lonely lighthouse keeper and his mermaid soulmate. After this Aquaman's life kind of hit a fast-forward button. He gained a partner in the young Aqualad, helped form the Justice League of America, and soon graduated into his own comic book after rediscovering Atlantis. Ramona Fradon didn't follow Aquaman in this move; however Aquaman soon gained another woman in his life, in the form of Mera- his soon to be wife and mother to his son.

What I like about these stories, like "The Sorcerer of the Sea!" is that we get a chance to see Aquaman enjoying his comic-book bachelorhood before he was given a chance in the big-time. Before familyhood and kinghood took over his life, before the Super Friends cartoon, and before the underserved fish-out-of-water bad reputation that has persisted for years and years (which I'd like to report is finally now being debunked and laid to rest, following an amazing Aqua-renaissance!).

Behold: "The Sorcerer of the Sea!"

PS: I am soooo knocked out by the amazingly vibrant color palette of this printing! So vivid and sweet are the colors, I want to eat it up!

The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told: "Superboy and the Sleeping Beauty!"

This next story in the collection, originally from Superboy #22 (Sept/Oct 1952), really highlights the crass douche-baggery of the young Superman. Panel by panel, let's get right into it!

Hmmmm. "Congo Gold." I'm thinking Smallville meets Heart of Darkness. Watching Lana Lang look deep into her own tortured, vaccuous high-school girl soul should be thrilling, but I doubt the school board is going to want to explain the play's racial undertones to the public.

Wow, Lana just strolls into school...with a spear... and a knife... and a frickin' blowgun dart!

"I didn't mean to bring that!" Yeah, you meant to leave it in your locker and secretly use it on some other Smallville chick who happens to look at Superboy!

Superboy"s first dick move in this story. Instead of using his super breath to simply move the falling dart away from Lana, he stands there and reads the supplemental note. Then he thinks about using "quick action!"

So Superboy wears his costume under his other costume.

Glad he finally took off the Thurston Howell threads.

Oooooo, perfect! Lana passes out from some roofie dart and Superboy suddenly shows up to carry her away!

So Superboy "streaks" out of school again, this time with a passed out girl in his hands...

Then he likes to use his powers in order to peep and eavesdrop!

Mr. Lang, you shouldn't keep African tribal weapons lying around your house. Haven't you read the statistics on tribal weapon accidents in the home???

Mr. Lang, what do you choose??? Your daughter's life or the secret government-sponsored coup in some unnamed African country? Oh, you do not realize it, but you have no choice. Superboy will control all actions and outcomes, while the entire world is ignorant to his mastery and manipulation.

Speaking of which...

"Ok, guys! With one day to go, we're going to scrap the ENTIRE play! We'll make it up as we go! I've been hanging out with this one guy, Ed Wood...it's gonna be great."

Um...kids, Superboy doesn't seem to grasp that people over 8 aren't going to be flocking to see a Snow White play; and he doesn't seem to know the difference between Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, or the difference between dwarves and midgets...you might not want him to direct your high school play...just saying!

PS: Lana might be dead for all we know. This is where is could turn into a good "Weekend at Bernie's" story!

This was all a ploy for Clark (Superboy) Kent to change the play! Switching out the dark and primitive African jungle for fanciful European civilization. Look how he quickly he decimates the environment of Africa and replaces it with a looming manicured castle. This story is rife with Platonian political, racial, and colonial overtones!

Super-liar! Prevaricator! (I just wanted to use this word in a blog, and now was my chance!)

Lies on top of lies!

Oooo, midgets? Everyone gets excited for midgets!

Watch out, little people! Superboy is on a quest to round you up!

"They're in 'short' supply..." works on so many levels.

Midgets are probably in short supply because of some other disastrous scam Superboy dreamed up and thought it had to include them.

Org and Norg: are they brothers or little lovers? Hiding out from the watchful eye of society.

So, the hearts of little people are enlarged, and yet he wonders why they are in short supply for his schemes. He's kinda killing them off!

Axel, Maxel, and Jaxel??? Is it a law that if you give birth to little people, that you must give them ridiculous rhyming names???

Workers of every sort, beware! Superboy has the capability to replace you and the rest of your fellow work crew! His output is about 10,000% times more productive; plus, he never has to work overtime, nor does he tire, nor need a vacation, nor even a lunchbreak (he doesn't have to eat).

Ooooo, watch it Mr. Lang. Those "funny midgets" Org and Norg will cut you in the school-alley afterward for laughing at them.

This is soooo "Weekend at Bernie's!"

The whole day has passed and Lana has been in a coma the entire time. After rewriting the play, redecorating the stage, auditioning a crew of midgets, Superboy finally decides to start working on finding a cure for Lana. Lucky girl.

Always go with your first guess! Be afraid- Superboy is a demon! He will control the events of your life. He may even make you act in a play while you are in a coma!

Oh, I love the witch doctor's reaction! "He's just a boy, a human boy....SHOOT him, because that's what us primitive people do, wamba wamba!"

Haha, Superboy doesn't correct them! "Yep, I'm a demon." Probably the first time he hasn't lied or went out of his way to deceive someone.

Superboy, answer your cellphone! Monsanto (big,evil corporate farming giant) wants to hire you and make use of your unorthodox growing techniques!

Wow! What teenage boy doesn't dream of having a "super-friction" super-power??? Go at it, Superboy!

The people of Smallville have no cultural taste. Look at all of them, at the drop of a hat, sitting there. The play could literally be the instruction guide to my Casio Exilim digital camera, and Superboy would be standing up on stage and reading it in mis-pronounced Spanish, and they'd still flock to see him. Media whores. (If this was taking place today, the entire crowd would be waving their iPhones in the air taking vids and pics.) I hate them.

This is soooo Being John Malkovich! Human Puppetry!!! Themes of identity and control!! Are we who we think we are, or who others think we are?? Is it Lana that is the actor, or Superboy who is pulling the strings??? Is Lana just sleeping through life as Superboy controls her every move???? Do any of us have free will??? Argh!!!!

I'm intrigued that no one has realized that Clark, one of the key cast members, has been missing this entire time.

Slip her some untested drugs, then the tongue. I like your style, Superboy!

They'll probably win a few Tonies for this theatrical tripe!

Mr. Lang tries one more time to take Lana home...and fails.

And finally, the story ends with Lana, who was essentially a human prop in the play gets all smug with Clark because she got some public sedentary action from a super control freak. If I was him, I'd be, like, "Bitch, please!"

The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told: "Raid on Blackhawk Island"

The Blackhawks was originally an elite air squadron composed of the most heroic pilots from the countries fighting the Axis during World War II. After the war, and a later publishing switch-over from their home at Quality Comics over to DC, the flying aces liked each other soooo much they stuck together in the name of high-flying adventure! I have to admit I was never really interested in them (they all looked the same to me, even though each character was some sort of national stereotype), but I decided to give this story a try!

Reprinted from Blackhawk #109 (Februrary 1957):

The gist of this story is that their leader, Blackhawk is apparently killed and suddenly some mysterious jerk comes to Blackhawk Island, raids their Blackhawk war museum, and takes command of the super-weapons and tries to murder them all! Can they persevere without their commander???

The story starts off with the saucy caws of Blackie, of whom I first thought of as a sassy, noisy crow, but after I mulled it over, realized he/she is black hawk. Duh!

The next morning, the day starts off like any other, in their overcrowded, smelly bedroom with all of them jumping out of bed in their Blackhawk underwear.

There has been a raid, and Blackhwawk (the main one) is dead! And some guy who calls himself the Question Mark (Riddler, call your lawyer!) is out to annihilate the rest of them!

Blackie won't stand for it!

So all the remaining Blackhawks are almost all maimed and killed throughout the rest of the story. The Question Mark dude has taken control of a War Wheel and an actual flying tank!

But the killing spree is halted! Why?

Because the whole time it was Blackhawk!!! What the....!!!!

Apparently, Blackie was spazzing out like a fiend the whole time! Nothing can fool that bird!

Soooo, Blackhawk pretended he was dead, disguised himself in a laaaaame costume, raided the super-weapons, went on a rampage on the Island, destroyed a bunch of property, nearly killed everyone on the island, and then they all end up in a group hug!!!

That asshole better make everyone breakfast!