New Teen Titans (1980) 3

The Fearsome Five!
by Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Frank Chiaramonte
Jan 1981

The Titans hang out at Wonder Girl's penthouse apartment. Starfire tells them about her home world of Tamaran, 8th planet of the Vegan solar system. She tells them about the peace settlement between Tamaran and the Citadel which led to her becoming a slave to the Gordanians. Starfire's storytime ends when Raven shows up to warn them about a new team of Super Villains, the Fearsome Five.

Unbeknownst to Raven, the reader, and most of the other characters in this story it is one of the Five who told her where to find them. Following Raven's lead, the Titans locate the Fearsome Five. The two teams start fighting but the villains prove to be too much for the Titans.

The leader of the Fearsome Five is Dr. Light. He is the only one of the team with a history prior to this issue. His first appearance was in Justice League of America 12 (Jun 1962). He appeared a number of times in the 19 years since then and battled a number of different heroes (Atom, Green Lantern, Flash, Superman, Aquaman). He also battled the previous incarnation of the Titans in Teen Titans 44 (Nov 1976). As it turns out he is being manipulated by one of the Five, Psimon.

Psimon used to be Simon Jones, a physicist who pierced the barrier between dimensions. That's how he met Trigon who gave way his superpowers. The exact nature of those those powers is a bit fuzzy but as he describes it on page 19, "I had been changed into a living psionic! All my mind could conceive, I could create!" Using his powers he takes control of the team that Dr. Light has assembled and plants suggestions in Raven's head that lead the Titans to find and fight the baddies.

Gizmo is a genius-level inventor who can create anything, including weapons, on the fly. Shimmer and Mammoth are siblings. She is able to transmute matter. He possesses superhuman strength and is highly invulnerable; Starfire's star bolts have no affect on him.

Before the Titans second encounter with the Fearsome Five, Raven levels with the Titans and tells them about her training in Temple Azarath and the visions she had involving Trigon, a demon named Goronn, and the Justice League. She believes that if the Titans don't fight and beat the League then Goronn will be released and Trigon will conquer the Earth.

Raven stays behind when the Teen Titans go to fight the Fearsome Five for the second time. The Titans are defeated once again. Raven sees them fall and decides to try asking the Justice League for help.

There are a couple interludes mixed in with all the action. In one interlude Cyborg, who wasn't in on the first fight with the Five, talks to his father. Their relationship is still contentious. His father's thoughts reveal that the older man is dying but he can't get a word in edgewise with his son. In another interlude the Titans meet up at their new HQ, Titans Tower. They all got messages telling them where it was but none of them know who built it or sent the messages. They don't get very long to ponder this mystery before their second battle with the Fearsome Five.

I knew that there were storylines that would start here and bear fruit a few years down the road but I had no idea before reading this collection how intricate the story telling in the early issues of New Teen Titans would be. I am very impressed and pleased to see that there were twists in the tale that I didn't know about prior to reading these stories. I am very much looking forward to how things will evolve.

4/29

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/35019/

---

04/24/21 Addendum

I finally bought a copy of this issue. Previously I only owned a reprint of it in the trade paperback.

Tell It to the Titans

According to my research there were text pieces in the first two issues but this is the first letters page for New Teen Titans (1980). There is no indication as to who picked the name for this letters page.

Letters from fans in response to the announcements that the Teen Titans would be getting another series. All are positive but some have suggestions about the tone of the book and the members of the team.

Parker: The Outfit - Book 4

By Darwyn Cooke and Donald Westlake
Jul 2009

Parker, with some help from Handy, hunts down and kills the head of the Outfit. At least half of Book 4 is consumed by the set piece wherein Parker and Handy break into the big boss man's home and deal with him and his bodyguards.

Unfortunately the final segment of this book failed to capture my interest any more than the previous ones. I definitely feel as though I am missing something here. I wonder how the prose novel reads. It is hard for me to know if the shortcomings in the story were also there in the original work.

I'm interested in reading some of Darwyn Cooke's other books that I haven't read before, like his run on Catwoman with Ed Brubaker. I don't have much interest in reading any more of the Parker books that he drew.

4/27

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/782993/

Love Fights 3

Love Fights 3
by Andi Watson
Aug 2003

Nora talks her way past a super powered security guard, the Fader, and gets proof that the Flamer had a love child. She gets to see the child manifest its powers, talk with the mother, and capture it on film.

Russ finally re-emerges with the inked pages. He doesn't have a valid explanation as to where he was or why he is late. Sue seems to know what's up but won't talk. JJ, the editor, isn't happy. He doesn't care who is causing the problem.

Guthrie makes himself a costume (a cape and a mask) and embarks on a crime fighting career. Jack questions his cat but Guthrie can't remember how he got super powers. There is a one panel homage to The Dark Knight featuring Guthrie. He tries on a number of names but settles on Future Feline. His powers consist of flight, the ability to speak, and destructive eye beams.

Jack goes looking for Nora. They have lunch together on a rooftop. She tells him all about what she has been up to and how impressed her boss is with her work. Before they part they share a kiss. They think they are all alone but Guthrie sees them and he doesn't look happy for them.

Still loving this story all over again. I do wonder about Nora and the Fader. How did she convince him to let her slip by? I have no recollection if she bribed him in some way or if it will have some repercussion on her relationship with Jack.

4/26

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/248207/

Jack Staff (UK) 3

The Killing Night
By Paul Grist
Oct 2000

I'm a little confused but I'm still enjoying the book. Betsy Braddock finds Jack Staff and Sgt States but then a vampire finds her. He kills her, or so it seems. The two flag wearing heroes go looking for her.

The vampire hunter, Albert Bramble, shows up at the morgue, ready to drive a stake through Betsy's heart. In flashback, Albert's origin story is told. He met Jack Staff and Sgt States when he was just a boy. His mother had been killed by a vampire, Templar Richard. He saved Jack Staff's life when the vampire was about to bite him. Templar Richard was killed by a falling stalagmite. Now I am left wondering who the vampire is in the present. Is it Templar Richard? If it is then how is that possible?

I really wish this book had clear demarcations where one issue ended and the next one began. A fun read either way.

---

I bought the collected edition that includes all 12 of the black and white issues of Jack Staff. It is a little easier to tell in this version where one issue ends and the next begins.

---

Betsy wakes up and stops Albert Bramble from driving a stake through her heart. Albert's son is there with him. Albert and his son argue over how to deal with Betsy now that she had been bit. His son's judgment might be clouded by a romantic interest in Betsy.

The trio returns to the Bramble home. Betsy sees a picture of young Albert with Sgt States. She's believes that he's the one who killed her.

Jack Staff and Sgt States return to the cavern where Templar Richard was killed years before. They find the body of the vampire just where it was left in 1940. Jack is confused. Sgt States is not as he reveals himself to be a vampire.

So glad I read a little more after figuring out where the issue ended. This ending is a cliffhanger but so much more satisfying. I can't say enough good things about this series. I'm really loving it.

4/25

Comic Book DB: http://www.comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=99014

Thor Annual 7

and Ever -- the Eternals!
by Roy Thomas, Walt Simonson, and Ernie Chan
1978

This is a story from Thor's past, one which he has forgotten. His memory of the events in this story are restored to him by Mimir, Fiery Guardian of the Well of Wisdom. There are captions throughout which are present day Thor and Mimir's conversation.

Before getting into the story from Thor's past, that dominates this annual, Mimir provides a little bit of his origin story. Mimir first appeared in Thor 240 (Oct 1975). This is his 5th appearance. He also appears in the Eternals story that runs from Thor 283 - 300 but after that he has just a couple more appearance.

Mimir's story of Thor begins with the events of Thor Annual 5, when the Norse and Greek gods fought. This took place hundreds of years ago. After the battle and the events of Annual 5 were over Thor was frustrated and departed Asgard for a time. This is where the story proper begins and where Thor's memory fails him.

The first being that Thor encounters is Dromedan, the Deviant Mutate. Thor is lured to a sealed chamber in a mountain in South America. He breaks open the chamber and finds Dromedan. Dromedan tries to use his mental powers to compel Thor to free him. Thor resists, departs, and leaves Dromedan imprisoned in the mountain.

Soon thereafter Thor encounters some of the Eternals: Valkin (leader of the Polar Mountain Eternals), Virako (father of Ikaris), Druig (Valkin's son), and Ajak. Druig shows his true colors and attacks the God of Thunder. Once the misunderstanding has been resolved the Norse God and the Eternals speak. They explain themselves to one another and the readers. Thor tells them of his encounter with Dromedan and where to find him.

The Eternals tell him about the Celestials and the first and second hosts. They show him the city they are building which is presumably the same city where Dr. Damian, his daughter Margo, and Ikaris encounter Ajak in Eternals (1976) 1. They show him how they are guiding the natives of the various South and Central American civilizations. From this and some of Mimir's narration it becomes clear that this story is probably set about 500 years in the past. The Eternals of the region are worshipped as gods in the eyes of the natives.

While Thor is hanging out with Valkin, Virako, and Ajak, Druig plans to find Dromedan and use him for his own evil plans. It isn't long before the Eternals and Thor encounter Dromedan. They suspect that Druig may be behind the emergence of the Deviant. Dromedan uses his vast mental powers to call forth a South American deity known only as Thunder. While Thor battles the other god the Eternals square off against Tutinax whom Dromedan has also summoned. It is a bit unclear how this is done. The focus seems to be on the fighting and not so much on clear explanations.

Dromedan throws a number of things at the heroes. The last and most deadly is a giant worm. Virako ends up sacrificing himself to kill the worm. He irradiates himself and then throws himself into the great beast's maw. The beast is destroyed and Virako's atoms scattered. It is acknowledged that Druig is to blame for the death and destruction but Valkin naively forgives his son.

The third Host of the Celestials chooses that moment to arrive on earth. Valkin uses his powers to send Thor away and cause him to forget all that he saw during his time with them. This is kind of weird considering all they told him before about the Celestials. There is some promise after the story that Thor has not seen the last of the Eternals.

This isn't a great story but after reading all of Kirby's run on the Eternals, whom he created, it was nice to read a different and maybe less reverential approach to the Eternals. The story helped to tie some things together and give them a significance that they did not have before. It also serves as a bridge between Kirby's Eternals and the upcoming Eternals story in the pages of Thor.

The fact that the story was written and drawn by a couple creators (Roy Thomas and Walt Simonson) with whom I am more than passingly familiar also added to my interest in reading this story.

4/24

Eternals, Thor, and What If?

I wasn't entirely satisfied with how things wound down in Jack Kirby's Eternals series and I've been doing a little research. I knew that there was an Eternals story that ran for about a year in the pages of Thor. I started to read Thor 283 because I thought that was where it began. It was and it wasn't.

The year before in Thor Annual 7 there was a story that also featured the Eternals. That story was mentioned in Thor 283, which was how I found out about it.

Thor Annual 7 (1978)
Thor 283 (May 1979) - 293 (Mar 1980)
Thor 300 (Oct 1980) - 301 (Nov 1980)

It is hard to tell (based on my research) how big a role the Eternals play in these issues. It is possible that they just appear in flashback in some of them.

Thor 294 (Apr 1980) - 300 (Oct 1980) is a retelling of the Ring of the Nibelung series of operas by Richard Wagner. The Norse Gods feature prominently in Wagner's operas. In the collected edition this is considered to be part of the Eternals Saga that ran in Thor even though they only appear in Thor 300.

Also mentioned in Thor 283 was a similar story that ran in Thor 274 - 278. It was similar in that it was also about Ragnarok and also written by Roy Thomas. The earlier story opens with Balder getting killed and Thor getting replaced by Red Norvell. It is also relevant to the run of Eternals stories in Thor because the framing sequence in Thor Annual 7 takes place between Thor 274 and Thor 275.

I looked a little further and found that about the same time the Eternals were appearing in Thor there was also a run of Eternals backup stories in What If 23-28. All but one of them were written by Mark Gruenwald. They are each 6 pages long. I used to have some of these issues but I have no recollection of these backup features.

What If? 23 (Oct 1980) - 28 (Aug 1981)

All of these issues of Thor and What If plus Kirby's run on Eternals are available through Marvel Unlimited.

4/21

MCS: http://www.mycomicshop.com/search?SeriesID=42612896

Parker: The Outfit - Book 3

By Darwyn Cooke and Donald Westlake
Jul 2009

This is by far the most interesting chapter of the book. The focus is on how Parker is giving the Outfit a hard time by hitting its various operations. For the most part it is presented as a series of pieces that appeared in a magazine. Each piece is formatted differently. The first is a straight up magazine article. It looks like something from a bygone era, very retro.

There is very little of Parker. Maybe that's a good thing.

One thing that I don't really get is that Parker at first seems like this maverick who works on his own but in this story he seems to be operating mostly by proxy. I'm not sure how to make sense of that other than to say that it seems out of character.

4/20

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/782993/

New Teen Titans (1980) 2

Today... the Terminator!
by Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Romeo Tanghal
Dec 1980

H.I.V.E. wants to hire Deathstroke, the Terminator, but they refuse to pay him in advance. They test him and use what they find to duplicate his powers. They endow Grant Wilson (later revealed to be his son) and send him to kill the Teen Titans. He idolized the Terminator and uses the code name Ravager.

Based on what happened in the previous issue it seems like H.I.V.E. (Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Eliminations) must be the organization that Grant alluded to when he was caring for Princess Koriand'r. Best I can figure, Grant is a bit unbalanced mentally. I cannot think of any other explanation for why he hates the Titans so much. He is angry about losing his girlfriend, Carol, who dumped him and there might be more back story that has yet to be revealed.

Starfire still doesn't speak any human languages. They name her Starfire because of the bolts she is able to shoot from her hands. She gains the ability to speak English after she kisses Robin, midway through the issue.

Interesting to note that the team is frequently referred to as the New Titans, rather than the Teen Titans or New Teen Titans. I wonder why? I wonder if that will change?

Ravager attacks Cyborg while he is working with his father at S.T.A.R. Labs to analyze an android that the Titans captured earlier in the issue. Cyborg has Ravager on the ropes until Deathstroke shows up. Deathstroke takes Ravager back to his apartment. He warns Grant Wilson about using the power he has been given. He does not reveal that he is his father.

There is an interlude that shows Raven talking to someone. She begs for forgiveness. Her plea is rebuffed by the unknown person to whom she speaks. I am fairly certain that this will turn out to be her father, Trigon.

Cyborg goes to get the other Titans who are hanging out by the pool at Changeling's home. Ravager and Deathstroke attack. Ravager doesn't follow Deathstroke's advice and uses his power very liberally. He ends up burning up, it looks like he ages very rapidly as he dies. Deathstroke takes his son's body and leaves. He blames the Teen Titans for the death.

In the one page epilogue, H.I.V.E. watches Deathstroke, who in turn (with his assistant, Wintergreen) is watching Carol (still no last name) at Grant's grave. They seem satisfied that they have him now: he will work for them. If I remember correctly this is a thread that won't get picked up again until the Judas Contract arc, three-and-a-half years later. According to his gravestone Grant was 19, born in 1960.

There is a whole lot of bits and pieces in this issue. It is on a level with the work being done by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen in Legion of Super-Heroes in stories like the Great Darkness Saga.

4/19

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/34896/

Eternals Annual 1

The Time Killers
by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer
1977

Thena, Karkas, and the Reject must stop Zakka the Tool Master from wrecking havoc in the world. Zakka uses one of his tools (which looks like a fancy film camera) to pull villains from the past. The villains can only stay a brief period of time but manage to do quite a bit of damage in that short span of time.

When the team locates Zakka he gets desperate and calls forth Tutinax the Mountain Mover. Zakka's calculations are off and Tutinax materializes in front of him. Tutinax kills Zakka before he can escape.

The Reject takes on Tutinax in single combat. Before the villain from the past can kill the Reject, Tutinax is returned from whence he came.

This is a fairly weak story. Not my cup of tea. It doesn't expand the mythology of the Eternals in any significant way.


Marvel Bullpen Bulletins

This is the same one that appeared in Eternals 16.


Eternal Utterings

Why Mutates? by Jack Kirby - a little text piece about the reality of genetic engineering (although he doesn't call it exactly that) in the 1970s. It isn't scientific but speculative.

4/18

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/30577/

New Teen Titans (1980) 1

by Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Romeo Tanghal
Nov 1980

There is no title for the issue but it is divided into three segments. Oddly enough the first segment is titled Epilogue. This title makes me wonder if this part was originally supposed to be part of the Preview in DC Presents 26. It is 3 pages of Princess Koriand'r aboard the slave ship Q'st'r fighting the Gordanians who are trying to capture or recapture her. It ends with her escaping in a small space craft and heading for Earth.

Chapter One: The Birth of the Titans! (8 pages)

Robin dreams of the battle which he experienced in the Preview. Raven pays him a visit and talks him into gathering other superheroes: Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Changeling (formerly known as Beast Boy), and Cyborg. Kid Flash initially says no but changes his mind after having an off-panel chat with Raven. Bruce Wayne makes an appearance. Wonder Girl remembers part of her origin. Cyborg tells a little bit of his origin story as he pleads his case to his coach to let him stay on the team.

Chapter Two: New York Nightmare! (13 pages)

The newly formed team locates Princess Koriand'r. She is being cared for by Grant Wilson who is in the middle of a fight with his ex-girlfriend when the Titans and the Gordanians converge on the apartment. The evil aliens and the superheroes clash. The aliens escape with the princess. Raven locates the Gordanians and transports the team on to their space ship. They battle the aliens once again and this time they escape with Princess Koriand'r.

The last panel shows Grant Wilson talking to someone in the shadows, someone from an organization known as H.I.V.E.

Unlike the preview, this has me wanting to read more.

4/18

Love Fights 2

by Andi Watson
Jul 2003

Nora agrees to go on a date with Jack. Jack gets into an argument with Sue about the Flamer.

Russ is late with the inks for the next issue of the comic and he's nowhere to be found. Sue doesn't have an answer to Jack's questions. He ends up lying to their editor about the delay.

Nora gives Jack the cold shoulder when they are supposed to be meeting for a date. She's trying to interview a witness to a crime and doesn't want to take the time to explain what's up. Eventually she tells him that she works for Expose and asks for a rain check on their date.

Guthrie (the cat) returns and surprises Jack when he starts talking.

As I write about this story it occurs to me that there are a number of stories being told at the same time: Jack, Nora, Jack and Nora, Guthrie, and the Flamer. Andi Watson did a great job layering them together. Every page and panel count, are meaningful even if they don't seem to be.

4/14

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/248206/

Young Heroes in Love 3

Two Hearts Beat as One Giant Undead Guy!
by Dan Raspler, Dev Madan, Keith Champagne
Aug 1997

The Young Heroes hang at their headquarters. Bonfire kisses Thunderhead. Frost Bite makes an ice sculpture in the training room. Bonfire senses that something isn't quite right. The giant mummy returns. Superman shows up. Frost Bite freezes the mummy in a block of ice. Hard Drive invites Superman to become a member of the young heroes and loses it when Superman says, thank you but no. Monster Girl seems to be the only one who isn't stunned when Hard Drive loses his cool. The expression on her face can best be described as a sneer.

This was a tough issue to sum up. I'm not sure what to make of it all other than that the creator's are probably laying the groundwork for something that will show up in a later issue.

4/14

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/60638/

Parker: The Outfit - Book 2

By Darwyn Cooke and Donald Westlake
Jul 2009

Parker starts his assault on the Outfit. First, he visits Grofeld, a friend, an actor, and borrows a makeup kit from him. Using the kit he disguises himself and makes a deal with one member of the Outfit to double cross the boss man, the head of the Outfit.

I'm still not feeling it. There isn't enough depth to this story for it to really interest me. The art is good but the blue wash gets old fast. I don't know if it is just me or there is something about that color.

4/13

GCD: https://my.comics.org/issue/782993/

Jack Staff (UK) 2

Questions
by Paul Grist
Jun 2000

I'm at guessing at where this issue begins and ends. Considering how the issue is broken up into little unnumbered chapters it ain't an easy task.

Betsy confronts Jack Staff and takes a picture of him as he stands over the body of Helen Morgan, Agent of Q. Jack protests that he's innocent and that he's just there because he heard a scream. Tom Tom the Robotman shows up but he isn't very receptive to Jack's story. He grabs Jack by the neck and starts squeezing. He doesn't let up until the police show up.

I love how some of this chapter is shown through the eyes of Tom Tom and how that looks different from the regular 3rd person perspective. I wonder what if anything will be revealed about who or what Tom Tom is?

Inspector Maveryk doesn't have time for Tom Tom's nonsense. It isn't until after he threatens the metal man with disassembly that he releases his grip on Jack Staff. The police confiscate the film in Betsy's camera and are ready to take Jack in for questioning when Harry Crane of the Q shows up and claims that he has jurisdiction in this matter and will be taking Jack Staff into custody.

This all happens very quickly, over the course of a couple pages titled Photo Finish. I love the way this is all put together and how it flows. It looks like it is supposed to be a series of photos taken by Betsy Braddock just before her film is confiscated by the police.

Crane doesn't get very far with his questions before he gets interrupted by Sgt. States who is there to spring Jack. Like Jack he doesn't look much older than he did during WWII.

Betsy argues with her editor who refuses to print her story without some sort of corroborating evidence, or so he says. Betsy suspects that he may have another for not printing her story.

Finally another flashback to 1940 which picks up where the previous flashback left off. Sgt. States fell into the Castletown Caverns after the bats came flying out. The other Freedom Fighters descended into the caverns where they found him and what looks like a Vampire who calls himself Templar Richard.

Wow! This story is great. I love the way the various pieces are pulled together to form one story. I love the art. Grist does a great job with the thick-lined, minimalist way he draws the story. Less is definitely more.

4/12

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/293754/
Comic Book DB: http://www.comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=95906

Eternals (1976) 19

The Pyramid
by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer
Jan 1978

Druig, with some help from Sigmar, captured, weakened, and imprisoned Ikaris, his cousin. Druig heads to the Pyramid of the Winds to retrieve the weapon of the space gods. Ikaris remains trapped and guarded by Sigmar until his strength returns.

Once he has freed himself, Ikaris rushes to the Pyramid of the Winds. Druig has found the weapon of the Space Gods. Ikaris destroys the weapon with his disintegration eye beams. Druig is killed in the explosion and the Pyramid with him. Ikaris and Sigmar just barely escape with their lives.

The destructive force that destroyed the Pyramid threatens to spread until Ziran of the Fourth Host intervenes. He counters the spreading destruction and all is peaceful once again.

This is the final issue of the Eternals.

Eternal Utterings

Most of the letters have to do with Eternals 15, part two of the fight between Ikaris and the Cosmic Powered Hulk. Other subjects touched upon include (a) sexist attitudes of The Eternals, (b) more potential impact of the Uni-Mind which was responsible for giving the Hulk android cosmic power, (c) the face of the Hulk (on the cover) which was redrawn by John Romita, and (d) a no-prize demand. There is no mention of the fact that this is the final issue.

Stan's Soapbox

Includes announcements about How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by John Buscema and Pocket Books editions collecting classic Marvel stories of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four

Marvel Bullpen Bulletins

The only mention of Jack Kirby is in reference to his work on Captain America coming to an end. There is no mention of the Eternals. There are lots of announcements about who will be working on which book next. The most interesting of those is the mention of John Byrne and Terry Austin taking over the art chores on X-Men.

4/10

GCD: https://my.comics.org/issue/31866/

Joe Kubert Presents 6

May 2013

Spit
by Joe Kubert
13 pages

For the first time the story is in color and doesn't revolve around Spit. Instead a good chunk of this installment is about whaling in the mid-19th century. Nicely drawn.

The Ruby
by Joe Kubert and Pete Carlsson (writers), Henrik Jonson (art), and Joe Panico (colors)
5 pages

For the most part this story is about an attack on a monastery. There isn't much revealed about the main characters or how they came to be living in the monastery. In the end it becomes clear that one of the main characters will become Sargon the Sorcerer. That was probably the most interesting part to me.

USS Stevens: Back and Forth (1941-1945)
by Sam Glanzman
10 pages

More history of WWII in the Pacific with a bent toward explaining the role the Stevens played in these battles. In addition to the Stevens there is also a little bit of history of other ships on both sides of the war.

Angel and the Ape
by Brian Buniak
8 pages

Angel finishes telling the story of how they met to the Lois Lane lookalike.

Kamandi: Devil's Play
by Joe Kubert (story), Brandon Vietti (story and art), Jason Wright (colors), Pete Carlsson (letters)
8 pages

Weird take on Kamandi or just different from what I'm used to. Kamandi is trying to figure out how to cure humanity when he encounters Etrigan, the Demon. I guess that when I think of Kamandi I think of Jack Kirby's run on the book and the one human in a world of talking, humanoid animals. Introducing another of Kirby's creations into the story seemed bizarre to me.

A Boy Named Spit
by Joe Kubert
2 pages

A text piece about the pre-history of Spit and Joe's interest in whaling which is accompanied by a number of sketches.

Final Thoughts
by Pete Carlsson
1 page

If nothing this provides the answer to one question I had about an earlier issue of this series: apparently almost all the work was completed on the entire series before Joe passed.

4/8

GCD: https://my.comics.org/issue/1096712/

Parker: The Outfit - Book 1

By Darwyn Cooke and Donald Westlake
Jul 2009

Someone tries to kill Parker. After filling in Bett, his bed mate, on some of the details of his past, Parker deals with his would-be assassin. He gets a name from him, a name he didn't expect to get, Skim. He returns to the hotel room to find Bett and his gun missing.

Sixteen months ago, Parker, fresh off getting plastic surgery, hooked up with Skim who was looking for muscle. Skim had a plan to rob an armored truck of payroll money. Parker wasn't crazy about the plan but he needed the money. He convinced Skim to alter the plan but he had his doubts about Slim's partner, Alma. She reeked of trouble.

The robbery went off without a hitch but afterwords Alma double crossed Skim just like Parker thought she would. Parker and Handy, the other member of the team, dealt with Alma. Parker and Handy then split the money and went their separate ways.

Back in the present, Parker locates Skim and deals with him. He leaves a note for Skim's bosses, the Outfit.

Not as much fun as I had hoped it would be, possibly because I don't feel hooked by any one element of the story let alone the story as a whole. It all feels a little too serious to me although I wonder if that's just my read of the book.

I like the little panels and the wordless storytelling. The blue wash gets old, fast. Darwyn Cooke can draw and tell one hell of a story but this doesn't feel like his best work to me.

4/6

GCD: https://my.comics.org/issue/782993/

Love Fights 1

By Andi Watson
Jun 2003

Jack and Nora meet on the subway in London. They get stuck on the train together while a battle between super powered entities rages nearby. Eventually their train starts moving again.

He is a comic book artist. She works at a gossip magazine. Neither one seems to get a lot of satisfaction from their job.

Jack gets notes passed to him from his editor, notes that come from the Flamer, the superhero whose book he pencils. The Flamer wants to look more super heroic in his comic book, whatever that means. The writer also gets notes outlining the sorts of stories the Flamer no longer wants to see in his comic book.

Guthrie, Jack's cat, has run away. Sue and Russ, the couple who also write and inks the Flamer's comic book, make fun of him for having not been on a date in three years.

Nora writes a piece for Exposé about her experience on the subway. Her boss isn't interested because it isn't juicy enough.

At the end of the day Jack and Nora meet again, by chance. They both get to the entrance to the subway at the same time. It has been shutdown temporarily for repairs. Jack helps Nora, who is new in town, figure out which bus to catch home. It looks like he wants to ask her out but he doesn't get the words out until it is too late.

There is one mysterious scene where Guthrie is shown being picked up by someone in an alleyway. Guthrie is in a cage and doesn't seem very happy to see this person who is only seen in silhouette from a distance. It is hard to tell if it is a man or a woman. What I read from this is that Guthrie didn't run away but was stolen.

I really like the look of the book which is done in black and white with gray tones. There are lots of little panels. There doesn't seem to be a standard page layout.

This is my second time reading this story. The first time was about a dozen years ago when I bought the two digest-sized volumes in which it is collected.

4/5

GCD: https://my.comics.org/issue/248205/

New Teen Titans Preview

Where Nightmares Begin

DC Comics Presents 26
by Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Dick Giordano
Oct 1980

The story starts off fairly straight-forward. Robin, the Boy Wonder is at STAR Labs in NYC about to take on some terrorists who are threatening to blow up some of the equipment. In the blink of an eye he isn't at STAR Labs but at a place he has never been before, Titans Tower. There he runs into some other superheroes. Some of them he knows (Wonder Girl, Changeling, Kid Flash) and some he does not know (Cyborg, Starfire, Raven).

Together they head to STAR Labs to fight an alien menace that wants to turn Earth's atmosphere into methane gas. Robin bounces back and forth between these two versions of reality before setting back into the one he was in at the beginning. The only caveat is that it seems that it was not all a dream because Raven is still around, although Robin doesn't see her.

One other interesting piece of information is that the lab from which the alien creature emerged belonged to Cyborg's father. From the looks of it Cyborg does not have a good relatoinship with his father.

I don't know if this would have been enough to suck me onto buying this series in 1980. Maybe it would but I wasn't exactly won over by this story today. It was my first reading it.

GCD: https://my.comics.org/issue/34737/