Action Comics (vol.2) #1 (2011)

Action Comics (vol.2) #1 (November, 2011)
"Superman Versus the City of Tomorrow"
Writer - Grant Morrison
Penciller - Rags Morales
Inker - Rick Bryant
Colorist - Brad Anderson
Letterer - Patrick Brosseau
Associate Editor - Will Moss
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $3.99

I guess first things first... I never thought I'd actually own a copy of Action Comics #1, but here we are.  Feels kinda hollow, don't it?  This was one of the very few New-52 titles I actually collected from launch.  In fact, this was a title I had dropped pre-Flashpoint, so I suppose the relaunch/reboot/rewhatever was successful in at least getting my four-bucks back into the coffers,

I read this at launch, and I suppose I was too turned off by the events surrounding it that it affected how I received the story.  As I endeavor to go even further into my New-52 education, I feel it's prudent to take a second look at one of the more seminal pieces of the lore.  The, if the Who's Who piece in Justice League (vol.2) #0 is to be believed, first appearance of Superman is a good thing to check out... and yeah, this issue is listed as Superman's first appearance.  Don't it make your stomach turn?

Anyhoo... without my post-Flashpoint angst, let's see how this one holds up!

--

We open atop the Galaxy Building where Glen Glenmorgan is wrapping up a deal with a fellow who introduces himself as Teetotal.  Suddenly the party is broken up by a caped man wearing jeans and a Superman t-shirt.  This is Superman... when he looked like a boy.

The police arrive at the building and work their way roof-ward at the suggestion of little Teetotal.  Along the way they see Glenmorgan's men beaten and battered.  When they make it to Superman he is holding Glenmorgan over his head while balancing on the balcony rail.

He threatens to drop Glenmorgan until he admits his guilt for his crimes against society.  When Glen won't play ball, Superman simply drops him off the balcony several stories above the ground.  Hardly a moment later, Superman swoops down and catches his crook just before he goes splat.  On the ground, Glenmorgan comes clean... he is guilty.  He has ignored safety standards, used cheap labor, and sabotaged the metropolitan trains.

The police swarm and attempt to, get this, arrest Superman.  That goes about as well as you imagine.  One officer fires a shot, and Supes proves that he is indeed "faster than a speeding bullet" by effortlessly catching one.  He flies off... and as he does, Police Sgt. Blake radios a military facility and gives them the okay to "activate the city".

At the base, we observe General Sam Lane (Lois' dad) chatting up Lex Luthor.  It is here that we find that in this universe Lois gave Superman his name.  Luthor is acting as a consultant for the military, and is under orders to "deliver" Superman by 8pm.

Luthor activates a wrecking ball to demolish a building in Galileo Square.  This is a building that is currently set to go down, however, has not been completely evacuated as of yet.  This draws Superman to the scene, as he keeps the wrecker at bay while the inhabitants flee.

Street tanks approach, and fire off an electrified net that snares Superman.  He is able to break through before smashing the tank with the wrecking ball.  As more officials approach, the grateful neighborhood inhabitants "cover" Superman as he bails out of dodge.

He catches a lift on a passing blimp (which tells me this Superman can only "leap tall buildings" rather than fly) to his Hob's Bay apartment.  There we meet his landlady, Mrs. Nyxly.  She expresses concern for his bruised face, and shakes him down for the past few weeks' worth of rent.  She asks that Clark stay safe, as the writing he does for The Daily Star "changes lives".

Clark heads out and calls his good buddy (best friend for six-months!) Jimmy Olsen, who is currently about to board a bullet train with Lois Lane.  Clark advises them not to get on any train.  Lois feels this is a trick so that the rival Clark can scoop The Daily Planet with an exclusive story... and boards the train anyway.

We see that Teetotal has planted explosives along the railway.  The train takes off and hits upwards of 200 miles per hour.  The only hope of stopping it is Superman.  He forces his way onto the track, entering the bullet train's pressurized tube and readies himself to "catch" the out of control vessel.

The train slams directly into Superman who appears powerless to stop it.  The explosives go off causing the elevated rail to collapse.  The train powers on...

Back at the military installation, Sam Lane is spitting nails at the thought that Luthor knowingly put his daughter in potentially mortal danger.  Lex shrugs it all off, and explains that he was just doing what Lane was paying him to do... and that is delivering Superman.

--

Okay, well I did enjoy this a whole lot more now.  Without my rage-colored glasses, I was able to be more balanced in my appraisal of this inaugural outing.  It's certainly a beautiful issue to behold.  Rags Morales at his absolute finest.  Hell, the entire art team really brought their A-game in this issue.  The coloring is especially wonderful... striking and lush.

Even with all that said, one of my initial complaints/observations still remains... it's a very good story... but, I just don't feel any heart.  When John Byrne reimagined Superman for the post-Crisis DC Univers/fandom, the entire Man of Steel miniseries positively dripped with heart.  This time, however... not so much.  Solid (great, even) storytelling, amazing art... just not a Superman I feel comfortable with.  Of course, this is a new millennium book, and it's probably unfair to judge a first "story" by a first issue... but, here I am.

During the initial New-52 push, I remember hearing that Superman was going back to his roots... his Golden Age roots, wherein he was a defender of social justice and protector of the oppressed.  That's all well and good, but... I feel more of an effort could have been made to make him likable.  He just seems so... pardon the semi-pun... alien to me.  As a long-time reader/fan of the character, this just didn't feel right.  Didn't exactly feel wrong either... I suppose.  I dunno, this one is a challenge for me to put into words.

What I will say, is that knowing what this Superman becomes, I am reinvigorated in my New-52 Superman (re)reading project.  I am interested in seeing how this Superman becomes the Superman who is currently living out his "Final Days".

--

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Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld #1 (1983)

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld #1 (May, 1983)
"The Birthright"
Writers - Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn
Artist - Ernie Colon
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Tom Ziuko
Editor - Karen Berger
Special Thanks - Dave Manak
Cover Price: $0.60

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld is the type of book that I started this blog to explore.  It's one of those "outside my wheelhouse" books that I always sorta kinda wanted to check out, but never really had the impetus to do so.  Over the years, I'd come to own a great deal of both the 12-issue maxi-series and the short-lived attempt at an ongoing, yet never actually cracked one open.

Let's rectify that today.

--

It's Amy Winston's thirteenth birthday, and an odd reptilian critter has decided to leave her a gift to commemorate the occasion... and swell thingie that he(?) is, he even wrapped it and topped it with a bow... okay, he uses the wrap and bow from her real gift, and replaces it with his.  It's the thought that counts, right?

Shortly, when Amy and her family return home from her birthday dinner, it's time to open her presents.  Inside the curious critter-left box, Amy discovers a large beautiful Amethyst necklace and excitedly puts it on while her parents both furrow their brows.

We follow Amy to her bedroom where she considers the thoughtfulness (and surprise) of her "parent's" gift.  Now in her (uncomfortably) skimpy nightie, she opens up her closet to hang up her clothes... only to find that a large snake-wielding ogre is inside!  He pulls her into a portal, where she finds herself aging into a young adult upon arrival into an odd next world over.

She finds herself in a palace stood before an evil looking mustachioed gent.  We learn that the ogre's name is "Belaz" which, to me is only a few letters away from Belasco (from X-Men's limbo stories, though he looks more like S'ym).  They threaten to kill her, however, hint that they have more nefarious designs on her.  One particularly gross Gemworld dweller approaches her while undoing his clothes.  Luckily, late-teen Amy is still wearing her precious stone... which blasts the would-be molester with purple energy.

This was a code-approved book...

In the confusion, a tall gray man enters the scene.  He takes Belaz out, and refers to Amy as "Princess" when he asks her to accompany him.  Considering her options, Amy decides to trust the devil she doesn't know rather than remain with those she does.

The tall man is called Granch, and he delivers Amy to an old witch called Citrina.  With Sardonyx (the bad guy) giving chase, Granch insists he stay behind to cover the ladies' escape.  Citrina refers to Amy as Amethyst, and the two whisk away... as we watch Granch snapping a critter's jaw.

Citrina brings Amethyst... who wears and amethyst... to Castle Amethyst... ay yai yai.  Inside she promises to answer any and all questions she may have.  She meets her loyal subjects and goes faint, overwhelmed by these incredibly strange events.  While she is out, she is bathed and put to bed.

The following morning she appears to be even more mature.  She stands head and shoulders taller than her followers and her hair is completely grown out.  Citrina reveals Amethyst's secret origin.  Her parents once ruled the Amethyst House of Gemworld.  Shortly after her birth (on Gemworld) war broke out between the Amethysts and the House of Opal, ruled by The Dark Lord... can't be a good guy with a name like that!

During a blitz on the Amethyst House... which ultimately saw it fall.  The baby was sent to Earth to be adopted by the Winstons.  On Gemworld, word was sent out that the child was killed to prevent her being sought out.  It was always the plan to bring her back when she was of age, however, it would appear that The Dark Lord had already sussed this all out.

Amethyst does not react well to this news, and demands to be sent home.  A dejected Citrina agrees... Before she can make good, Castle Amethyst is attacked.  Amethyst (the girl) finds herself unwittingly drafted into battle.

Sardonyx is the point man on the raid, and easily takes down a weakened Citrina's protective shield.  Amethyst screams out in fear... so loud, her Earth parents can hear it.  She hesitates before striking back at Sardonyx... Citrina does her best Yoda impression, by guiding Amy's hand while advising her "there is no think... only do" (or thereabouts).

Amethyst blasts the interlopers with a wave of purple energy... and actually sends them packing.  In the shadow of battle, Citrina sends Amy back home, inviting her to return only when she is ready.

The child form of Amy cries out in her bed as her parents scale the house steps.  Her mother makes mention of her being "back" much to her father's confusion... which leads me to believe she may be in on it.  Amy convinces herself the entire event was nothing more than a nightmare.

After being suitably calmed down, Amy lays in bed with her Amethyst stone wondering if it really was all just a dream.  She finds herself able to reopen the portal with the pendant, and steps back into Gemworld.  Unfortunately for her, she's not alone... a knife brandishing nudnik watches on from the shadows...

--

Overall, not bad.  Definitely not the type of book I would normally seek out, but I'm glad I made time for it today.  This series came out in 1983, nearly a year after the Uncanny X-Men story in which Illyana Rasputin becomes Magik during a stay in limbo.  I'm not sure that it's fair to compare Amethyst to that, however, I can't shake feeling that there may have been some inspiration for this there.  Even down to the lead characters shift in age, it just feels very similar.

I'll concede I may just be noticing this because I'd recently reread a bit of old X-Men... but to me, it's always a bit interesting to me to notice commonalities between the big two's offerings.

I really enjoyed the more Amy-centric bits of the story, rather than the wider Gemworld info dump.  Gemworld feels just like any samey Fantasy realm, nothing all that special... warring factions, swords and sorcery.  Nothing that really stands out as novel, at least at this point.  Perhaps apropos of nothing, I feel this would have been a bit easier of a read if not everything in it was referred to as "Amethyst" something or another.  Between the Castle, the stone, the girl, and her parents... dat's a lotta rocks.

It seems as though Amy's adoptive Earth-mother may have a deeper understanding of what is really going on.  I think that's a neat touch.  The fact that Amy's dad is relatively clueless brings about a potentially intriguing dynamic that I hope the creators explore.

The art is very nice.  My thoughts on the samey-ness of Gemworld aside, it is rendered beautifully.  I really enjoyed the aesthetic look of this issue.  Amy in her Earth form actually resembles a young girl... not just a smaller version of a full-grown woman.  I will admit that I could've really done without the see-thru effects on her nightie however... that just looked wrong.

All in all, a fun time.  Worth checking out, I would say.  Luckily, this run has been collected... if you don't mind reading the series in black and white, the ultra-affordable and ultra-thick (648 pages!) SHOWCASE Presents: Amethyst is available.  As of this writing it can be procured at instocktrades.com for just about ten bucks.  If you're in the mood for swords and sorcery with a twist, definitely give Amethyst a shot.

--

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Justice League America #27 (1989)

Justice League America #27 (June, 1989)
"Mindsnap"
Plot & Breakdowns - Keith Giffen
Script - J.M. DeMatteis
Pencils - Ty Templeton
Inks - Joe Rubenstein & Dick Giordano
Letters - Bob Lappan
Colors - Gene D'Angelo
Assistant Editor - Kevin Dooley
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75

Another from the "interesting cover" collection.  When I made it my mission to collect the entire Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League run all those many years ago, I must admit that I was a bit overwhelmed.  It's not unusual to find these in the buck-a-book bins, which is more than a fair price.  The only problem is... those bucks add up real fast.  What's a guy to do when he's just starting a collection?  Well, you begin to judge books by their covers.  This cover, featuring an homage to The Exorcist was one of those books that just demands your attention.

Let's find out if the awesome cover is any indication of what's inside...

--

Down at Belle-Reve Prison, Oberon is having a meeting with Amanda Waller.  He claims to have a special need of her.  In the previous issue, he (along with Max Lord) found himself the victim of a brutal attack by his League-mate, Blue Beetle.  Waller agrees to take a look at the file he had brought.

At the Embassy, Batman is chatting with the house-arrested Ted Kord.  Ted claims he has no understanding (or memory) of the earlier attacks.  Batman advises Ted that he is being kept "penned up" for the safety of the others, as well as himself.  It's an unfamiliar room, which further disorients Beetle as well.

We join Martian Manhunter and Maxwell Lord outside of the room Ted is being held in.  We learn that it's actually Max's quarters, sans furniture.  J'onn posits that Beetle has been programmed, and states that his telepathy is far too dangerous an option to explore in such a situation.

Across town, Booster Gold and Ice are bellied up to a diner counter.  Booster is upset that he is being kept separated from his buddy Beetle.  Ice attempts to comfort him, and mentions that she too is being kept away from her best friend, Fire.

Back at the Embassy, Oberon and League-guest Amanda Waller enter Max Lord's office.  The Wall makes it clear that if she's going to help out, it's going to be by her rules.  She's gonna be calling all the shots.  An eavesdropping Batman is none too pleased to see his old sorta-kinda foe, and informs her that he's got his eyes on her.  The Wall ain't impressed, and more or less laughs in his face.  I miss this Amanda Waller.

Over the skies of New York, Guy Gardner is trying to keep busy.  Annoyed that he (like most of the League) has been temporarily kicked out of the Embassy until the Beetle situation works itself out... he decides to take out his frustrations on, of all people... a litterbug.

The Wall is working with Beetle.  It's been sussed out that he was programmed to react to the phrase "Bialya My Bialya" meaning that the most likely party behind all of this is Bialya's own, Queen Bee.

No sooner does she utter the phrase than Beetle goes on the attack.  The Wall gives as good as she gets in the tussle... and Beetle blacks out.  She didn't realize that Beetle was still primed and susceptible to the phrase.  She pounds on the door and demands to be let out.

Waller and Max get into it again.  Wall feels she wasn't provided all the information she needed, though a quick mind-read from J'onn tells that she is really mad at herself for not covering all of her bases.  Waller decides that she'll give Beetle another shot, and this time she will attempt to employ hypnosis.

Meanwhile, Oberon checks in on the other house-arrested Justice Leaguer, Fire.  After a bit of small talk, Bea reveals that she is scared of her powers, and her inability to control them.  She fears that she will be a danger to her teammates.

Back with Beetle, Waller (unhappily flanked by Batman) begins utilizing hypnosis.  We go into Ted's mind, and relive a moment from the League's semi-recent trip to Bialya.  Booster and Beetle are in their hotel room... however, this time Ted realizes that at some point, they were gassed.

His next memory is moments later, the Queen Bee stands over him (she also mentions that Booster is there as well).  She claims to have "plans" for the two of them.  Just as he's about to remember... Beetle begins to seize.  His eyes roll to the back of his head, his mouth falls agape, and his nose begins to bleed.

Waller and Batman conclude that the Queen Bee included what they refer to as an "Azrael Block", which serves as something of a fail safe to prevent attempts of deprogramming.  Beetle is now comatose.

As the ambulance pulls away, Batman begrudgingly compliments Waller, which she seems thrown by.  Batman claims there's only one man who may be able to help now... Nabu

--

Another one of those issues that really makes me miss an era of DC Comics that I wasn't even there for firsthand.  The first few post-Crisis years truly are amazing to behold.  The sorta-kinda uneasy alliance between the Justice League and Suicide Squad is one of the funnest parts.

This is one of those relatively "quiet" issues of Justice League America, and boy do I love these.  It's issues like this that make it so easy to care for these characters on a much higher and deeper level then the normal action-packed superhero fare.  You get the feeling like you really know these characters.

This Amanda Waller... this Amanda Waller.  She is one of those things I really dislike about the New-52.  The new-look Wall... ehh, just so unnecessary.  If only they were still writing these books without an eye toward Hollywood...

Definitely recommended, though, I'd suggest picking up the issues proceeding it as well.  I can appreciate this one on its own, as I've read this run skatey-eight hundred times already... if it's your first time, however... hell, just grab as many issues of this run you can.

You should get this issue on its own, however, if for no other reason than its amazing cover.  Kevin Maguire provides one of the more striking and memorable covers of the era with his homage to The Exorcist.  Back before we had "theme month variants", they were able to make one of these actually mean something!

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