Flash (vol.2) #33 (December, 1989)
"Joker's Holiday"
Writer - William Messner-Loebs
Penciller - Greg LaRocque
Inker - Tim Dzon
Colorist - Glenn Whitmore
Letterer - Tim Harkins
Editor - Brian Augustyn
Cover Price: $1.00
Here's one I've been wanting to talk about for a long while. It's one of those "key" issues, maybe to no one but me... but one I'd only heard whispers about when the subject of early Flash (vol.2) comes up.
It's been on my ever-growing list of books to keep an eye out for... for as long as I've carried a list. Finally stumbled across it in a cheap-o bin yesterday... and couldn't wait to get home and read it.
So, we'll take the hit "views" wise... I don't know what it is, but anytime we discuss The Flash here, views go wayyy down. And engagement? Fuhgeddaboudit! Maybe this very strange issue will change that... who knows?
Only one way to find out...
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We open with a reminiscence from a young woman... she recalls her tenth birthday party, when her parents hired Rags the Clown to entertain. What's worse, they left ol' Rags in charge of the party... and he was in a bad way. He was drunk/hung-over, creepy... destructive. Just not the best chaperone. Go figure, right? Anyways, when her parents (finally) returned, the house was cleaned up... and ol' Rags gave our gal a peck on the cheek as he left. This would begin her fear of clowns... something that stuck with her until the present day. More on that in just a bit.
We shift scenes to Wally West moving into his new Keystone City digs. He is given a weird housewarming visit by a blonde woman... who greets him with a slap in the face. Ya see, during an earlier adventure, The Flash zipped across the country... and unfortunately, right through her puppy Bunches!
She continues to berate him as Joan Garrick arrives with a young couple to introduce to Wally. The grieving woman stomps out... and we learn that she was just an actress hired by a shadowy figure in order to keep young Mr. West on his toes.
Now, with that out of the way... Wally meets this couple. It's Dana and Ken Simpson... and wouldn'tcha know it, Dana is the coulrophobic woman we met earlier. She tells Wally (I probably ought to mention that his "secret identity" is publicly known at this point) that the Joker is trying to steal her baby. He's made threatening phone calls... and has sent her twisted packages.
Wally "flashes up", and hits the town to follow up. He heads to the Keystone City Police Station... where he's given a rather chilly "how do you do?". They basically tell him to hit the skids... and so, he decides to escalate things by visiting the Police Captain personally... only to find he's a few minutes too late!
We jump ahead to Linda Park delivering a news report on the murder-by-Joker-toxin of the Keystone City Police Chief... she also interviews the Simpsons about the threats the Joker made to them... which causes Dana to rush off a sobbing mess.
Flash and Linda share a bit of flirty/contentious banter before Wally rushes off to make a phone call... to Bruce Wayne.
Bruce informs Wally that there's no possible way that the Joker is terrorizing Keystone City... but offers to send him any information he has to help him connect whichever dots need connectin'.
At the station, Wally goes through the information sent by Wayne... and learns that the Police Captain was set to meet with a fella by the name of Juice Mantee the day he was murdered. He cross-references that name with the Bat-File, and finds that Mr. Mantee was once a member of the Joker's Gang.
With Wally on the job, Joan Garrick approaches Linda about visiting with a friend. A friend who happens to be a therapist, who'd like to discuss postpartum depression. Seems Joan has some suspicions about Mrs. Simpson.
Wally heads to Mantee's office... and thinks about how he'd very likely have access to Joker toxin. He is greeted upon arrival by a gaggle of gunny geeks... one of whom delivers the immortal line "Eat leaden death!" Gotta love it!
Back at the clinic, Linda and Joan get more of the quick and dirty on postpartum depression... and it's delivered in an easy-to-digest way. Really like the way this was handled... no condescension, while at the same time, it's not "dumbed down". Joan decides to call Dana to have her come in... however, learns that she (and the baby) have gone missing!
We rejoin Wally as he busts into Mantee's office. After a brief skirmish... Mantee is shot. This scene is kind of a mess... we wouldn't know that Mantee was shot if Wally didn't tell us. It's like they forgot to draw backgrounds for the bottom three panels here... really pulls me out of it. I mean, just look at it...
As Wally tends to Mantee...'s body, the phone rings! It's Joan, and she tells him he must get to the Keystone Bridge "ASAP as possible". He's there... in a flash... and finds Dana Simpson precariously dangling her baby off the side of the bridge. Maybe she figures the only way to save the tot from the Joker is to toss him in the drink. Her delusions have gotten far worse... and she is now seeing everybody as the Joker.
Hell, check that, she even now sees her baby as the Joker! And so, into the drink he goes! Luckily, Wally can outrun a falling child, and rescues him before impact. The police help Dana down from the bridge... and, as you may imagine, she is rather disoriented. She doesn't remember how she got here... and what she'd just done.
We wrap up with Wally having a housewarming party at his new pad... and we now see the shadowy figure who's had his eye on him throughout the issue. Are ya ready for this? Ladies and gentlemen... I give you, the Turtle. Aye yai yai.
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Well... that certainly was a weird issue.
First, we get a Joker "guest appearance" without him even showing up! That's pretty cool... especially back in the day where Joker appearances weren't a weekly occurrence. I mean, really... is there a single week without a Joker appearance... or at least a cover appearance? I don't think so...
Let's get the easy stuff out of the way before going "deep". We wrap up with the introduction of the Flash's first Keystone threat... the Turtle. Ya get it? Turtles are slow! Oi. Can't say that this would entice me to buy the next issue... but, what do I know?
The Wally/Linda dynamic was pretty cool. I get a sort of Billy/Allison from Melrose Place vibe from them... and that's good enough for me. You can tell there's an underlying attraction there... but neither of them really wants to see/admit it.
The art... was a bit of a miss. We get some sorta McFarlane-esque "gummy/blobby faces"... but it doesn't really work. Then there's that page where Juice gets shot. Such a missed opportunity... I mean, removing the backgrounds was such a bad idea... especially if they weren't going to change the angle to make the scene more dynamic. We really wouldn't have had the slightest idea that he was shot if Flash didn't outright tell us. My initial reaction was that Wally punched him... I never would have guessed he was actually shot. Another art issue I have is that baby Donnie looks older than I'd have liked.
Now... the crux of the issue, postpartum depression. Well, there's a heavy topic one normally wouldn't associate with superhero comics. It's a potentially touchy topic as well... one that I feel didn't get fleshed out enough in my six years of psychology courses. For any current students/recent psych grads... you probably know that there are certain "inconvenient" topics that don't quite get their due... not saying it's universal, but at least for me, postpartum kind of got glossed over. It was never denounced, mind you... but wasn't "boosted" either.
It's a pretty scary subject... and, as mentioned, a pretty heavy one at that. I feel like Messner-Loebs handled it pretty well here. Let's break it down into the Dana Simpson thread, and the Linda/Joan thread... starting with the latter.
We joined Linda and Joan chatting up a clinician... who educated them on postpartum... and did so in a way that didn't talk down to them (or the audience), and even shined a light on the stigma related to the malady... and again, didn't do so in a way that talked down to anybody. I feel like if this were written today, it would be riddled with passive-aggressive agenda-pushing. Thankfully, we don't get that here.
Now Dana... isn't depicted as totally insane. Sure, it gets really dicey at the end... but in the lead-up, she's treated pretty fairly. She's convinced that the Joker is trying to kidnap her baby... and her husband hasn't said anything to argue that. If he's going to go along with this... whether he believes it or not (we have no reason to believe he doesn't), her fears will only compound... and she'll continue to dig her heels in.
Let's look at her childhood trauma for a bit. She associates clowns with... in a way, abandonment. Her parents left her alone with that rotten Rags... and it stands to reason she's make a link between child abandonment, danger, and clowns.
To the end of the story... Dana kinda goes off the rails. Tossing baby Donnie off the Keystone Bridge is a rather extreme way to wrap up... and it's the kind of ending that I don't really dig. I mean, in the real world... there is no Flash. On that, we can probably all agree. I don't like it when they mix very real problems/situations with the fantastic. It's... I dunno, kind of cheap. I mean, it invites questions as to why superheroes don't just solve all of the world's problems, ya know?
Anyhoo... despite my very few complaints... I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to read (and share) this issue. I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for a rather off-beat adventure of the Flash. For your convenience, this bugger is available digitally... and for just a buck!
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Justice Society of America (vol.3) #21 (January, 2009)
"One World, Under Gog, Part VI: Saints and Sinners"
Story - Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Pencillers - Dale Eaglesham & Jerry Ordway
Inkers - Nathan Massengill & Bob Wiacek
Colors - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Cover Price: $2.99
It's been a long time since we covered the Justice Society... partly due to my having moved in late October... but also, because I didn't (and still don't) have one of the Kingdom tie-ins.
Well... I'm tired of waiting, so we're going to soldier on through. Also... what better way to ensure the issue I'm missing finally surfaces, than to review what came after it, right? Ya know, it's like finding ten-thousand things when all you need is some other thing... or something.
Either way, let's get to it!
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We open just about where we left off... Gog is still looming large, and importantly, it's been seven days since he arrived... or, emerged... or whatever it was that he did when be burst out of that mountain. He's surrounded by worshipers, including half of the Justice Society... a few of whom he had given "gifts" to. Suddenly, the rest of the Golden Agers arrive to pull the civilians to safety.
Safety? From Gog? Well, yes... Sand helpfully explains that during one of those tie-ins, it was discovered that Gog was "rooting" himself to the Earth... a process which takes, get this, seven days! After "permanently linking" to a planet... he will be able to destroy it.
Gog appears to find the resistance adorable... and vows not to leave. He maintains that he is here for the betterment of Earth and her people... but the heroes ain't buyin' it. He scans the field before him and spots a weakness... Citizen Steel. Gog finally offers to grant Nate his wish. After thinking on it, Heywood tells him to pound salt.
The Society uses this brief distraction to launch a full-on assault on the giant god. Gog responds by blasting Jay Garrick with a bolt of lightning... and the intention of turning the Flash into living lightning strong enough to power an entire continent! Just like he changed those warmongers into trees... Gog is still adamant that his first priority is Earth and her people.
At this point, Superman-22 decides he's seen enough and literally punches Gog's lightning bolt... which is a pretty amazing visual.
The Society again launches an attack... but this one is far more successful. They're beating him so bad he starts vomiting Kirby Krackle! I don't think I've ever been beat up so bad... but it looks delightful.
Well... now Gog's ticked. He looks at the Justice Society as a group of ingrates... and proceeds to revoke his earlier "blessings". Dr. Mid-Nite's blindness returns... Starman's insanity acts up... Sand's nightmares flare up... Damage's face gets all blistery... and for good measure, Gog decides he'll fill Citizen Steel with intense pain.
Off to the side, Superman-22 and Magog are duking it out. Superman manages to get the upper hand... and forces David to see what his "god" is doing to the Justice Society. Magog knows this ain't cool... and approaches Gog about his behavior...
... at which time, the giant undoes his blessing as well!
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Man, I've missed this series!
Now, as we approach the end of this arc, the other shoe finally drops. Despite all of his power, Gog is nothing more than a parasite! The most interesting thing about this is... I dunno, it's sorta morally ambiguous. Gog is not unlike Galactus in that he's just doing... what he does (unless of course, I missed something in the tie-ins).
Sure, he "sells it" a bit better... but, despite how ominous and sinister he is... it still isn't clear that he has bad intentions. His "gifts" as they were, are legit. Mid-Nite's vision did come back... Damage's face did go pretty... Thom's mind did clear up... David did come back to life... I mean, that all happened. Galactus wouldn't waste any time with such things, sure... but his intentions (maybe like Gog's) aren't vindictive, but born out of necessity/nature.
It's weird upon reflection... it feels as though this issue had a lot going on... and at the same time, not a whole lot. It's just one of those issues. Still really good... still beautiful to look at... still highly recommended. I'm trying to remember how I received this the first time around... especially since we had a bit of a break with the tie-ins (that I didn't buy back in 2008) and the Power Girl/Earth-2 story. I wonder if having a few months "off" from the main Gog story hindered my enjoyment/satisfaction with what this issue brought to the table.
Overall... like I said, definitely recommended. We're heading toward the conclusion... and I really can't wait to re-experience it. Mostly because, I forgot how it all rolls out.
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Action Comics #709 (April, 1995)
"Crime Tunnel! ~or~ When Warriors Strongly Disagree!"
Writer - David Michelinie
Penciller - Jackson Guice
Inker - Denis Rodier
Letterer - Bill Oakley
Colorist - Glenn Whitmore
Assistant Editor - Chris Duffy
Editor - Mike Carlin
Cover Price: $1.50
For today's trip down Action Comics Avenue, we're dipping back into our suggested reads. This one comes from our pal Luke, who has been a great friend to the blog and shows!
Most of his Action Comics experience comes from the more recent runs, however he did get to take a look at this Guy Gardner-themed issue from the mid-1990's.
It's been... longer than I care to admit since I last read this one. I tell ya, time is one cruel SOB. In a fun twist, this story stems from an issue we discussed a lonnnng time ago, in Guy Gardner: Warrior #29... which also eventually became the subject for an episode of The Cosmic Treadmill!
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As we wrapped up Warrior #29, we (along with Arisia and Veronna) found out that our favorite Vuldarian (well, he's the only one... but that point still stands) isn't quite well. And so, we join him today as he heads into Metropolis... via the bumper-to-bumper gridlock of the Queensland Park Tunnel. He starts losing his cool... and lemme tell ya, folks... you wouldn't like him when he loses his cool.
We shift scenes over to the Daily Planet where a... ponytailed Clark Kent ponders a recent string of notes he'd been receiving which all read "I know". He's eventually joined by Lois... who has brought him some furniture varnish... er, coffee from the Planet commissary. You ever have coffee from one of those machines? They sometimes also offer horrible "chicken soup"... and sometimes if you were really lucky... you'd get a noodle or two in your morning joe! Anyhoo... Clark surprisingly tells Lois what he's worried about... which, even more surprisingly, doesn't seem to phase her!
Suddenly Perry bursts in to inform the office about what's going on in the Queensland Park Tunnel... and before we know it, Superman is on the case. Back at the tunnel, we've got another Metropolis icon present... Terrible Turpin, who Maggie Sawyer "suggested" take a vacation. Also stuck in gridlock, the Terrible One sees the commotion and wonders what all the hub-bub is about.
Up ahead, Guy Gardner has his hands full with some active-duty officers. Turpin proceeds into the fray... only to happen across a crime in progress. A group of nogoodniks appear to be taking advantage of the chaos to try and rob their fellow traffic-trapped Metropolitans.
Meanwhile, Superman arrives on the scene... and approaches our grotesque Vuldarian friend. Guy is happy to see him... as Superman was the reason he was headed to Metropolis in the first place! Ya see, his Vuldarian nastiness senses a threat and is trying to take over his body... and he figured maybe another alien, perhaps a Kryptonian, might be able to help him out!
That is, until Guy's gross-side identifies that Kryptonian as the threat!
Back to Turpin... he approaches the would-be robbers to tell 'em to cool their jets. The would be victim, however, chooses to lash out at the officer for, I dunno... "taking his sweet time". He even goes to the "eating donuts" well... which, c'mon, is never a good look.
Even worse when the baddies try and bargain with Turpin... and the Terrible One plays along like he's going to cut a deal. Of course, this leads to a lot of punchin'.
Elsewhere, Superman and Guy continue to brawl... with the former noticing how the latter appears to be evolving on the spot. He sees that Gardner's skin seems to be thickening to protect him... which, besides being gross... is probably rather helpful in a fight! Superman manages to knock Gardner aside for a moment... long enough to come to the aid of an injured civilian. Unfortunately, this fella has some bad news to share... he's illegally transporting radioactive waste... and if the tunnel takes any damage, a whole lotta people are going to die.
We shift scenes to Suicide Slum where a frantic headache-having fella has newspaper clippings of Superman in a casket pinned to his wall. The police bust in to arrest him... and he begs them to look at the clipping. Oddly enough, all they see is... an empty casket. I gotta admit, I don't remember this bit at all... but it's pretty intriguing!
Back in the tunnel, Superman and Guy continue their brouhaha. Guy starts calling Superman "Tormock"... which, ya know... might not make a whole lot of sense at the moment, but take my word for it, the Tormocks play heavily into Vuldarian history. When it looks like Gardner has the upper hand, Terrible Turpin commandeers a motorcycle and crashes it into him!
With Gardner knocked loopy... and Superman knowing that the Vuldarian's body is capable of protecting itself... the Man of Steel hurls Guy into a truck full of liquid nitrogen! That... hmm... doesn't seem like the most responsible of moves in any situation.
As we wrap up, Superman delivers Guy's frozen body to S.T.A.R. Labs for further evaluation... before returning to Clinton Ave to check his mailbox. Guess what? It's full of postcards which read "I know".
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When Luke suggested this issue, he said "it's not a standout issue buy I enjoyed it!"... and I think that's as perfect a description as any!
This wasn't a stand out... and was really just killing time until "The Death of Clark Kent" story in Superman (vol.2) #100 a couple of weeks later... but it manages to kill that time in an entertaining way. I know this is a "Chris chestnut", but if this story were to happen today... we're talking four-issues minimum.
Here there was no wasted motion... no wasted panels. We fill time with some great action, while building up the "I know" and "headache guy" subplots wonderfully. During the "triangle number" days, the Superman books had a great episodic feel, where it always felt as though there was forward momentum. Everything was constantly building and/or paying off.
As for the Guy/Superman fight. A lot of neat action, though the result was a bit "iffy". I dunno, I just don't see Superman risking a tunnel full of Metropolitans to hurl Gardner (or any threat) into a tanker of nitrogen... especially when it's right behind a tanker full of toxic waste. Dunno... just seems a bit out of character. Then again, I've never been in a similar situation... so, who am I to argue?
Overall... a fun issue that's certainly worth checking out. If you're a fan of Guy Gardner's "Vuldarian days"... I'm sure there's at least one of you out there... this one is a must-read. This bugger is available digitally... and if your cheap-o bins are anything like mine... easily found physically as well!
Thanks again to Luke for the recommendation! We're not going to be doing Action Comics everyday... but keep the suggestions comin'!
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